últimas

/OOL-tee-mahs/

last

A storybook illustration showing four brightly colored balls in a row: red, blue, green, and yellow. The yellow ball is at the very end of the line, clearly marking the last item.

When used as an adjective, últimas means "last," referring to the final position in a sequence.

últimas(Adjective)

fA1

last

position in a series

final

conclusion

Also:

latest

most recent items

📝 In Action

Las últimas galletas fueron para mi hermana.

The last cookies were for my sister.

Revisamos las últimas páginas del informe antes de entregarlo.

We reviewed the final pages of the report before handing it in.

Las últimas semanas han sido muy ocupadas.

The last few weeks have been very busy.

Word Connections

Synonyms

finales (final)
recientes (recent)

Antonyms

primeras (first)

Common Collocations

las últimas palabras – the last words
las últimas horas – the last hours

💡 Grammar Points

Matching Gender and Number

Since 'últimas' is feminine and plural, it must describe feminine plural things (like 'noticias' or 'horas'). The singular masculine is 'último' and the singular feminine is 'última'.

⭐ Usage Tips

Positioning

It almost always goes before the noun it describes: 'las últimas semanas' (the last weeks), not 'las semanas últimas'.

A simple, colorful illustration of a red megaphone pointed upwards, emitting large, sweeping sound waves or signals to symbolize broadcasting current news or updates.

As a noun, últimas translates to "the latest news" or "current updates."

últimas(Noun)

fB1

the latest news

current updates

Also:

the latest

current information or gossip

📝 In Action

¿Cuáles son las últimas de la política en tu país?

What is the latest political news in your country?

Dame las últimas, ¿qué ha pasado con Juan?

Give me the latest, what happened with Juan?

Word Connections

Synonyms

novedades (updates/novelties)
noticias (news)

Common Collocations

dar las últimas – to give the latest updates

💡 Grammar Points

Implied Noun

When 'últimas' is used alone as a noun, it's usually short for 'las últimas noticias' (the latest news). The word 'noticias' is understood, so you only need to say 'las últimas'.

⭐ Usage Tips

Media Context

You will often see 'ÚLTIMAS NOTICIAS' (Latest News) in print, but in conversation, people often shorten it just to 'las últimas' when the context is clearly about current events.

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: últimas

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence uses 'últimas' to mean 'the latest news'?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

último(last (masculine singular)) - adjective

última(last (feminine singular)) - adjective

últimamente(lately) - adverb

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is 'últimas' feminine if it can refer to general news?

It is feminine because it is almost always an abbreviation of the phrase 'las últimas noticias,' and 'noticias' (news) is a feminine plural noun. Even when you omit 'noticias,' the feminine form sticks.

What is the difference between 'últimas' and 'finales'?

'Últimas' usually means either 'most recent' (latest) or 'the very last one in a sequence.' 'Finales' usually just means 'final' or 'concluding,' and rarely carries the sense of 'most recent.'