partículas
/par-TEE-koo-las/
particles
In a general sense, partículas refers to small fragments or tiny pieces of material.
partículas(noun)
particles
?general sense, fragments
,specks
?dust or dirt
motes
?dust floating in light
📝 In Action
Había muchas partículas de polvo flotando en el aire de la habitación vieja.
B1There were many dust particles floating in the air of the old room.
Asegúrate de que no queden partículas de suciedad en la lente de la cámara.
B2Make sure no specks of dirt remain on the camera lens.
💡 Grammar Points
Always Feminine Plural
Remember that 'partículas' is always a feminine noun, so you must use feminine adjectives and articles with it (e.g., 'las partículas pequeñas').
❌ Common Pitfalls
Using Masculine Articles
Mistake: "Los partículas"
Correction: Las partículas. Since the singular form 'partícula' ends in -a, it is feminine.
⭐ Usage Tips
Formal vs. Informal
While 'partículas' is formal, you might hear people use simpler words like 'polvo' (dust) or 'migas' (crumbs) in very casual conversation.
In physics and chemistry, partículas refers to the fundamental, often microscopic, components of matter.
📝 In Action
El estudio se centra en el comportamiento de las partículas elementales.
C1The study focuses on the behavior of elementary particles.
Un acelerador de partículas choca protones a velocidades altísimas.
C2A particle accelerator collides protons at extremely high speeds.
💡 Grammar Points
Technical Context
When used in a scientific context, 'partículas' refers to the smallest possible units of matter, like electrons or quarks.
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: partículas
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence uses 'partículas' in its specialized scientific meaning?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
If 'partículas' is plural, what is the singular form?
The singular form is 'partícula' (note the accent mark on the 'i'), which means 'a single particle' or 'a single speck.' It is also feminine.
Why is 'partículas' feminine?
It is feminine because its root, the Latin word *pars* (part), was feminine. Most Spanish nouns ending in -a are feminine, and 'partícula' follows this pattern.