Key Difference

• Emigrate means to leave one’s country to live in another.
• Immigrate means to enter a new country to live there.

So, when you emigrate, you’re focusing on leaving your original country, while immigrate focuses on arriving in a new one.

1. Emigrate

• Definition: To leave your country and settle in another.
• Focus: On the act of leaving a place.
• Example: “Many people from Ireland emigrated to America during the 19th century.”
  (In this case, we’re focusing on people leaving Ireland.)

📝 Remember:

When you think of emigrate, imagine E for Exit!

1. Immigrate

• Definition: To come into a new country to live.
• Focus: On the act of arriving in a new place.
• Example: “My grandparents immigrated to Canada in the 1950s.”
  (Here, the focus is on their arrival in Canada.)

📝 Remember:

When you think of immigrate, think of I for In!

🎭 Analogy to Clarify

Imagine you’re a traveler with two doors:

• Door 1 is where you leave your country. This is emigration (leaving).
• Door 2 is where you enter a new country. This is immigration (arriving).

Both actions can describe the same journey, but they emphasize different points in the process—leaving vs. arriving.

Common Mistakes and Tips

• Incorrect: “She immigrated from France.”
  • (This would imply focusing on leaving France, so we should use emigrated.)
• Correct: “She emigrated from France.”
• Incorrect: “They emigrated to Australia.”
  • (If we’re talking about them moving to Australia, use immigrated.)
• Correct: “They immigrated to Australia.”

📝 Practice Exercise

Fill in the blanks with either emigrate or immigrate:

1. “Many people chose to _________ from Europe to North America in the 1800s.”
2. “She decided to _________ to the United States for better job opportunities.”
3. “His family _________ from Brazil and now lives in Portugal.”
4. “After college, they plan to _________ to a new country.”

Answers

1. Emigrate
2. Immigrate
3. Emigrated
4. Immigrate

🌟 Pro Tip:

Remember: Emigrate (Exit) focuses on leaving, while Immigrate (In) focuses on arriving. Practice thinking of the context—are you leaving or arriving? This will help you choose the correct word!