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"benefit (advantage)" in seven languages

Meaningbenefit (advantage)

Spanish

beneficio

/beneˈfiθjo/

masc.learned

French

bienfait

/bjɛ̃fɛ/

masc.other source · bien 'well' + fait 'done'

French bénéfice exists, but it mostly means 'profit' in business.

Italian

beneficio

/beneˈfitʃo/

masc.learned

Portuguese

benefício

/beneˈfisju/

masc.learned

Romanian

beneficiu

/beneˈfitʃju/

neut.learned

Catalan

benefici

/bənəˈfisi/

masc.learned

English

benefit

/ˈbɛnəfɪt/

other source · Anglo-French benfet ← Latin BENEFACTUM 'good deed'

A close sibling of BENEFICIUM, not the same word: both are built on bene facere 'to do good'.

English → Italianbenefit (advantage)beneficioNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: beneficial, beneficiary.What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

BENEFICIUM‘a kindness, favour’

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

The story

Spanish and Italian took BENEFICIUM straight from Latin. French prefers bienfait, literally 'well done', which is the very word English borrowed as benefit; French bénéfice is a trap that usually means 'profit'.

English relatives: beneficial, beneficiary

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In a sentence

  • esLos beneficios del ejercicio son bien conocidos.
  • frLes bienfaits du sport sont bien connus.
  • itI benefici dello sport sono ben noti.
  • ptOs benefícios do exercício são bem conhecidos.
  • roBeneficiile mișcării sunt bine cunoscute.
  • caEls beneficis de l'exercici són ben coneguts.
  • enThe benefits of exercise are well known.

More words from the same Latin

More in Ideas

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