Yes, country names are capitalized in Spanish.
Complete answer
Yes, country names are capitalized in Spanish. This is consistent with capitalization rules in most languages. As stated by the Real Academia Española, the official institution responsible for regulating the Spanish language, capitalization is necessary for proper nouns, which include names of people, places, and things.
According to the Spanish capitalization rules, the first word of a sentence is capitalized, as well as the first word of a quoted sentence, and all proper nouns, including country names. Proper nouns such as Mexico, Bolivia, and Argentina are capitalized, whereas common nouns such as ciudad (city) and país (country) are not.
Here is a sample table of capitalized countries in Spanish:
| Country | Spanish Capitalization |
|---|---|
| España | Yes |
| Estados Unidos | Yes |
| Canadá | Yes |
| México | Yes |
| Francia | Yes |
| Suecia | Yes |
| Brasil | Yes |
| Argentina | Yes |
| Rusia | Yes |
| Marruecos | Yes |
In conclusion, capitalization is important in written Spanish, and country names are no exception. As author Angela Dominguez eloquently stated, “Capitalization is the difference between helping your Uncle Jack off a horse and helping your uncle jack off a horse.”
See the answer to “Are country names capitalized in Spanish?” in this video
The video discusses the capitalization rules for Spanish. It explains that in Spanish, months are not capitalized, along with the names of days of the week and religions and their adherents. However, names of countries and cities are capitalized, while words derived from them are not.
Other methods of responding to your inquiry
Spanish only capitalizes the proper names of people, places, or things. Names of people, including nicknames, are always capitalized. The same rule applies to countries, cities, states, etc., as places are proper nouns. The names of languages are not capitalized unless they are also a subject of study in class.
In Spanish, the first letter of every sentence is capitalized, as is the first letter of all proper nouns (names of people, cities, countries, places, etc.).
Nationality Although names of countries and cities are capitalized, words derived from them are not. Soy inglés. (I’m English.) Prefiero los cocos puertorriqueños. (I prefer the Puerto Rican coconuts.)
Spanish capitalization establishes that the first letter of the following words should always be capitalized even if that term shows up in the middle of the sentence: 1. Proper nouns such as countries, states, cities, streets, and people’s names.
Another capitalization rule in Spanish that you should keep in mind is that while names of cities and countries are capitalized in Spanish, words that derived from them are not.
Countries and cities in Spanish should be capitalized as they are in English. Barcelona no es la capital de España. Barcelona is not the capital of Spain. Mis tíos viven en Guadalajara. My aunt and uncle live in Guadalajara. Me gustaría mudarme a Caracas. I would like to move to Caracas.
Yes, you have spelled them correctly. "A" grade on spelling ability. However, the first letter of a country name should be capitalized, e.g. Nicaragua. You also need to use commas to clarify that they are the names of separate countries.
Although names of countries are capitalized in Spanish, names of nationalities are not (except at the beginning of a sentence.) The most common endings for nationality names are -o and -es.
In Spanish, you do capitalize the names of people, cities, states, and countries. Spain is written as España with a capital letter.
Names of people, cities, and countries are capitalized in both languages: Me llamo Andrés Vargas (My name is Andres Vargas). Vivo en Buenos Aires, la capital de Argentina (I live in Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina).
In Spanish, the first letter of every sentence is capitalized, as is the first letter of all proper nouns (names of people, cities, countries, places, etc.). Are countries capitalized? You should capitalize the names of countries, nationalities, and languages because they are proper nouns—English nouns that are always capitalized.
Moreover, people are interested
Do you capitalize country names?
The official designations of countries, national domains, and their principal administrative divisions are capitalized only if used as part of proper names, as proper names, or as proper adjectives. (See Chapter 17, Principal Foreign Countries table.)
What do you not capitalize in Spanish?
Response: The following terms are not capitalized in Spanish unless they begin sentences: the subject pronoun “yo”; the names of months, and days of weeks; the names of languages and nationalities; nouns and adjectives derived from proper nouns.
Do you capitalize Estados Unidos?
Answer: Abbreviations
Acronyms and abbreviations are always written in uppercase letters: UGT (Unión General de Trabajadore – a trade union), ONCE (Organización Nacional de Ciegos Españoles – a Spanish Foundation for blind people), EE. UU. (short for Estados Unidos).
Do you capitalize Mexican in Spanish?
Here is a list of the differences in Spanish and English capitalization! These adjectives are capitalized because they are proper adjectives and based on proper nouns, which we capitalize too (Mexican: Mexico; American: America; English: England).
Are nationalities capitalized in Spanish?
Response will be: Unlike in English, we don’t capitalize nationalities in Spanish unless they are part of a proper noun or start a sentence. However, the names of countries are always capitalized. Nací en España, pero mi familia es china. I was born in Spain, but my family is Chinese. Tengo un amigo ruso que habla cinco idiomas.
Are languages capitalized in Spanish?
Answer to this: The names of languages in Spanish are not capitalized, as are those of other languages. Which Words Do You Capitalize In English? The first word, all nouns, all verbs (even short ones, like is), all adjectives, and all proper nouns should be capitalized. However, some style guides recommend lowercase articles, conjunctions, and prepositions.
Are religions capitalized in Spanish?
Response will be: Religions are capitalized or NOT capitalized in Spanish. not capitalized. Followers of a religion are capitalized or NOT capitalized in Spanish? not capitalized. Do NOT use "un" or "una" to say someone’s Profession unless adding an _ adjective.
Are nationalities capitalized in Spanish?
Unlike in English, we don’t capitalize nationalities in Spanish unless they are part of a proper noun or start a sentence. However, the names of countries are always capitalized. Nací en España, pero mi familia es china. I was born in Spain, but my family is Chinese. Tengo un amigo ruso que habla cinco idiomas.
Are languages capitalized in Spanish?
The names of languages in Spanish are not capitalized, as are those of other languages. Which Words Do You Capitalize In English? The first word, all nouns, all verbs (even short ones, like is), all adjectives, and all proper nouns should be capitalized. However, some style guides recommend lowercase articles, conjunctions, and prepositions.
Are religions capitalized in Spanish?
Answer will be: Religions are capitalized or NOT capitalized in Spanish. not capitalized. Followers of a religion are capitalized or NOT capitalized in Spanish? not capitalized. Do NOT use "un" or "una" to say someone’s Profession unless adding an _ adjective.