An open book with handwritten verses and a quill pen resting beside it on a wooden table.

poemas

po-EH-mahs

nounmA1

poems?literary compositions written in verse

Also:verses?often used interchangeably when referring to poetry

📝 In Action

Me gusta leer poemas de amor por la noche.

I like to read love poems at night.

Pablo Neruda escribió muchos poemas famosos.

Pablo Neruda wrote many famous poems.

Los niños recitaron unos poemas cortos en la escuela.

The children recited some short poems at school.

Word Connections

Synonyms

versos (verses)
poesías (poetic works)

Antonyms

prosa (prose (ordinary writing))

Common Collocations

escribir poemas – to write poems
recitar poemas – to recite poems
libro de poemas – book of poems

💡 Grammar Points

The 'Ma' Gender Rule

Even though it ends in 'a', 'poema' is masculine. This is common for words that come from Greek. Always use 'los' or 'un' with it.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Wrong Gender

Mistake: "las poemas"

Correction: los poemas (because the word is masculine despite its ending).

⭐ Usage Tips

Poema vs. Poesía

Use 'poema' for a specific individual piece of writing. Use 'poesía' when talking about the art of poetry in general.

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: poemas

Question 1 of 2

Which of the following is correct?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

poema(poem (singular)) - noun

poeta(poet) - noun

poesía(poetry) - noun

poético(poetic) - adjective

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is it 'el poema' if it ends in 'a'?

Spanish has a group of words ending in -ma, -pa, or -ta that come from Greek and are masculine. Other examples include 'el problema', 'el sistema', and 'el mapa'.

Can I use 'versos' instead of 'poemas'?

Generally, yes! While a 'verso' is technically a single line, people often use the plural 'versos' to mean poetry or poems in a more artistic way.