helio
/ˈeljo/masculine
The Spanish word for helium is helio.
helio is the name of the chemical element helium.
Meaning: chemical element (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
As a masculine noun, helio is preceded by the masculine article el when used with a definite article (e.g., el helio).
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈeljo/
Did you know?
- The word helio comes from the Ancient Greek word for 'sun' because the element was first detected in the sun's spectrum before it was found on Earth.
- In Spanish, the word helio is a masculine noun, so it uses the article el. However, in spoken Spanish, the 'h' is completely silent, making the word sound like it starts with a vowel.
- Although the word helio is used for the gas, the Spanish word for 'sun' is sol. This means the chemical name preserves a Greek root that the everyday Spanish word for the sun does not.
Examples in context
- Tom infló los globos con helio.Tom filled the balloons with helium.This example shows how to use helio in the context of filling balloons.Tatoeba #2984303 by hayastan, translation #2539667 by CK
- Helio es un gas incoloro e inodoro utilizado en numerosas aplicaciones científicas y tecnológicas.Helium is a colorless and odorless gas used in numerous scientific and technological applications.
- El gas helio es ampliamente utilizado en la industria de la medicina y la investigación.Helium gas is widely used in the medical and research industry.
- El helio es un gas muy ligero.Helium is a very light gas.
- Necesitamos comprar un tanque de helio.We need to buy a helium tank.
Example conversation
Javier and María are preparing for a party.
- Javier¿Tienes el helio para los globos?Do you have the helium for the balloons?
- MaríaSí, lo tengo en el coche, Javier.Yes, I have it in the car, Javier.
- JavierPerfecto, vamos a inflarlos ahora.Perfect, let's inflate them now.
- María¡Será una fiesta muy divertida!It will be a very fun party!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “helium” translations and entries helio, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries helio, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
