TRUE COGNATES

The origin of words, etymology, can be reduced to a handful of ancient languages from which emerged the modern languages, with its own grammatical rules. English and Spanish, although very different, they also share their roots somewhere in the past, and these roots are reflected in a number of common words in both languages, which are called TRUE COGNATES.

TRUE COGNATES MAY BE TRACES OF KINSHIP THAT KEEP DIFFERENT TONGUES, OR THE INFLUENCE OF ONE LANGUAGE

OVER ANOTHER. THEY MAY ARISE FROM THE MOLDING OF LOANWORDS.

The word COGNATE derives from the Latin noun COGNATUS, which means "blood relative". Its translation would be “consanguineous, with a common ancestor, or related by a same nature”. In linguistics, TRUE COGNATES are words that have a common etymological origin. They are words that exist in two languages that are spelled exactly or almost exactly the same way and have the same meaning.

For example, the ENGLISH word “VACATION” and the SPANISH word “VACACIÓN” both come from the LATIN word “VACATIONEM”.

HOW DOES A TRUE COGNATE HELP TO LEARN ENGLISH/SPANISH?

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, many of them the same words that Spanish uses. Both languages have borrowed many words from Classical Greek. So, this results in thousands of true cognates between English and Spanish. This helps to give us an advantage in learning vocabulary in English.

EXAMPLES OF ENGLISH/SPANISH TRUE COGNATES

My name is Adrian Garcia. I was born in September 4, 2005. My family is from Puerto Rico. I am seven years old. I like to go to the supermarket with my mother. I like to eat bananas. This week I celebrate my birthday. My favorite color is blue. My party is decorated with blue balloons.

OTHER EXAMPLESLOS APARTAMENTOS - APARTMENTS

EL HOTEL - HOTEL EL AEROPUERTO - AIRPORT

EL MAPA - MAP EL OPERADOR - OPERATOR

EL TOMATE - TOMATO EL MELÓN - MELON

WE CAN SEE 9 COGNATES IN THIS PARAGRAPH:

1. SEPTEMBER – SEPTIEMBRE

2. FAMILY- FAMILIA

3. SUPERMARKET- SUPERMERCADO

4. BANANAS-BANANA

5. CELEBRATE-CELEBRAR

6. FAVORITE- FAVORITO

7. COLOR- COLOR

8. DECORATED-DECORADO

9. BALLOONS- BALÓN

FALSE COGNATES

As we have seen, True Cognates are words that sound similar, have similar spelling and have the same meaning in the two languages. For example teléfono-telephone; persona- person; invitar-invite. However, there are many words called FALSE COGNATES. The term “FALSE COGNATES” to refer to words from two languages that look alike through pure coincidence; false cognates have no common root or meaning.

IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO LEARN ENGLISH FALSE COGNATES, IN ORDER NOT TO MAKE MISTAKES, SUCH AS TELLING SOMEONE: SYMPATHETIC (COMPREHENSIVE) – COMPRENSIVO. WHEN WHAT WE MEAN IS NICE – SIMPATICO.

“I actually work and study”. ENGLISH: “ACTUALLY” – SPANISH: “EN REALIDAD O REALMENTE”.ENGLISH: “CURRENTLY” – SPANISH: “ACTUALMENTE”.“ACTUALMENTE ESTUDIO Y TRABAJO.” “I CURRENTLY WORK AND STUDY”.ACTUAL (INGLÉS) = REAL, VERDADERO (ESPAÑOL).ACTUAL (ESPAÑOL) = CURRENT (INGLÉS).He has retired, but he is still an ACTUAL leader.Se ha retirado, pero todavía él es un VERDADERO dirigente.I'm satisfied with my CURRENT income.Estoy satisfecho con mi salario ACTUAL.

Beware of false cognates! Students whose first language is Spanish may begin to assume that all English words that sound the same as Spanish words also have the same meaning. These students fall victim to false cognates and this can lead to embarrassing situations.

THE FOLLOWING LIST OF FALSE COGNATES WILL BE HELPFUL TO PEOPLE WHO WANT TO LEARN ENGLISH LANGUAGE. IF THEY ARE FALSE COGNATES IT IS PRECISELY BECAUSE THE WORDS LOOK ALIKE BUT THEIR MEANING IS DIFFERENT.

FALSE COGNATESFALSOS COGNADOS

EXAMPLESEJEMPLOS

TO ADVERTISEANUNCIAR

TO WARNADVERTIR

THERE'S NO NEED TO ADVERTISE A GOOD WINENO HAY NECESIDAD DE ANUNCIAR UN BUEN VINO

TOM TRIED TO WARN MARY, BUT SHE IGNORED HIMTOM TRATÓ DE ADVERTIR A MARY, PERO ELLA LO IGNORÓ

ADVICECONSEJOS

NOTICEAVISO

I NEED YOUR ADVICENECESITO TU CONSEJO TOM WAS DISMISSED WITHOUT NOTICETOM FUE DESPEDIDO SIN PREVIO AVISO

ARMBRAZO

GUNARMA

SOMEBODY CAUGHT ME BY THE ARMALGUIEN ME AGARRÓ POR EL BRAZO

BILL WAS KILLED WITH A GUNMATARON A BILL CON UN ARMA

MISERYTRISTEZA POVERTY

MISERIA

THE MISERY OF OTHERS LEAVES A WEIRD TASTELA TRISTEZA AJENA DEJA UN EXTRAÑO SABOR

HE WAS DOOMED TO LIFE-LONG POVERTYFUE DESTINADO A PASAR MISERIA DE POR VIDA

TO COMPLAINQUEJARSE

TO PLEASECOMPLACER

I HAVE NOTHING TO COMPLAIN ABOUTNO TENGO NADA DE QUE QUEJARMEJOHN IS EASY TO PLEASEJOHN ES FÁCIL DE COMPLACER

CONDUCTORDIRECTOR DE ORQUESTA

DRIVERCONDUCTOR

THE CONDUCTOR APPEARED ON THE STAGEEL DIRECTOR APARECIÓ EN EL ESCENARIO

THE DRIVER ASKED ME WHICH WAY TO GOEL CONDUCTOR ME PREGUNTÓ QUÉ CAMINO TOMAR

CONTESTCONCURSO

TO ANSWERCONTESTAR

WE WILL HAVE A MUSIC CONTEST SOONPRONTO TENDREMOS UN CONCURSO DE MÚSICA NO STUDENT WAS ABLE TO ANSWER THE QUESTIONNINGÚN ESTUDIANTE PUDO CONTESTAR LA PREGUNTA

CURSEMALDICIÓN

COURSECURSO

THE FAMILY SEEMED TO BE UNDER A CURSELA FAMILIA PARECÍA ESTAR BAJO UNA MALDICIÓN STUDENTS WILL TAKE ONE OF THESE ENGLISH COURSESLOS ESTUDIANTES TOMARÁN UNO DE ESTOS CURSOS EN INGLÉS

DATEFECHA

DATADATO

WRITE DOWN YOUR DATE OF BIRTH HEREESCRIBA SU FECHA DE NACIMIENTO AQUÍ

THE DATA HASN'T BEEN COMPILED YETLOS DATOS NO HAN SIDO COMPILADOS AÚN

DECEPTIONENGAÑAR

DISAPPOINTMENTDECEPCIÓN

THE ART OF PLEASING IS THE ART OF DECEPTIONEL ARTE DE COMPLACER ES EL ARTE DE ENGAÑAR THE PARTY WAS A BIG DISAPPOINTMENTLA FIESTA ES UNA GRAN DECEPCIÓN

EMBARRASSEDAVERGONZADO

PREGNANTEMBARAZADA

I WAS EMBARRASSED TO LOOK HER IN THE EYEESTABA AVERGONZADO PARA VERLA A LOS OJOS SHE IS EIGHT MONTHS PREGNANTELLA ESTÁ EMBARAZADA DE OCHO MESES

ELABORATEDETALLADO

MANUFACTURINGELABORADO

HIS THEORY IS BASED ON ELABORATE INVESTIGATION.SU TEORÍA ESTÁ BASADA SOBRE UNA DETALLADA INVESTIGACIÓN

HIS COMPANY ENGAGES IN THE MANUFACTURING OF STAINLESS STEELSU EMPRESA SE DEDICA AL ELABORADO DE ACERO INOXIDABLE

THIS INFORMATION DOES NOT GUARANTEE THAT YOU DO NOT MAKE MISTAKES AND DO NOT WORRY BECAUSE WE ALL DO, BUT IT WILL HELP YOU AVOID THEM, JUST BE PATIENT AND TRY TO UNDERSTAND THE WORD ACCORDING TO ITS CONTEXT.