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

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

confinamiento

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confinado

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frontera

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límite

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Synonyms

encerrar

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recluir

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aislar

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limitar

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Antonyms

liberar

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expandir

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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

confirmar

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Commonality: 0%

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).

configurar

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No translation

Commonality: 0%

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.