Alá
/aˈla/masculine
Alá is the Spanish way to say Allah.
Alá is the name used to refer to God within the context of Islam.
Meaning: God, in Islam (name)
How does it change in a sentence?
When using the name with the preposition en (in), the name does not undergo contraction. For example, you would say en Alá rather than contracting it as one might with en el.
How do you pronounce it?
/aˈla/
Did you know?
- In some historic Spanish texts, the term Alá was used by poets and writers to evoke an 'exotic' or 'orientalist' atmosphere, regardless of whether the subject was actually Muslim.
- The Spanish word Alá is a direct borrowing from the Arabic allāh, which itself is a combination of the definite article al and the word for deity.
- While Alá refers specifically to the Islamic God, Spanish speakers use the word Dios to refer to God in a general or Christian sense, creating a clear linguistic boundary between the two terms.
Examples in context
- ¡Alá es grande!Allah is great!This sentence is useful for expressing the phrase ¡Alá es grande!Tatoeba #1196350 by marcelostockle, translation #477188 by FeuDRenais
- Los musulmanes creen solo en Alá como único Dios, y en Muhammad como el último profeta.Muslims believe only in Allah as the unique God, and in Mohammad as the last prophet.This sentence is useful for expressing the phrase Alá in a sentence about Muslim beliefs.Tatoeba #1843826 by hayastan, translation #1843149 by fekundulo
- Los musulmanes creen en Alá, quien es el único Dios.Muslims believe in Allah, who is the one true God.
- Muchos creen que Alá es misericordioso.Many believe that Allah is merciful.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing a documentary about different religions.
- Javier¿Mencionaron a Alá en el documental?Did they mention Allah in the documentary?
- ElenaSí, hablaron mucho sobre la fe en Alá.Yes, they talked a lot about faith in Allah.
- JavierEs interesante ver cómo lo describen.It is interesting to see how they describe him.
- ElenaEs una perspectiva muy respetuosa.It is a very respectful perspective.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “allah” translations and entries Alá, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Alá, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
