agua del grifo

Spanish

Noun

agua del grifo f (uncountable)

1. tap water

Usage notes

• Feminine nouns beginning with stressed /ˈa/ like agua del grifo take the singular definite article el (otherwise reserved for masculine nouns) instead of the usual la: el agua del grifo. This includes the contracted forms al and del (instead of a la and de la, respectively): al agua del grifo, del agua del grifo.

These nouns also usually take the indefinite article un that is otherwise used with masculine nouns (although the standard feminine form una is also permitted): un agua del grifo or una agua del grifo. The same is true with determiners algún/alguna and ningún/ninguna, as well as for numerals ending with 1 (e.g., veintiún/veintiuna).

However, if another word intervenes between the article and the noun, the usual feminine singular articles and determiners (la, una etc.) must be used: la mejor agua del grifo, una buena agua del grifo.

• If an adjective follows the noun, it must agree with the noun's gender regardless of the article used: el agua del grifo única, un(a) agua del grifo buena.
• In the plural, the usual feminine singular articles and determiners (las, unas etc.) are always used.