Spanish · Nature, Animals & Weather

"Whale" in Spanish: ballena

la ballena

Say it: bah-YEH-nahfeminine · la ballenanoun/baˈʝena/

A whale is la ballena (bah-YEH-nah). It is feminine. Plural is las ballenas. Whale-watching is ver ballenas.

On a tour

Vimos una ballena lejos.
We saw a whale far away.
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How to pronounce ballena

Say it

bah-YEH-nah

/baˈʝena/

bah-YEH-nah. Double ll like y for many speakers. Stress YEH. Say ballena clearly.

"Whale" in Spanish: quick reference

SpanishEnglish
la ballenathe whale

Default.

las ballenasthe whales

Plural.

una ballenaa whale

Indefinite.

ver ballenasto see whales

Tour and coast talk.

How to use ballena in real life

  1. 1On a tour

    Vimos una ballena lejos.

    We saw a whale far away.

    Una ballena.

  2. 2Museum

    La ballena es enorme.

    The whale is enormous.

    La ballena.

  3. 3Nature show

    Las ballenas migran en invierno.

    Whales migrate in winter.

    Ballenas plural.

Mistakes English speakers make with ballena

Incorrect: El ballena es grande.

Correct: La ballena es grande.

Ballena is feminine: la ballena.

Incorrect: Vi un ballena.

Correct: Vi una ballena.

Use una with ballena.

Good to know

Pacific and Atlantic coasts offer tours to see ballenas. Guides shout when la ballena surfaces. Bring binoculars for distant ballenas.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Whale-watching boat

  1. ChatPal

    ¿Ves la ballena a la izquierda?

    Do you see the whale on the left?

  2. You

    Sí. ¡Qué grande es la ballena!

    Yes. How big the whale is!

  3. ChatPal

    Espera. Puede saltar.

    Wait. It might jump.

  4. You

    No parpadeo.

    I won't blink.

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"Whale" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Whale" in Spanish

Is ballena feminine?

Yes: la ballena, las ballenas.

How do you pronounce ballena?

bah-YEH-nah; ll often sounds like y.

What is the plural?

Las ballenas.

How do I say whale-watching?

Ver ballenas or avistamiento de ballenas.

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