América
/ameɾika/from spelling rules
In Spanish, America is translated as América.
América refers to the landmass consisting of the North American and South American continents.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Argentina, the term Yanquilandia is sometimes used as an informal way to refer to the United States.
How does it change in a sentence?
While América is often used without an article, it is grammatically possible to use the feminine article la when referring to the continent as a specific entity.
How do you pronounce it?
/ameɾika/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often use América when they specifically mean the United States, but in Spanish, América refers to the entire continent. Use Estados Unidos to refer to the United States.
Did you know?
- Calling someone from the United States americano is often seen as imprecise or even slightly offensive in many Spanish-speaking-countries, because it implies they represent the entire continent of América.
- Because América is treated as a single continental entity, it is often taught in Spanish-speaking-schools as a single unit, whereas English-speaking-curriculums often split it into 'North' and 'South' America.
- In Spanish, the term norteamericano is sometimes avoided because it can be seen as ambiguous, as it technically includes Canadians and Mexicans.
Examples in context
- Él fue a América.He went to America.This sentence shows the use of América for a destination.Tatoeba #1393739 by Shishir, translation #1559780 by sam_m
- Kaoru fue a América.Kaoru has gone to America.Tatoeba #388059 by hayastan, translation #237739 by Eldad
- Quiero ir a América.I want to go to America.Tatoeba #590459 by Shishir, translation #253006 by CK
- El continente de América del NorteThe continent of North America
- El crecimiento económico en Las AméricasEconomic growth in the Americas
- Viajar a AméricaTraveling to America
- 157 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing a geography book in a cafe.
- AlejandroEl mapa muestra toda América.The map shows all of America.
- LucíaEs un continente muy grande.It is a very large continent.
- AlejandroLucía, ¿conoces América del Sur?Lucía, do you know South America?
- LucíaSí, me gustaría visitarla.Yes, I would like to visit it.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
