Skip to content

"to be born" in seven languages

Meaningto be born

Spanish

nacer

/naˈθeɾ/

inherited

French

naître

/nɛtʁ/

inherited

Takes être: je suis né(e).

Italian

nascere

/ˈnaʃʃere/

inherited

Takes essere: sono nato/a; the participle nato is irregular.

Portuguese

nascer

/naˈseh/

inherited

Romanian

naște

/ˈnaʃte/

inherited

Used reflexively: m-am născut 'I was born'.

Catalan

néixer

/ˈneʃə/

inherited

English

be born

/bi bɔɹn/

native English · Old English beran 'to bear'

English → Italianto be bornnascereNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: native, nation, nature, natal, Renaissance.What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

NĀSCĪ (spoken Latin *NĀSCERE)‘to be born’

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

The story

English needs a passive ('I was born'); the sisters use an ordinary active verb: nací, je suis né, sono nato. French naître hides the lost s under its circumflex.

English relatives: native, nation, nature, natal, Renaissance

Sound laws at work

French loses S before a consonant (^)

Learn it

Practice the Core verbs deckQuiz a friend on it

In a sentence

  • esNací en 1990.
  • frJe suis né en 1990.
  • itSono nato nel 1990.
  • ptEu nasci em 1990.
  • roM-am născut în 1990.
  • caVaig néixer el 1990.
  • enI was born in 1990.

More in Core verbs

All Core verbs words