aigua
[ˈaj.ɣwə]feminine
The Catalan word for water is aigua. It is a feminine noun used for the liquid in every everyday situation.
Use aigua for drinking water, river water, sea water or the water in a pool. Its diminutive aigüeta means a little water and sounds more affectionate. When water is a verb, Catalan uses other words: regar for watering plants and abeurar for giving water to animals.
Meaning: inorganic compound H₂O (noun)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Balearic Islands, some speakers say aigo instead of aigua.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
aigua is feminine, but because it begins with a vowel the article la shortens to l' in front of it, giving l'aigua.
Did you know?
- While aigua is used for the liquid, the term aigües in the plural often refers specifically to mineral springs or spa towns.
- In some regions of Catalonia, the word aigua is used as a masculine noun in certain idioms, despite being grammatically feminine.
- The Catalan word aigua is a close relative of the French word 'eau'. Both evolved from the same Latin root aqua but underwent different phonetic transformations over centuries.
Examples in context
- L'aigua d'aquest riu està neta.This river's water is clean.Here riu means river and neta means clean.Tatoeba #5091701 by isnamar, translation #9774557 by helloroto
- L'aigua d'aquest llac està neta.This lake's water is clean.Here llac means lake, and the rest of the sentence stays the same.Tatoeba #5091700 by isnamar, translation #9801837 by helloroto
- L'aigua d'aquesta piscina està neta.This pool's water is clean.Here piscina is a swimming pool, and the feminine aquesta agrees with it.Tatoeba #5091712 by isnamar, translation #13425487 by rul
- Aquí tens l'aigüeta, petit/aHere's your little water, little one
- 20 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Laia and Aleix are eating dinner at a restaurant.
- LaiaVols una mica d'aigua, Aleix?Do you want some water, Aleix?
- AleixSí, per favor. On és l'aigua?Yes, please. Where is the water?
- LaiaEstá aquí a la taula.It is here on the table.
- AleixGràcies, Laia.Thanks, Laia.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “water” translations and entries aigua, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries aigua, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
