ella
/ˈeʝa/
The Spanish word ella means 'she'.
ella is used as a third-person singular feminine pronoun.
Which one should you use?
The feminine pronoun ella (she) is contrasted with the masculine pronoun él (he).
How does it change in a sentence?
ella is a third-person singular feminine pronoun meaning 'she'.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈeʝa/
Did you know?
- When referring to a group of women, the plural ellas is used, but if a single man is added to the group, the entire pronoun switches to the masculine ellos.
- Because ella is a pronoun, it is often dropped entirely in Spanish conversation once the subject is known. It is common to simply say the verb instead of saying ella.
- The word ella actually comes from the Latin word illa, which meant 'that one' rather than 'she'.
Examples in context
- ¿Qué cantó Ella Fitzgerald?What did Ella Fitzgerald sing?This sentence shows how to use the name Ella in a question.Tatoeba #11949206 by Eremon, translation #1837507 by Amastan
- Tocaron algunas cuantas canciones de Ella Fitzgerald.They played quite a few Ella Fitzgerald songs.This sentence uses the name Ella to describe the songs played.Tatoeba #11949207 by Eremon, translation #3271018 by CM
- Ella es mi mejor amiga.She is my best friend.
Example conversation
Daniel and María are talking about a new colleague.
- Daniel¿Quién es la nueva jefa?Who is the new boss?
- MaríaElla es la directora de ventas.She is the sales director.
- Daniel¿Ella habla inglés?Does she speak English?
- MaríaSí, ella vivió en Londres.Yes, she lived in London.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry ella, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ella, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
