semblar

Etymology

Inherited from Old Catalan semblar, from Late Latin similāre, a verb based on Latin similis (“alike”). Compare Occitan semblar, French sembler.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central, Balearic) [səmˈbla]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [semˈblaɾ]

Verb

semblar (first-person singular present semblo, first-person singular preterite semblí, past participle semblat); root stress: (Central) /ɛ/; (Valencia) /e/; (Balearic) /ə/

1. (impersonal) to seem, look

   Synonyms: parèixer, semblar se

   Sembla que vagi a ploure.

   It seems that it's going to rain.

2. to look like, resemble

   Synonym: assemblar-se

References

• “semblar” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.
• “semblar”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2025

Alternative forms

Etymology

Inherited from Late Latin similāre.

Verb

semblar (ORB, broad)

1. to seem
2. to resemble

References

• sembler in DicoFranPro: Dictionnaire Français/Francoprovençal – on dicofranpro.llm.umontreal.ca
• sembllar in Lo trèsor Arpitan – on arpitan.eu

Further information

• AIS: Sprach- und Sachatlas Italiens und der Südschweiz [Linguistic and Ethnographic Atlas of Italy and Southern Switzerland] – map 7: “come somiglia” – on navigais-web.pd.istc.cnr.it
• ALF: Atlas Linguistique de la France [Linguistic Atlas of France] – map 1153: “ressemble” – on lig-tdcge.imag.fr
• Walther von Wartburg (1928–2002) “sĭmĭlare”, in Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, volumes 11: S–Si, page 623

Etymology

Borrowed from English seem, French sembler, Italian sembrare, ultimately from Late Latin similāre.

Verb

semblar (present tense semblas, past tense semblis, future tense semblos, imperative semblez, conditional semblus)

1. (intransitive) to seem, appear (to be)

Conjugation

More information present, past ...

		present		past		future
infinitive		semblar		semblir		semblor
tense		semblas		semblis		semblos
conditional		semblus
imperative		semblez
adjective active participle		semblanta		semblinta		semblonta
adverbial active participle		semblante		semblinte		semblonte
nominal active participle	singular	semblanto		semblinto		semblonto
	plural	semblanti		semblinti		semblonti

Close

    Conjugation of semblar

Etymology

From Late Latin similāre, a verb derived from Latin similis (“similar”). Compare Old French sembler.

Verb

semblar

1. seem; to appear

Etymology

Borrowed from Old Catalan or Old Occitan semblar.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /semˈblaɾ/ [sẽmˈblaɾ]
• Rhymes: -aɾ
• Syllabification: sem‧blar

Verb

semblar (first-person singular present semblo, first-person singular preterite semblé, past participle semblado)

1. (intransitive, archaic) to look like, resemble, seem

   Synonym: semejar

Further reading

• “semblar”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10