# to bathe



## kloie

In Spanish one can use bañarse to mean to bathe and to swim , is this verb used in other languages too?
I know it's used in Serbian.


----------



## ilocas2

In Czech to bathe is *koupat se
*
and whether swimming is involved or not - it depends rather on context

koupat se ve vaně (to bathe in bathtub) - one doesn't expect swimming in bathtub
koupat se v moři (to bathe in sea) - common sense says that people usually make some swimming movements when they bathe in sea


----------



## ger4

In German, _baden_ can be used for both, _schwimmen_ is more specific.


ilocas2 said:


> koupat se ve vaně (to bathe in bathtub) - one doesn't expect swimming in bathtub


_in der Badewanne baden_


ilocas2 said:


> koupat se v moři (to bathe in sea) - common sense says that people usually make some swimming movements when they bathe in sea


_im Meer baden, im Meer schwimmen_


----------



## DaylightDelight

In Japanese, a character 浴 /yoku/ (to bathe) is used for both bathing and swimming in the sea.
入浴 = bathing
海水浴 = swimming in the sea

However, it is not used for swimming in any other place (lake, river, swimming pool, or bath tub).


----------



## Awwal12

ilocas2 said:


> In Czech to bathe is *koupat se
> *
> and whether swimming is involved or not - it depends rather on context
> 
> koupat se ve vaně (to bathe in bathtub) - one doesn't expect swimming in bathtub
> koupat se v moři (to bathe in sea) - common sense says that people usually make some swimming movements when they bathe in sea


Russian is interesting here. The verb купаться (/kupátsa/) does exist in it, but it has a pretty specific meaning: it implies bathing as a recreative activity and is limited to bathing little children or bathing in the river, sea etc. I can hardly imagine that verb being used to a grown up person taking a bath.
In other cases the verb мыться (/mýtsa/) is used, literally "wash oneself". That also refers to bathing in a bathhouse (banya), even if only a small part of it is exactly washing.
For more specific definitions, there are (pretty formal) expressions принимать ванну (prinimát' vánnu, literally "to accept a bath") or принимать душ (prinimát' duš, literally "to accept a shower").

The verbs плавать (plávat', multidirectional) and плыть (plyt', continuous) mean "to swim" - and also "to float", to which English word they are actually cognates.


----------



## apmoy70

In Greek *«κάνω μπάνιο»* [ˈkano ˈbaɲo] --> _to do (a) bath_ (to take a bath) is used for both (taking a bath in the bathtub or a swim in the sea/pool).

The MoGr name for _bath_, *«μπάνιο»* [ˈbaɲo] (neut.) is a boomerang word: Classical Gr. *«βαλανεῖον» bălăne̪îŏn* (neut.) --> _warm bath, bathroom_ (with obscure etymology, for a term for bathing in warm water, which is probably an Aegean custom, we might expect Pre-Greek origin) > Classical Lat. *balineum/balneum* > Vulgar Lat. *bannium* > It. *bagno* > MoGr *μπάνιο*.

The MoGr verb for _swim_ is *«κολυμπάω»* [kolimˈba.o] < Classical v. *«κολυμβάω» kŏlŭmbáō* (Doric *«κολυμφάω» kŏlŭmpʰáō*) --> _to dive, submerge, swim_ (the variants -μβ-, -μφ- prove that the word is Pre-Greek). It's used in the context of swimming at sea or pool.


----------



## kloie

In Serbian kupati se=to bathe,to swim/plivati=to swim.
Does anyone know if it's used this way in English too? I've never heard of it being used this way.


----------



## Dymn

Let me clarify.

_bañarse_: to cover oneself into water or any other liquid, for fun, refreshing or cleaning purposes
_nadar_: to move through water or any other liquid, generally for sport

So you can't _nadar _in a bathtub (unless you're a lilliputian), and you can't _bañarte _if you're preparing for the 200m butterfly event. In this pool people usually _se baña _while in this one people _nada_. Perhaps in English "to swim" has a broader scope, but I don't think the usage is so different.

In Catalan _banyar-se _is more or less equivalent to _bañarse _and _nedar _to _nadar_.


----------



## apmoy70

Diamant7 said:


> Let me clarify.
> 
> _bañarse_: to cover oneself into water or any other liquid, for fun, refreshing or cleaning purposes
> _nadar_: to move through water or any other liquid, generally for sport
> 
> So you can't _nadar _in a bathtub (unless you're a lilliputian), and you can't _bañarte _if you're preparing for the 200m butterfly event. In this pool people usually _se baña _while in this one people _nada_. Perhaps in English "to swim" has a broader scope, but I don't think the usage is so different.
> 
> In Catalan _banyar-se _is more or less equivalent to _bañarse _and _nedar _to _nadar_.


I like the way you put it, so in the Greek language, here *«κάνω μπάνιο»*, in this pool *«κολυμπάω»*, while here & here *«κάνω μπάνιο»* and if I want *«κολυμπάω»* as well.


----------



## Armas

Finnish:

_kylpeä_ "to bathe" (in a bathtub for cleansing or relaxation), sometimes used instead of _saunoa_ "to bathe in a sauna"
_uida_ "to swim"


----------



## Messquito

In English, to bathe also means to swim, as in _bathing suit_ (=swimming suit).

I guess it's not the case in Chinese, except the term 海水浴場 (lit. sea baths), which simply means a stretch of beach owned by someone for business, as opposed to those beaches that people can get into freely.


----------



## 810senior

Messquito said:


> In English, to bathe also means to swim, as in _bathing suit_ (=swimming suit).
> 
> I guess it's not the case in Chinese, except the term 海水浴場 (lit. sea baths), which simply means a stretch of beach owned by someone for business, as opposed to those beaches that people can get into freely.



You mean that other 浴-compounded words, like the ones in Japanese, do not make sense in Chinese, don't you?


----------



## Messquito

Messquito said:


> I guess it's not the case in Chinese, except the term 海水浴場 (lit. sea baths), which simply means a stretch of beach owned by someone for business, as opposed to those beaches that people can get into freely.


I was typing too fast and missed a few details: 浴 always means "bath(e)" in Chinese, e.g. 浴室(bathroom), 淋浴(shower), etc. except maybe in 海水浴場; here you can either take 浴 as to swim, or just figuratively see a beach as a big bathing spot.


810senior said:


> You mean that other 浴-compounded words, like the ones in Japanese, do not make sense in Chinese, don't you?


I mean in Chinese I can't think of any examples where a word can mean both to  swim and to bathe, except possibly 海水浴場. In fact, I assume this is a borrowing from Japanese, among many others.


----------



## 810senior

@Messquito, Thank you for answering me!


----------



## AutumnOwl

Swedish:
Bada - bathe, can be used both for taking a bath in a tub, go swimming in a lake or the sea, as well as going the sauna.
Jag ska bada barnen - I will bathe the children
Ska vi gå och bada? - Shall we go and bathe? (in a lake or the sea, or a pool)
Badhus - bath house, a place with an indoor pool, and usually also a sauna, often used about those bath houses built in the late 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century
Bada bastu - take a bath in a sauna. We have also the word 'basta', but 'bada bastu' is more common

Simma - swim
Han simmar som en fisk - he swims as a fish
Simma 50 meter fjäril - swim 50 meter butterfly
Simhall - swim hall, the same as badhus, but usually about newer ones, with larger swimming pools


----------



## ilocas2

> In Czech to bathe is *koupat se* (imperf.), vykoupat se (perf.)






> In Serbian kupati se(imperf.)=to bathe, okupati se (perf.)




I add perfective counterparts of imperfective verbs.


----------



## merquiades

In my English, _bathing_ is limited to bathrooms, bathtubs, hot tubs, jacuzzis and bath houses.  _Swimming_ is pools, rivers, lakes, ponds, seas, oceans, whether or not you are practicing sport or just floating around on a raft sucking up the sun drinking a piña colada and barely wet even.  Saying _bathe_ in the pool sounds a wee bit strange, you might think they are going in with shampoo and a bar of soap.

In French the difference between _se baigner_ and _nager_ pretty much matches the other Romance languages.  When you say _nager_ people think movement and sport, and _se baigner_ is get wet and relax.


----------



## ThomasK

Couldn't the extra meaning of "bathe" be very situational? I do not think dictionaries would consider swimming an extra meaning of bathing. In Dutch that meaning would be "accidental", I think (for lack of a better word).


----------



## merquiades

I think the concept is more profound and abstract than we imagine and goes beyond cognates or etymology.  I realized after a long time that communication had broken down when I would say to friends in Spain that I was going swimming. They thought I was working out while I was just enjoying the beach.
This is the question to ask. What is  bathing?  Indoors or outdoors or both?  In a small bit of water or a lot of water?  In an enclosed area or out in the open?  For what purpose if any? cleaning is essential or not?

When someone says to you?  I'm going to bathe. Me voy a bañar. Je vais me baigner.  What image first comes to mind?


----------



## Awwal12

merquiades said:


> When someone says to you?  I'm going to bathe. Me voy a bañar. Je vais me baigner.  What image first comes to mind?


Depending on the language? As one already could note here, the meaning and use of the respective words can differ, so, for instance, купаться isn't just the same as koupat se.


----------



## ThomasK

I think it implies getting into the water mainly, and what you do precisely, is very unclear. So indeed abstract at least. Why do you also call it "profound"? Referring to something like the essence of the relationship between man and water???
BTW: "*me* baigner" sounds different to me than just _bañar_ or _to bathe _(where the whole body does not necessarily seem to be implied).


----------



## merquiades

ThomasK said:


> I think it implies getting into the water mainly, and what you do precisely, is very unclear. So indeed abstract at least. Why do you also call it "profound"? Referring to something like the essence of the relationship between man and water???
> BTW: "*me* baigner" sounds different to me than just _bañar_ or _to bathe _(where the whole body does not necessarily seem to be implied).


I wouldn't stake my life on it, of course, but I am very sure both _baigner_ and _bañar_ require the reflexive pronoun in all cases, unless you have a context like "_il va baigner son chien_".
"Profound" was not a reference to the water.  I think this could be a case where every language is different or slightly different in what exactly _bathe_ and _swim_ really mean.

@Awwal12   My Russian teacher, hailing from Kiev, taught me that _плавать_ absolutely implied movement in all cases.  _Swim_ in English does not.  _купаться _must be reflexive??


----------



## bibax

In Czech the verb *koupati se* (v moři, řece, ..., ve vaně) is reflexive (= _bañar*se*)_, but *koupati* (psa, děti, ... _,_ usually using soap) is a transitive non-reflexive verb _(= bañar al perro, a los niños)_.

There are also more specific verbs *plavati* (= to swimm, movement is implied, otherwise the swimmer will be drowned) and *mýti (se)* = to wash (oneself), usually using soap, shampoo, ... and usually only partially (hands, feet, hair, ...).

_Edit: Spanish equivalents_


----------



## merquiades

There is something that has been bothering me about this thread without me being able to say why, but doing some investigation I think I have understood.
The verb _to bathe_ in English in all of its meanings is slowly falling out of use in normal language.  It's now a semi-learned word.  For example, 21 year old men would probably avoid it.  Maybe that was even the case 20 or 30 years ago too.  I suspect that this was not the case in the past.  We have _bathing suits_, even though it's becoming increasingly common to refer to them as _swimsuits_.
This is probably the reason why _swim_ has expanded in use beyond the physical activity and for cleaning purposes _we take/ have a bath _and_ soak in water/ a jacuzzi/ hot tub _and _wash up/ clean up_ in the river.
So sorry for saying it was a philosophical matter.  It's as easy as a word becoming obsolete and others replacing it.

bañar al perro, a los niños


----------



## SuperXW

Messquito said:


> I mean in Chinese I can't think of any examples where a word can mean both to  swim and to bathe, except possibly 海水浴場. In fact, I assume this is a borrowing from Japanese, among many others.


Probably. I don't think 海水浴場 is a common word in Mainland China. 浴 remains "bath" in Mainland Mandarin. So 海水浴場 could be borrowed from Japan to Taiwan.


----------



## jazyk

Banhar-se is not a Portuguese verb I hear very often, but it can be used for bathing (more commonly: tomar banho) or for swimming (more commonly: nadar).


----------



## Sardokan1.0

*Italian :* *fare il bagno, farsi il bagno* = to bathe; *bagnarsi *= to bathe (antiquated); *nuotare *= to swim
*Sardinian :* *faghere su bagnu, si faghere su bagnu* = to bathe; *si bagnare* = to bathe (antiquated); *natare, nadare* = to swim


----------



## Encolpius

*Hungarian *- the same as in German
in der Wanne baden - a kádban *fürdik*
im Meer baden - a tengerben *fürdik*


----------



## Awwal12

merquiades said:


> My Russian teacher, hailing from Kiev, taught me that _плавать_ absolutely implied movement in all cases.


*Плыть* does necessarily imply a movement in all cases (being that swimming or mere floating in the water flow), but *плавать* doesn't. That comes from the fact that *плыть* belongs to the group of 14 verbs (together with бежать, лететь, лезть and 10 more) which always imply a continuous process of directed movement. *Плавать*, on the other hand, belong to their multidirectional/iterative counterparts and is therefore free of such restrictions. The phrase "неподвижно плавать на поверхности" (to float still on the surface), for instance, is quite possible.


merquiades said:


> _купаться _must be reflexive??


Yes. But, as you probably know, Slavic reflexive verbs are a tricky thing. Here you haven't much choice, in fact, since the base verb *купать* is strictly transitive. So as long as you don't bathe somebody (like your children), you have to use the reflexive verb.


----------



## ger4

Awwal12 said:


> The verbs плавать (plávat', multidirectional) and плыть (plyt', continuous) mean "to swim" - and also "to float", to which English word they are actually cognates.


The German verb _schwimmen_ can have these two meanings as well:
_- Er kann schwimmen_ = 'He can swim'
_- Gegenstände, die im Wasser schwimmen_ = 'objects that float in water'.


----------



## apmoy70

Holger2014 said:


> The German verb _schwimmen_ can have these two meanings as well:
> _- Er kann schwimmen_ = 'He can swim'
> _- Gegenstände, die im Wasser schwimmen_ = 'objects that float in water'.


Greek differentiates between those terms, *«κολυμπάω»* [kolimˈba.o] = _to swim_, *«κάνω μπάνιο»* [ˈkano ˈbaɲo] or *«μπανιαρίζομαι»* [baɲaˈɾizome] (a modern colloquialism) = _to take a bath_, *«πλέω»* [ˈple.o] or *«επιπλέω»* 
[epiˈple.o] = _to float_ («πλέω» is cognate with _float_ & _плыть_).

Also when talking about taking a bath at a natural thermal spring we say *«παίρνω λουτρό»* [ˈperno lutˈɾo] = lit. _to take a bath_, but here bath is *«λουτρό»* [lutˈɾo] (neut.) < Classical neut. noun *«λουτρόν» loutrón* (Dor. *«λωτρόν» lōtrón*) --> _bath, bathing site_ (PIE *leu̯h₃- _to bathe, wash_ cf Lat. lavere, Proto-Germanic *lauþrą > Eng. lather).

A natural sulphuric thermal spring is *«ιαματικά λουτρά»* [i.amatiˈka lutˈɾa] (neut. nom. pl.) = lit. _therapeutic bathing-site_ («λουτρό» in pl. «λουτρά» describes a thermal bathing site).
The adj. *«ιαματικός»* [i.amatiˈkos] = _therapeutic, healing_, is a modern construction (1892) from the Classical deverbal neut. noun *«ἴαμα» íamă* --> _medicine, remedy_ < Classical deponent v. *«ἰάομαι/ἰῶμαι» ĭáŏmai̯* (uncontracted)/*ĭômai̯* (contracted) --> _to heal_ (with unclear etymology, and possible cognate the Skt. इषण्यति (is̩anyáti), _to excite_).


----------



## momai

Arabic:
to bathe : istaHamma استحمّ, (root: H-m-m) it has to do with heat and warmth.
to swim  : sabiHa سبح , (root: s-b-H) some other derivatives have to do with glorifying god which is actually very odd !


Holger2014 said:


> The German verb _schwimmen_ can have these two meanings as well:
> _- Er kann schwimmen_ = 'He can swim'
> _- Gegenstände, die im Wasser schwimmen_ = 'objects that float in water'.


Well, Standard Arabic and Syrian Arabic differentiate between these two meanings.
MSA has two roots for floating, which are (3-w-m) (T-w-f)
while Syrian has only one (f-w-sh)


----------



## jazyk

Holger2014 said:


> The German verb _schwimmen_ can have these two meanings as well:
> _- Er kann schwimmen_ = 'He can swim'
> _- Gegenstände, die im Wasser schwimmen_ = 'objects that float in water'.


Two verbs in Portuguese:
Er kann schwimmen. - Ele sabe nadar.
_Gegenstände, die im Wasser schwimmen_ = objetos que flutuam na água


----------

