Spanish word

capital

Pronunciation

IPA/kapiˈtal/

Meaning

  • feminine nouncapital city, capital

Example

Madrid es la capital de España.

Madrid is the capital city of Spain.

Illustration for capital (capital city)

More examples

¿Cuál es la capital del país?

What is the country's capital?

Core concept

Official seat of government for a country or an autonomous community.

Common phrases

  • capital del país

    country's capital

  • capital nacional

    national capital

Similar words

ciudad: City or town where people live, work, and use local services.
sede: Headquarters site for an institution, company, or organization.
metrópoli: Huge, densely populated city that drives regional culture and economy.

Definition in Spanish

Ciudad reconocida oficialmente como la principal urbe política y administrativa de un país o comunidad autónoma.

Word origin

Derived from Latin caput 'head' through medieval capitalis and Old French capitale, the word denotes the 'head' or chief city.

Usage tips

  • Asking ¿Cuál es la capital de X? generally refers to the political capital, and adding ciudad capital removes ambiguity.

Other meanings

  • financial capitalnoun

Opposites

Related words

  • capitalinocapital-basedadjective
  • capitalistacapitalistadjective

Word lists with this word