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"to stay, remain" in seven languages

Meaningto stay, remain

Spanish

quedarse

/keˈdaɾse/

other source · Latin QUIĒTĀRE 'to calm', from QUIĒTUS 'still'

Restar exists, but means 'to subtract'.

French

rester

/ʁɛste/

inherited

Not 'to rest' (se reposer).

Italian

restare

/reˈstare/

inherited

Rimanere (REMANĒRE) is just as common.

Portuguese

ficar

/fiˈkah/

other source · Vulgar Latin *FĪGICĀRE, from FĪGERE 'to fix'

Romanian

rămâne

/rəˈmɨne/

other source · Latin REMANĒRE 'to remain'

Catalan

quedar-se

/kəˈdaɾsə/

other source · Latin QUIĒTĀRE 'to calm', from QUIĒTUS 'still'

Restar (RESTĀRE) survives in more formal use.

English

stay

/steɪ/

other source · Anglo-French estaier, from Old French ester (Latin STĀRE 'to stand')

English → Italianto stay, remainrestareNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: rest (the remainder), arrest.What English and Italian share

Watch out: false friends

  • restar (Spanish) means “to subtract” · rester (French) means “to stay”

    Both from Latin RESTĀRE 'to stay behind, remain'. Spanish restar went from 'what remains' to 'take away' (lo que resta still means 'what is left').

All false friends

The Latin ancestor

RESTĀRE‘to stay behind, be left over’

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

The story

French rester is a trap: it means 'to stay', not 'to rest'. Spanish chose 'to keep still' (quedarse, from the root of quiet).

English relatives: rest (the remainder), arrest

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In a sentence

  • esEsta noche nos quedamos en casa.
  • frCe soir, on reste à la maison.
  • itStasera restiamo a casa.
  • ptHoje à noite vamos ficar em casa.
  • roDiseară rămânem acasă.
  • caAquesta nit ens quedem a casa.
  • enWe're staying at home tonight.

More words from the same Latin

More in Core verbs

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