A brightly colored illustration showing a thoughtful person sitting down, surrounded by multiple glowing lightbulbs floating above their head, symbolizing many new ideas.

ideas

ee-DEH-ahs

nounfA1

ideas?general concepts or thoughts,thoughts?mental concepts

Also:suggestions?potential solutions or proposals,plans?schemes or intentions

📝 In Action

Necesitamos nuevas ideas para el proyecto.

We need new ideas for the project.

¿Tienes ideas sobre dónde comer?

Do you have any ideas about where to eat?

Sus ideas políticas son muy conservadoras.

His political ideas (beliefs) are very conservative.

Word Connections

Synonyms

pensamientos (thoughts)
conceptos (concepts)

Common Collocations

intercambiar ideas – to exchange ideas
buenas ideas – good ideas
falta de ideas – lack of ideas

Idioms & Expressions

tener ideas de bombero – to have crazy or silly ideas (literally: fireman's ideas)

💡 Grammar Points

Feminine Plural

Since 'idea' is a feminine word, 'ideas' is also feminine and plural. Any words describing it (like adjectives) must also be plural and feminine: 'ideas originales'.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Gender Confusion

Mistake: "Using 'el ideas' or 'los ideas'."

Correction: Always use the feminine article: 'las ideas' or 'unas ideas'. Even though the singular 'idea' ends in -a, it sometimes tricks learners because of other Spanish words ending in -a that are masculine (like 'el día').

⭐ Usage Tips

Common Use with 'Tener'

You often use the verb 'tener' (to have) with 'ideas' when generating or discussing mental concepts: 'Tengo muchas ideas' (I have many ideas).

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: ideas

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence correctly uses the adjective agreement with 'ideas'?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

idea(idea (singular)) - noun

ideal(ideal) - adjective/noun

idear(to conceive, to devise) - verb

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is 'ideas' feminine when some Spanish nouns ending in '-a' (like 'mapa') are masculine?

Most Spanish nouns ending in '-a' are feminine, and 'idea' follows this general rule. The few exceptions, like 'mapa' or 'tema', are usually words that came directly from Greek nouns ending in '-ma' or '-pa'.

Can 'ideas' mean 'opinions' or 'beliefs'?

Yes, absolutely! When talking about political, social, or personal views, 'ideas' is a very common way to express 'opinions' or 'beliefs,' as in: 'Sus ideas son progresistas' (His opinions are progressive).