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"debut (first public appearance)" in seven languages

Meaningdebut (first public appearance)

Spanish

debut

/deˈbut/

masc.borrowed · French début

Plural debuts; the verb is debutar.

French

début

/deby/

masc.inherited

Everyday meaning 'beginning' (au début); a debut is usually plural: faire ses débuts.

Italian

debutto

/deˈbutto/

masc.borrowed · French début (with the verb debuttare)

Portuguese

estreia

/isˈtɾɛjɐ/

fem.other source · Portuguese estrear, from Latin STRĒNA 'omen, New Year's gift'

Also a film's premiere; debute exists but is rarer.

Romanian

debut

/deˈbut/

neut.borrowed · French début

Catalan

debut

/dəˈbut/

masc.borrowed · French début

For a show or film, Catalan says estrena.

English

debut

/deɪˈbju/

from Latin/French · French début

English → Italiandebut (first public appearance)debuttoCognateSame source — inherited, learned or borrowed. You can recognize it.What English and Italian share

The ancestor

French débuter‘to begin (from but 'target, goal')’

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

The story

In French, début is simply 'the start'; Spanish, Italian and English borrowed it for a first appearance on stage. Italian adapted it fully: debutto, debuttare.

English relatives: debutante

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In a sentence

  • esHizo su debut a los dieciocho años.
  • frIl a fait ses débuts à dix-huit ans.
  • itHa fatto il suo debutto a diciotto anni.
  • ptEle estreou aos dezoito anos.
  • roȘi-a făcut debutul la optsprezece ani.
  • caVa debutar als divuit anys.
  • enHe made his debut at eighteen.

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