agua destilada
/aɡwa destilada/from spelling rulesfeminine
In Spanish, distilled water is agua destilada.
agua destilada refers to water that has been purified by distillation.
Meaning: water that has been purified by distillation (noun)
Which one should you use?
Use agua destilada when referring to chemically purified water, but use agua de manantial if you are referring to natural spring water.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In most Latin American countries, agua destilada is the prevailing term for distilled water.
How does it change in a sentence?
Although agua is a feminine noun, you use the masculine article el in the singular (e.g., el agua destilada) to avoid a double 'a' sound. When using the plural form, the article and the adjective both become feminine to match the noun, as in las aguas destiladas.
How do you pronounce it?
/aɡwa destilada/
Did you know?
- The word agua shares an ancient root with the archaic English word 'ea', which once meant a small stream or river.
- Spanish uses the term aguas to refer specifically to therapeutic thermal springs, a concept English lacks a single word for.
- In rural regions, some speakers use agua pura to refer to distilled water, though pura simply means 'pure'.
Examples in context
- Mientras la plancha se calentaba, María vertió agua destilada en el tanque para hacer vapor.As the iron was heating up, Mary poured distilled water into the reservoir to make steam.This sentence shows how to use agua destilada in the context of filling a reservoir for a steam iron.Tatoeba #3037467 by marcelostockle, translation #3020387 by Delian
- Usa siempre agua destilada en las planchas de vapor, porque el agua común y corriente con el tiempo provocará que una acumulación de minerales tape los huecos de vapor.Always use distilled water in steam irons because using ordinary water will cause a mineral build-up over time that will clog the steam holes.This sentence highlights the importance of using agua destilada to prevent mineral buildup in steam irons.Tatoeba #3037457 by marcelostockle, translation #3020388 by Delian
- En el laboratorio, necesitamos agua destilada para realizar la prueba.In the laboratory, we need distilled water to perform the test.
- Necesito comprar agua destilada para el laboratorio.I need to buy distilled water for the laboratory.
Example conversation
Daniel and María are in the kitchen preparing for an experiment.
- Daniel¿Tienes agua destilada en la despensa?Do you have distilled water in the pantry?
- MaríaNo, pero puedo ir a comprarla ahora.No, but I can go buy it now.
- DanielGracias, María, es muy importante para el proyecto.Thank you, María, it is very important for the project.
- MaríaNo hay problema, Daniel, vuelvo enseguida.No problem, Daniel, I will be right back.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “distilled water” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
