nenúfar
/neˈnufaɾ/masculine
In Spanish, water lily is nenúfar. Wiktionary also lists ninfea.
Meaning: Any members of Nymphaeaceae (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| nenúfar | /neˈnufaɾ/ | masculine |
| ninfea | /ninˈfea/ | feminine |
The term refers to any members of the Nymphaeaceae plant family.
Which one should you use?
The masculine form nenúfar is more common in many Spanish-speaking regions. While ninfea is a valid synonym, it is used less frequently in casual conversation.
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine form nenúfar becomes los nenúfares in the plural.
How do you pronounce it?
/neˈnufaɾ/
Did you know?
- The word nenúfar traveled through four languages before arriving in Spanish, beginning as the Sanskrit word nīlotpala for 'blue lotus'.
- In Spanish, nenúfar is a masculine noun, but its synonym ninfea is feminine.
- Though nenúfar is the common term, ninfea is more frequently found in scientific botanical texts in Spanish.
Examples in context
- Las hojas del nenúfar flotan en la superficie del agua.The leaves of the water lily float on the surface of the water.This sentence is useful for describing how the nenúfar leaves float on the water surface.Tatoeba #12058547 by carlosalberto, translation #9990516 by AlanF_US
- En mi país, preferimos llamarlo 'flor de estanque' en lugar de 'flor de agua'.In my country, we prefer to call it 'flor de estanque' instead of 'flor de agua'.
- Hoy vi un precioso nenúfar en el jardín botánico. No sabía que podían crecer tan grandes.Today I saw a beautiful water lily in the botanical garden. I didn't know they could grow so large.
- Ese nenúfar es de color rosa.That water lily is pink.
- Compré un nenúfar para el estanque.I bought a water lily for the pond.
Example conversation
Elena and Daniel are looking at a garden pond.
- Elena¿Ves ese nenúfar blanco allá?Do you see that white water lily over there?
- DanielSí, el nenúfar es muy hermoso.Yes, the water lily is very beautiful.
- ElenaMe encanta cómo luce en el agua.I love how it looks in the water.
- DanielEs la joya de este jardín.It is the jewel of this garden.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “water lily” translations and entries nenúfar, ninfea, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries nenúfar, ninfea, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
