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"Arroyo" is a form of "arroyo", a noun which is often translated as "stream". "Quebrada" is a form of "quebrada", a noun which is often translated as "gorge". Learn more about the difference between "arroyo" and "quebrada" below.
el arroyo(
ah
-
rroh
-
yoh
)A masculine noun is used with masculine articles and adjectives (e.g., el hombre guapo, el sol amarillo).
1. (brook)
a. stream
Un arroyo brotaba de las rocas musgosas.A stream sprang from the mossy rocks.
Cuando era niño, solía venir a este arroyo con mi papá a pescar truchas.When I was a kid, I used to come to this stream with my dad to fish for trout.
2. (ravine) (Central America)
Regionalism used in Central America: Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama
a. gully
Descendimos de la cima por un arroyo profundo y pedregoso.We came down from the mountaintop along a deep and stoney gully.
la quebrada(
keh
-
brah
-
dah
)A feminine noun is almost always used with feminine articles and adjectives (e.g., la mujer bonita, la luna llena).
1. (geography)
2. (body of water) (Latin America)
Regionalism used in Latin America: all the countries in South America, Central America, and the Caribbean. Does not include Spain.
a. stream
Encontramos una quebrada y por fin pudimos llenar nuestras cantimploras con agua.We found a stream and could finally fill our canteens with water.
