How to Say "church" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “church” is “iglesia” — use 'iglesia' for the general word for a Christian church building, regardless of denomination, or when referring to the institution of the church..
iglesia
/ee-GLEH-see-ah//iˈɣle.sja/
Examples
La iglesia del pueblo es muy antigua y bonita.
The town's church is very old and beautiful.
Vamos a la iglesia todos los domingos.
We go to church every Sunday.
Las campanas de la iglesia están sonando.
The church bells are ringing.
It's a Feminine Word
Like many Spanish words that end in '-a', 'iglesia' is feminine. This means you'll use 'la' for 'the' (la iglesia) and 'una' for 'a' (una iglesia).
templo
TEM-plo (Stress on the first syllable)/ˈtemplo/
Examples
Visitamos un templo antiguo con columnas impresionantes.
We visited an ancient temple with impressive columns.
El templo está abierto al público todos los días.
The temple is open to the public every day.
Masculine Noun Rule
Remember that 'templo' is always masculine, so you must use 'el' or 'un' before it: 'el templo' (the temple), 'un templo' (a temple).
Gender Confusion
Mistake: “La templo”
Correction: El templo. Although it ends in '-o', which often signals masculine, it's helpful to memorize the article (el) along with the noun to avoid mistakes.
General vs. Specific Use
Related Translations
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