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"to drop (let fall)" in seven languages

Meaningto drop (let fall)

Spanish

dejar caer

/deˈxaɾ kaˈeɾ/

inherited

In speech, the accident is often told with se: se me cayó el vaso.

French

laisser tomber

/lɛse tɔ̃be/

other source · tomber 'to fall', of uncertain, probably expressive origin

Figuratively 'to drop' a plan or a person: laisse tomber!

Italian

far cadere

/far kaˈdere/

inherited

Lasciar cadere is used too.

Portuguese

deixar cair

/dejˈʃah kaˈih/

inherited

Romanian

scăpa

/skəˈpa/

other source · spoken Latin *EXCAPPĀRE (like Italian scappare 'to escape')

Catalan

deixar caure

/dəˈʃa ˈkawɾə/

inherited

English

drop

/dɹɑp/

native English · Old English dropian

English → Italianto drop (let fall)far cadereNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: cadence, decay, accident, case.What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

CADERE‘to fall’

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

The story

Spanish and French 'let fall' (dejar and laisser both go back to LAXĀRE); Italian 'makes fall'. Spanish caer and Italian cadere keep CADERE, but French replaced its own cheoir with tomber.

English relatives: cadence, decay, accident, case

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In a sentence

  • es¡No dejes caer el vaso!
  • frNe laisse pas tomber le verre !
  • itNon far cadere il bicchiere!
  • ptNão deixe o copo cair!
  • roNu scăpa paharul!
  • caNo deixis caure el got!
  • enDon't drop the glass!

More words from the same Latin

More in Core verbs

All Core verbs words