Difference between 'vuotare' and 'svuotare'

Question

Is there a difference in context or connotation between the verbs 'vuotare' and 'svuotare', both meaning 'to empty'?

score 7 · Answer 1 · edited Dec 23 '13 at 17:48

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In my experience (native language speaker) svuotare is a bit stronger and less technical. Also, the initial 's' sounds almost onomatopoeic, giving a definite emphasis.

edited Dec 23 '13 at 17:48

DaG

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answered Dec 23 '13 at 14:05

gioppe

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It is like scancellare and cancellare: The starting S gives more emphasis. – apaderno Dec 30 '13 at 05:51
Scancellare is a bit weird though. Maybe formally correct, but you won't find it in a newspaper article. – gioppe Jan 07 '14 at 09:13

score 5 · Accepted Answer · edited Jan 02 '14 at 22:14

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The verbs 'vuotare' and 'svuotare' indicate the same action and can be used both to define the action of emptying something, or in figurative sense (i.e. In estate la città si svuota / vuota)

Here you can find a definition of 'svuotare'. Here you can find a definition of 'vuotare'.

edited Jan 02 '14 at 22:14

Cost

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answered Dec 23 '13 at 09:59

Joe Taras

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Why shouldn't you use vuotare in a figurative sense? You can indeed, and http://www.treccani.it/vocabolario/vuotare/ confirms this (“il suo discorso si è vuotato così d’ogni significato”). – DaG Dec 23 '13 at 10:02
@DaG: You're right. I've edited my answer – Joe Taras Dec 23 '13 at 10:05
Joe, how did you edit the answer? I ask because I see you wrote almost nothing here. – Kyriakos Kyritsis Dec 23 '13 at 12:21
@KyriakosKyritsis: Two vers are the same thing, and I've posted the link of Treccani. You think isn't it sufficient? – Joe Taras Dec 23 '13 at 12:45
Joe, generally speaking, I think fuller answers are better than a one-line text. – Kyriakos Kyritsis Dec 23 '13 at 12:50
@KyriakosKyritsis: I try to improve my answer. – Joe Taras Dec 23 '13 at 12:52
@KyriakosKyritsis: Hi, I've update my answer, if is a poor answer I'll delete ;) – Joe Taras Dec 23 '13 at 13:00
Joe, OK, I'm going to upvote. – Kyriakos Kyritsis Dec 23 '13 at 13:04
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`svuotare', as the link said, tends to give the idea of a completely empty object, ie it is 'intensivo' – rano Dec 23 '13 at 13:17
@rano So perhaps we might consider “empty out” as a more precise translation for svuotare? – fool4jesus Jun 09 '21 at 06:27
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@fool4jesus exactly – rano Jun 22 '21 at 19:20

Difference between 'vuotare' and 'svuotare'

2 Answers2