continente
nounCEFR B2
What does “continente” mean in English?
continent — one of the major landmasses of the Earth
continent — one of the major landmasses of the Earth (el continente africano, a escala continental)
Example sentences
La deforestación que afecta al continente sudamericano tiene consecuencias climáticas que van mucho más allá de sus fronteras.
The deforestation affecting the South American continent has climatic consequences that extend far beyond its borders.
Ningún continente ha sido más afectado por las consecuencias del colonialismo que el africano.
No continent has been more affected by the consequences of colonialism than the African one.
A escala continental, las diferencias económicas entre el norte y el sur de Europa siguen siendo pronunciadas.
On a continental scale, economic differences between northern and southern Europe remain pronounced.
How to use it
El continente means 'continent' — one of the major landmasses of the Earth. At B2 it appears in geographical, cultural, and geopolitical discourse. Key collocations: el continente africano/americano/europeo/asiático, a escala continental, en todo el continente. Note that el continente also has an older literary/philosophical sense (the container vs the content: el continente y el contenido), but this sense is rare in modern usage. The adjective continental is productive: clima continental, plataforma continental.
Common mistake
El continente (landmass) is not el país (country) or la región (region). The compound continente africano (with adjective) is always lower-case; proper names of continents in Spanish are capitalised only when they are the actual name: África, Europa, but el continente africano (lowercase adjective). Do not confuse with el continente in the archaic container/content sense — in modern B2 texts this is essentially extinct.