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"to try (to do)" in seven languages

Meaningto try (to do)

Spanish

intentar

/intenˈtaɾ/

other source · Latin INTENTĀRE 'to aim at' (learned)

Also tratar de; probar is 'to try out, to taste'.

French

essayer

/eseje/

other source · Vulgar Latin *EXAGIĀRE 'to weigh'

Italian

provare

/proˈvare/

inherited

Also cercare di.

Portuguese

tentar

/tẽˈtah/

other source · Latin TEMPTĀRE 'to try, test'

Romanian

încerca

/ɨntʃerˈka/

other source · spoken Latin *INCIRCĀRE 'to go around'

Catalan

intentar

/intənˈta/

other source · Latin INTENTĀRE 'to aim at' (learned)

English

try

/tɹaɪ/

other source · Old French trier 'to sift, pick out', of uncertain origin

English → Italianto try (to do)provareNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: prove, probe, probable; essay (fr); intent (es).What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

PROBĀRE‘to test, to prove’

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

The story

Italian tries by testing (PROBĀRE, as in English prove), French by weighing (essayer, the source of English essay), Spanish by aiming (intentar). Spanish probar exists too, but means 'to try out, taste'.

English relatives: prove, probe, probable; essay (fr); intent (es)

Learn it

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In a sentence

  • esIntentaré venir.
  • frJ'essaierai de venir.
  • itProverò a venire.
  • ptVou tentar vir.
  • roO să încerc să vin.
  • caIntentaré venir.
  • enI'll try to come.

More words from the same Latin

More in Core verbs

All Core verbs words