Official Galician Place Names
Use the Galician form of every place name in Galicia: A Coruña, Ourense, Sanxenxo. The Galician Language Normalization Law of 1983 makes that form the only official one.
How It Works
One official form
Article 10 of the Galician Language Normalization Law (Lei 3/1983) says that the place names of Galicia have the Galician form as their only official form. A Spanish law of 1998 also changed the names of two provinces to A Coruña and Ourense.
- A Coruña, not La Coruña
- Ourense, not Orense
- Sanxenxo, not Sangenjo
- Xinzo de Limia, not Ginzo de Limia
- Fisterra, not Finisterre
Many of these names use Galician spelling, such as the letter x in Sanxenxo and Xinzo.
Names with an article
In names like A Coruña, O Porriño or A Estrada, the article is part of the name. It is written with a capital letter when it stands alone, but it contracts with a preposition, and then it is lowercase:
- Vou á Coruña (a + a)
- Vivo no Porriño (en + o)
- Son da Estrada (de + a)
See place names with the article for more.
Examples (6)
- Vivo na Coruña desde hai dez anos.
I have lived in A Coruña for ten years.
En + A Coruña becomes na Coruña.
- Este verán imos de vacacións a Sanxenxo.
This summer we are going on holiday to Sanxenxo.
- Ourense é famosa polas súas augas termais.
Ourense is famous for its hot springs.
- O autobús para en Xinzo de Limia.
The bus stops in Xinzo de Limia.
- Saímos da Estrada ás sete.
We left A Estrada at seven.
De + A Estrada becomes da Estrada.
- Fisterra está na Costa da Morte.
Fisterra is on the Costa da Morte.
Common Mistakes
Using the Spanish name of a Galician city.
Vivo en La Coruña.Vivo na Coruña.The only official name is A Coruña, and its article contracts with en: na Coruña.
Using a Spanish-style form of Ourense.
Estudo en Orense.Estudo en Ourense.Orense is not official. Use Ourense.
Not contracting the article of the place name.
Mañá vou a A Coruña.Mañá vou á Coruña.The article in the name contracts like any article: a + a = á.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Official place names keep their Galician form and follow the ordinary article rules.
Related Patterns
- Place Names With the Article
Explains how the article in names like A Coruña behaves after prepositions.
Level 2 - The Letter X
Many place names are spelled with x, as in Sanxenxo and Xinzo.
Level 1 - a + o = aoContractions of a with the Article
The contraction behind á Coruña and ao Porriño.
Level 1 - Avoiding Spanish Interference
Spanish forms of place names are one kind of Spanish interference.
Level 4
Words in This Pattern
Practice Official Galician Place Names in Bubblegum
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