marcharse
Lemma Details
Translation: to leave; to go away; to depart; to take off
Part of Speech: verb
Etymology: Marcharse is a reflexive form of the verb 'marchar', which comes from French 'marcher' (to walk, to march). The French term originally meant 'to trample' and evolved from Frankish *markōn (to mark, to press). The reflexive form in Spanish developed the specific meaning of 'to go away' or 'to leave', distinguishing it from the non-reflexive 'marchar' which can mean 'to march' or 'to function'.
Commonality: 90%
Guessability: 30%
Register: neutral
Mnemonics
- Think of 'march away' - marcharse means to march or walk away from somewhere.
- The 'se' at the end indicates it's reflexive - you're moving yourself away.
Related Words, Phrases & Idioms
Antonyms
Cultural Context
Marcharse is a very common way to express leaving in Spanish. The reflexive form is essential to its meaning of 'to leave' as opposed to just 'to march'. In Spain, 'marcharse a la francesa' (to leave in the French way) is an idiom for leaving without saying goodbye, similar to the English 'to take French leave'.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: Marchar (without the reflexive 'se') means 'to march' or 'to function/work properly', while marcharse specifically means 'to leave' or 'to go away'.
This word:
Me marcho a casa.
I'm leaving for home.
Notes: The reflexive form changes the meaning significantly from movement in place to movement away from a location.
Mnemonic: Marcharse (with 'se') = Self is leaving; Marchar (without 'se') = Moving in place or functioning.
Explanation: While both involve movement, andar means 'to walk' or 'to go around', focusing on the act of walking itself, whereas marcharse specifically means 'to leave' a place.
Notes: Andar focuses on the action of walking, while marcharse focuses on the departure.
Mnemonic: Marcharse = March away from somewhere; Andar = Amble around somewhere.