Skip to content

"dangerous" in seven languages

Meaningdangerous

Spanish

peligroso

/peliˈgɾoso/

learned

Semi-learned, like peligro itself.

French

dangereux

/dɑ̃ʒʁø/

other source · danger + -eux; danger from Vulgar Latin *DOMINIĀRIUM 'power, dominion'

fem.: dangereuse

Périlleux, from PERĪCULŌSUM, exists but is literary.

Italian

pericoloso

/perikoˈloso/

learned

Portuguese

perigoso

/peɾiˈgozu/

learned

Semi-learned, like perigo itself: an inherited -CUL- would have given lh.

Romanian

periculos

/perikuˈlos/

learned

Catalan

perillós

/pəɾiˈʎos/

inherited

Here -CUL- became ll, as in ull from OCULUM.

English

dangerous

/ˈdeɪndʒəɹəs/

other source · Old French dangereus (from danger)

English → ItaliandangerouspericolosoNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: perilous, peril.What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

PERĪCULŌSUM‘perilous, risky’

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

The story

Spanish and Italian keep Latin PERĪCULŌSUS; French built dangereux on danger, a word that first meant a lord's power over you — and English took the French one.

English relatives: perilous, peril

Learn it

Practice the Describing words deckQuiz a friend on it

In a sentence

  • esEs peligroso nadar aquí.
  • frC'est dangereux de nager ici.
  • itÈ pericoloso nuotare qui.
  • ptÉ perigoso nadar aqui.
  • roE periculos să înoți aici.
  • caÉs perillós nedar aquí.
  • enIt's dangerous to swim here.

More in Describing words

All Describing words words