alcaldía
“alcaldía” means “city hall” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
city hall, town hall
Also: mayor's office
📝 In Action
Tengo que ir a la alcaldía para pedir un permiso.
A2I have to go to city hall to ask for a permit.
La alcaldía está situada en la plaza principal del pueblo.
A2The town hall is located in the main square of the town.
La alcaldía anunció nuevas medidas para el tráfico.
B1The mayor's office announced new measures for traffic.
mayoralty
Also: borough
📝 In Action
Durante su alcaldía, se construyeron tres parques nuevos.
B2During his mayoralty, three new parks were built.
Ella aspira a la alcaldía en las próximas elecciones.
B2She is running for the mayor's office in the next elections.
Vivo en la alcaldía de Coyoacán.
B1I live in the borough of Coyoacán.
Translate to Spanish
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: alcaldía
Question 1 of 3
If you need to pay a local fine in person, where do you go?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼
From the Spanish word 'alcalde', which comes from the Arabic 'al-qāḍī', meaning 'the judge'. The ending '-ía' was added to denote the office or place.
First recorded: 13th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'alcaldía' the same as 'ayuntamiento'?
Yes, they are very similar. 'Ayuntamiento' is the preferred word in Spain, while 'alcaldía' is the standard in most of Latin America for both the building and the local government.
Can 'alcaldía' mean the mayor's wife?
No. The mayor's wife doesn't have a specific title based on this word. A female mayor is 'la alcaldesa'.
Why does it have an accent on the 'i'?
The accent mark tells you to pronounce the 'i' and 'a' as two separate sounds (al-cal-DEE-ah) rather than blending them together.