ecosistema

ecosystem

noun eh-koh-sees-TEH-mah Rare

Usage Note

Ecosistema ends in -ma and is masculine — like sistema, programa, and clima, it is a borrowing from Greek via Latin that retains masculine gender despite the -a ending, which normally signals feminine in Spanish. Learners frequently assign it feminine gender by analogy; el ecosistema is always correct.

Examples

"El ecosistema del arrecife está en peligro."

Natural Translation

The reef ecosystem is in danger.

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