"business, deal" in seven languages
Meaningbusiness, deal
Spanish
/neˈgoθjo/
masc.learned
French
/afɛʁ/
fem.other source · French à faire 'to be done' (FACERE)
Plural for business in general: les affaires; un homme d'affaires.
Italian
/afˈfari/
masc.other source · Italian a fare 'to be done' (FACERE)
Italian negozio means 'shop' — a false friend for Spanish speakers.
Portuguese
/neˈɡɔsju/
masc.learned
Romanian
/aˈfatʃere/
fem.other source · Romanian a face 'to do' (Latin FACERE), modelled on French affaire
Catalan
/nəˈɡɔsi/
masc.learned
English
/ˈbɪznəs/
native English · Old English bisignes
Watch out: false friends
negozio (Italian) means “shop” · negocio (Spanish) means “business, deal”
Both from Latin NEGŌTIUM 'business' (literally 'not-leisure'). Italian narrowed it to the place where business is done.
The Latin ancestor
NEGŌTIUM‘business (NEC + ŌTIUM: 'not leisure')’
All six sisters descend from it, unless marked otherwise below.
The story
For the Romans, business was simply the absence of leisure (ōtium). French and Italian prefer 'things to do'; Italian keeps negozio for a shop and French négoce for wholesale trade.
English relatives: negotiate
Learn it
In a sentence
- esEl negocio va bien.
- frLes affaires marchent bien.
- itGli affari vanno bene.
- ptO negócio vai bem.
- roAfacerile merg bine.
- caEl negoci va bé.
- enBusiness is going well.