Learn Hardcore Spanish (Latin America): La tetera hace un sonido cuando el agua hierve en la cocina. - The kettle makes a sound when the water boils in the kitchen.

Because Spanish uses the masculine article el before singular feminine nouns that begin with a stressed a- or ha- sound to avoid the “aa” clash. The noun stays feminine.

Singular: el agua fría, esta agua, mucha agua
Plural (no clash): las aguas frías
With the indefinite article, you’ll often see: un agua fría (still feminine in agreement).
You also get the expected contractions: del agua, al agua.

What form is hierve, and how does hervir conjugate?

Hierve is 3rd person singular, present indicative of hervir (an e→ie stem-changing verb in the present). Key forms:

Present: yo hiervo, tú hierves, él/ella/usted hierve, nosotros hervimos, ustedes hierven
Gerund: hirviendo (as in está hirviendo)
Preterite (3rd person stem change e→i): él/ella hirvió, ustedes hirvieron
Past participle: hervido; adjective: hirviente

Why is it cuando el agua hierve (indicative) and not cuando el agua hierva (subjunctive)?

Use the indicative for habitual, general, or factual time clauses: La tetera suena cuando el agua hierve.
Use the subjunctive for future/uncertain time: Llámame cuando el agua hierva. (It hasn’t happened yet.)
In the past for repeated actions: La tetera sonaba cuando el agua hervía.

Is hace un sonido natural, or is there a better verb?

It’s correct, but more idiomatic options include:

La tetera suena (the kettle makes a sound)
La tetera hace ruido (more “noise”-like)
For a whistling kettle: La tetera pita/silba or emite un pitido/silbido

What’s the difference between sonido, ruido, pitido, and silbido?

sonido: neutral “sound”
ruido: “noise,” often bothersome
pitido: a beep/whistle (high-pitched tone), typical for kettles or alarms
silbido: a whistle/whistling sound (also typical for kettles)

Does tetera mean “kettle” or “teapot” in Latin America?

Often tetera means “teapot” (the vessel you brew/serve tea in). For a water-boiling kettle, many places say:

hervidor (de agua) or hervidora (common in Chile, Peru, etc.)
pava / pava eléctrica (Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay) Context helps: if it whistles on the stove, people will usually understand you even if you say tetera, but hervidor/pava is clearer for a kettle.

If I mean a whistling kettle, which verb should I use?

Use pitar or silbar:

La tetera pita / La tetera silba cuando el agua hierve.
In some regions you’ll also hear chiflar (to whistle): La tetera chifla.

Can I say cuando el agua está hirviendo instead of cuando el agua hierve?

Yes, but the nuance changes:

cuando el agua hierve = when it boils (the point or condition of boiling; general/habitual)
cuando el agua está hirviendo = when it is boiling (focus on the ongoing process)

Why use la tetera and not una tetera? Can I drop the article?

La tetera implies a specific, known kettle (e.g., yours at home) or the one in this context.
Una tetera introduces a new, non-specific kettle.
You cannot drop the article in Spanish here; Tetera hace un sonido is ungrammatical.

Why doesn’t cuando have an accent?

Without an accent, cuando is a conjunction meaning “when.” The accented cuándo is only used in direct or indirect questions/exclamations:

Direct: ¿Cuándo hierve el agua?
Indirect: No sé cuándo hierve el agua.

Do I need a comma before the cuando clause?

Main clause first: no comma needed: La tetera hace un sonido cuando el agua hierve.
If the cuando clause comes first, use a comma: Cuando el agua hierve, la tetera hace un sonido.

Pronunciation tips for tricky parts?

h is silent: hace = “AH-seh”; hierve starts with a y/ye sound.
hierve ≈ “YER-veh” (the v sounds like a soft “b” in Spanish).
hervir ≈ “er-BEER.”
agua = “AH-gwah” (hard g).
cocina = “koh-SEE-nah.”
tetera = “teh-TEH-rah.”

Does cocina mean “kitchen” or “stove” in Latin America?

Both exist:

la cocina commonly means “the kitchen.”
In some places, la cocina can also mean “the stove” (the appliance). To be clear:
- “in the kitchen”: en la cocina
- “on the stove”: en/sobre la estufa (widely understood as the appliance)

How would I say “starts to make a sound when the water starts to boil”?

Use empezar a or comenzar a:

La tetera empieza a sonar cuando el agua empieza a hervir.
With a whistling kettle: La tetera empieza a pitar/silbar cuando el agua empieza a hervir.

Can I use contractions like al and del with agua?

Yes, because you use the article el before agua:

al agua (a + el): Cuidado al acercarte al agua hirviendo.
del agua (de + el): Aléjate del agua hirviendo.

Any common mistakes to avoid with these words?

Don’t confuse sonar (to make a sound) with soñar (to dream).
Remember the stem change: hervir → hierve (not “herve”).
Keep feminine agreement with agua: el agua fría, mucha agua, esta agua (not “este agua”).