río
“río” means “river” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
riverAlso: flow
📝 In Action
El río Amazonas es el más caudaloso del mundo.
A2The Amazon River is the largest in the world by volume.
Vamos a pescar a la orilla del río este fin de semana.
A1We are going fishing on the riverbank this weekend.
El río de gente que salió del estadio era enorme.
B1The flow (river) of people leaving the stadium was huge.
Word Connections
I laughAlso: I am laughing
📝 In Action
Yo río mucho cuando veo esa película.
A2I laugh a lot when I watch that movie.
¿De qué te ríes? Yo también río.
B1What are you laughing at? I'm laughing too.
Word Connections
Indicative
Present
Imperfect
Preterite
Subjunctive
Present Subjunctive
Imperfect Subjunctive
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: río
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence uses 'río' to mean 'I laugh'?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family
🎵 Rhymes
📚 Etymology
The noun 'río' (river) comes from the Latin word *rīvus*, meaning 'stream' or 'water channel.' The verb form 'río' (I laugh) comes from the Latin verb *rīdēre*.
First recorded: Both words have been in use since the earliest forms of Spanish, evolving directly from Latin.
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why does 'río' (river) have an accent mark?
The accent mark on the 'i' tells you that the two vowels ('i' and 'o') must be pronounced separately (REE-oh), rather than blending into one syllable. This is how Spanish indicates a 'hiatus' or break between vowels.
If 'río' is 'I laugh,' what is 'he/she/it laughs'?
The form for 'he/she/it laughs' is 'ríe' (él/ella/usted ríe), which follows the same vowel change pattern.