Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| monte | /ˈmonte/ | masculine |
| tierra salvaje | /tjera salbaxe/ (from spelling rules) | feminine |
monte is a common way to refer to wild, uncultivated areas, scrubland or the wild in general. The phrase el monte is often used to mean the wilderness or the wild. You may also encounter tierra salvaje to describe wild land.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, monte refers to a mountain or a hill, but it is frequently used to denote wild, uncultivated land or scrubland.
Which one should you use?
While monte is the most common way to refer to wild, uncultivated areas in a general sense, tierra salvaje is a more literal and descriptive translation of the phrase 'wild land'.
How does it change in a sentence?
monte is a masculine noun. The plural form montes can be used to describe vast, hilly or mountainous wild territories. tierra salvaje is a feminine phrase.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈmonte/
When do people say it?
In many Spanish-speaking regions, the phrase ir al monte is used to mean going out into the wild or into the countryside.
Did you know?
- The word salvaje is actually a distant relative of the English word 'sylvan', as both trace back to the Latin word for forest, silva.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, saying you are going al monte can sound much more casual and routine than the English phrase 'going into the wilderness'.
- While tierra salvaje describes the land, salvaje is also the primary word used to describe a wild animal. This links the state of the wilderness directly to the behavior of the creatures within it.
Examples in context
- Caminamos por el monte durante todo el día.We walked through the wilderness all day.
- El monte es muy peligroso sin un guía.The wilderness is very dangerous without a guide.
- Hay muchos animales salvajes en el monte.There are many wild animals in the wilderness.
Example conversation
María and Alejandro are planning a hiking trip.
- MaríaQueremos ir al monte este fin de semana.We want to go to the wilderness this weekend.
- AlejandroEso suena muy emocionante, María.That sounds very exciting, María.
- María¿Tienes un mapa del monte?Do you have a map of the wilderness?
- AlejandroSí, yo lo traigo, María.Yes, I will bring it, María.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “wilderness” translations and entries monte, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries monte, salvaje, tierra, CC BY-SA 4.0.
