costa
/ˈkosta/feminine
The Spanish word for coast is costa. Wiktionary also lists litoral.
Meaning: edge of land meeting ocean, sea, gulf, bay (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| costa | /ˈkosta/ | feminine |
| litoral | /litoˈɾal/ | masculine |
The word costa refers to the edge of land meeting the ocean, sea, gulf or bay. It can be used to describe a physical geographical feature or serve as a proper noun for specific regions, such as la Costa Azul.
Which one should you use?
While costa is the common word for coast, litoral is a more technical or formal term often used in geography or administrative contexts to refer to the coastal zone or shoreline.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun costa is feminine and requires the feminine article la. The word litoral is masculine.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈkosta/
Did you know?
- In some Spanish-speaking regions, people might use the term la costa to refer to a specific cultural zone rather than just a line of land. For example, in Colombia, 'La Costa' refers to a distinct region with its own music, food, and dialect.
- The word costa is a doublet of the Spanish word cuesta, which means 'slope' or 'hill'. Both words share the same Latin ancestor referring to a side or a rib.
- Spanish uses costa to describe the edge of a landmass, but to describe the actual 'beach' where people swim, they switch to the word playa.
Examples in context
- Soy de la costa oeste.I'm from the West Coast.This sentence is useful for stating your origin from the West Coast using costa.Tatoeba #4762530 by DarkHollow, translation #1912020 by Spamster
- Tom vivió en la costa oeste.Tom lived on the west coast.This sentence is useful for describing where someone lived on the west coast using costa.Tatoeba #5613877 by saverius, translation #5205185 by CK
- Ella se mudó a la Costa Oeste.She moved to the West Coast.This sentence is useful for describing a move to the West Coast using costa.Tatoeba #4762531 by DarkHollow, translation #2217639 by Hybrid
- 20 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía and Javier are planning a summer vacation.
- Sofía¿Prefieres la montaña o la costa?Do you prefer the mountains or the coast?
- JavierMe gusta caminar por la costa.I like walking along the coast.
- SofíaEntonces, buscaremos un hotel cerca de la costa.Then, we will look for a hotel near the coast.
- JavierEs una excelente idea, Sofía.It is an excellent idea, Sofía.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “coast” translations and entries costa, litoral, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries costa, litoral, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
