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A landscape showing two blue rivers winding through a green valley with small hills.

ríos

REE-ohs

nounmA1
rivers?plural form of a natural flowing watercourse
Also:streams?referring to smaller or larger flows of water,flows?used figuratively for things like traffic or tears

📝 In Action

Los ríos Amazonas y Nilo son los más largos del mundo.

A1

The Amazon and Nile rivers are the longest in the world.

Me gusta el sonido de los ríos cuando el agua corre rápido.

A2

I like the sound of rivers when the water flows fast.

Corrieron ríos de tinta sobre esa noticia.

B2

Rivers of ink were spilled over that news (meaning a lot was written).

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • corrientes (currents/flows)
  • afluentes (tributaries)

Antonyms

  • mares (seas)
  • desiertos (deserts)

Common Collocations

  • ríos caudalosos – wide/fast-flowing rivers
  • cruzar ríos – to cross rivers
  • cuencas de los ríos – river basins

Idioms & Expressions

  • correr ríos de sangre – a lot of violence or fighting
  • donde los ríos se juntan – at the confluence/meeting point

💡 Grammar Points

Keeping the Accent

Even though you add an 's' to make it plural, the 'í' keeps its accent mark. This ensures the 'i' and 'o' are pronounced as two separate sounds rather than blending together.

Gender Consistency

Since 'río' is masculine, the plural 'ríos' is also masculine. Always use 'los' or 'unos' with it.

❌ Common Pitfalls

The Missing Accent

Mistake: "rios"

Correction: ríos

⭐ Usage Tips

Figurative Use

You can use 'ríos' to describe a lot of anything moving, like 'ríos de gente' (rivers of people/crowds) or 'ríos de lágrimas' (rivers of tears).

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: ríos

Question 1 of 2

How do you say 'The long rivers' in Spanish?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

río(river (singular)) - noun
riachuelo(stream/brook) - noun
riada(flood) - noun
ribera(riverbank) - noun

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'ríos' ever a verb?

No. While 'río' can mean 'I laugh' (from the verb reír), the plural 'ríos' is only ever a noun meaning 'rivers'.

Do all rivers in Spanish use 'los'?

Yes, when referring to rivers as a category or by name (e.g., 'el río Ebro'), they are almost always masculine.