de ellas
Lemma Details
Translation: of them; from them; about them
Part of Speech: prepositional pronoun
Etymology: This phrase combines the preposition 'de' (from Latin 'de' meaning 'from, concerning') with the feminine plural pronoun 'ellas' (from Latin 'illas', the feminine accusative plural of 'ille' meaning 'that'). The combination creates a prepositional pronoun that specifically refers to feminine plural entities.
Commonality: 80%
Guessability: 70%
Register: neutral
Mnemonics
- Think of 'ellas' as 'ladies' - so 'de ellas' means 'of the ladies'
- The 'as' ending in 'ellas' signals feminine plural, like in many Spanish feminine words
Related Words, Phrases & Idioms
Synonyms
Cultural Context
This phrase is used frequently in Spanish to refer to feminine plural nouns or groups of women. Spanish grammar requires gender agreement, so 'de ellas' is specifically used when referring to feminine entities, while 'de ellos' would be used for masculine or mixed groups.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: 'De ellas' refers specifically to feminine plural entities, while 'de ellos' refers to masculine or mixed gender plural entities.
This word:
Hablamos de las chicas. Hablamos de ellas.
We're talking about the girls. We're talking about them.
Confused word:
Hablamos de los chicos. Hablamos de ellos.
We're talking about the boys. We're talking about them.
Notes: In Spanish, when referring to a mixed group of males and females, the masculine form 'ellos' is used, not 'ellas'.
Mnemonic: 'Ellas' ends with 'as' like many feminine plural nouns in Spanish (chicas, maestras); 'ellos' ends with 'os' like many masculine plural nouns (chicos, maestros).
Explanation: 'De ellas' means 'of/from them' while 'a ellas' means 'to/toward them'. They use different prepositions that change the relationship to the pronoun.
Confused word:
Les di un regalo a ellas.
I gave them a gift.
Notes: The preposition 'de' often indicates source, origin, or possession, while 'a' typically indicates direction, recipient, or destination.
Mnemonic: 'De' relates to origin or possession (from/of), while 'a' relates to direction or recipient (to/toward).