Cognates can be your best friends when learning new Spanish vocabulary.

You use them around the house. You use them in the kitchen. You use them while you’re traveling.

But still, the word “cognate” sends a chill down your spine.

Well, fortify your constitution and read on because today we’re talking about cognates, whether you like it or not.

The intimidation factor is, perhaps, well deserved. After all, it’s well known that false cognates could lead to embarrassment. False friends aren’t your friends at all.

But the innocent cognate doesn’t deserve its bad rap.

Simply put, cognates are words with the same root word. Since they have the same origin, they sound and are spelled quite similarly.

The most common cognates between English and Spanish are derived from Latin words.

On the other hand, the language learner’s much-loathed false cognate looks like it might share the same meaning but does not. This can lead to misusing words.

But don’t confuse cognates and false cognates. While false cognates are an enemy to be feared, cognates can be a language learner’s best friends.

First of all, cognates are easy to learn. After all, you already know a word that sounds nearly the same and has a similar meaning.

Additionally, you can learn cognates quickly since they’re already so familiar. You won’t need to drill them into your brain with flashcards. Instead, you can often learn them by just reading them a couple times. And best of all, this quick progress is tremendously motivating.

Finally, they’re easy to remember permanently. Even if you don’t practice your Spanish for years, cognates are the words that will linger in your mind since they’re so similar to English-language words you use on a regular basis.

Verb cognates are particularly valuable to learn because they’re so versatile. They can transition into adjectives by using the past participle (where you remove the -ir, -er or –ar and add an -ido or -ado), so learning them skyrockets your functional vocabulary.

1. Abandonar

<em>Abandonar</em> means “to abandon.” Note that it’s very similar in spelling to the English-language verb. The only variation is the addition of -ar.

2. Activar

<em>Activar</em> means “to activate.” This time, the Spanish language word drops the “-ate” of the English-language word and replaces it with an -ar. You’ll notice this pattern in other verbs, too, so read on.

3. Administrar

<em>Administrar</em> means “to administer.” Instead of ending in -er like the English-language version, the ending -rar is used.

4. Ajustar

<em>Ajustar</em> means “to adjust.” While the Spanish-version of the word has dropped the d and added an -ar at the end, it’s still quite similar to the English-language word.

5. Admitir

<em>Admitir</em> means “to admit.” As you can see, it’s spelled the same as the English-language word but with -ir tacked onto the end. Verbs that end in “t” in English are often spelled the same in Spanish but with the added -ar, -ir or -er ending.

6. Adoptar

<em>Adoptar</em> means “to adopt.” Again, the English word ends in “t,” so the only difference in the Spanish-language word is the addition of -ar.

7. Afectar

Afectar means “to affect.” Once again, the English-language word ends in “t,” so the Spanish word added the -ar ending. Additionally, the Spanish-language word uses only one f since double consonants are rare in Spanish.

8. Asignar

<em>Asignar</em> means “to assign.” The absence of a second s and the -ar ending are the only spelling differences between the Spanish and English words. However, the pronunciation varies more between languages than the spelling since the g is pronounced in the Spanish word.

9. Calcular

<em>Calcular</em> means “to calculate.” Again, the Spanish-language version of the word omits the “-ate” and replaces it with an -ar.

10. Calmar

<em>Calmar</em> means “to calm.” As you can see, the spelling is identical apart from the additional -ar ending in the Spanish version of the word.

11. Cancelar

<em>Cancelar</em> means “to cancel.” Again, the Spanish spelling is the same as the English spelling but with the addition of the -ar ending.

12. Celebrar

<em>Celebrar</em> means “to celebrate.” As with other English language verbs that end “-ate,” the Spanish version replaces the “-ate” with -ar.

13. Clarificar

<em>Clarificar</em> means “to clarify.” This spelling varies a bit more. The “y” from the English-language word is replaced with an i in the Spanish version and -car is tacked onto the end. Watch for this pattern with other English language verbs that end in “y.”

14. Clasificar

<em>Clasificar</em> means “to classify.” As was the case with clarificar, the Spanish-language version uses an i in place of the English “y” and tacks -car onto the end. Additionally, the Spanish word clasificar doesn’t use the double s like the English version.

Taken from <em>FluentU</em> <a href="https://www.fluentu.com/blog/spanish/spanish-cognates/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.fluentu.com/blog/spanish/spanish-cognates/</a>;