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"operator" in seven languages

Meaningoperator

Spanish

operador

/opeɾaˈdoɾ/

masc.learned

A phone company is an operadora.

French

opérateur

/opeʁatœʁ/

masc.learned

fem.: opératrice

Italian

operatore

/operaˈtore/

masc.learned

fem.: operatrice

Portuguese

operador

/opeɾaˈdoh/

masc.learned

Romanian

operator

/opeˈrator/

masc.learned

Catalan

operador

/upəɾəˈdo/

masc.learned

English

operator

/ˈɑpəɹeɪtɚ/

from Latin/French · Late Latin OPERĀTŌREM

English → ItalianoperatoroperatoreCognateSame source — inherited, learned or borrowed. You can recognize it.What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

OPERĀTŌREM‘worker (OPERĀRĪ 'to work')’

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

The story

Learned words from OPUS 'work'. The inherited branch gave the worker: obrero, ouvrier, operaio.

English relatives: operate, opera, opus

Learn it

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In a sentence

  • esEl operador contestó al cabo de un minuto.
  • frL'opérateur a répondu au bout d'une minute.
  • itL'operatore ha risposto dopo un minuto.
  • ptO operador atendeu depois de um minuto.
  • roOperatorul a răspuns după un minut.
  • caL'operador va respondre al cap d'un minut.
  • enThe operator answered after a minute.

More in Work & money

All Work & money words