Questions & Answers about La niña juega con su perro en el parque.
Why is it la niña and not el niña?
In Spanish, every noun has a grammatical gender, masculine or feminine.
- Niña (girl) is a feminine noun.
- The definite article must match the noun in gender and number.
- Feminine singular: la
- Masculine singular: el
So you must say la niña (the girl) and el niño (the boy). Using el niña would be incorrect because el is masculine and niña is feminine.
What is the difference between niña, chica, and muchacha?
All three can refer to a girl, but there are some nuances:
- Niña: literally “little girl,” often implies a child (roughly 0–11 years old).
- Chica: more general “girl,” often used for teenagers or young women, but can also mean any female person in casual speech.
- Muchacha: similar to chica; in some regions it can sound a bit more old‑fashioned or regional, and in some places it can also mean “maid/house helper,” so context matters.
In this sentence, la niña suggests a child, not a teenager or adult.
How do you pronounce the ñ in niña, and how is it different from n?