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"to support, to back" in seven languages

Meaningto support, to back

Spanish

apoyar

/apoˈʝaɾ/

other source · Italian appoggiare 'to lean', from Vulgar Latin *APPODIĀRE (PODIUM 'raised base')

French

soutenir

/sutniʁ/

inherited

Italian

sostenere

/sosteˈnere/

inherited

Portuguese

apoiar

/apoˈjah/

other source · Italian appoggiare 'to lean', from Vulgar Latin *APPODIĀRE (PODIUM 'raised base')

Romanian

susține

/susˈtsine/

borrowed · French soutenir, refashioned on Romanian ține

Catalan

donar suport

/duˈna suˈpɔɾt/

other source · donar 'to give' (Latin DŌNĀRE) + suport 'support' (Latin SUPPORTĀRE)

English

support

/səˈpɔɹt/

other source · Old French supporter, from Latin SUPPORTĀRE 'to carry up'

English → Italianto support, to backsostenereNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: sustain, sustenance, sustainable.What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

SUSTINĒRE‘to hold up’

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

The story

False friends: Spanish soportar, French supporter and Italian sopportare mostly mean 'to put up with'. To back someone is apoyar, soutenir, sostenere — the last two from SUSTINĒRE, like English sustain.

English relatives: sustain, sustenance, sustainable

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In a sentence

  • esMi familia siempre me apoya.
  • frMa famille me soutient toujours.
  • itLa mia famiglia mi sostiene sempre.
  • ptMinha família sempre me apoia.
  • roFamilia mea mă susține mereu.
  • caLa meva família sempre em dona suport.
  • enMy family always supports me.

More in Core verbs

All Core verbs words