agua superficial
/ˌaɡwa supeɾfiˈθjal/feminine
The English phrase "surface water" is translated into Spanish as agua superficial.
The term refers to water collecting on the ground or in a body of water.
Meaning: water collecting on the ground or in a body of water (noun)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, you may occasionally hear the expression agua superficial to refer to "surface water".
How does it change in a sentence?
Although agua is a feminine noun, it uses the masculine article el in the singular to form el agua superficial to avoid the hiatus between the stressed 'a' and the following 'a'.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˌaɡwa supeɾfiˈθjal/
Did you know?
- In Spanish, the word superficial can describe water, but when used to describe a person, it is almost always a negative trait meaning 'shallow' or 'vapid'.
- The Spanish word agua shares a common ancestor with the archaic English word 'ea' meaning 'river' or 'stream'.
- In Spanish legal and environmental codes, agua superficial is strictly distinguished from agua subterránea, as they often fall under different ownership laws.
Examples in context
- El agua en la superficie del río es ideal para nadarThe water at the surface of the river is perfect for swimming.
- El agua superficial de la laguna está muy fría.The surface water of the lagoon is very cold.
- Debemos analizar la calidad del agua superficial.We must analyze the quality of the surface water.
- El agua superficial puede contener bacterias.Surface water can contain bacteria.
Example conversation
Two students are discussing their ecology project in a park.
- SofíaMateo, mira cuánta agua superficial hay aquí.Mateo, look how much surface water is here.
- MateoEs verdad, Sofía. Parece que llovió mucho.It is true, Sofía. It seems like it rained a lot.
- Sofía¿Podemos tomar una muestra de agua superficial?Can we take a sample of surface water?
- MateoSí, saca el frasco y recógela.Yes, take out the jar and collect it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “surface water” translations and entries agua superficial, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries agua, superficial, CC BY-SA 4.0.
