alga marina
/alɡa maɾina/from spelling rulesfeminine
The Spanish word for seaweed is alga marina.
alga marina refers to marine algae. In many contexts, particularly when discussing biology or food, speakers often shorten this to just alga to mean seaweed or algae.
Meaning: marine algae (noun)
Which one should you use?
The plural form is algas marinas for multiple types or instances of seaweed.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun is feminine. The plural form of alga marina is algas marinas.
How do you pronounce it?
/alɡa maɾina/
Did you know?
- Although alga is a feminine noun, a speaker uses the masculine article el instead of la when it is singular. This happens because the word starts with a stressed 'a' sound.
- In many culinary contexts, instead of using the word alga, chefs might refer to specific seaweed products by their Japanese names, like nori, even when speaking Spanish.
- In Spanish, the word marina is not just an adjective for the sea, but also the noun for the 'Navy'. A person describing 'seaweed' is using a word that also defines a military branch.
Examples in context
- ¿Sabías que el sargazo es un problema ecológico en algunas playas del Caribe?Did you know that seaweed is an ecological problem on some Caribbean beaches?
- Sí, el sargazo puede afectar gravemente la fauna marina y el turismo.Yes, seaweed can seriously affect marine life and tourism.
- En la reunión de hoy, vamos a discutir las medidas para controlar el crecimiento del alga marina.In today's meeting, we will discuss measures to control the growth of seaweed.
- Esta alga marina es comestible.This seaweed is edible.
- El color de la alga marina es verde.The color of the seaweed is green.
Example conversation
Daniel and María are walking along the shore.
- DanielMira, María, hay alga marina aquí.Look, María, there is seaweed here.
- MaríaEs muy común en esta zona.It is very common in this area.
- Daniel¿Toca el alga marina con la mano?Does the seaweed feel like this in your hand?
- MaríaSí, se siente muy resbaladiza.Yes, it feels very slippery.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “seaweed” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
