Spanish Conversation · Level 13
90 words
Spanish word
abandonar
Pronunciation
IPA/aβandoˈnaɾ/
Meaning
- verbgive up
Example
Tuvieron que abandonar el proyecto por falta de fondos.
They had to give up the project for lack of funds.
More examples
No debes abandonar a tus amigos cuando te necesitan.
You must not abandon your friends when they need you.
Core concept
Leaving a person, object, or project without care and ceasing responsibility for it.
Common phrases
abandonar un proyecto
give up a project
abandonar a alguien
abandon someone
abandonar los estudios
give up one's studies
Similar words
dejar: Leave a person or thing at a place and go away, often as a normal or temporary departure.
irse: Depart from a place; go away from a location, focusing on the act of leaving.
descuidar: Fail to give necessary attention or care to someone or something.
renunciar: Give up a right, job, or claim voluntarily, formally relinquishing one's role.
Definition in Spanish
Dejar sin cuidado, apoyo o participación a una persona, cosa, proyecto o actividad, y cesar la responsabilidad sobre ello.
Word origin
Borrowed from Old French abandonar (a- + bandon 'authority'), it originally meant 'place under authority' and later shifted to 'forsake or relinquish care'.
Usage tips
- When applied to a person, abandonar conveys moral desertion rather than a temporary departure, while dejar covers everyday leaving and renunciar denotes formal renunciation.