Why it is "el agua" but "las aguas?"

Question

I read online, in today's BBCmundo.com, about an deep sea researcher who used a specialized submarine to explore "las aguas profundas." Why isn't it written as "los augas profundos" since el agua is masculine?

This question should be in the FAQ. If you perform a search you will find hundreds of threads about this. - 00d312f5, Mar 26, 2012

Answer 1

El agua is not an exception, it's the rule. The article el is used when followed by a feminine word that begins with a stressed a (or ha).

Generally yes, but there are exceptions. We say La Harina because the tonic accent on the word harina falls on the second syllable. With words like agua and alma, the tonic syllabe is the a, therefore we use El as an article. - francobollo, Mar 26, 2012

Those are no eceptions. The rule does not apply there because the stress is not in the first syllable. - 00d312f5, Mar 26, 2012

Answer 2

Interestingly enough, I answered a similar question regarding "hambre" on Saturday:

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I said the following:

Hambre is a feminine noun, however feminine nouns that have an initial stressed “a” sound take the male definitive article in the singular for reasons of pronunciation- just as in English we put “an” rather than “a” in front of an initial vowel sound (it has to do with the sound, not the spelling, hence a universe, but an umbrella- universe starts with a “y” sound, not a "u" sound- even the letter "u" does not start with a vowel sound- you would say an "a" but a "u".)

Other classic example include el agua, el alma, el hada, el arpa, el hacha, el arma, el asma, el águila, etc.

But not la almohada or la alfombra, for instance, as the initial a sound is not stressed.

This is frequently, but not universally, also done with the indefinite article (use of “un” versus “una”); likewise alguno and ninguno, but no other preceding words.

Adjectives will be in feminine forms (el hambre excesiva, por ejemplo), and the feminine plural definitive article (las) would be used if there were some call to use hambre in the plural.

An intervening adjective allows the feminine definitive article to be used, when there is call to place the adjective before the noun (a separate subject entirely): la excesiva hambre (in contrast to the example above)

Here is the relevant resource:

agua. 1. ‘Sustancia líquida inodora, incolora e insípida en estado puro’. Este sustantivo es femenino. Al comenzar por /a/ tónica, exige el uso de la forma el del artículo definido si entre ambos elementos no se interpone otra palabra, pero los adjetivos deben ir en forma femenina: «Podía verse a lo lejos el agua clara» (Regás Azul [Esp. 1994]). En cuanto al artículo indefinido, aunque no se considera incorrecto el uso de la forma plena una, hoy es mayoritario y preferible el uso de la forma apocopada un: «Se internaron en un agua muy mansa» (Villena Burdel [Esp. 1995]). Lo mismo ocurre con los indefinidos alguno y ninguno: algún agua, ningún agua. El resto de los adjetivos determinativos debe ir en femenino: esta agua, toda el agua, mucha agua, etc. Diccionario panhispánico de dudas ©2005 Real Academia Española © Todos los derechos reservados

Answer 3

jbedding is right! And there are many words that use this "male" article in front of a feminine word.

Here is a great list and explanation for you at about.com.

Answer 4

You use "el agua" as an exception. "La agua" is feminine, but would sound like lagua if you said it quickly. When using the word in the plural form, you would use las aguas NOT los aguas.

Hope this helps!

Señora Beddingfield

I think el agua is the only exception to the rules. - Jocelyn12345, Mar 26, 2012

Nope, not true Jocelyn. There are several words that use the "el" in front of a feminine word. See my post. - missy8888, Mar 26, 2012

Answer 5

Because it is feminine so it has to be "las" when plural, however, there is an exception to the rule on singular because "el" flows better.

Please pardon the pun. - Beatrice-Codder, Mar 26, 2012