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"to replace" in seven languages

Meaningto replace

Spanish

sustituir

/sustiˈtwiɾ/

learned

Reemplazar, modelled on French remplacer, is just as common.

French

remplacer

/ʁɑ̃plase/

other source · re- + en + place (Latin PLATEA 'street')

Substituer exists but is formal.

Italian

sostituire

/sostiˈtwire/

learned

Rimpiazzare, from French, is more colloquial.

Portuguese

substituir

/substʃituˈih/

learned

For a part or battery, Brazilians often just say trocar.

Romanian

înlocui

/ɨnlokuˈi/

other source · în 'in' + loc 'place' (Latin LOCUM)

Catalan

substituir

/supstituˈi/

learned

English

replace

/ɹɪˈpleɪs/

other source · re- + place (French place, Latin PLATEA)

English → Italianto replacesostituireNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: substitute, institute, constitute.What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

SUBSTITUERE‘to put in place of’

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

The story

Spanish and Italian use the Latin 'put in place of' (English substitute); French, like English, simply puts something back in its place.

English relatives: substitute, institute, constitute

Learn it

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In a sentence

  • esTenemos que sustituir la batería.
  • frIl faut remplacer la batterie.
  • itDobbiamo sostituire la batteria.
  • ptPrecisamos substituir a bateria.
  • roTrebuie să înlocuim bateria.
  • caHem de substituir la bateria.
  • enWe need to replace the battery.

More in Core verbs

All Core verbs words