Skip to content

originar

to originate

verb oh-ree-hee-NAHR Less Common
Mind & Emotions Mental States

Also means

to cause; to give rise to

Usage Note

Originar means to cause something to come into being or to give rise to something (el incendio se originó en la cocina = 'the fire started in the kitchen'). The reflexive originarse is very common and means 'to start; to arise; to have its origin'. It is more formal than empezar or causar and typical of written and journalistic registers.

Examples

"El problema se originó por falta de comunicación."

Natural Translation

The problem arose from a lack of communication.

Explore Spanish by topic