Spanish word

ave

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈaβe/

Meaning

  • feminine nounbird

Example

¿Viste el ave que pasó volando?

Did you see the bird that flew by?

Illustration for ave (bird)

More examples

En otoño llegan muchas aves migratorias a la laguna.

In autumn many migratory birds arrive at the lagoon.

Core concept

Feathered vertebrate with a beak and wings.

Common phrases

  • ave migratoria

    migratory bird

  • ave silvestre

    wild bird

  • ave de corral

    poultry

Similar words

pájaro: Small bird that often perches in gardens or on wires and sings.
paloma: Medium-sized urban bird commonly seen in parks and squares, often tame around people.
gorrión: Very small bird frequently seen near houses and street feeders.
gallina: Domesticated female bird commonly kept on farms for laying eggs.

Definition in Spanish

Vertebrado con pico y plumaje que suele volar y que presenta variaciones según la especie en tamaño y hábitat.

Word origin

Inherited from Latin avis 'bird', preserved in Spanish through regular Romance development and visible in related words like aviario and avícola.

Usage tips

  • Although ave is feminine, it takes the masculine singular article el (el ave) because of the initial stressed a, while the plural is las aves.

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