El agua está en la mesa.

The water is on the table.

Breakdown of El agua está en la mesa.

• estar: to be
• en: on
• la mesa: the table
• el agua: the water

Questions & Answers about El agua está en la mesa.

Why is it el agua if agua is actually a feminine noun?

In Spanish, feminine nouns that begin with a stressed a or ha sound typically take the article el in the singular form (like el agua, el águila, el hacha). This happens to avoid having two a sounds in a row, which can be awkward to pronounce. It doesn’t change the fact that agua is still feminine, so any adjectives that modify agua should be in feminine form (for example, el agua fría).

Why do we use está instead of es in this sentence?

Spanish has two verbs that correspond to the English verb to be: ser and estar. Generally, ser is used for permanent or defining characteristics, while estar is used for states or locations. In this case, we're talking about the location of the water on the table, which is temporary or subject to change, so está is correct.

Why do we say en la mesa instead of sobre la mesa?

In Spanish, en can mean on, in, or at, depending on context. It’s common to say en la mesa to mean on the table. Using sobre is also possible, but en is often preferred in everyday speech to express that something is resting on or placed on top of something else.

Is there a difference in pronunciation between el in el agua and the masculine article el used for masculine nouns?

They’re pronounced the same way. The spelling and pronunciation of el before a feminine noun starting with a stressed a are the same as the masculine article el, but it’s really just a phonetic convention in Spanish. The noun remains feminine regardless of this article usage.

Can agua ever be used with la in other contexts?

Yes. For instance, in the plural form, you say las aguas. Also, if there’s an adjective in between the article and the noun (and the adjective doesn’t start with a stressed a sound), you’d say la (for example, la clara agua, though that’s less common). The main rule is specifically about the singular article immediately followed by a feminine noun starting with stressed a.