agua dura
/ˌaɡwa ˈduɾa/feminine
The English phrase "hard water" is translated into Spanish as agua dura.
The term refers to water that contains a high concentration of dissolved minerals.
Meaning: water with a high concentration of dissolved minerals (noun)
Is it said differently in some regions?
Agua Dura is the predominant term for "hard water" in most Latin American countries.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase is a feminine noun phrase.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˌaɡwa ˈduɾa/
Did you know?
- The word agua is a distant relative of the archaic English word 'ea', which meant 'river' or 'stream'. Both words trace their lineage back to the same Proto-Indo-European root *h₂ékʷeh₂.
- Although agua is a feminine noun, it takes the masculine article el in the singular form el agua to avoid a clashing sound. However, the adjective dura remains feminine because the noun's gender never actually changes.
- While agua dura is the technical term, people in Spain often complain about la cal (the lime) when talking about the residue left on taps and showers by hard water.
Examples in context
- El agua en esta región es bastante dura, por lo que se recomienda utilizar un ablandador de agua.The water in this region is quite hard, so it is recommended to use a water softener.
- El agua que utilizamos en nuestro hogar es agua con mucha cal.The water we use in our home is hard water.
- No puedes usar este agua para cocinar, es agua dura y afectará el sabor de la comida.You can't use this water for cooking, it's hard water and it will affect the taste of the food.
- Esta es agua dura.This is hard water.
- El agua dura daña la lavadora.Hard water damages the washing machine.
- Necesito un filtro para el agua dura.I need a filter for the hard water.
Example conversation
Daniel and María are discussing their new apartment.
- DanielMaría, ¿sabes si aquí hay agua dura?María, do you know if there is hard water here?
- MaríaSí, Daniel, el agua dura es común en esta zona.Yes, Daniel, hard water is common in this area.
- DanielEntonces compraré un ablandador de agua.Then I will buy a water softener.
- MaríaEs una buena idea para cuidar la tubería.That is a good idea to take care of the plumbing.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hard water” translations and entries agua dura, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries agua, CC BY-SA 4.0.
