ellas
“ellas” means “they” in Spanish (referring to a group of all females (people or things)).
they
Also: them
📝 In Action
¿Dónde están las chicas? Ellas están en el parque.
A1Where are the girls? They are in the park.
Mis hermanas son doctoras. Ellas trabajan mucho.
A1My sisters are doctors. They work a lot.
Las sillas son rojas. Ellas son muy cómodas.
A2The chairs are red. They are very comfortable.
Compré estas flores para ellas.
A2I bought these flowers for them.
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: ellas
Question 1 of 1
If you are talking about your mother and your aunt ('tu madre y tu tía'), how would you say 'They are happy'?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
It comes from the Latin word 'illae', which was used to point out a group of feminine things, kind of like saying 'those ones over there'. Over time, it shortened and changed into the 'ellas' we use today.
First recorded: Evolved from Vulgar Latin into Old Spanish around the 10th-12th centuries.
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most important difference between 'ellas' and 'ellos'?
'Ellas' is ONLY for groups of all females (people or things). 'Ellos' is for groups of all males OR for mixed groups of males and females. If there's even one male in a group of a hundred people, you must use 'ellos'.
Can 'ellas' refer to objects, not just people?
Absolutely! In Spanish, all nouns have a gender. If you're talking about a group of things that are all feminine nouns, like 'las casas' (the houses) or 'las flores' (the flowers), you use 'ellas' to refer to them. For example: 'Me gustan las casas. Ellas son muy grandes.' (I like the houses. They are very big.)