illa
[ˈɪl.la]
The English phrase 'ella' is translated into Latin as illa.
illa is a third-person singular feminine pronoun used to refer to a female person or thing.
Did you know?
- The word illa is a direct ancestor of the Spanish pronoun ella, though the Latin word originally meant 'that woman' rather than simply 'she'.
- Because illa refers to something distant, a speaker would use it to point at a woman who is physically far away from them, rather than one standing right next to them.
- In Latin, the word illa can be used to add emphasis to a noun, effectively turning 'that woman' into 'that very woman' or 'that woman right there'.
Example conversation
Julia and Marcus are talking about a friend.
- JuliaUbi est Lucia?Where is Lucia?
- MarcusIlla in villa est.She is at the villa.
- JuliaEstne illa laeta?Is she happy?
- MarcusIta, valde laeta est.Yes, she is very happy.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry illa, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
