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"to ensure, make sure" in seven languages

Meaningto ensure, make sure

Spanish

asegurar

/aseguˈɾaɾ/

inherited

Asegurarse de que + subjunctive is 'to make sure that'.

French

assurer

/asyʁe/

inherited

Italian

assicurare

/assikuˈrare/

inherited

Portuguese

assegurar

/aseguˈɾah/

inherited

Brazilians often say garantir or certificar-se instead.

Romanian

asigura

/asiguˈra/

borrowed · French assurer, reshaped on Romanian sigur 'sure'

Catalan

assegurar

/əsəguˈɾa/

inherited

English

ensure

/ɛnˈʃʊɹ/

from Latin/French · Anglo-French enseurer (en- + seur 'sure', from Latin SECŪRUS)

English → Italianto ensure, make sureassicurareCognateSame source — inherited, learned or borrowed. You can recognize it.What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

SECŪRUM‘free from care, safe (SĒ- + CŪRA)’

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

The story

All three verbs also mean 'to insure': Spanish seguro, French assurance and Italian assicurazione are your insurance policy. English split one word into ensure, assure and insure.

English relatives: sure, assure, insure, secure

Sound laws at work

Voiceless stops between vowels soften

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In a sentence

  • esAsegúrate de que la puerta esté cerrada.
  • frAssure-toi que la porte est fermée.
  • itAssicurati che la porta sia chiusa.
  • ptCertifique-se de que a porta está fechada.
  • roAsigură-te că ușa e închisă.
  • caAssegura't que la porta estigui tancada.
  • enMake sure the door is closed.

More in Core verbs

All Core verbs words