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"gym (for exercise)" in seven languages

Meaninggym (for exercise)

Spanish

gimnasio

/ximˈnasjo/

masc.learned

French

salle de sport

/sal də spɔʁ/

fem.other source · salle 'hall' + sport (from English)

Gymnase is mostly a school or municipal sports hall.

Italian

palestra

/paˈlɛstra/

fem.other source · Latin PALAESTRAM 'wrestling school' (Greek palaístra)

Ginnasio is a classical secondary school, not a gym.

Portuguese

academia

/akadeˈmiɐ/

fem.other source · Latin ACADĒMĪA (Greek Akadḗmeia, Plato's school), learned

In Portugal a gym is a ginásio.

Romanian

sală de sport

/ˈsalə de sport/

fem.other source · sală 'hall' (German Saal, French salle) + sport (English)

Often just sală: merg la sală.

Catalan

gimnàs

/ʒimˈnas/

masc.learned

English

gym

/dʒɪm/

from Latin/French · short for gymnasium (Latin, from Greek)

English → Italiangym (for exercise)palestraNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: gymnastics, gymnast.What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

GYMNASIUM‘exercise ground (Greek gymnásion, from gymnós 'naked')’

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

The story

Greek athletes trained naked, hence gymnásion. Italian chose the other Greek word, palestra, and kept ginnasio for school; French says simply 'sports room'.

English relatives: gymnastics, gymnast

Learn it

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In a sentence

  • esVoy al gimnasio tres veces por semana.
  • frJe vais à la salle de sport trois fois par semaine.
  • itVado in palestra tre volte a settimana.
  • ptVou à academia três vezes por semana.
  • roMerg la sală de trei ori pe săptămână.
  • caVaig al gimnàs tres cops per setmana.
  • enI go to the gym three times a week.

More in Town & city

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