大陸
tairiku[ta̠iɾʲikɯ̟]
The Japanese word for continent is 大陸 (tairiku).
大陸 is a noun used to refer to each of the main land-masses on the Earth's surface.
Meaning: each of main land-masses on earth's surface (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
tairiku
Did you know?
- In certain political or historical contexts in Japan, the term 大陸 has been used to refer specifically to mainland China. This usage carries different nuances than a purely geographical description.
- Because the term is an orthographic borrowing from Chinese, the written form 大陸 is identical to the one used in many Chinese-speaking regions. This makes the written term instantly recognizable across East Asia.
- While 大陸 is the standard term, the word 州 is used for 'state' in the US and 'continent' in some global contexts, which can cause confusion for learners.
Examples in context
- ヨーロッパは大陸です。Europe is a continent.This sentence shows how to identify Europe as a continent using 大陸.Tatoeba #2704992 by e4zh1nmcz, translation #2635043 by CK
- 彼らは徒歩でその広大な大陸を横断した。They crossed the vast continent on foot.This sentence describes crossing a vast continent on foot using 大陸.Tatoeba #96484 by tommy__san, translation #307221 by CK
- アフリカはかつて、暗黒大陸と呼ばれた。Africa was once called the Dark Continent.This sentence provides an example of the phrase 'Dark Continent' using 大陸.Tatoeba #230385 by bunbuku, translation #67751 by CK
- 9 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Kenta and Misaki are talking about geography in class.
- 美咲 Misaki世界にはいくつの大陸がありますか？Sekai ni wa ikutsu no tairiku ga arimasu ka?How many continents are there in the world?
- 健太 Kentaたぶん七つの大陸があると思います。Tabun nanatsu no tairiku ga aru to omoimasu.I think there are probably seven continents.
- 美咲 Misaki一番大きい大陸はどこですか？Ichiban ookii tairiku wa doko desu ka?Which is the largest continent?
- 健太 Kentaアジア大陸が世界で一番大きいです。Ajia tairiku ga sekai de ichiban ookii desu.The Asian continent is the largest in the world.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “continent” translations and entries 大陸, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 大陸, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
