la capital de Panamá
/la kapital de panama/from spelling rules
The capital of panama in Spanish is la capital de Panamá.
The phrase la capital de Panamá is used to refer to the city that serves as the seat of government for the country of Panama.
How does it change in a sentence?
In this phrase, the word capital is a feminine noun, which is why it must be preceded by the feminine article la.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly say el capital de Panamá. While el capital can refer to wealth or money in Spanish, when you are referring to a city, you must always use the feminine form la capital.
Did you know?
- Because la capital can refer to any seat of government, Panamanian news reports often specify Ciudad de Panamá to avoid confusion with other administrative centers.
- The word capital comes from the Latin caput, meaning 'head'. This shares an unexpected linguistic ancestry with the English word 'captain' and 'chapter', which both stem from the idea of a 'head' or leader.
Examples in context
- La capital de Panamá es muy grande.The capital of Panama is very large.
- ¿Cuándo viajarás a la capital de Panamá?When will you travel to the capital of Panama?
- Quiero visitar la capital de Panamá este año.I want to visit the capital of Panama this year.
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing travel plans in a café.
- AlejandroLucía, ¿conoces la capital de Panamá?Lucía, do you know the capital of Panama?
- LucíaNo, pero quiero ir pronto.No, but I want to go soon.
- AlejandroLa capital de Panamá es hermosa.The capital of Panama is beautiful.
- Lucía¡Entonces iré este verano!Then I will go this summer!
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries capital, de, la, panamá, CC BY-SA 4.0.
