How to Say "islamic" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “islamic” is “islámico” — use 'islámico' when referring to things, architecture, art, or concepts that are directly related to the religion or culture of Islam itself..
islámico
/ees-LAH-mee-koh//isˈlamiko/
Examples
España tiene mucha arquitectura islámica.
Spain has a lot of Islamic architecture.
El calendario islámico es diferente al nuestro.
The Islamic calendar is different from ours.
Estudiamos la cultura islámica en la escuela.
We study Islamic culture at school.
The 'Matching' Rule
This word must change its ending to match the noun it describes. Use 'islámico' for masculine things (el arte islámico) and 'islámica' for feminine things (la cultura islámica).
No Capital Letters
Unlike English, where 'Islamic' is always capitalized, in Spanish, words for religions and origins are written in lowercase unless they start a sentence.
Calling a person 'islámico'
Mistake: “Mi amigo es islámico.”
Correction: Mi amigo es musulmán. Use 'islámico' for things like art, law, or history, but use 'musulmán' to describe a person who follows Islam.
musulmán
/moo-sool-MAHN//musulˈman/
Examples
Me gusta mucho el arte musulmán.
I really like Muslim art.
España tiene una gran herencia del periodo musulmán.
Spain has a great heritage from the Muslim period.
El calendario musulmán es diferente al nuestro.
The Muslim calendar is different from ours.
Matching the Noun
As an adjective, it must match the word it describes. Use 'musulmán' for masculine things (un reino musulmán) and 'musulmana' for feminine things (una tradición musulmana).
Adjective Placement
This word usually comes after the thing it is describing, which is standard for most Spanish adjectives.
Confusing 'Muslim' and 'Arab'
Mistake: “Él habla musulmán.”
Correction: Él habla árabe. (Muslim refers to religion; Arabic refers to the language and ethnicity. Not all Arabs are Muslims, and not all Muslims are Arabs!)
musulmanes
/moo-sool-MAH-ness//musulˈmanes/
Examples
Visitamos varios países musulmanes el año pasado.
We visited several Muslim countries last year.
Hay muchos monumentos musulmanes en el sur de España.
There are many Muslim monuments in the south of Spain.
Adjective Agreement
Since 'musulmanes' is plural, the thing it describes must also be plural (e.g., 'países musulmanes').
Islámico vs. Musulmán/Musulmanes
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