Spanish vocabulary · Beginner
Eagle in Spanish: How to Say Águila and Get the Article Right
Águila · noun · AH-ghee-lah
Eagle in Spanish is águila, a feminine noun with an unusual twist: in the singular it pairs with the masculine article el (el águila) to avoid the awkward double-a sound of la águila. The plural reverts to the expected feminine article: las águilas. The eagle holds deep cultural significance across Latin America, most famously on Mexico's coat of arms and flag.
Stress lands on the first syllable: AH-ghee-lah. The g before u is soft, almost like a gentle breath, and the final a is open and clear.
El águila sobrevoló el valle al amanecer.
The eagle flew over the valley at dawn.
Eagle in Spanish: Quick Reference
Below are the most common Spanish words for eagle, with pronunciation and regional usage notes.
| Spanish | English | Pronunciation | Region / Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| águila | eagle | AH-ghee-lah | Default, widely understood |
| águila real | eagle | golden eagle, used across all regions | |
| águila calva | eagle | bald eagle, the U.S. national bird |
How Native Speakers Use Águila
Real example sentences across three contexts you'll actually run into.
Spotting an eagle in the wild
Mira, hay un águila posada en aquel árbol.
Look, there's an eagle perched on that tree over there.
Everyday wildlife observation using the singular article el águila (shortened to un águila with the indefinite article).
Talking about the Mexican flag
El escudo de México muestra un águila devorando una serpiente.
Mexico's coat of arms shows an eagle devouring a snake.
The Aztec legend of the eagle on a cactus is central to Mexican national identity.
Describing multiple eagles
Las águilas construyen sus nidos en acantilados muy altos.
Eagles build their nests on very high cliffs.
In the plural, the article reverts to the feminine las, not los.
Figurative use for sharp vision
Tiene ojos de águila; nada se le escapa.
She has eagle eyes; nothing gets past her.
Ojos de águila is a common idiom for someone extremely observant.
Avoid These Mistakes When Using Águila
Using la águila instead of el águila
Incorrect: La águila voló hacia el sur.
Correct: El águila voló hacia el sur.
Feminine nouns starting with a stressed á or ha take el in the singular to avoid a clashing double-a sound. The noun stays grammatically feminine—adjectives still agree in feminine form: el águila blanca, not el águila blanco.
Using los águilas in the plural
Incorrect: Los águilas migran en otoño.
Correct: Las águilas migran en otoño.
The el-for-la swap only happens in the singular. In the plural, the regular feminine article las returns because las águilas doesn't create the double-a clash.
Why Eagle Matters in Spanish-Speaking Cultures
The eagle on Mexico's flag
Lock in Eagle Vocabulary with the Parrot Method
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See Águila used by native speakers
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Common Questions About Eagle in Spanish
- How do you say eagle in Spanish?
- Eagle in Spanish is águila, pronounced AH-ghee-lah. It's a feminine noun, but in the singular it takes the masculine article el—so you say el águila, not la águila. This rule applies to all feminine nouns that begin with a stressed á, like el agua and el alma.
- Why is it el águila if águila is feminine?
- Spanish avoids placing the article la directly before a stressed á sound because the two a-sounds blur together. El steps in purely for phonetic clarity; the noun remains feminine. That's why adjectives stay feminine (el águila hermosa) and the plural uses las (las águilas).
- What is the eagle on the Mexican flag?
- The eagle on Mexico's flag is a golden eagle (águila real) shown perched on a nopal cactus eating a rattlesnake. It represents the Aztec legend that guided the founding of Tenochtitlan, present-day Mexico City. Mexicans refer to it simply as el águila del escudo.