arrecife de coral
/areˌθife de koˈɾal/masculine
The English phrase "coral reef" is translated into Spanish as arrecife de coral.
arrecife de coral is a masculine noun used to describe a mound or hummock of coral.
Meaning: mound or hummock of coral (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of arrecife (reef), de (of) and coral (coral).
How does it change in a sentence?
Because arrecife is a masculine noun, you must use the masculine article el (the) rather than the feminine la. To form the plural, change arrecife to arrecifes to get los arrecifes de coral. The word coral does not change in the plural form.
How do you pronounce it?
/areˌθife de koˈɾal/
Did you know?
- The word arrecife actually traces its origins back to the Arabic word raṣīf, which means 'pavement' or 'sidewalk'.
- While arrecife de coral describes a reef, the word arrecife is also used in Spanish to describe a rocky shoreline or a breakwater.
- In Spanish, the word coral is versatile, acting as both a biological term for the organism and a term for the gemstone used in jewelry.
Examples in context
- El arrecife de coral es la atracción principal de la región.The coral reef is the region's prime attraction.This sentence shows how to use arrecife de coral to describe a main attraction.Tatoeba #1781696 by Shishir, translation #954341 by CK
- El viajero buceó en el arrecife coralino y quedó impresionado por su belleza.The traveler dived into the coral reef and was amazed by its beauty.
- Hay que cuidar y preservar nuestros arrecifes coralinos para mantener el equilibrio marino.We must take care of and preserve our coral reefs to maintain the marine balance.
- El arrecife de coral tiene muchos peces.The coral reef has many fish.
- Vimos un arrecife de coral muy grande.We saw a very large coral reef.
Example conversation
Elena and Javier are snorkeling in the ocean.
- Elena¡Mira ese arrecife de coral, Javier!Look at that coral reef, Javier!
- JavierEs un arrecife de coral impresionante.It is an impressive coral reef.
- ElenaEl color del arrecife de coral es hermoso.The color of the coral reef is beautiful.
- JavierSí, Elena, es un espectáculo natural.Yes, Elena, it is a natural spectacle.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “coral reef” translations and entries arrecife de coral, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries arrecife, coral, de, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
