A row of small red and black ants walking across a green leaf.

hormigas

or-MEE-gahs

nounfA1

ants?the plural form of the small social insect

Also:pins and needles?used figuratively to describe a tingling sensation in the limbs

📝 In Action

Las hormigas están llevando hojas a su hormiguero.

The ants are carrying leaves to their anthill.

Había un camino de hormigas en la cocina.

There was a trail of ants in the kitchen.

Siento hormigas en mi pierna porque se me durmió.

I feel pins and needles in my leg because it fell asleep.

Word Connections

Common Collocations

trabajo de hormigas – a job requiring slow, steady patience
hileras de hormigas – lines of ants

Idioms & Expressions

tener hormigas en el cuerpo – to be restless or fidgety

💡 Grammar Points

Making it plural

This is the plural form of 'hormiga.' In Spanish, words ending in a vowel just add an 's' to talk about more than one.

Always Feminine

Even if the group of ants includes males, we always use the feminine word 'las hormigas.'

❌ Common Pitfalls

Gender confusion

Mistake: "los hormigas"

Correction: Always say 'las hormigas.' In Spanish, animal names often have a fixed gender regardless of the animal's actual sex.

⭐ Usage Tips

Talking about tingling

When your foot 'falls asleep,' you can say you have 'hormigas' (ants) or use the related word 'hormigueo' (tingling).

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: hormigas

Question 1 of 2

Which article should you use with 'hormigas'?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

hormiga(ant (singular)) - noun

hormiguero(anthill) - noun

hormigueo(tingling sensation) - noun

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a masculine version of this word for a male ant?

No. In Spanish, 'hormiga' is an epicene noun, meaning the same word is used for both males and females. If you need to specify, you would say 'hormiga macho' or 'hormiga hembra.'

Does 'hormigas' always refer to insects?

While it usually refers to insects, it is very common to use it to describe that prickly 'pins and needles' feeling when a limb falls asleep.