águila
everyday, Mexico
In Mexico an eagle is an águila. The word is feminine but takes el in the singular, so you say el águila and las águilas.
Meaning: a large bird of prey (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
Feminine nouns that start with a stressed a take el in the singular: el águila, un águila, but las águilas in the plural. Adjectives stay feminine: el águila blanca.
How do you pronounce it?
Say "AH-gee-lah". The stress is on the first syllable.
When do people say it?
The golden eagle appears on the Mexican flag, standing on a cactus and holding a snake, based on the Aztec legend of the founding of Tenochtitlan.
Did you know?
- The Águila Real, or golden eagle, is Mexico's national bird, and Aztec legend says the Mexica founded their capital where they saw one on a cactus.
Examples in context
- El águila vuela muy alto.The eagle flies very high.
- Las águilas cazan serpientes.Eagles hunt snakes.
- El águila está en la bandera de México.The eagle is on the flag of Mexico.
Example conversation
A teacher, Maestra Lupe, shows the flag to her class in Mexico City.
- Maestra LupeNiños, ¿qué hay en el centro de la bandera?Children, what is in the center of the flag?
- NiñoUn águila sobre un nopal.An eagle on a nopal cactus.
- Maestra LupeMuy bien, y tiene una serpiente.Very good, and it has a snake.
