selva tropical
/selba tɾopikal/from spelling rules
The Spanish phrase for rain forest is selva tropical.
The term refers to a dense forest located in a tropical area that receives a high amount of rainfall.
What does it mean word for word?
The word selva refers to a jungle or a dense forest.
Which one should you use?
While the word selva alone can mean jungle or forest, the full phrase selva tropical is the specific term used to denote a tropical rain forest.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of the phrase is selvas tropicales.
Did you know?
- The word selva is frequently used in Spanish idioms to describe a chaotic or lawless situation. Saying a place is 'a jungle' (una selva) implies that the strongest survive and there are no rules.
- Spanish distinguishes between bosque and selva. A bosque is typically a temperate forest with spaced trees, while a selva is characterized by a dense, overlapping canopy that blocks out the sun.
- In Latin American geography, there is a distinction between the selva and the jungla. While selva is the standard term for the ecosystem, jungla is often seen as an Anglicism influenced by the English word 'jungle'.
Examples in context
- Me encanta explorar las selvas tropicales de Costa Rica.I love exploring the rain forests of Costa Rica.
- La selva amazónica alberga una increíble biodiversidad.The Amazon Rainforest is home to incredible biodiversity.
- La selva tropical es muy húmeda.The rain forest is very humid.
- He visto muchas especies en la selva tropical.I have seen many species in the rain forest.
- El sonido de la selva tropical es increíble.The sound of the rain forest is incredible.
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing a documentary they watched.
- LucíaEse documental sobre la selva tropical fue fascinante.That documentary about the rain forest was fascinating.
- AlejandroSí, la biodiversidad de la selva tropical es asombrosa.Yes, the biodiversity of the rain forest is amazing.
- Lucía¿Te gustaría visitar una selva tropical algún día?Would you like to visit a rain forest someday?
- Alejandro¡Claro que sí, Lucía!Of course, Lucía!
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
