How to say "continent" in Japanese

Choosing the right word

大陸たいりくJLPT N3approx.Common
no-adjectiveThe default word for a continent as a large landmass, such as Asia or Africa. Use this in geography and travel contexts when you mean one of Earth's continents.
アフリカは大陸たいりくであるが、グリーンランドはそうではない。↗
Africa is a continent; Greenland is not.
州しゅうJLPT N3approx.Common
noun, noun (suffix)Its gloss includes 'continent', but 州 is really the word for a state or province within a country; it is seldom the word you want for 'continent', so prefer 大陸 there.

Use 大陸 for a continent as a landmass; 州 is really the word for a state or province and is seldom the word you want for 'continent'.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

Japanese equivalents

JLPT vocabulary levels are community estimates, not official (no official lists have been published since the 2010 revision).

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