Inklingo

How to Say "stars" in Spanish

English → Spanish

estrellas

/es-TREH-yahs//esˈtɾe.ʎas/

nounA1general
Use 'estrellas' when referring to the actual celestial bodies visible in the night sky or when describing the rating of a hotel or service using a star system.
A deep blue night sky filled with many bright, twinkling yellow stars of various sizes.

Examples

Por la noche, se ven miles de estrellas.

At night, thousands of stars can be seen.

Mi hijo quiere ser astronauta y visitar las estrellas.

My son wants to be an astronaut and visit the stars.

Ese hotel tiene cinco estrellas y el servicio es excelente.

That hotel has five stars, and the service is excellent.

Todas las grandes estrellas de Hollywood asistieron al evento.

All the big stars from Hollywood attended the event.

Gender and Plural

Since the singular form is 'la estrella' (a feminine noun), the plural 'estrellas' is also feminine. Remember to use 'las' before it.

Figurative Use

Just like in English, 'estrellas' can refer to famous people or denote quality (a star rating). The plural form is most common for this meaning.

Confusing Gender

Mistake: “Los estrellas brillan mucho. (Using the masculine article 'los')”

Correction: Las estrellas brillan mucho. (Always use the feminine article 'las'.)

estrellas

/es-TREH-yahs//esˈtɾe.ʎas/

nounB1general
Use 'estrellas' to refer to famous people, especially in contexts like the entertainment industry or when discussing the prestige associated with them, often in ratings.
A deep blue night sky filled with many bright, twinkling yellow stars of various sizes.

Examples

Ese hotel tiene cinco estrellas y el servicio es excelente.

That hotel has five stars, and the service is excellent.

Por la noche, se ven miles de estrellas.

At night, thousands of stars can be seen.

Mi hijo quiere ser astronauta y visitar las estrellas.

My son wants to be an astronaut and visit the stars.

Todas las grandes estrellas de Hollywood asistieron al evento.

All the big stars from Hollywood attended the event.

Gender and Plural

Since the singular form is 'la estrella' (a feminine noun), the plural 'estrellas' is also feminine. Remember to use 'las' before it.

Figurative Use

Just like in English, 'estrellas' can refer to famous people or denote quality (a star rating). The plural form is most common for this meaning.

Confusing Gender

Mistake: “Los estrellas brillan mucho. (Using the masculine article 'los')”

Correction: Las estrellas brillan mucho. (Always use the feminine article 'las'.)

famosos

fah-MOH-sohs/faˈmosos/

nounA2general
Use 'famosos' specifically when talking about well-known people, particularly actors, musicians, or other public figures, in a general sense.
Three stylishly dressed individuals walking quickly past a dense row of cameras with flashing lights, representing celebrities.

Examples

Hay muchos famosos en esta fiesta privada.

There are many celebrities at this private party.

Los famosos a menudo usan gafas de sol para esconderse.

Famous people often wear sunglasses to hide.

El periódico solo habla de la vida de los famosos.

The newspaper only talks about the lives of the stars.

Adjective functioning as a Noun

When you put an article (like 'los') in front of the plural adjective 'famosos', it turns into a noun meaning 'the famous people' or 'celebrities'. This is a common pattern in Spanish.

Missing Article

Mistake: “Famosos están aquí. (Missing the article 'los')”

Correction: Los famosos están aquí. When using 'famosos' to mean 'celebrities' (the people), you almost always need the article 'los' in front of it.

Estrellas vs. Famosos

Learners often confuse 'estrellas' and 'famosos' when referring to famous people. Remember that 'estrellas' can also mean celestial bodies or quality ratings, while 'famosos' is exclusively for well-known individuals, especially in entertainment.

Related Translations

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