A small stack of colorful, rectangular printed photographs resting on a flat surface. The visible photos show simple, recognizable images like a flower and the sky.

fotos

/foh-tohs/

NounfA1

photos?plural of photograph,pictures?a common, everyday term for photographs

Also:pics?very informal, similar to English slang

📝 In Action

Me encanta tomar fotos de paisajes.

I love taking photos of landscapes.

¿Viste las fotos de la fiesta de anoche?

Did you see the pictures from last night's party?

Por favor, envíame las fotos por correo electrónico.

Please, send me the photos by email.

Word Connections

Synonyms

imágenes (images)
retratos (portraits)

Common Collocations

tomar fotos – to take photos
sacar fotos – to take photos (common in Latin America)
álbum de fotos – photo album
sesión de fotos – photo shoot

💡 Grammar Points

It's Always Feminine!

Even though 'foto' ends in '-o', it's a feminine word. This is a very common exception you should memorize. Always say 'la foto' for one and 'las fotos' for more than one.

Short for 'Fotografía'

'Foto' is the short, and much more common, version of the word 'fotografía'. You can use 'foto' and 'fotos' in almost any situation, from casual chat to a formal presentation.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Using 'el' or 'los'

Mistake: "Me gustan *los* fotos que tomaste."

Correction: Me gustan *las* fotos que tomaste. Because 'foto' is feminine, any words describing it (like 'the' or 'some') also need to be feminine.

⭐ Usage Tips

'Tomar' vs. 'Sacar'

Both 'tomar fotos' and 'sacar fotos' mean 'to take photos'. 'Tomar' is more common in Spain, while 'sacar' is very common in Latin America. Both are perfectly understood everywhere.

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: fotos

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence is grammatically correct?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

foto(photo) - noun

fotografía(photograph, photography) - noun

fotografiar(to photograph) - verb

fotógrafo(photographer (male/general)) - noun

fotógrafa(photographer (female)) - noun

fotogénico(photogenic) - adjective

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'fotos' informal? Should I use 'fotografías' in a formal setting?

While 'fotografías' is technically more formal, 'fotos' is so widely used that it's acceptable in almost all situations, including professional and academic ones. You can't go wrong using 'fotos'.

Why is 'foto' feminine if it ends in '-o'?

It's an exception that comes from its original, longer form. The full word, 'fotografía', ends in '-a', which is a typical feminine ending in Spanish. Even when we shorten it to 'foto', it keeps its original feminine gender. Other examples of this are 'la moto' (from motocicleta) and 'la radio' (from radiodifusión).