Breakdown of La temperatura del agua es fría.
ser
to be
de
of
el agua
the water
frío
cold
la temperatura
the temperature
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Questions & Answers about La temperatura del agua es fría.
Why do we say la temperatura instead of el temperatura?
In Spanish, nouns ending in -a are generally feminine. Temperatura ends in -a, so you must use the feminine article la. Any adjectives (like fría) must also match that feminine gender.
Why do we use del agua instead of de la agua or just de agua?
1) del is the contraction of de + el.
2) Even though agua is grammatically feminine, singular feminine nouns beginning with a stressed “a-” sound take the masculine article el (e.g., el agua) to avoid the awkward “la agua.”
3) Omitting the article entirely (saying de agua) sounds incomplete here—you need de + article + noun.
Isn’t agua feminine? Why does it take el?
Yes, agua is feminine. However, when a feminine noun starts with a stressed “a-” or “ha-” sound in the singular, Spanish normally uses el instead of la to prevent two adjacent “a” sounds. In the plural you switch back to las aguas.
Why is the verb es (from ser) used instead of está (from estar)?
We’re describing an inherent characteristic of the temperature itself—its coldness as a defining quality—so we use ser: la temperatura es fría. If you talk about the water’s current state you’d say el agua está fría.
Why does fría end with -a and come after the verb?
1) Adjectives must agree with the noun’s gender and number. Temperatura is singular feminine, so you use fría (not frío).
2) In Spanish, predicative adjectives (those linked by ser or estar) usually follow the verb: es fría, not fría es.
Can I say la temperatura del agua está fría instead?
You could, but that construction shifts the focus: you’d then be describing the water’s state (cold water) rather than characterizing the temperature itself. Native speakers would more likely say el agua está fría for that idea.
Could I omit la and say temperatura del agua es fría?
No. Spanish generally requires a definite article before a noun in statements like this. Dropping la sounds ungrammatical and unnatural in most contexts.
What if I put the adjective before the noun—la fría temperatura del agua?
That’s grammatically correct and gives a more poetic or emphatic tone, but the neutral, factual word order in everyday speech is la temperatura del agua es fría.