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"to expand (grow larger)" in seven languages

Meaningto expand (grow larger)

Spanish

expandir

/ekspanˈdiɾ/

learned

Usually reflexive for growth: la empresa se expandió.

French

agrandir

/aɡʁɑ̃diʁ/

other source · French grand, from Latin GRANDEM

Reflexive for growth: s'agrandir. Expansion exists, but the verb expanser does not.

Italian

espandere

/esˈpandere/

learned

Reflexive for growth: espandersi.

Portuguese

expandir

/espɐ̃ˈdʒih/

learned

Romanian

extinde

/eksˈtinde/

other source · Latin EXTENDERE 'to stretch out' (learned)

Catalan

expandir

/əkspənˈdi/

learned

English

expand

/ɪkˈspænd/

from Latin/French · Latin EXPANDERE

English → Italianto expand (grow larger)espandereCognateSame source — inherited, learned or borrowed. You can recognize it.What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

EXPANDERE‘to spread out’

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

The story

Learned in Spanish and Italian, with Italian simplifying ex- to es-. For a town or a firm that grows, French says s'agrandir 'to get bigger' or se développer.

English relatives: expansion, expanse

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In a sentence

  • esLa ciudad se expandió rápidamente.
  • frLa ville s'est agrandie rapidement.
  • itLa città si è espansa rapidamente.
  • ptA cidade se expandiu rapidamente.
  • roOrașul s-a extins rapid.
  • caLa ciutat es va expandir ràpidament.
  • enThe city expanded quickly.

More in Core verbs

All Core verbs words