río
REE-oh (accent on the 'i')
📝 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.
💡 Grammar Points
Always Masculine
Even though many things in nature are feminine (like 'la montaña'), 'río' is always masculine, so you must use 'el río' or 'un río'.
⭐ Usage Tips
Using the 'Flow' Metaphor
You can use 'río' metaphorically, similar to English 'a river of' or 'a flow of,' when talking about large, moving crowds (e.g., 'río de coches' - traffic flow).
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: río
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence uses 'río' to mean 'I laugh'?
📚 More Resources
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.