How to Say "city hall" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “city hall” is “ayuntamiento” — use 'ayuntamiento' when referring to the building that houses the city's government offices, or the governing body itself..
English → Spanish
ayuntamiento
/a-yoon-tah-myen-toh//a.ʝun.taˈmjen.to/
nounA2general
Use 'ayuntamiento' when referring to the building that houses the city's government offices, or the governing body itself.
Examples
El ayuntamiento aprobó nuevas medidas para el reciclaje.
The city council approved new measures for recycling.
La oficina de turismo está justo al lado del ayuntamiento.
The tourist office is right next to City Hall.
Tenemos que ir al ayuntamiento para registrar el nacimiento.
We have to go to the Town Hall to register the birth.
alcaldía
nounA2general
Use 'alcaldía' primarily to refer to the physical building of the city hall, especially when you need to perform an action there, like getting a permit.
Examples
Necesito ir a la alcaldía para renovar mi licencia de conducir.
I need to go to city hall to renew my driver's license.
Building vs. Institution
The most common confusion is using 'alcaldía' when you mean the governing body or institution. While 'alcaldía' *can* sometimes refer to the office of the mayor or the administration, 'ayuntamiento' is generally safer when talking about the city council's decisions or the institution as a whole.
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