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"to meet (run into)" in seven languages

Meaningto meet (run into)

Spanish

encontrarse

/enkonˈtɾaɾse/

inherited

Meeting someone for the first time is conocer.

French

rencontrer

/ʁɑ̃kɔ̃tʁe/

inherited

re- + Old French encontrer.

Italian

incontrare

/inkonˈtrare/

inherited

Portuguese

encontrar

/ẽkõˈtɾah/

inherited

Romanian

întâlni

/ɨntɨlˈni/

other source · of uncertain origin

Catalan

trobar-se

/tɾuˈbaɾsə/

other source · Vulgar Latin *TROPĀRE (disputed), like French trouver

Trobar alone means 'to find'; trobar-se amb is 'to run into'.

English

meet

/mit/

native English · Old English mētan

English → Italianto meet (run into)incontrareNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: encounter, counter, contrary.What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

INCONTRĀRE‘to come up against (Late Latin, from CONTRĀ)’

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

The story

To meet is to come up 'against' someone: Late Latin INCONTRĀRE, built on CONTRĀ. English encounter is the same word via Old French.

English relatives: encounter, counter, contrary

Learn it

Practice the Core verbs deckQuiz a friend on it

In a sentence

  • esMe encontré con un viejo amigo por la calle.
  • frJ'ai rencontré un vieil ami dans la rue.
  • itHo incontrato un vecchio amico per strada.
  • ptEncontrei um velho amigo na rua.
  • roM-am întâlnit cu un prieten vechi pe stradă.
  • caEm vaig trobar amb un vell amic pel carrer.
  • enI met an old friend in the street.

More in Core verbs

All Core verbs words