📝 In Action
El senado aprobó la nueva ley de educación por un voto.
B1The Senate approved the new education law by one vote.
Los senadores se reunieron hoy para discutir el presupuesto nacional.
B2The senators met today to discuss the national budget.
Cada estado tiene representantes en el senado.
A2Each state has representatives in the senate.
💡 Grammar Points
Using 'El' with Institutions
Because 'senado' refers to a specific, unique institution, it almost always uses the masculine article 'el' (El senado de España).
❌ Common Pitfalls
Confusing Gender
Mistake: "La senado (using the feminine article 'la')"
Correction: El senado. Even though it's a group of people, the word itself is masculine.
⭐ Usage Tips
Capitalization
In Spanish, the word 'senado' is usually written with a lowercase 's' (senado), unlike English ('Senate'), unless it starts a sentence or is part of a formal title.
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: senado
Question 1 of 2
Which word is the person who works in the 'senado'?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'senado' the same thing as 'congreso'?
Not exactly. Both are parts of the legislature. 'Senado' usually refers to the 'upper house,' while 'congreso' (Congress) can refer to the 'lower house' or sometimes the entire legislative body as a whole, depending on the country.
How do I know the gender of 'senado'?
'Senado' is masculine ('el senado'). Most Spanish words that end in '-o' are masculine, which is a good pattern to remember here.