agua salada
/aɡwa salada/from spelling rules
The English phrase "salt water" is translated into Spanish as agua salada.
agua salada is used to refer to any water containing dissolved salt.
Meaning: any water containing dissolved salt (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of agua (water) and salada (salty).
Which one should you use?
agua salada is the direct opposite of agua dulce (fresh water).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some regions, such as Mexico, agua salitrosa is used to describe water with a stronger salt content or a brackish taste.
How does it change in a sentence?
Although agua is a feminine noun, it uses the masculine article el in the singular to avoid the phonetic clash between the stressed a of agua and the a of the article. When referring to different bodies or types of salt water, such as in scientific or geographical contexts, you can use the plural form las aguas saladas.
How do you pronounce it?
/aɡwa salada/
Did you know?
- The adjective salada can be used colloquially in some Spanish-speaking cultures to describe someone who is unlucky.
- The plural las aguas saladas is frequently used in poetic or biblical Spanish to refer to the primordial ocean.
- The English word 'ea' which refers to a small river or stream is an ancient relative of the Spanish agua.
Examples in context
- ¿Es posible beber agua salada?Is it possible to drink salt water?This sentence is useful for asking if it is possible to drink agua salada.Tatoeba #1866193 by Shishir, translation #1689861 by Spamster
- Cuando visité la costa, el sabor del agua salada me recordó a mi infancia.When I visited the coast, the taste of salt water reminded me of my childhood.
- La alta concentración de minerales en el agua salina puede afectar la vida marina.The high concentration of minerals in salt water can affect marine life.
- Hoy fuimos a nadar y el agua de mar estaba perfecta.Today, we went swimming, and the salt water was perfect.
- El agua salada es peligrosa para la salud.Salt water is dangerous for your health.
- No deberías beber el agua salada del mar.You shouldn't drink the salt water from the sea.
Example conversation
Javier and Sofía are standing on a beach.
- JavierSofía, ¿puedes usar esta agua para regar las plantas?Sofía, can you use this water to water the plants?
- SofíaNo, es agua salada y matará la planta.No, it is salt water and it will kill the plant.
- JavierTienes razón, es demasiado salada.You are right, it is too salty.
- SofíaBuscaremos agua dulce en la cocina.We will look for fresh water in the kitchen.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries agua, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
