abandonar
Lemma Details
Translation: to abandon; to leave; to desert; to give up; to forsake; to quit
Part of Speech: verb
Etymology: Comes from Old French 'abandoner' (to surrender, give up), which derives from the phrase 'à ban donner' meaning 'to put under someone else's control or ban'. The English cognate 'abandon' shares this same origin. The root 'ban' originally referred to a proclamation or jurisdiction, and appears in words like 'banish' and 'contraband'.
Commonality: 80%
Guessability: 90%
Register: neutral
Example Usage
No puedo abandonar a mi familia.
I cannot abandon my family.
Abandonó sus estudios para trabajar.
He abandoned his studies to work.
El capitán nunca debe abandonar el barco.
The captain should never abandon the ship.
Decidió abandonar el proyecto por falta de fondos.
He decided to abandon the project due to lack of funds.
Mnemonics
- Think of 'a-ban-don-ar' as 'a ban on returning' - when you abandon something, you put a ban on going back to it.
- Sounds like 'abandon' in English with an '-ar' ending typical of Spanish verbs.
Related Words, Phrases & Idioms
Cultural Context
In Spanish culture, the concept of 'abandonar' can carry strong emotional connotations, especially in contexts of family or relationships. The idea of abandoning responsibilities or people is generally viewed negatively.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: While 'abandonar' means to physically or emotionally leave something behind intentionally, 'olvidar' means 'to forget', which is an unintentional mental process.
Confused word:
Olvidé mis llaves en casa.
I forgot my keys at home.
Notes: 'Abandonar' implies a deliberate choice, while 'olvidar' implies a mental lapse.
Mnemonic: 'Abandonar' starts with 'A' for 'Action' (an intentional act), while 'olvidar' starts with 'O' for 'Oops' (an unintentional mistake).
Explanation: 'Abandonar' is more general and can apply to things, places, or people, while 'desamparar' specifically refers to leaving someone without protection or help.
Notes: 'Desamparar' is less common and more specific to situations involving vulnerability.
Mnemonic: 'Desamparar' contains 'ampar' which sounds like 'amparo' (protection) with 'des-' (un-), so it means 'to leave without protection'.