Los Cognados y Cognados Falsos Cognates and False Cognates

Nouns #1. -or = -or color color doctor doctor director director Many Spanish nouns can easily be converted into English nouns. English nouns and Spanish nouns ending in ‘-or’ are very often identical. #1. -or = -or English Spanish actor actor color color doctor doctor director director

Nouns English nouns and Spanish nouns ending in ‘-al’ are often identical. #2. -al = -al English Spanish animal animal general general hospital hospital manual manual moral moral

Nouns #3. -ist → -ista English Spanish artist list socialist tourist Many English nouns ending with ‘-ist’, can be converted into Spanish nouns by changing to ‘-ista’. #3. -ist → -ista English Spanish artist list socialist tourist artista lista socialista turista

Nouns #4. -ism → -ismo English Spanish idealism realism mechanism optimism organism idealismo realismo mechanismo optimismo organismo

Nouns #5. -nce → -ncia English Spanish arrogance abundance abundancia arrogance experience patience intelligence arrogancia experiencia paciencia inteligencia

Nouns #6. -ty → -dad English Spanish activity actividad curiosity electricity identity university curiosidad electricidad identidad universidad

Nouns #7. -tion → -ción English Spanish association asociación combination combinación condition condición exemption exempción instruction instrución

Nouns English nouns ending with ‘-y’ often correspond to Spanish nouns ending with ‘-ía’, ‘ia’, or ‘io’. #8. -y → '-ía', '-ia', or '-io' English Spanish agency agencia agony agonía battery batería family familia history historia salary salario testimony testimonio dictionary diccionario

Adjectives English Spanish active activo decisive decisivo Like nouns, many English adjectives can be converted into Spanish simply by changing the word ending. Here are some useful rules. #1. -ive → ivo English Spanish active activo decisive decisivo festive festivo effective efectivo indicative indicativo

Adjectives #2. -al = -al brutal brutal usual usual local local English Spanish brutal brutal usual usual local local criminal criminal natural natural

Adjectives #4. -ic → -ico magnetic magnético fantastic fantástico English Spanish magnetic magnético fantastic fantástico electric eléctrico artistic artístico automatic automático

Adjectives #5. -ble = -ble impossible imposible terrible terrible English Spanish admirable admirable impossible imposible terrible terrible favorable favorable notable notable

Adjectives #6. -nt → -nte convenient conveniente prudent prudente English Spanish ignorant ignorante convenient conveniente prudent prudente important importante triumphant triunfante

Adjectives #7. -id → -ido lucid lúcido splendid espléndido English Spanish stupid estúpido lucid lúcido splendid espléndido candid cándido solid sólido

Adjectives #8. -ile → -il fragile frágil mobile móvil juvenile juvenil English Spanish agile ágil fragile frágil mobile móvil juvenile juvenil automobile automóvil

Adjectives #9. -ary → -ario English Spanish arbitrary arbitrario ordinary ordinario imaginary imaginario

Adverbs -ly → -mente English Spanish absolutely absolutamente In English, "-ly" combines with many adjectives to form adverbs. In Spanish, "-mente" combines with (feminine) adjectives to form Spanish adverbs. -ly → -mente English Spanish absolutely absolutamente normally normalmente naturally naturalmente finally finalmente correctly correctamente exactly exactamente evidently evidentemente difficultly dificilmente

False Cognates Many words appears to be similar in English and Spanish, but do not have the same meaning. These are called “false cognates”. Below are a few examples of false cognates. 1.) embarazada – pregnant Does not mean “embarrassed”. embarrassed = avergonzado   2.) bizarro – brave; valiant Does not mean “strange” or “bizarre” strange; bizarre = extraño; raro 3.) asistir – to attend Does not mean “to assist” to assist = ayudar (to help) 4.) éxito – success Does not mean “exit” exit = salida 5.) fábrica – factory Does not mean “fabric” fabric = tejido