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"to remove, take off" in seven languages

Meaningto remove, take off

Spanish

quitar

/kiˈtaɾ/

other source · quito 'free, released' ← Latin QUIĒTUM 'at rest'

Quitarse is 'to take off' clothes: quítate el abrigo.

French

enlever

/ɑ̃lve/

other source · en + lever ← Latin LEVĀRE 'to lift'

Italian

togliere

/ˈtɔʎʎere/

other source · Latin TOLLERE 'to lift, take away'

Portuguese

tirar

/tʃiˈɾah/

other source · of uncertain origin (shared with Spanish tirar 'to throw, pull')

Romanian

scoate

/ˈsko̯ate/

other source · Latin EXCUTERE 'to shake out'

Catalan

treure

/ˈtɾɛwɾə/

other source · Latin TRAHERE 'to pull, draw'

English

remove

/ɹɪˈmuv/

other source · Old French removoir, from Latin REMOVĒRE 'to move back'

English → Italianto remove, take offtogliereNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh.What English and Italian share

Watch out: false friends

  • quitter (French) means “to leave (a place, a person)” · quitar (Spanish) means “to remove, take off”

    Both from Medieval Latin QUIĒTĀRE 'to set free (of a debt)', from QUIĒTUS 'at rest'. French frees itself of a place; Spanish frees something from its place.

  • tirar (Spanish) means “to throw; to pull; to throw away” · tirar (Portuguese) means “to take off, take out; to take (a photo)”

    The same verb, of disputed origin, shared by Ibero-Romance. Portuguese tirar a roupa is 'take off your clothes'; Spanish tirar la ropa is 'throw the clothes (away)'. Portuguese atirar is the throwing one.

All false friends

The story

No shared word here: Spanish 'sets free', French 'lifts off', Italian 'takes away'. The look-alikes mislead: Spanish remover mostly means 'to stir, turn over', and Italian rimuovere is a formal word for removing obstacles or officials.

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In a sentence

  • esQuítate los zapatos, por favor.
  • frEnlevez vos chaussures, s'il vous plaît.
  • itTogliti le scarpe, per favore.
  • ptTire os sapatos, por favor.
  • roScoate-ți pantofii, te rog.
  • caTreu-te les sabates, si us plau.
  • enPlease remove your shoes.

More in Core verbs

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