Learning English and Spanish Cognates

Name _________________________
Learning English and
Spanish Cognates
Learning about English/Spanish Cognates
Aprende Cognados en Inglés y Español
Table of Content / Indice:
I.
What are Cognates?
¿Qué son Cognados?
II.
Why are there so many English/Spanish cognates?
¿Por qué hay tantos cognados en inglés y español?
III.
Rules
Reglas
IV.
False Cognates
Cognados Falsos
I.
What are cognates?
They are words that exist in two languages that:
 are spelled exactly or almost exactly the same way
 have the same meaning
In September, I am
going to the university.
En Septiembre, voy
a la universidad.
II.
Why are there so many English/Spanish
cognates?
 Spanish is a language that evolved from Latin over
the last two thousand years. English, although it is
not as closely related to Latin as Spanish, borrows
thousands of words from Latin.
 Both languages have also borrowed many words
from Greek.
English
Spanish
Latin & Greek
Why are cognates useful to you?

By applying a few simple rules, you can
quickly expand your English Vocabulary.
Ready to start learning?
On your marks, get set, go!
III.
Rules
Week #1: Week of January 11-15, 2016
Rule #1: Spanish words that end in –ico/-ica often
have a cognate in English that ends in –ic.
Activity: Given the Spanish word, write the English cognate. Write the meaning and
use the English cognate in a sentence.
Spanish
Word
Automático
Sentence:
Democrático
Sentence:
Dramático
Sentence:
Fanático
Sentence:
Irónico
Sentence:
Lunático
Sentence:
Patriótico
Sentence:
English
Cognate
Part of
Speech
Link-Word/Meaning/Visual
Representation
Polémico
Sentence:
Problemático
Sentence:
Romántico
Sentence:
Week #2: Week of January 18-22, 2016
Rule #2: Spanish words that end in –ente often have
a cognate in English that ends in –ent.
Activity: Given the Spanish word, write the English cognate. Write the meaning and
use the English cognate in a sentence.
Spanish
Word
Agente
Sentence:
Cliente
Sentence:
Coherente
Sentence:
Diferente
Sentence:
Equivalente
Sentence:
Indiferente
Sentence:
Insuficiente
Sentence:
English
Cognate
Part of
Speech
Link-Word/Meaning/Visual
Representation
Inteligente
Sentence:
Potente
Sentence:
Suficiente
Sentence:
Week
#3:
Week of
January
25-29,
2016
Rule #3: There are many Spanish words that end in –
cion. The English cognate ends in –tion. Note that all
of these words have the stress on the final syllable.
Activity: Given the Spanish word, write the English cognate. Write the meaning and
use the English cognate in a sentence.
Spanish Word
Acción
Sentence:
Administración
Sentence:
Admiración
Sentence:
Adoración
Sentence:
Afirmación
Sentence:
Animación
Sentence:
Aplicación
English
Cognate
Part of
Speech
Link-Word/Meaning/Visual
Representation
Sentence:
Asimilación
Sentence:
Asociación
Sentence:
Atención
Sentence:
Atracción
Sentence:
Autorización
Sentence:
Week #4: Week of February 1-5, 2016
Rule #3: There are many Spanish words that end in –
cion. The English cognate ends in –tion. Note that all
of these words have the stress on the final syllable.
Activity: Given the Spanish word, write the English cognate. Write the meaning and
use the English cognate in a sentence.
Spanish Word
Celebración
Sentence:
Civilización
Sentence:
Clasificación
Sentence:
Colaboración
Sentence:
Comunicación
Sentence:
Conversación
Sentence:
Declaración
English
Cognate
Part of
Speech
Link-Word/Meaning/Visual
Representation
Sentence:
Demostración
Sentence:
Educación
Sentence:
Generación
Sentence:
Ilustración
Sentence:
Imaginación
Sentence:
Week #5: Week of February 8-12, 2016
Rule #4: Spanish words that end in –ico have an
English cognate that ends in –ical.
Activity: Given the Spanish word, write the English cognate. Write the meaning and
use the English cognate in a sentence.
Spanish
Word
Clásico
Sentence:
Cómico
Sentence:
Eléctrico
Sentence:
Físico
Sentence:
Histérico
Sentence:
Idéntico
Sentence:
Metódico
English
Cognate
Part of
Speech
Link-Word/Meaning/Visual
Representation
Sentence:
Político
Sentence:
Práctico
Sentence:
Psicológico
Sentence:
Técnico
Sentence:
Week #6: Week of February 15-19, 2016
Rule #5: Spanish words that end in –mente (as
opposed to just –ente) usually have an English cognate
that ends in –ly.
Activity: Given the Spanish word, write the English cognate. Write the meaning and
use the English cognate in a sentence.
Spanish Word
Afortunadamente
Sentence:
Correctamente
Sentence:
Desafortunadamente
Sentence:
Especialmente
Sentence:
Exactamente
Sentence:
Finalmente
Sentence:
English
Cognate
Part of
Speech
Link Word/Meaning/Visual
Representation
Generalmente
Sentence:
Moralmente
Sentence:
Naturalmente
Sentence:
Obviamente
Sentence:
Rápidamente
Sentence:
Usualmente
Sentence:
Week #7: Week of February 22-26, 2016
Rule #6: Spanish words that end in –encia or –ancia often
have an English cognate that ends in –ence or –ance.
Activity: Given the Spanish word, write the English cognate. Write the meaning and
use the English cognate in a sentence.
Spanish
Word
Abundancia
Sentence:
Circunstancia
Sentence:
Conciencia
Sentence:
Diferencia
Sentence:
Distancia
Sentence:
Experiencia
Sentence:
English
Cognate
Part of
Speech
Link-Word/Meaning/Visual
Representation
Importancia
Sentence:
Obediencia
Sentence:
Presencia
Sentence:
Torelancia
Sentence:
Week #8: Week of February 29-March 4, 2016
Rule #7: Words that end in –al in both English
and Spanish are often cognates.
Activity: Given the Spanish word, write the English cognate. Write the meaning and
use the English cognate in a sentence.
Spanish
Word
Animal
Sentence:
Central
Sentence:
Comercial*
Sentence:
Especial*
Sentence:
General
Sentence:
Hospital
English
Cognate
Part of
Speech
Link-Word/Meaning/Visual
Representation
Sentence:
Intelectual
Sentence:
Local
Sentence:
Oficial*
Sentence:
Original
Sentence:
Personal
Sentence:
Profesional*
Sentence:
*These words have a slightly different spelling in English.
Week #9: Week of March 7-11, 2016
Rule #8: Spanish words that end in –oso often
have an English cognate that ends in –ous.
Activity: Given the Spanish word, write the English cognate. Write the meaning and
use the English cognate in a sentence.
Spanish
Word
Ambicioso
Sentence:
Curioso
Sentence:
Delicioso
Sentence:
Famoso
Sentence:
Glorioso
Sentence:
Gracioso
English
Cognate
Part of
Speech
Link-Word/Meaning/Visual
Representation
Sentence:
Ingenioso
Sentence:
Laborioso
Sentence:
Numeroso
Sentence:
Religioso
Sentence:
Week #10: Week of March 14-18, 2016
Rule #9: English words that end in –or often have
a Spanish cognate that is identical.
Activity: Given the Spanish word, write the English cognate. Write the meaning and
use the English cognate in a sentence.
Spanish
Word
Actor
Sentence:
Autor*
Sentence:
Color
Sentence:
Director
Sentence:
Doctor
Sentence:
Humor
English
Cognate
Part of
Speech
Link-Word/Meaning/Visual
Representation
Sentence:
Motor
Sentence:
Error
Sentence:
Profesor*
Sentence:
*These words have a slightly different spelling in English.
Week #11: Week of March 21-24, 2016
Rule #10: Spanish words that end in –dad usually
have an English cognate that ends in –ty.
Activity: Given the Spanish word, write the English cognate. Write the meaning and
use the English cognate in a sentence.
Spanish Word
English Cognate
Autoridad
Sentence:
Comunidad
Sentence:
Dificultad
Sentence:
Formalidad
Sentence:
Necesidad
Sentence:
Prosperidad
Part of
Speech
Link-Word/Meaning/Visual
Representation
Sentence:
Publicidad
Sentence:
Universidad
Sentence:
Week #12: Week of April 4-8, 2016
Rule #11: Spanish words that end in –ario often
have an English cognate that ends in –ary.
Activity: Given the Spanish word, write the English cognate. Write the meaning and
use the English cognate in a sentence.
Spanish
Word
Aniversario
Sentence:
Diccionario
Sentence:
Itinerario
Sentence:
Salario
Sentence:
Vocabulario
Sentence:
Necesario
English
Cognate
Part of
Speech
Link-Word/Meaning/Visual
Representation
Sentence:
Ordinario
Sentence:
IV: FALSE COGNATES
Week #13: Week of April 11-15, 2016
Be careful with False Cognates or “False Friends”!
Although they represent a small percentage, False Cognates
are words that have a common origin in Latin but have
different meanings in English and Spanish.
This is a list of most frequently False Cognates.
English Word
Correct Spanish Word
Confused With
English Translation
Library
Biblioteca
Librería
Bookstore
Introduce
Presentar a alguien
Introducir
Insert
Embarrassed
Avergonzado
Embarazada
Pregnant
Assist
Ayudar
Asistir
To attend
Attend
Asistir
Atender
To pay attention
Carpet
Alfombra
Carpeta
Folder
Exit
Salida
Exito
Success
Fabric
Tela
Fábrica
Factory
Actually
En realidad
Actualmente
Currently
Ultimately
Al final
Ultimamente
Recently
Rope
Cuerda
Ropa
Clothes
Choke
Estrangular
Chocar
To collide/crash