fiar

Fiar is a Spanish verb with two principal meanings. In the sense of trust, it means to place confidence in someone or something, to believe a statement or a promise, or to rely on a person’s word. In the commercial sense, it means to extend credit, allowing someone to buy goods or services with payment to be made later. Both senses are common in everyday Spanish and appear in speech across Spain and Latin America.

Etymology and usage patterns: Fi ar derives from Latin fidāre, from fidēs meaning trust. It shares cognates in related Romance languages, such as Italian fidare and Portuguese fiar, reflecting a common origin. The verb is typically used as a transitive verb. The reflexive form fiarse de is used to express personal trust in someone or something, as in fiarse de su palabra. The phrases fiar a plazos or fiar a crédito refer to selling on credit. The past participle fiado describes something bought on credit or a person who is considered trustworthy; it also appears in fixed expressions such as fiar la palabra de alguien (to trust someone’s word).

See also: confiar, crédito, venta a plazos.