morir
Lemma Details
Translation: to die; to pass away; to perish; to expire
Part of Speech: verb
Etymology: Morir comes from Latin 'morī' (to die). It shares roots with English words like 'mortal', 'mortality', 'mortuary', and 'morbid'. The Indo-European root *mer- meant 'to die' and has given us many death-related terms across languages. The connection between 'morir' and English 'murder' is also notable, though the latter has evolved to specifically mean killing rather than dying.
Commonality: 90%
Guessability: 60%
Register: neutral
Mnemonics
- Think of 'mortal' in English - if you're mortal, you will eventually 'morir'.
- The word sounds like 'more rear' - when you die, you're 'more rear' (behind) in the race of life.
- Connect it to 'mortuary' - a place where people go after they 'morir'.
Related Words, Phrases & Idioms
Antonyms
Cultural Context
In Spanish-speaking cultures, discussions about death often include religious connotations. The Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos) is an important celebration in Mexico and other Latin American countries. Euphemisms for death are common in everyday speech, similar to English. The verb 'morir' is often used reflexively as 'morirse' to emphasize the personal nature of dying.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: While 'morir' means 'to die', 'morder' means 'to bite'. They look similar but have completely different meanings.
Confused word:
El perro me mordió la pierna.
The dog bit my leg.
Notes: The conjugations are also different: 'morir' becomes 'muero, mueres, muere' in present tense, while 'morder' becomes 'muerdo, muerdes, muerde'.
Mnemonic: 'Morder' has a 'd' for 'dental' - you use your teeth to bite.
Explanation: 'Morir' means 'to die' while 'dormir' means 'to sleep'. Though death is sometimes poetically referred to as 'eternal sleep', these verbs have distinct meanings.
Confused word:
No puedo dormir por la noche.
I can't sleep at night.
Notes: Both verbs have stem changes in present tense: 'morir' becomes 'muero' and 'dormir' becomes 'duermo'.
Mnemonic: 'Dormir' starts with 'd' like 'dream' - you dream when you sleep.