Inklingo

How to Say "noises" in Spanish

English → Spanish

ruidos

RUE-ee-dohs/'rwi.ðos/

nounA1general
Use 'ruidos' when referring to sounds that are generally loud, disruptive, or unwanted, often implying a disturbance.
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.

Examples

Los ruidos de la construcción me despertaron temprano.

The noises from the construction woke me up early.

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.

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).

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').

sonidos

/soh-NEE-dohs//soˈniðos/

nounA1general
Use 'sonidos' for any type of sound, whether it's pleasant, neutral, or even loud, often referring to the auditory perception itself.
A bright red cartoon bird singing loudly on a tree branch and a small blue frog croaking on a lily pad below. Both the bird and the frog are emitting visible, wavy sound lines illustrating the concept of audible phenomena.

Examples

Disfruto de los sonidos relajantes de la lluvia.

I enjoy the relaxing sounds of the rain.

Me encantan los sonidos de la naturaleza, como el viento y el agua.

I love the sounds of nature, like the wind and the water.

El bebé empezó a hacer sonidos extraños después de comer.

The baby started making strange sounds after eating.

Los sonidos fuertes del concierto me dolieron los oídos.

The loud sounds of the concert hurt my ears.

Masculine Plural

'Sonidos' is the plural of the masculine noun 'sonido' (sound). Since it ends in '-os', always use masculine plural words before it, like 'los' (the) or 'muchos' (many).

Using Feminine Articles

Mistake: “Las sonidos son molestos.”

Correction: Los sonidos son molestos. ('Sonidos' is masculine, so use 'los'.)

Distinguishing 'ruidos' from 'sonidos'

Learners often confuse 'ruidos' and 'sonidos' by using 'sonidos' for any sound. Remember that 'ruidos' specifically implies loud or unpleasant sounds, while 'sonidos' is a more general term for any auditory input.

Related Translations

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