01
der Kontinent
continent
One of the large, continuous landmasses of the Earth, such as Asia, Africa, or Europe.
example
Australien ist der kleinste Kontinent der Erde.
Australia is the smallest continent on Earth.
der Kontinent
continent
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Correct preposition
To describe a place on a continent, German uses the preposition 'auf' (on). For movement toward a continent, 'auf' is also used with the accusative.
EXAMPLE
Pinguine leben auf dem antarktischen Kontinent.
Penguins live on the Antarctic continent.
Word structure
The word comes from the Latin verb 'continere', which means 'to hold together'. So a 'Kontinent' (continent) is literally a large, continuous landmass.
EXAMPLE
Afrika ist ein riesiger Kontinent mit vielen verschiedenen Klimazonen.
Africa is a huge continent with many different climate zones.
Context clue
When 'der Kontinent' (the Continent) is used with the definite article and without naming a specific continent, it often means mainland Europe from a British perspective.
EXAMPLE
Für die Sommerferien fahren wir mit der Fähre auf den Kontinent.
For the summer holidays, we're taking the ferry to the Continent.
Compare with
Kontinent vs Insel
island
'die Insel' and 'der Kontinent' are opposites as forms of land. An island is a smaller or larger piece of land that is completely surrounded by water. A continent, on the other hand, is a very large continuous landmass, for example Europe or Africa. The contrast becomes especially clear when talking about travel, geography, or the mainland. An island is separated by water, while a continent belongs to a large continuous area of land.
Kontinent
Im Erdkundeunterricht vergleicht die Klasse die Kontinente auf der Weltkarte.
In geography class, the class compares the continents on the world map.
Insel
Im Urlaub besuchen wir eine kleine Insel ohne Autos.
On vacation, we visit a small island with no cars.
In real life
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