It is La leche.
In Spanish, "leche" (milk) is a feminine noun, so it correctly takes the feminine definite article "la." Therefore, the correct phrase is "La leche."
Understanding Grammatical Gender in Spanish
Spanish nouns have a grammatical gender, meaning they are either masculine or feminine. This gender determines the form of the articles (like "el" or "la") and adjectives that accompany them. Unlike biological gender, grammatical gender is a linguistic convention and doesn't always align with natural gender.
Why "La Leche"?
The word "leche" is feminine in Spanish. While many feminine nouns end in "-a" (like la casa - the house), nouns ending in "-e" can also be feminine, and "leche" is one such example.
Here are some general tendencies for Spanish noun genders:
- Feminine Nouns: Often end in "-a" (e.g., la mesa - the table). They can also end in "-e" (e.g., la calle - the street), "-ción," "-sión," "-dad," "-tad," "-tud," "-umbre" (e.g., la canción - the song, la ciudad - the city).
- Masculine Nouns: Often end in "-o" (e.g., el libro - the book). They can also end in "-e" (e.g., el coche - the car) or consonants.
Comparing with Other Romance Languages
Interestingly, while Spanish assigns feminine gender to "leche," other Romance languages that also descended from Latin treat "milk" differently:
- Portuguese: "O leite" (masculine)
- Italian: "Il latte" (masculine)
This variation highlights that grammatical gender can evolve differently across languages even with a shared linguistic origin.
Practical Application
To correctly refer to milk in Spanish, always use "la leche."
Examples:
- ¿Quieres la leche con tu café? (Do you want the milk with your coffee?)
- La leche está fría. (The milk is cold.)
- Me gusta beber leche. (I like to drink milk.)
For further learning about noun gender rules and exceptions in Spanish, you can consult reliable resources like the Real Academia Española or comprehensive Spanish grammar guides.
