Learn Romanian › împotrivă
împotrivă
against /ɨmpoˈtrivə/
adverb#5223 most common
Also: opposed, in opposition, contrary
Example sentences
Eu sunt împotrivă.
I am against it.
El a votat împotrivă.
He voted against.
Suntem împotriva acestei decizii.
We are against this decision.
Mulți oameni sunt împotriva războiului.
Many people are against the war.
Nimeni nu s-a ridicat împotrivă.
No one rose up against it.
Corpul luptă împotriva infecției printr-un răspuns imunitar complex.
The body fights the infection through a complex immune response.
Word family
a se împotrivito oppose, to resist
împotrivireopposition, resistance
potrivnicadversary; opposing, contrary
a potrivito adjust, to fit
potrivitsuitable, appropriateEtymology
Împotrivă comes from Old Slavic protivŭ, meaning against or opposite. Romanian added the prefix î(n)-, the same pattern seen in împrejur (around) and împăca (to reconcile), to turn the borrowed word into a native-feeling adverb. The Slavic root itself is usually traced back to the Indo-European root behind pro, meaning forward or in front, extended with a comparative-like suffix to give the sense of standing opposite something. Romanian took in this word, along with many other short function words, during centuries of close contact with Slavic-speaking neighbors.
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