Skip to content

"to separate" in seven languages

Meaningto separate

Spanish

separar

/sepaˈɾaɾ/

learned

French

séparer

/sepaʁe/

learned

The inherited twin is sevrer 'to wean' — separating a baby from the breast.

Italian

separare

/sepaˈrare/

learned

Portuguese

separar

/sepaˈɾah/

learned

Romanian

separa

/sepaˈra/

learned

Catalan

separar

/səpəˈɾa/

learned

English

separate

/ˈsɛpəɹeɪt/

from Latin/French · Latin SĒPARĀRE

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

The Latin ancestor

SĒPARĀRE‘to set apart (SĒ- 'apart' + PARĀRE 'to prepare')’

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

The story

The learned verb is identical across the board. Spoken Latin's worn-down form reached English through French as sever, and several first meant 'separate, distinct'.

English relatives: separation, sever, several

Learn it

Practice the Core verbs deckQuiz a friend on it

In a sentence

  • esSepara las claras de las yemas.
  • frSéparez les blancs des jaunes.
  • itSepara gli albumi dai tuorli.
  • ptSepare as claras das gemas.
  • roSepară albușurile de gălbenușuri.
  • caSepara les clares dels rovells.
  • enSeparate the whites from the yolks.

More in Core verbs

All Core verbs words