África
/ˈafɾika/feminine
The Spanish word for Africa is África.
África is the name of the continent.
Meaning: continent (name)
How does it change in a sentence?
The name of the continent is feminine. When using the preposition en to mean "in Africa", do not use a definite article (use en África). Similarly, when expressing movement toward the continent, use the preposition a without a definite article (use a África).
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈafɾika/
Did you know?
- While África is the name of the continent, Spanish speakers often use the term el África when adding an adjective to describe a specific aspect of the continent, such as el África colonial.
- The accent mark on the first 'A' in África is not just for pronunciation but is a mandatory orthographic mark because the word is a proparoxytone, meaning the stress falls on the third-to-last syllable.
- In Spanish literature, the continent is often personified as a feminine entity, reflecting its grammatical gender as a woman in poetic descriptions.
Examples in context
- Él nació en África.He was born in Africa.This sentence is useful for stating where someone was born using África.Tatoeba #524620 by Shishir, translation #288790 by CK
- Él quiere ir a África.He wants to go to Africa.This sentence is useful for expressing a desire to go to África.Tatoeba #1801660 by Shishir, translation #288793 by CK
- África es un continente.Africa is a continent.This sentence is useful for defining África as a continent.Tatoeba #6992364 by cueyayotl, translation #6978103 by CK
- Mi familia está planeando un viaje al continente africano.My family is planning a trip to the African continent.
- África tiene una rica diversidad cultural.Africa has a rich cultural diversity.
- ¿Alguna vez has estado en África?Have you ever been to Africa?
- Estoy deseando explorar el continente africano el próximo verano.I'm looking forward to exploring the African continent next summer.
- África Central es conocida por su biodiversidad única.Central Africa is known for its unique biodiversity.
- África del Norte tiene una rica historia y cultura.North Africa has a rich history and culture.
- 68 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía and Alejandro are looking at a world map.
- SofíaMira, África es muy grande.Look, Africa is very large.
- AlejandroSí, tiene muchos países diferentes.Yes, it has many different countries.
- Sofía¿Alguna vez visitaste África, Alejandro?Did you ever visit Africa, Alejandro?
- AlejandroNo, pero me gustaría ir.No, but I would like to go.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “africa” translations and entries África, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
