Inklingo
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A simple illustration of a long, brown and black rifle.

rifle

REE-fleh

nounmB1
rifle?long firearm
Also:long gun?general term for a shoulder-fired weapon

📝 In Action

El guardia de seguridad llevaba un rifle de asalto.

B1

The security guard was carrying an assault rifle.

El cazador tuvo que limpiar bien el cañón de su rifle.

B1

The hunter had to thoroughly clean the barrel of his rifle.

En el museo vimos varios rifles antiguos de la Guerra Civil.

B2

In the museum, we saw several antique rifles from the Civil War.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • fusil (rifle/musket)
  • arma larga (long gun)

Common Collocations

  • disparar un rifle – to fire a rifle
  • cargar el rifle – to load the rifle
  • mira de rifle – rifle scope/sight

💡 Grammar Points

Masculine Gender Rule

Even though 'rifle' ends in 'e,' it is always a masculine noun. You must use 'el' (the) or 'un' (a) with it: 'el rifle' or 'un rifle'.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Using the Wrong Article

Mistake: "La rifle."

Correction: El rifle. Remember that nouns related to tools or equipment are often masculine, even if they end in 'e'.

⭐ Usage Tips

Easy Cognate

This word is a direct borrowing from English, making the spelling easy to remember. Just pronounce it the Spanish way: REE-fleh.

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: rifle

Question 1 of 1

Si ves la frase 'El soldado limpió el rifle', ¿qué sabemos sobre la palabra 'rifle'?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

riflero(rifleman) - noun
riflería(rifle factory/rifles (collective)) - noun

Frequently Asked Questions

¿Cuál es la diferencia entre 'rifle' y 'escopeta'?

Ambos son armas largas, pero un 'rifle' generalmente dispara una sola bala con gran precisión a larga distancia. Una 'escopeta' (shotgun) dispara perdigones (pellets) que se dispersan, y se usa más para distancias cortas o caza de aves.

¿Cómo se pronuncia 'rifle' correctamente en español?

Se pronuncia con el énfasis en la primera sílaba, como si fuera 'REE-fleh', a diferencia del inglés donde la vocal es más corta.