The word for lake in Spanish in lago, which derives from the Latin lacum of the same meaning.
Latin American Pronunciation
European Pronunciation
Lago is a masculine noun whose plural form in lagos. It takes the following definite and indefinite articles:
- el lago = the lake
- un lago = a lake
- los lagos = the lakes
- unos lagos = some lakes
The largest freshwater lakes (lagos de agua dulce) in the world are los Grandes Lagos, or the Great Lakes, located along the border between Canada and the United States.
¿Preferirías vivir cerca del mar o cerca de un lago?
Would you rather live near the sea or near a lake?
Some other kinds of lakes in Spanish include:
- lago salado = inland sea / salt lake
- lago de cráter = crater lake
- lago volcánico = volcanic lake
- lago artificial = man-made lake
- lago de lava = lava lake
When describing the lakefront or lakeside, you can use the expressions a orillas de un lago or ribera de un lago.
Quiero una casa con vista a un lago.
I want a house that overlooks a lake.
To end off the article, here are some of the most important lakes in the world:
- el lago Constanza = Lake Constance
- el lago Erie = Lake Erie
- el lago Garda = Lake Garda
- el lago Hurón = Lake Huron
- el lago Mayor = Lago Maggiore
- el lago Michigan = Lake Michigan
- el lago Ontario = Lake Ontario
- el lago Superior = Lake Superior
- el lago Tiberíades = the Sea of Galilee
- el lago Titicaca = Lake Titicaca
- el lago Victoria = Lake Victoria
