Skip to content

"balance (stability)" in seven languages

Meaningbalance (stability)

Spanish

equilibrio

/ekiˈlibɾjo/

masc.learned

French

équilibre

/ekilibʁ/

masc.learned

Italian

equilibrio

/ekwiˈlibrjo/

masc.learned

Portuguese

equilíbrio

/ekiˈlibɾju/

masc.learned

Romanian

echilibru

/ekiˈlibru/

neut.learned

Catalan

equilibri

/əkiˈlibɾi/

masc.learned

English

balance

/ˈbæləns/

other source · Old French balance 'scales', from Latin BILANX 'with two pans'

English → Italianbalance (stability)equilibrioNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: equilibrium, equal; pound (LĪBRA).What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

AEQUILĪBRIUM‘level balance (of the scales)’

All six sisters descend from it, unless marked otherwise below.

The story

Both images come from the scales: AEQUILĪBRIUM is 'equal pans' (LĪBRA 'scales'), English balance is 'two pans' (BILANX). The sisters keep balanza, balance, bilancia for the scales themselves.

English relatives: equilibrium, equal; pound (LĪBRA)

Learn it

Practice the Ideas deckQuiz a friend on it

In a sentence

  • esPerdí el equilibrio.
  • frJ'ai perdu l'équilibre.
  • itHo perso l'equilibrio.
  • ptPerdi o equilíbrio.
  • roMi-am pierdut echilibrul.
  • caHe perdut l'equilibri.
  • enI lost my balance.

More in Ideas

All Ideas words