Learning a new language is not always easy at first, especially when it is not similar to your own. The only thing that will make your job easier is if there were some words that looked alike in both languages. If however, you are lucky, you might even find some words that are identical in both languages and could help you. Below is a list of cognates and perfect cognates that will make learning Spanish words a bit easier.
Perfect cognates
As you could simply guess from the word perfect, these words are the ones which are identically spelled in both languages and also mean the same thing (so no confusion here). Below are just some:
English | Spanish |
Actor Actual Animal Chocolate Debate Error Flexible Global Hospital Industrial Inevitable Legal
| Actor Actual Animal Chocolate Debate Error Flexible Global Hospital Industrial Inevitable Legal
|
For an easier learning of the Spanish language, you can use some tricks to remember how other cognates are formed. Below are the rules:
Rule 1: English words ending in -ous usually become -oso
Here are some examples:
English | Spanish |
Curious Mysterious Fabulous Famous Ingenious
| Curioso Misterioso Fabuloso Famoso Ingenioso |
Rule 2: English words ending in -al usually stay the same
Here are some examples:
English | Spanish |
Festival Carnaval Final Plural Central
| Festival Carnaval Final Plural Central |
Rule 3: English words ending in -ct usually become -cto
Here are some examples:
English | Spanish |
Exact Pact Impact Perfect Contact
| Exacto Pacto Impacto Perfecto Contacto
|
Rule 4: English words ending in –ance usually become -ancia
Here are some examples:
English | Spanish |
Ambulance Distance Importance Elegance Abundance
| Ambulancia Distancia Importancia Elegancia Abundancia |
Rule 5: English words ending in –ic usually become -ico
Here are some examples:
English | Spanish |
Medic Numeric Public Romantic Basic
| Médico Numérico Público Romántico Básico |
Rule 6: English words ending in -ar usually stay the same
Here are some examples:
English | Spanish |
Familiar Popular Bar Muscular Regular
| Familiar Popular Bar Muscular Regular
|
Rule 7: English words ending in -ary usually become -ario
Here are some examples:
English | Spanish |
Ordinary Rudimentary Penitentiary Salary Vocabulary
| Ordinario Rudimentario Penitentiario Salario Vocabulario
|
Rule 8: English words ending in -ant usually become -ante
Here are some examples:
English | Spanish |
Important Aspirant Brilliant Coagulant Elegant
| Importante Aspirante Brilliante Coagulante Elegante
|
Rule 9: English words ending in -ble usually stay the same
Here are some examples:
English | Spanish | |
Cable Adaptable Sociable Horrible Probable
| Cable Adaptable Sociable Horrible Probable |
Rule 10: English words ending in -ence usually become -encia
Here are some examples:
English | Spanish |
Sentence (punishment) Coincidence Abstinence Residence Violence
| Sentencia Coincidencia Abstinencia Residencia Violencia |
Rule 11: English words ending in -id usually become -ido
Here are some examples:
English | Spanish |
Fluid Rigid Liquid Vivid Acid
| Fluido Rígido Líquido Vívido Ácido
|
Rule 12: English words ending in -ment usually become -mento
Here are some examples:
English | Spanish |
Document Argument Pigment Moment Element
| Documento Argumento Pigmento Momento Elemento |
Knowing these tricks, Spanish just got a bit easier to learn. However, when you use them, do not forget to double check the words just to be sure that they exist.