Inklingo

How to Say "cathedral" in Spanish

The most common Spanish word for “cathedral” is “catedral” — use 'catedral' when referring to the principal church of a city or diocese in a general sense, without emphasizing its role as a bishop's seat..

English → Spanish

catedral

/kah-teh-DRAHL//kateˈðɾal/

nounA2general
Use 'catedral' when referring to the principal church of a city or diocese in a general sense, without emphasizing its role as a bishop's seat.
A large, beautiful stone cathedral with tall spires and stained glass windows under a clear sky.

Examples

La catedral de Barcelona es muy antigua.

Barcelona's cathedral is very old.

Mucha gente visita la plaza de la catedral los domingos.

Many people visit the cathedral square on Sundays.

Para que una iglesia sea una catedral, debe ser la sede de un obispo.

For a church to be a cathedral, it must be the seat of a bishop.

Identifying the Gender

Even though 'catedral' ends in 'l', it is a feminine word. Always use 'la' or 'una' with it.

Capitalization Rules

When you are talking about a specific building like 'la Catedral de Burgos', you capitalize it. If you are just talking about cathedrals in general, use lowercase.

Gender confusion

Mistake: “el catedral”

Correction: la catedral. Words ending in -ad, -ed, or -al are often feminine, and this one definitely is!

Church vs. Cathedral

Mistake: “Using 'iglesia' for everything.”

Correction: While a cathedral is a type of church (iglesia), calling a massive cathedral just an 'iglesia' can sound like you are downplaying its importance.

seo

/seh-oh//ˈse.o/

nounC1formal/ecclesiastical
Use 'seo' specifically when referring to a cathedral that is also the official seat or throne of a bishop.
A grand stone cathedral with tall spires and a large rose window under a clear blue sky.

Examples

La Seo de Zaragoza es una maravilla del arte mudéjar.

The Cathedral of Zaragoza is a marvel of Mudejar art.

El obispo presidió la misa en la seo.

The bishop presided over the mass in the cathedral.

Caminamos por los alrededores de la seo al atardecer.

We walked around the cathedral at sunset.

A feminine exception

Even though many words ending in 'o' are masculine, 'seo' is feminine (la seo) because it comes from the Latin word for 'seat' (sedes).

Specific Usage

In modern Spanish, people usually say 'catedral.' Use 'seo' only when referring to specific historic cathedrals in Spain or in very formal writing.

Gender confusion

Mistake: “El seo de la ciudad es antigua.”

Correction: La seo de la ciudad es antigua. Always use 'la' with this meaning.

Using 'catedral' vs. 'seo'

The most common mistake is using 'catedral' for every type of cathedral. Remember that 'seo' is reserved for cathedrals that are specifically the bishop's seat. While all 'seos' are 'catedrales', not all 'catedrales' are 'seos'.

Related Translations

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