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How to Say "mural" in Spanish

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mural

/moo-RAL//muˈɾal/

nounA2general
Use 'mural' when referring to a large, often artistic painting or decoration applied directly to a wall, typically planned and executed as a work of art.
A large, colorful painting of a landscape on the side of a brick building.

Examples

Hay un mural muy colorido en mi calle.

There is a very colorful mural on my street.

Los estudiantes pintaron un mural sobre la paz.

The students painted a mural about peace.

México es famoso por sus murales históricos.

Mexico is famous for its historical murals.

Necesitamos un reloj mural para la oficina.

We need a wall-mounted clock for the office.

Making it plural

Since this word ends in a consonant (l), you add -es to make it plural: 'un mural' becomes 'dos murales'.

Gender memory aid

Even though it ends in 'al', it is a masculine word. Use 'el' or 'un' with it.

One form for both

This adjective stays the same for both masculine and feminine words. You say 'el reloj mural' and 'la pintura mural'.

Gender confusion

Mistake: “la mural”

Correction: el mural. Most words ending in -al are masculine.

Don't add an 'a'

Mistake: “pintura murala”

Correction: pintura mural. Adjectives ending in 'l' don't change to 'a' for feminine words.

mural

/moo-RAL//muˈɾal/

adjectiveB2general
Use 'mural' as an adjective to describe something that is attached to or intended for a wall, like a clock or a map.
A large, colorful painting of a landscape on the side of a brick building.

Examples

Necesitamos un reloj mural para la oficina.

We need a wall-mounted clock for the office.

Hay un mural muy colorido en mi calle.

There is a very colorful mural on my street.

Los estudiantes pintaron un mural sobre la paz.

The students painted a mural about peace.

México es famoso por sus murales históricos.

Mexico is famous for its historical murals.

Making it plural

Since this word ends in a consonant (l), you add -es to make it plural: 'un mural' becomes 'dos murales'.

Gender memory aid

Even though it ends in 'al', it is a masculine word. Use 'el' or 'un' with it.

One form for both

This adjective stays the same for both masculine and feminine words. You say 'el reloj mural' and 'la pintura mural'.

Gender confusion

Mistake: “la mural”

Correction: el mural. Most words ending in -al are masculine.

Don't add an 'a'

Mistake: “pintura murala”

Correction: pintura mural. Adjectives ending in 'l' don't change to 'a' for feminine words.

pintada

/peen-TAH-dah//pinˈtaða/

nounB1informal
Use 'pintada' for informal, often spontaneous or political, markings or drawings made on a wall, similar to graffiti or a street art tag.
A colorful spray-painted mural on a concrete wall.

Examples

Había una pintada política en el muro de la escuela.

There was a political slogan painted on the school wall.

El ayuntamiento borró todas las pintadas del centro.

The city council erased all the graffiti from the downtown area.

Hacer pintadas en edificios históricos es ilegal.

Making graffiti on historical buildings is illegal.

Always Feminine

Even though it comes from a verb, when used as a noun to mean graffiti, it is always feminine: 'la pintada' or 'una pintada'.

Pintada vs. Pintura

Mistake: “Usar 'pintura' para hablar de un mensaje en la calle.”

Correction: Use 'pintada' for street messages or graffiti, and 'pintura' for the liquid paint or an artistic painting on canvas.

Mural vs. Pintada

Learners often confuse 'mural' and 'pintada'. Remember that 'mural' usually refers to a planned artistic work, while 'pintada' is typically for informal, unsanctioned street markings or graffiti.

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