cobrar
Lemma Details
Translation: to charge; to collect; to receive payment; to recover; to gain; to acquire
Part of Speech: verb
Etymology: From Latin 'recuperare' meaning 'to recover, regain'. The word evolved through Vulgar Latin to Old Spanish, with a semantic shift from 'recovering' something to 'receiving payment'. The English cognate 'recover' shares this Latin root, though 'cobrar' has specialized more in financial contexts. The evolution shows how commercial vocabulary often derives from more concrete physical actions.
Commonality: 85%
Guessability: 30%
Register: neutral
Example Usage
El banco me cobra una comisión por cada transferencia.
The bank charges me a fee for each transfer.
La historia cobró un giro inesperado.
The story took an unexpected turn.
Voy a cobrar mi sueldo el viernes.
I'm going to collect my salary on Friday.
Después del accidente, cobró conciencia de la importancia de la seguridad vial.
After the accident, he became aware of the importance of road safety.
Mnemonics
- Think of 'cobra' snake that 'collects' its prey – cobrar is to collect money.
- Associate with 'recover' in English, as both share the Latin root and involve getting something back.
- Remember 'co-brar' as 'co-bringing' money to yourself (bringing in payments).
Related Words, Phrases & Idioms
Cultural Context
In Spanish-speaking countries, 'cobrar' is frequently used in everyday financial transactions. It's also used in contexts beyond money, such as 'cobrar sentido' (to make sense) or 'cobrar fuerza' (to gain strength), showing its broader semantic range compared to English equivalents.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: 'Cobrar' means to charge or collect payment, while 'comprar' means to buy or purchase.
This word:
El vendedor cobra cincuenta euros por el servicio.
The seller charges fifty euros for the service.
Notes: These verbs represent opposite sides of a transaction: 'cobrar' is what the seller does (collects payment), while 'comprar' is what the buyer does (purchases).
Mnemonic: 'Cobrar' has an 'o' like 'owe' – when you charge someone, they owe you. 'Comprar' has an 'm' like 'mine' – when you buy something, it becomes mine.
Explanation: 'Cobrar' relates to receiving payment or gaining something, while 'cubrir' means to cover or to conceal.
Confused word:
Vamos a cubrir los muebles con sábanas.
We're going to cover the furniture with sheets.
Notes: Though they look similar, these verbs belong to completely different semantic fields.
Mnemonic: 'Cubrir' contains 'u' like in 'umbrella' which covers you from rain.