A simple colorful illustration showing a dog barking loudly next to a child vigorously hitting a small wooden drum. Large, stylized curved lines indicate sound waves prominently emanating from both the dog's mouth and the drum.

ruidos

RUE-ee-dohs

nounmA1

noises?general sounds, often loud

Also:sounds?especially when referring to multiple instances of sound,din?a loud, unpleasant, prolonged noise

📝 In Action

No puedo dormir por los ruidos que vienen de la calle.

I can't sleep because of the noises coming from the street.

Después del accidente, se escucharon muchos ruidos de sirenas.

After the accident, many siren sounds were heard.

Los niños hicieron ruidos fuertes jugando en el parque.

The children made loud noises playing in the park.

Word Connections

Synonyms

sonidos (sounds (more neutral))
bulla (racket, commotion)

Antonyms

silencios (silences)
calma (calm)

Common Collocations

hacer ruidos – to make noises
ruidos extraños – strange noises

💡 Grammar Points

Always Masculine Plural

Since 'ruidos' is the plural form of the noun 'ruido,' it is always masculine. You must use the masculine plural article 'los' (los ruidos) and masculine adjectives (ruidos fuertes).

❌ Common Pitfalls

Ruidos vs. Sonidos

Mistake: "Usar 'sonidos' cuando el sonido es molesto."

Correction: Use 'ruidos' when the sound is loud, annoying, or disruptive (e.g., 'Los ruidos de la construcción son terribles'). 'Sonidos' is neutral and refers to any sound (e.g., 'Los sonidos de la guitarra son bonitos').

⭐ Usage Tips

Focus on Disturbance

Think of 'ruidos' as sounds that break the silence or are distracting. If the sound is pleasant or technical (like an audio file), use 'sonidos'.

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: ruidos

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence correctly uses 'ruidos' to imply an unwanted sound?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

ruido(noise (singular)) - noun

ruidoso(noisy) - adjective

ruidosamente(noisily) - adverb

Frequently Asked Questions

¿Por qué 'ruido' es masculino si termina en 'o'?

Most Spanish nouns that end in '-o' are masculine, and 'ruido' follows this common pattern. Therefore, its plural form 'ruidos' is also masculine and pairs with 'los'.

If I want to talk about sound quality, should I use 'ruidos'?

No. If you are talking about the quality, frequency, or technical aspects of sound, use 'sonidos.' 'Ruidos' specifically refers to the volume or disruption caused by sounds.