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río

river

noun RREE-oh Common
Travel & Places Geography

Usage Note

Río is masculine and carries a written accent to distinguish it from the verb form rio (past tense of reír, 'to laugh'). Large rivers in Hispanic geography often appear with the article: el Río Amazonas, el Río de la Plata. The phrase a río revuelto, ganancia de pescadores means 'in troubled waters, the fisherman profits' (equivalent to 'make hay while the sun shines').

Examples

"El río atraviesa la ciudad."

Natural Translation

The river runs through the city.

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