When you disertare, it means you're leaving a duty or a job without permission. Imagine a soldier who leaves their post, or a student who skips an important exam. They are disertare. It's not just about leaving a place; it's about abandoning a responsibility. So, if someone asks you to do something and you don't show up, you might be disertare that responsibility.
§ What 'disertare' means in Italian
Alright, let's talk about the Italian verb 'disertare'. This isn't a word you'll use every single day, but it's important to understand because it carries a specific weight. Think of it as 'to abandon a duty or post'. It implies a deliberate act of leaving something important, often something you were responsible for or committed to. It's not just 'to leave' or 'to quit'; there's a strong sense of failing to fulfill an obligation.
- DEFINITION
- to abandon a duty or post
The verb 'disertare' can be used in several contexts. The most common and perhaps the original meaning relates to military service. If a soldier 'diserta', it means they desert their military post or duty. This is a serious offense, as you can imagine. But its usage extends beyond the military too. You can 'disertare' a meeting, a class, or even a cause or ideal. In these cases, it means you're intentionally skipping out, failing to show up, or withdrawing your support.
Let's look at some examples to make this clearer. Imagine a student who constantly skips classes. You could say they 'disertano le lezioni'. It's not just that they 'miss' them; they are actively abandoning their duty as a student to attend. Or consider a politician who promises to support a particular policy but then changes their mind and votes against it. You might say they 'hanno disertato i loro principi' – they abandoned their principles.
Il soldato ha disertato il suo posto.
Many students deserted the lecture. (Molti studenti hanno disertato la lezione.)
So, when do people use 'disertare'? They use it when they want to emphasize the act of abandoning a commitment, a duty, or a place where one is expected to be. It's often used in formal or semi-formal contexts, particularly when discussing responsibilities, obligations, or principles. You wouldn't typically use it for something trivial like 'I deserted my coffee' unless you were trying to be humorous. The word implies a level of seriousness.
Here are some common scenarios where you might encounter or use 'disertare':
- When someone leaves military service without permission.
- When someone skips out on a significant event or responsibility.
- When someone abandons their beliefs or a cause they once supported.
- When a large number of people fail to show up for an event, making it feel abandoned.
It's a C1 level word, which means it's for advanced learners. If you're aiming for fluency, understanding the nuances of 'disertare' is crucial. It shows you can differentiate between simply 'leaving' and actively 'deserting' a duty. Pay attention to the context in which you hear or read it, and you'll quickly grasp its precise meaning and appropriate usage.
Keep practicing, and you'll master words like 'disertare' in no time. It's all about recognizing the emotional and contextual weight each word carries in Italian.
Exemples par niveau
Molti soldati hanno disertato durante la guerra.
Many soldiers deserted during the war.
Past tense, 'hanno disertato' (have deserted).
Non possiamo disertare le nostre responsabilità.
We cannot abandon our responsibilities.
Modal verb 'possiamo' (we can) with infinitive.
Ha disertato il suo posto di lavoro senza preavviso.
He abandoned his workplace without notice.
Past tense, 'ha disertato' (has abandoned).
Se diserti la riunione, perderai informazioni importanti.
If you abandon the meeting, you will lose important information.
Conditional clause, 'se diserti' (if you abandon).
Il timore di disertare il proprio paese è forte.
The fear of abandoning one's own country is strong.
Infinitive used as a noun, 'di disertare' (of abandoning).
Nonostante le difficoltà, non ho mai pensato di disertare.
Despite the difficulties, I never thought of abandoning.
Past tense, 'ho pensato' (I thought), with 'di disertare'.
Chi diserta il proprio ruolo non è affidabile.
Whoever abandons their role is not reliable.
Relative clause, 'chi diserta' (whoever abandons).
Sarebbe un errore disertare proprio ora.
It would be a mistake to abandon right now.
Conditional tense, 'sarebbe' (it would be), with infinitive.
Collocations courantes
Phrases Courantes
Ha deciso di disertare la conferenza all'ultimo minuto.
He decided to abandon (skip) the conference at the last minute.
Molti soldati hanno disertato durante la guerra.
Many soldiers deserted during the war.
Non puoi disertare le tue responsabilità.
You cannot abandon your responsibilities.
Se diserti il corso, perderai i crediti.
If you abandon (drop out of) the course, you will lose the credits.
Il pilota ha disertato l'aereo in fiamme.
The pilot abandoned the burning plane.
Non è facile disertare una famiglia.
It is not easy to abandon a family.
Hanno disertato la cerimonia senza preavviso.
They abandoned (skipped) the ceremony without notice.
Il suo animo era talmente oppresso che voleva disertare.
His spirit was so oppressed that he wanted to abandon (give up).
Chi diserta il proprio dovere sarà punito.
Whoever abandons their duty will be punished.
Non possiamo permetterci di disertare i nostri principi.
We cannot afford to abandon our principles.
Souvent confondu avec
In English, 'desert' can also mean a barren land. This is a false friend; 'disertare' in Italian is a verb meaning to abandon a duty, not related to arid landscapes.
Clearly a false friend. 'Dessert' (the sweet course after a meal) has no relation to the Italian verb 'disertare.' The spelling is similar, but the meaning is entirely different.
While 'to leave' is a general translation, it doesn't capture the specific nuance of abandoning a duty or post that 'disertare' conveys. Use 'disertare' when that strong implication is present.
Modèles grammaticaux
Facile à confondre
Often confused with simply 'leaving' or 'quitting.' However, 'disertare' specifically implies abandoning a duty, post, or obligation, often with negative consequences or a sense of dereliction.
'Disertare' carries a stronger connotation of abandonment of responsibility compared to general terms for leaving.
Il soldato ha disertato l'esercito. (The soldier deserted the army.)
While 'abbandonare' can mean 'to abandon,' it's a more general term. It can apply to objects, people, or places, and doesn't always carry the strong sense of duty dereliction that 'disertare' does.
'Abbandonare' is broader; 'disertare' is specific to duties or posts.
Hanno abbandonato la macchina sul lato della strada. (They abandoned the car on the side of the road.)
'Lasciare' is a very common verb meaning 'to leave' or 'to let.' It's often mistakenly used when 'disertare' or 'abbandonare' would be more appropriate for emphasizing abandonment.
'Lasciare' is neutral; 'disertare' implies failing a duty.
Ho lasciato le chiavi sul tavolo. (I left the keys on the table.)
'Rinunciare' means 'to give up' or 'to renounce.' While related to stopping something, it focuses on the act of giving up a claim, right, or habit, rather than abandoning a post or duty.
'Rinunciare' is about giving something up; 'disertare' is about leaving a responsibility.
Ha rinunciato al suo diritto di parlare. (He gave up his right to speak.)
'Ritirarsi' means 'to withdraw' or 'to retire.' It can sound similar to leaving a position, but 'ritirarsi' is often a formal or voluntary act, lacking the negative connotation of 'disertare.'
'Ritirarsi' is typically a voluntary withdrawal; 'disertare' is an abandonment of duty.
Il professore si è ritirato dall'insegnamento. (The professor retired from teaching.)
Structures de phrases
Qualcuno diserta da qualcosa.
Il soldato ha disertato dall'esercito. (The soldier deserted from the army.)
Qualcuno diserta qualcosa.
Ha disertato la riunione importante. (He abandoned the important meeting.)
Disertare i propri doveri.
Non possiamo disertare i nostri doveri in un momento così critico. (We cannot abandon our duties at such a critical moment.)
Disertare una causa/un ideale.
Molti hanno scelto di non disertare la causa della libertà. (Many chose not to abandon the cause of freedom.)
Mémorise-le
Moyen mnémotechnique
Think of 'desert' (the barren land). If you desert your post, it becomes like a barren, empty 'desert' because you're no longer there.
Association visuelle
Imagine a soldier in a desert, walking away from their post, leaving it empty. The 'dis' prefix often means 'apart' or 'away' in Latin-derived words, reinforcing the idea of moving away from something.
Word Web
Défi
Try to use 'disertare' in a sentence describing a situation where someone avoids a responsibility or leaves a position. For example: 'Dopo aver ricevuto la notizia difficile, ha deciso di _______ il suo impegno.' (After receiving the difficult news, he decided to desert his commitment.)
Questions fréquentes
10 questionsThe Italian verb for 'to abandon' in the sense of abandoning a duty or post is disertare.
Disertare means 'to abandon a duty or post'. Think of it as leaving something you're responsible for without permission.
No, you generally wouldn't use disertare for abandoning a person. For that, you'd typically use verbs like 'abbandonare' or 'lasciare'.
Here's an example: 'Il soldato ha disertato il suo posto.' (The soldier abandoned his post.)
It's a C1 level word, meaning it's used by proficient speakers. You'll encounter it in more formal contexts, especially when discussing responsibilities or obligations.
Disertare specifically refers to abandoning a duty or a post, implying a breach of responsibility. 'Abbandonare' is more general and can mean to leave anything or anyone.
It conjugates like a regular -are verb. For example, in the present tense: io diserto, tu diserti, lui/lei diserta, noi disertiamo, voi disertate, loro disertano.
Yes, it can. For instance, 'Ha disertato la riunione' (He abandoned/skipped the meeting) implies a duty to attend was neglected.
It comes from the Latin 'desertare', meaning 'to lay waste, abandon'. This gives you a clue about its core meaning of leaving something empty or neglected.
Yes, the noun form is disertore (deserter) for a person, and diserzione (desertion) for the act itself.
Teste-toi 54 questions
Io non voglio ___ la scuola. (I don't want to ___ school.)
The verb 'disertare' means to abandon a duty or post. In this A1 context, it's used simply as 'to abandon'.
Lui non deve ___ il lavoro. (He must not ___ work.)
Here, 'disertare' means to abandon his duty at work.
Noi non vogliamo ___ il nostro compito. (We don't want to ___ our task.)
'Disertare' is used to express abandoning a responsibility or task.
Tu non puoi ___ la lezione. (You cannot ___ the lesson.)
In this simple context, 'disertare' means to abandon or skip the lesson.
Loro non devono ___ la famiglia. (They must not ___ the family.)
'Disertare' implies abandoning one's duty or responsibility towards the family.
Voi non dovete ___ il progetto. (You all must not ___ the project.)
Here, 'disertare' means to abandon the project before it's complete.
Choose the correct translation for 'Ciao!'
'Ciao' is a common Italian greeting meaning 'hello' or 'goodbye'.
What does 'Grazie' mean?
'Grazie' is the Italian word for 'thank you'.
Which of these means 'yes' in Italian?
'Sì' means 'yes' in Italian, while 'no' means 'no'.
The word 'Acqua' means 'water'.
'Acqua' is indeed the Italian word for water.
In Italian, 'pane' means 'wine'.
'Pane' means 'bread'. The word for 'wine' is 'vino'.
The phrase 'Come stai?' means 'How are you?'
'Come stai?' is a common way to ask 'How are you?' in Italian.
This is a basic sentence introducing yourself as a student.
This sentence means 'She eats an apple.'
This means 'We drink water.'
Il soldato ha deciso di non ___ il suo posto. (The soldier decided not to ___ his post.)
'Disertare' means to abandon a duty or post. The sentence implies the soldier chose not to abandon his post.
Non puoi ___ i tuoi amici quando hanno bisogno di te. (You cannot ___ your friends when they need you.)
In this context, 'disertare' means to abandon or let down your friends.
Se tu ___ il tuo compito, riceverai una punizione. (If you ___ your task, you will receive a punishment.)
To 'disertare' a task means to abandon it or not complete it.
Molti studenti tendono a ___ le lezioni quando sono difficili. (Many students tend to ___ classes when they are difficult.)
Here, 'disertare' means to skip or abandon classes.
Non è facile ___ una promessa fatta. (It's not easy to ___ a promise made.)
To 'disertare' a promise means to abandon it or not keep it.
L'importante è non ___ i propri sogni. (The important thing is not to ___ your dreams.)
In this metaphorical sense, 'disertare i sogni' means to abandon one's dreams.
This sentence means 'Duty should never be deserted.' The correct order is Subject (Il dovere) + Negative particle (non) + Modal verb (dovrebbe) + Adverb (mai) + Auxiliary verb (essere) + Past participle (disertato).
This sentence means 'He/She deserted his/her workplace.' The correct order is Auxiliary verb (Ha) + Past participle (disertato) + Definite article (il) + Possessive adjective (suo) + Noun (posto) + Preposition (di) + Noun (lavoro).
This sentence means 'I don't want to abandon my friends.' The correct order is Negative particle (Non) + Verb (voglio) + Infinitive (disertare) + Definite article (i) + Possessive adjective (miei) + Noun (amici).
Choose the best synonym for 'disertare'.
To 'disertare' means to abandon a duty or post, so 'abbandonare' (to abandon) is the closest synonym.
Which sentence uses 'disertare' correctly?
'Disertare' is used when someone abandons a duty or a post, like a soldier abandoning their position.
What is the opposite of 'disertare' in the context of a duty?
To 'disertare' means to abandon a duty, while 'adempiere' means to fulfill or perform a duty.
If you 'disertare' a meeting, it means you attended it.
To 'disertare' a meeting means to not attend it, or to abandon your commitment to be there.
A student who 'diserta' class is present and paying attention.
A student who 'diserta' class is absent, having abandoned their duty to attend.
The act of 'disertare' always carries a negative connotation.
'Disertare' implies abandoning a responsibility or duty, which is generally viewed negatively.
Il soldato ha deciso di ___ la sua postazione nonostante gli ordini.
The soldier decided to abandon his post despite orders. 'Disertare' means to abandon a duty or post.
Molti speravano che non avrebbe ___ i suoi impegni presi con la comunità.
Many hoped he would not abandon his commitments made with the community. 'Disertare' fits the context of abandoning duties.
Il sindacato ha minacciato di ___ le trattative se le richieste non fossero state accolte.
The union threatened to abandon the negotiations if their demands were not met. 'Disertare' implies abandoning a duty or process.
Nonostante la pressione, il politico ha rifiutato di ___ il suo ruolo.
Despite the pressure, the politician refused to abandon his role. 'Disertare' is appropriate for abandoning a duty or position.
La squadra rischia di ___ il campionato se i giocatori continuano a mancare agli allenamenti.
The team risks abandoning the championship if players continue to miss practices. 'Disertare' can apply to abandoning a commitment or competition.
Sarebbe un errore ___ la conferenza dopo aver investito così tanto tempo nella preparazione.
It would be a mistake to abandon the conference after investing so much time in preparation. 'Disertare' fits the context of abandoning an event or duty.
The speaker is emphasizing the importance of fulfilling duties.
This sentence describes a historical event and its cause.
The speaker is questioning someone's decision about a meeting.
Read this aloud:
Non dobbiamo disertare le nostre promesse.
Focus: disertare, promesse
Tu as dit :
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Read this aloud:
Molti membri hanno disertato il progetto all'ultimo minuto.
Focus: disertato, progetto
Tu as dit :
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Read this aloud:
Non puoi disertare i tuoi doveri genitoriali.
Focus: disertare, doveri, genitoriali
Tu as dit :
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The sentence means 'He did not want to abandon his cause.' The order of words is crucial for grammatical correctness in Italian.
The sentence means 'We must not abandon our duty.' The correct word order is essential for clarity.
The sentence means 'The captain decided to abandon the ship.' This order maintains the subject-verb-object structure.
/ 54 correct
Perfect score!
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