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"Yearn" is an intransitive verb which is often translated as "anhelar", and "long for" is an intransitive verb phrase which is often translated as "ansiar". Learn more about the difference between "yearn" and "long for" below.
yearn()
An intransitive verb is one that does not require a direct object (e.g., The man sneezed.).
intransitive verb
a. anhelar
After months away, Nina yearned for home.Tras meses de ausencia, Nina anhelaba volver a casa.
b. ansiar
Eric yearns for the nighttime when he will once again be in the arms of his beloved.Eric ansía la noche, cuando estará una vez más en los brazos de su amada.
c. añorar
The hot summer sun makes me yearn for the Caribbean, where I lived for a while.El sol ardiente del verano me hace añorar el Caribe, donde viví un tiempo.
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long for()
An intransitive verb phrase is a phrase that combines a verb with a preposition or other particle and does not require a direct object (e.g., Everybody please stand up.).
intransitive verb phrase
a. ansiar
Johanna said she longs for a baby.Johanna dijo que ansía tener un bebé.
b. desear
You're the woman I long for.Tú eres la mujer que deseo.
c. anhelar
I long for a world at peace.Anhelo un mundo en paz.
a. añorar
I long for the days in which we were young, wild, and free.Añoro aquellos días en los que éramos jóvenes, salvajes y libres.
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