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"to reach (get to)" in seven languages

Meaningto reach (get to)

Spanish

alcanzar

/alkanˈθaɾ/

other source · Old Spanish, of debated origin

French

atteindre

/atɛ̃dʁ/

inherited

Participle atteint.

Italian

raggiungere

/radˈdʒundʒere/

other source · giungere 'to arrive' (Latin IUNGERE 'to join') with ri- and a-

Portuguese

alcançar

/awkɐ̃ˈsah/

other source · of debated origin (as Spanish alcanzar)

Romanian

ajunge

/aˈʒundʒe/

other source · Latin ADIUNGERE 'to join to'

Catalan

arribar

/əriˈba/

other source · Vulgar Latin *ADRĪPĀRE 'to come to shore' (RĪPA 'bank')

Literary atènyer is the inherited match of French atteindre.

English

reach

/ɹitʃ/

native English · Old English rǣcan

English → Italianto reach (get to)raggiungereNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: attain, contact, tangent, tangible.What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

ATTINGERE‘to touch, reach (AD + TANGERE; spoken Latin *ATTANGERE)’

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

The story

French atteindre is Latin 'to touch upon', and English borrowed it as attain. Spanish and Italian use verbs of their own, so learn alcanzar and raggiungere fresh.

English relatives: attain, contact, tangent, tangible

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In a sentence

  • esAlcanzamos la cima a mediodía.
  • frNous avons atteint le sommet à midi.
  • itAbbiamo raggiunto la cima a mezzogiorno.
  • ptAlcançamos o topo ao meio-dia.
  • roAm ajuns pe vârf la prânz.
  • caVam arribar al cim al migdia.
  • enWe reached the summit at noon.

More in Core verbs

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