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naufragare

to be shipwrecked

verb now-frah-GAH-reh Rare

Origin: From Latin 'naufragare', from 'navis' (ship) + 'frangere' (to break).

Also means

to founder

Usage Note

Naufragare takes essere as its auxiliary in compound tenses: la nave è naufragata (the ship foundered). It can be used figuratively to mean a plan or project has failed completely: il progetto è naufragato (the project fell apart). The noun form is naufragio (shipwreck) and the person is un naufrago (a castaway).

Examples

"La nave è naufragata in alto mare."

Natural Translation

The ship was wrecked on the high seas.

Literal Translation

The ship is-shipwrecked on high sea.

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