archipiélago
/aɾt͡ʃiˈpjelaɡo/masculine
The Spanish word for archipelago is archipiélago.
archipiélago is a noun used to describe a group of many islands.
Meaning: group of many islands (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is a cognate of the English word 'archipelago' and shares the same Greek-derived roots.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word is masculine, so it uses the masculine indefinite article un to say 'an archipelago'. To form the plural, add -s to the end to get los archipiélagos.
How do you pronounce it?
/aɾtʃiˈpjelaɡo/
Did you know?
- The term archipiélago originally referred specifically to the Aegean Sea, the 'chief sea' of the Greek world, before it became a general term for any group of islands.
- The Greek root arkhi- in archipiélago is the same ancestor that gave English words like 'architect' or 'archbishop', denoting a 'chief' or 'leader'.
- In Spanish, the word archipiélago can be used metaphorically to describe a series of disconnected things, such as a 'group of isolated ideas' or scattered settlements.
Examples in context
- Las Islas Malvinas son un archipiélago.The Falkland Islands are an archipelago.This sentence shows how to use archipiélago to describe a specific island group.Tatoeba #8889043 by escudo119, translation #9189069 by DJ_Saidez
- El archipiélago japonés ha sido golpeado por una terrible ola de calor.The Japanese archipelago is struck by a terrible heat wave.This sentence uses archipiélago in the context of a weather event affecting a specific region.Tatoeba #459156 by Shishir, translation #459123 by Scott
- Durante dieciocho años, Tove pasó todos los veranos en una isla remota del archipiélago finlandés.For eighteen years, Tove spent every summer on a remote island in the Finnish archipelago.This sentence illustrates the use of archipiélago when referring to a remote location within a group of islands.Tatoeba #10092917 by manufrutos, translation #10092612 by Objectivesea
- El archipiélago de las Filipinas es conocido por su belleza natural.The archipelago of the Philippines is known for its natural beauty.
- Hawái cuenta con numerosas islas volcánicas que forman un archipiélago en el océano Pacífico.Hawaii has numerous volcanic islands forming an archipelago in the Pacific Ocean.
- Ayer visité un grupo de islas increíbles en el Caribe.Yesterday, I visited an incredible group of islands in the Caribbean.
Example conversation
Lucía and Alejandro are looking at a map of Indonesia.
- LucíaMira qué grande es este archipiélago.Look how big this archipelago is.
- AlejandroSí, tiene miles de islas pequeñas.Yes, it has thousands of small islands.
- LucíaMe gustaría visitar el archipiélago algún día.I would like to visit the archipelago one day.
- AlejandroYo también, Alejandro quiere ir contigo.Me too, Alejandro wants to go with you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “archipelago” translations and entries archipiélago, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries archipiélago, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
