vestir

Vestir is a verb in both Spanish and Portuguese that means to dress or to wear clothing. It can be used transitively to clothe someone or something, and in its reflexive form to indicate getting dressed. The verb appears in related phrases referring to attire, fashion, and masking or covering.

Etymology and usage

Vestir derives from Latin vestire, which in turn comes from vestis, meaning garment. In both languages, the base verb governs clothing actions, while reflexive forms describe the act of dressing oneself.

Spanish usage

In Spanish, vestirse means to get dressed: me visto, te vistes, se viste, nos vestimos, os vestís, se visten. The non-reflexive vestir means to clothe someone or something: visto a mi hijo, viste la camisa a ella, vestimos a los niños. Common expressions include vestirse de gala (to dress in gala attire) and vestir a alguien de cierto modo. Noun forms related to clothing include vestimenta (clothing in general) and vestido (dress or garment).

Portuguese usage

In Portuguese, vestir can mean to clothe or dress: eu visto, tu vestes, ele veste, nós vestimos, vós vestis, eles vestem. Vestir-se is the corresponding reflexive form to get dressed: eu visto-me, tu vestes-te, ele veste-se, nós vestimos-nos, vós vestis-vos, eles vestem-se. Similar phrases exist, such as vestir-se de forma elegante. Related nouns include vestimenta and vestido.

See also

Vestimenta and vestido are common related terms in both languages, referring to clothing and garments rather than the act of dressing itself. The verb forms and reflexive constructions vary between Spanish and Portuguese but share the same root and core meaning.