confinar
Lemma Details
Translation: to confine; to restrict; to isolate; to border on; to limit
Part of Speech: verb
Etymology: From Latin 'confinis' meaning 'bordering on' or 'adjacent to', formed from 'con-' (with, together) and 'finis' (boundary, limit, end). The English cognate 'confine' shares the same Latin root. The word literally conveys the idea of keeping something within boundaries or limits.
Commonality: 70%
Guessability: 80%
Register: neutral
Example Usage
El gobierno decidió confinar a toda la población durante la pandemia.
The government decided to confine the entire population during the pandemic.
Lo confinaron en una celda de aislamiento.
They confined him to an isolation cell.
España confina con Portugal por el oeste.
Spain borders Portugal to the west.
Se confinó en su casa para estudiar para los exámenes.
He confined himself to his house to study for the exams.
Mnemonics
- Think of 'confine' in English with the same meaning.
- Remember 'fin' in Spanish means 'end' - confinar is about setting boundaries or ends to movement.
- Picture drawing a line (fin) that someone cannot cross (con-fin-ar).
Related Words, Phrases & Idioms
Cultural Context
The term gained significant prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic when 'confinamiento' (confinement) became a widely used term to refer to lockdown measures. In Spain, the strict lockdown period was commonly referred to as 'el confinamiento'.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: While 'confinar' means 'to confine' or 'to restrict', 'confirmar' means 'to confirm' or 'to verify'. They look similar but have completely different meanings.
Notes: The pronunciation is also different: con-fi-NAR vs. con-fir-MAR.
Mnemonic: Confinar has 'fin' (end/limit) in it, while confirmar has 'firm' (to make firm/solid).
Explanation: 'Confinar' means 'to confine' while 'configurar' means 'to configure' or 'to set up'.
Notes: Both are regular -ar verbs but have completely different meanings and contexts.
Mnemonic: Configurar has 'figura' (figure/shape) in it - you're giving something a shape or form.