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The 'convertible' words between English and Spanish are known as cognates.
English and Spanish Cognates are words in both languages that share
the same Latin root and which are very similar.
It is important to bear in mind that these cognates do not always translate from
one language to another precisely.
For example: "inferior" in Spanish may be used to refer to a subordinate in the
work-place, without carrying any of the derogatory meaning in the English usage.
In Spanish, "informal" means unreliable rather than casual. In spite of these
'false cognates', there are thousands of English words which can be converted
into Spanish along with much of their English meaning (especially the literal
meaning).
The cognates fall into suffix categories which, for clarity and convenience,
have been grouped under the following terms:
- Nouns
-
Adjectives
- Verbs
- Adverbs
Click here
for 2500 pairs of the most common Spanish-English Cognates.
Nouns
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
- color
- doctor
- director
- horror
|
- actor
- color
- doctor
- director
- horror
|
English nouns and Spanish nouns ending in '-al' are very common identical.
| #2. -al = -al |
|---|
| English |
Spanish |
|---|
- animal
- general
- hospital
- manual
- moral
|
- animal
- general
- hospital
- manual
- moral
|
Many English nouns ending with '-ist', can be converted into Spanish nouns
by changing to '-ista'.
| #3. -ist → -ista |
|---|
| English |
Spanish |
|---|
- artist
- egoist
- list
- socialist
- tourist
|
- artista
- egoista
- lista
- socialista
- turista
|
| #4. -ism → -ismo |
|---|
| English |
Spanish |
|---|
- idealism
- despotism
- mechanism
- organism
- optimism
|
- idealismo
- despotismo
- mecanismo
- organismo
- optimismo
|
| #5. -nce → -ncia |
|---|
| English |
Spanish |
|---|
- abundance
- arrogance
- experience
- patience
- intelligence
|
- abundancia
- arrogancia
- experiencia
- paciencia
- inteligencia
|
| #6. -ty → -dad |
|---|
| English |
Spanish |
|---|
- activity
- curiosity
- electricity
- identity
- university
|
- actividad
- curiosidad
- electricidad
- identidad
- universidad
|
| #7. -tion → -ción |
|---|
| English |
Spanish |
|---|
- association
- combination
- condition
- exemption
- instruction
|
- asociación
- combinación
- condición
- exempción
- instrucción
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English nouns ending with '-y' often corresponds to Spanish nouns ending with '-ía', '-ia', or '-io'.
| #8. -y → '-ía', '-ia', or '-io' |
|---|
| English |
Spanish |
|---|
- agency
- agony
- battery
- family
- history
- urgency
- remedy
- salary
- testimony
- dictionary
|
- agencia
- agonía
- batería
- familia
- historia
- urgencia
- remedio
- salario
- testimonio
- diccionario
|
Click here
for 2500 pairs of the most common Spanish-English Cognates.
Adjectives
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
- decisive
- festive
- effective
- indicative
|
- activo
- decisivo
- festivo
- efectivo
- indicativo
|
| #2. -al = -al |
|---|
| English |
Spanish |
|---|
- brutal
- usual
- local
- criminal
- natural
|
- brutal
- usual
- local
- criminal
- natural
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| #3. -ous → -oso |
|---|
| English |
Spanish |
|---|
- ambitious
- gracious
- delicious
- generous
- venomous
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- ambicioso
- gracioso
- delicioso
- generoso
- venenoso
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| #4. -ic → -ico |
|---|
| English |
Spanish |
|---|
- magnetic
- fantastic
- electric
- artistic
- automatic
|
- magnético
- fantastico
- eléctrico
- artistico
- automatico
|
| #5. -ble = -ble |
|---|
| English |
Spanish |
|---|
- admirable
- impossible
- terrible
- favorable
- notable
|
- admirable
- imposible
- terrible
- favorable
- notable
|
| #6. -nt → -nte |
|---|
| English |
Spanish |
|---|
- ignorant
- convenient
- prudent
- important
- triumphant
|
- ignorante
- conveniente
- prudente
- importante
- triunfante
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| #7. -id → -ido |
|---|
| English |
Spanish |
|---|
- stupid
- lucid
- splendid
- candid
- solid
|
- estupido
- lúcido
- esplendido
- cándido
- solido
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| #8. -ile → -il |
|---|
| English |
Spanish |
|---|
- agile
- fragile
- mobile
- juvenile
- automobile
|
- ágil
- frágil
- movil
- juvenil
- automóvil
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| #9. -ary → -ario |
|---|
| English |
Spanish |
|---|
- actuary
- arbitrary
- ordinary
- imaginary
- ordinary
|
- actuario
- arbitrario
- ordinario
- imaginario
- ordinario
|
Click here
for 2500 pairs of the most common Spanish-English Cognates.
Verbs
There are many English verbs that can be converted into Spanish, usually by
changing the ending of the English verb and adding the Spanish verb suffices 'ar',
'er' or 'ir'.
Almost every English verb ending in '-ate' can be coverted into a Spanish infinitive by replacing the
final '-ate' with '-ar'.
| #1. -ate → -ar |
|---|
| English | Spanish |
| accelerate | acelerar |
| accentuate | acentuar |
| aggregate | agregar |
| associate | asociar |
| demonstrate | demostrar |
| estimate | estimar |
| exaggerate | exagerar |
| negotiate | negociar |
| operate | operar |
| participate | participar |
| terminate | terminar |
Many English verbs ending in VOWEL + CONSONANT + T can be converted into Spanish verbs by adding
'-ar' or '-ir' to the end of the English verb.
| #2. VOWEL + CONSONANT + T → '-tar' or '-tir' |
|---|
| English | Spanish |
|---|---|
| insult | insultar |
| consult | consultar |
| exalt | exaltar |
| present | presentar |
| represent | representar |
| comment | comentar |
| ferment | fermentar |
| lament | lamentar |
| import | importar |
| comport | comportar |
| insert | insertar |
| support | soportar |
| export | exportar |
| convert | convertir |
| insist | insistir |
Many English infinitive verbs ending VOWEL + CONSONANT + E can be converted into Spanish infinitive
verbs by dropping the final E and adding '-ar'.
| #3. VOWEL + CONSONANT + E → VOWEL + CONSONANT + 'AR' |
|---|
| English | Spanish |
|---|---|
| abuse | abusar |
| accuse | acusar |
| cause | causar |
| excuse | excusar |
| admire | admirar |
| adore | adorar |
| compare | comparar |
| declare | declarar |
| implore | implorar |
| analyze | analizar |
| authorize | autorizar |
| civilize | civilizar |
| paralyze | paralizar |
| complete | completar |
| converse | conversar |
| escape | escapar |
| ignore | ignorar |
| invite | invitar |
| imagine | imaginar |
| prepare | preparar |
| organize | organizar |
| utilize | utilizar |
Almost every English infinitive verb ending with '-ify'
can be converted into a Spanish verb by replacing the final '-ify' with '-ificar'.
| #3. '-ify' → '-ificar' |
|---|
| English | Spanish |
|---|---|
| unify | unificar |
| simplify | simplificar |
| solidify | solidificar |
| classify | clasificar |
| notify | notificar |
| modify | modificar |
| gratify | gratificar |
| justify | justificar |
| pacify | pacificar |
| verify | verificar |
Click here
for 2500 pairs of the most common Spanish-English Cognates.
Adverbs
In English, "-ly" combines with
many adjectives to form adverbs.
In Spanish, "-mente" combines
with (feminine) adjectives to form Spanish adverbs.
| English |
Spanish |
| absolutely | absolutamente |
| normally | normalmente |
| naturally | naturalmente |
| finally | finalmente |
| correctly | correctamente |
| exactly | exactamente |
| evidently | evidentemente |
| difficultly | difícilmente |
Click here
for 2500 pairs of the most common Spanish-English Cognates.
PDF download:
English Spanish Cognates
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