historias

/ees-TOH-ryahs/

stories

A child sitting and reading a book, with small, imaginary story characters floating out of the open pages.

Historias means 'stories' or 'tales,' narratives that capture the imagination.

historias(noun)

fA1

stories

narratives, tales

Also:

accounts

reports of events

histories

multiple historical narratives

📝 In Action

Leemos muchas historias de fantasía antes de dormir.

We read many fantasy stories before bed.

Las historias de mis abuelos son fascinantes; vivieron muchos cambios.

My grandparents' stories are fascinating; they lived through many changes.

Hay muchas historias diferentes sobre cómo empezó la guerra civil.

There are many different accounts about how the civil war started.

Word Connections

Synonyms

cuentos (tales, short stories)
relatos (narratives)

Common Collocations

contar historias – to tell stories
libros de historias – storybooks

💡 Grammar Points

Feminine Plural Agreement

Since 'historias' is feminine and plural, any words describing it must also be feminine and plural (e.g., 'historias interesantes,' not 'interesantes historias').

❌ Common Pitfalls

Using 'Historias' for the Subject History

Mistake: "Me gusta estudiar historias. (I like studying histories.)"

Correction: Me gusta estudiar historia. (I like studying history [the academic subject].) Only use 'historias' if you mean multiple individual narratives.

A frustrated person looking at a huge, complex knot of brightly colored, tangled rope.

Historias can also refer to 'drama' or 'personal complications' and troubles.

historias(noun)

fB2

drama

personal complications, troubles

Stories

social media feature (like Instagram or Facebook Stories)

Also:

nonsense

unbelievable tales

📝 In Action

¿Viste las historias que subió Marta hoy? Estuvo de viaje.

Did you see the Stories Marta uploaded today? She was traveling.

Déjame de historias, dime la verdad de lo que pasó.

Stop with the drama (or excuses), tell me the truth about what happened.

Word Connections

Synonyms

rollos (nonsense, fuss (Spain informal))
chismes (gossip)

Common Collocations

subir historias – to upload Stories (social media)
tener muchas historias – to have a lot of personal drama/complications

Idioms & Expressions

¡Déjate de historias! – Stop the nonsense/excuses/drama!

💡 Grammar Points

Use with 'Dejar'

The expression 'Déjame de historias' uses the special command form of 'dejar' (to leave/stop) to tell someone to cut the drama.

⭐ Usage Tips

Social Media Context

When talking about apps like Instagram, 'historias' is the standard way to refer to the temporary photo/video posts, used just like the English plural 'Stories'.

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: historias

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence correctly uses 'historias' to mean 'personal complications or troubles'?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

historia(story, history) - noun

histórico(historic, historical) - adjective

historiador(historian) - noun

Frequently Asked Questions

If 'historia' means both 'story' and 'history,' how do I know which one is meant when using 'historias'?

In the plural, 'historias' almost always refers to *stories* or *tales* (either fictional narratives or multiple personal accounts). If you mean the academic subject 'history,' you almost always use the singular, 'historia,' even when talking about studying it over years.

Is it okay to use 'historias' to talk about social media posts?

Absolutely! Using 'historias' to refer to temporary posts on platforms like Instagram is very common and completely natural in modern Spanish conversation.