Nilo
/ˈnilo/masculine
The English phrase "Nile" translates to the Spanish word Nilo.
Nilo is the proper name for the Nile river. In Spanish, it is very common to include the word río (river) before the name, as in el río Nilo, to provide clarity or emphasis.
Meaning: river (name)
How does it change in a sentence?
When referring to the river, the name Nilo is used with the definite article el (the). You may use the form El Nilo or the more explicit El Río Nilo.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈnilo/
Did you know?
- The Spanish word Nilo shares a distant ancestor with the Hebrew word nahar and the Arabic word nahr, both of which simply mean 'river'.
- In Spanish literature, references to el Nilo often evoke the concept of 'eternal' or 'ancient' due to its association with Egyptian mythology.
- Spanish speakers rarely refer to the river simply as Nilo without an article, as doing so would sound like they are talking to a person named Nilo.
Examples in context
- ¿Cuál es la longitud del río Nilo?How long is the Nile River?This sentence is useful for asking about the length of the river using Nilo.Tatoeba #7305838 by arh, translation #4256541 by JFMorais
- El río Nilo es el más largo del mundo.The Nile is the longest river in the world.This sentence is useful for stating that the Nile is the longest river in the world using Nilo.Tatoeba #1869240 by Shishir, translation #36535 by CM
- El Nilo es el río más largo de África.The Nile is the longest river in Africa.This sentence is useful for stating that the Nile is the longest river in Africa using Nilo.Tatoeba #7843957 by Seael, translation #13045166 by araneo
- El Nilo, el famoso río que atraviesa varios países de ÁfricaThe Nile, the famous river that runs through several countries in Africa
- Ayer leí un artículo sobre el Nilo.Yesterday, I read an article about the Nile.
- ¿Sabías que el Nilo es crucial para la agricultura en Egipto?Did you know the Nile is crucial for agriculture in Egypt?
- 9 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two people are looking at a geography book in a library.
- María¿Dónde está el río Nilo en este mapa?Where is the Nile river on this map?
- DanielEl Nilo está en el noreste de África.The Nile is in the northeast of Africa.
- María¡Ah, ya lo veo!Ah, I see it now!
- DanielEs una zona muy interesante de estudiar.It is a very interesting area to study.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “nile” translations and entries Nilo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Nilo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
