águila
/ˈaɡila/feminine
The English word eagle translates to Spanish as águila.
águila refers to any of several large carnivorous birds in the family Accipitridae. In more specific or formal contexts, you might use Águila real to refer to a golden eagle or Águila calva to denote a bald eagle.
Meaning: any of several large carnivorous birds in the family Accipitridae (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
águila is a feminine noun, but it follows a grammatical exception in the singular form: it uses the masculine article el (as in el águila) to avoid a double 'a' sound. However, the noun reverts to the feminine article when used in the plural, such as las águilas.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈaɡila/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Because of the singular grammatical exception mentioned above, English speakers often mistakenly use the feminine article la instead of el for the singular form. You should use el águila instead of la águila.
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking countries, the águila is a potent national symbol, most notably appearing in the center of the Mexican flag. It represents the Aztec foundation myth of an eagle perched on a cactus.
- The word águila is a direct descendant of the Latin aquila, which was also the name of the standard carried by Roman legions.
- In many Spanish-speaking regions, the phrase tener ojos de águila is used to describe someone with an incredible ability to notice small details.
Examples in context
- No es un águila.He's no eagle.This sentence is useful for practicing the negation with águila.Tatoeba #5130060 by don_ramon, translation #5064699 by AlanF_US
- El águila vuela por los cielos.The eagle flies through the sky.This sentence shows the eagle in flight.Tatoeba #3700564 by cueyayotl, translation #3701778 by Sladey
- El águila es el rey de las aves.The eagle is king of birds.This sentence describes the eagle as the king of birds.Tatoeba #539212 by Shishir, translation #29139 by slyfin
- El águila volaba majestuosamente sobre las montañas.The eagle flew majestically over the mountains.
- Miré un aguilucho tratando de volar por primera vez.I watched a young eagle trying to fly for the first time.
- Ignacio siempre adoró las aguilillas y su manera de cazar.Ignacio always admired the small eagles and their hunting techniques.
- 25 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
María and Daniel are looking at a nature documentary on TV.
- María¿Viste esa águila en el bosque?Did you see that eagle in the forest?
- DanielSí, el águila es impresionante.Yes, the eagle is impressive.
- MaríaParece muy fuerte y rápida.It looks very strong and fast.
- DanielEs un ave muy majestuosa.It is a very majestic bird.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “eagle” translations and entries águila, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries águila, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
