Spanish Conversation · Level 172
15 words
Spanish word
hormiga
Pronunciation
IPA/oɾˈmiɣa/
Meaning
- feminine nounant
Example
¡Mira la hormiga!
Look at the ant!
More examples
La picadura de una hormiga me dolió toda la tarde.
An ant sting hurt me all afternoon.
Core concept
Colonial insect with head, thorax and abdomen, jointed antennae, and organised worker roles.
Common phrases
picadura de hormiga
ant sting
fila de hormigas
column of ants
colonia de hormigas
ant colony
Similar words
insecto: Six-legged arthropod with an exoskeleton and three main body regions: head, thorax, abdomen.
bicho: Small, often unidentified animal or insect mentioned casually in everyday speech.
hormiguero: Nest or mound where ants live, with tunnels and chambers for brood and workers.
colonia: Group of ants living together as an organized social unit.
Definition in Spanish
Insecto social de cuerpo dividido en cabeza, tórax y abdomen, con antenas articuladas, que construye nidos llamados hormigueros.
Word origin
From Latin formīca, and in medieval Spanish the original f became h so the modern spelling keeps h while the sound is generally silent.
Usage tips
- The noun is feminine and takes articles like la hormiga or las hormigas, and speakers commonly say hay hormigas to report ants in the house or entraron hormigas to say ants got in.
Related words
- hormigueroant nestnoun
- hormigueotingling sensationnoun