French Conversation · Level 41
75 words
French word
capitale
Pronunciation
IPA/kapital/
Meaning
- feminine nouncapital
Example
Tokyo est la capitale du Japon.
Tokyo is the capital of Japan.
More examples
Ils ont déménagé à la capitale pour le travail.
They moved to the capital for work.
Core concept
A city where a state or region's political institutions and diplomatic missions are concentrated.
Common phrases
la capitale du pays
the country's capital
la capitale administrative
administrative capital
Similar words
ville: An urban area where shops and homes are concentrated and many people live.
métropole: A major city whose political and economic influence extends across a broad area.
siège: The location of an organization's or institution's headquarters and principal offices.
Definition in French
Ville qui sert de siège politique d'un État ou d'une région, généralement lieu de résidence des institutions gouvernementales et des ambassades.
Word origin
French capitale comes from Latin capitalis, 'of the head', from caput 'head', and developed through the idea of a chief or leading place.
Usage tips
- The usual pattern for 'the capital of' is la capitale de followed by the country or region, as in la capitale du Japon.