[el] ala
/el ˈala/word by wordfeminine
The English word wing is translated into Spanish as [el] ala.
The term ala refers to a wing on any living creature. You may also encounter the related verb improvisar, which means to be extemporaneous.
Meaning: part of an animal (noun)
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
Although ala is a feminine noun, it uses the masculine article el in the singular form to avoid the hiatus between the stressed 'a' sounds.
When do people say it?
The idiomatic phrase Volar en las alas de la libertad means 'to fly on the wings of freedom'.
Did you know?
- The expression bajo el ala is often used to mean being under someone's protection, similar to the English phrase 'under someone's wing'.
- In certain contexts, ala refers to the 'wing' of a theater stage, known as the area where actors wait before entering.
- In Spanish, the term ala describes not only biological wings but also the architectural 'wings' of a building or the side sections of a political party.
Examples in context
- El águila extendió sus alas majestuosas en pleno vuelo.The eagle spread its majestic wings in full flight.
- Las alitas de pollo están muy picantes, ten cuidado.The chicken wings are very spicy, be careful.
- El águila extiende el ala.The eagle extends its wing.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “wing” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (el, ala) and can differ in connected speech.
