continent

/ˈkɒn.tɪ.nənt/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈkɑːn.tən.ənt/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈkän-tə-nənt ˈkänt-nənt/ (ame, mw) · /ˈkɒntɪnənt/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈkɑːntɪnənt/ (ame, ipa)

continent — 名詞

  • continentsingular
  • continentsplural

1. any of the seven enormous land areas — Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Australia, Euro

1.名詞A2
釋義

洲；大陸

地球上七個主要陸塊之一

any of the seven enormous land areas — Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, and South America — that together cover most of Earth's land surface and are mainly surrounded by ocean.

例句

Nia's family traveled across three continents during their summer vacation.

Nia 一家在暑假期間遊歷了三大洲。

collocation: across + [number] continents

The Amazon rainforest spans across several countries on the South American continent.

亞馬遜雨林橫跨南美洲好幾個國家。

pattern: on the [name] continent

同義詞
  • landmass

    emphasizes the geographical shape and size without political boundaries; more technical

  • mainland

    refers to the main land area of a region, not a continent as a whole; e.g. mainland China vs. Taiwan

反義詞
  • island

    a land area completely surrounded by water, much smaller than a continent

文法句型

the [name] continent

[number] continents

用法筆記

The names of the seven continents (Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, South America) are proper nouns and are always capitalized in English.

常見錯誤

❌China is a continent.
✅China is a country in the continent of Asia.
💡A continent is a group of countries, not a single country.
❌Australia is not a continent — it is only a country.
✅Australia is both a country and a continent.
💡Australia is unique as the only country that covers an entire continent.

2. the mainland of Europe, especially when spoken about by people in the UK or Irel

2.名詞B2
釋義

歐洲大陸

指英國以外的歐洲大片陸地

the mainland of Europe, especially when spoken about by people in the UK or Ireland — nearly always used with the word 'the' and usually capitalized.

例句

Lotte took a train from London to Paris to explore the Continent for the first time.

Lotte 從倫敦搭火車到巴黎，第一次去探索歐洲大陸。

the Continent (capitalized) = mainland Europe

The ferry service connects Ireland to the Continent several times a week.

渡輪每週數次往返於愛爾蘭與歐洲大陸之間。

同義詞
  • mainland Europe

    more explicit and less old-fashioned than 'the Continent'

  • Europe

    broader term that can include the British Isles; less specific

反義詞
  • the British Isles

    the islands that are contrasted with the Continent from a British perspective

文法句型

the Continent

用法筆記

This sense is almost always used with the definite article 'the' and written with a capital C. It is most commonly used by British and Irish speakers to refer to Europe outside the British Isles. Do not use it to mean the European Union or the eurozone.

常見錯誤

❌We are going to Continent for holiday.
✅We are going to the Continent for a holiday.
💡This sense always needs the definite article 'the'.
❌London is on the Continent.
✅London is not on the Continent; the Continent begins across the English Channel.
💡From a British perspective, the British Isles are separate from the Continent.

continent — 形容詞