capital

capital city

noun kah-pee-TAHL Common

Origin: from Latin capitalis (of the head)

Also means

capital (finance); capital letter

Usage Note

Capital as 'capital city' is feminine (la capital), while as 'capital' in the financial sense it is masculine (el capital) — the same spelling with different genders and meanings. The adjective capital ('capital', 'chief') is invariable for gender: pena capital ('capital punishment'). This gender split is a classic trap for learners, since the form is identical.

Examples

"Madrid es la capital de España."

Natural Translation

Madrid is the capital of Spain.

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