Inklingo
← Dictionary

isla

EES-lahˈis.la

island

Also: isle
NounfA1
A small, lush green piece of land floating in a vast blue ocean under a bright, sunny sky.

📝 In Action

La isla tiene playas de arena blanca y palmeras.

A1

The island has white sandy beaches and palm trees.

Viajamos en ferry a una isla deshabitada para acampar.

A2

We traveled by ferry to an uninhabited island to camp.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • islote (small island, islet)

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • isla tropical – tropical island
  • isla desierta – desert island

island (kitchen/store counter)

Also: refuge island, aisle display
NounfB1
A modern, rectangular wooden kitchen counter standing alone in the center of a clean, empty room.

📝 In Action

Pusieron una gran isla de mármol en el centro de la cocina.

B1

They put a large marble island in the center of the kitchen.

Cruza la calle y espera en la isla central.

B2

Cross the street and wait on the central island (pedestrian refuge).

Word Connections

Synonyms

Common Collocations

  • isla de cocina – kitchen island
  • isla de seguridad – safety island (for pedestrians)

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "isla" in Spanish:

aisle display→island→isle→refuge island→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: isla

Question 1 of 2

¿Cuál es la traducción más común de la palabra 'isla'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
isleño/a(islander) — Noun / Adjective
península(peninsula (almost island)) — Noun
insular(insular, relating to islands) — Adjective
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

Comes directly from the Latin word *insula*, which meant 'island.' This Latin root is also why English has words like 'insulate' (to make something into an isolated zone) and 'peninsula' (from *paene insula*, meaning 'almost island').

First recorded: Documented in Spanish since the Middle Ages.

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: ilhaItalian: isolaFrench: île

💡 Master Spanish

Take your Spanish to the next level. Read 200+ illustrated and narrated Spanish stories tailored to your level with the Inklingo app!

Frequently Asked Questions

Since 'agua' uses 'el' (el agua), shouldn't 'isla' also use 'el'?

That's a great question! 'Isla' is feminine, and it uses the standard feminine article 'la' (la isla). The switch to 'el' only happens for singular feminine nouns that begin with a *stressed* 'a' sound (like *agua*). Since the stress in 'isla' is on the 'i' (EES-lah), the rule doesn't apply.

¿Cómo se dice 'islander' en español?

The word for someone who lives on an island is 'isleño' (for a male) or 'isleña' (for a female).