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"to inspire" in seven languages

Meaningto inspire

Spanish

inspirar

/inspiˈɾaɾ/

learned

Also 'to breathe in'.

French

inspirer

/ɛ̃spiʁe/

learned

Italian

ispirare

/ispiˈrare/

learned

Portuguese

inspirar

/ĩspiˈɾah/

learned

Romanian

inspira

/inspiˈra/

learned

Catalan

inspirar

/inspiˈɾa/

learned

English

inspire

/ɪnˈspaɪɚ/

from Latin/French · Old French inspirer

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

The Latin ancestor

INSPĪRĀRE‘to breathe into’

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

The story

To inspire is literally 'to breathe into' (SPĪRĀRE), and Spanish and French still use it for breathing in. Italian dropped the n before s, as in istituto.

English relatives: spirit, respire, inspiration

Learn it

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In a sentence

  • esSu historia inspiró a mucha gente.
  • frSon histoire a inspiré beaucoup de gens.
  • itLa sua storia ha ispirato molte persone.
  • ptA história dela inspirou muita gente.
  • roPovestea ei a inspirat mulți oameni.
  • caLa seva història va inspirar molta gent.
  • enHer story inspired many people.

More in Core verbs

All Core verbs words