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COGNADOS
Los cognados son palabras que comparten signifcado, ortografa y
pronunciacin similares en dos idiomas. Tambin son conocidos
como palabra afn, palabra relacionada o palabra cognada.
Mientras que el ingls comparte muy pocos cognados con un idioma
como el chino, 3! a "! de todas las palabras en ingls tienen una
palabra relacionada en espa#ol. $ara los estudiantes del idioma
ingls, los cognados son un puente e%idente para entender la lengua
e&tran'era.
(n trminos habituales, los cognados son palabras que comparten
un origen com)n, re*e'ando similitud en lo etimolgico y en su
signifcado.
+o obstante, todos los cognados no son positi%os o transparentes.
(&iste un grupo de palabras que pareciera tener un signifcado
similar en nuestro idioma pero en realidad su equi%alente no
coincide con lo esperado. ,s tenemos que los -ognados se clasifcan
en -ognados .erdaderos o Transparentes y /alsos -ognados. ,
continuacin se presenta el listado de -ognados de mayor uso, tanto
.erdaderos como /alsos, los cuales representan una autntica
herramienta empleada para el aprendi0a'e y la comprensin del
1ngls.
1. TRUE COGNATES (Cognados verdaderos)
(nglish
2panish3-45+,T(23-45+,642
,
accident accidente
accidental accidental
accompany (to) acompaar
acrobatic acrobtico(a)
active activo (a)
activities actividades
admire (to) admirar
adult adulto
adventure aventura
adopt (to) adoptar
adoption adopcin
African africano
agent agente
air aire
alarm alarma
allergic alrgico (a)
anaconda anaconda
animal animal
announce (to) anunciar
appear (to) aparecer
appetite apetito
area rea
arithmetic aritmtica
artist artista
association asociacin
astronomer astrnomo
atmosphere atmsfera
attention atencin
August agosto
autograph autgrafo
automobile automvil
admit (to) admitir
7
banana banana
banjo banjo
bicycle bicicleta
biography biografa
blouse blusa
brilliant brillante
-
cabin cabina (de telfono,
avin, etc)
cable cable
cafeteria cafetera
camera cmara
camou!age camu!aje
canyon can
captain capitn
capture (to) capturar
catastrophe catstrofe
cause causa
celebrate (to) celebrar
cement cemento
center centro
ceramic cermica
cereal cereal
ceremony ceremonia
chimney chimenea
chimpan"ee chimpanc
cholera clera
circle crculo
circular circular
class clase
coast costa
colony colonia
color color
6
#ecember diciembre
decide (to) decidir
decoration decoracin, adorno
delicate delicado(a)
depend (to) depender
deport (to) deportar
describe (to) describir
desert desierto
destroy (to) destruir
direction direccin
directions direcciones
directly directamente
director director
disappear (to) desaparecer
disaster desastre
discrimination discriminacin
discuss (to) discutir
disgrace desgracia
distance distancia
distribute (to) distribuir
dollar dlar
double doble
dragon dragn
dynamite dinamita
dinosaur dinosaurio
(
electric elctrico(a)
elephant elefante
enormous enorme
energy energa
enter (to) entrar
escape (to) escapar
especially especialmente
e$amine (to) e$aminar
e$claim e$clamar
e$plosion e$plosin
e$otic e$tico(a)
e$tra e$tra
detain (to) detener e$traordinary
e$traordinario(a)
determine (to) determinar
diamond diamante
dictator dictador
di%erent diferente
committee comit
common com&n
complete completo(a)
completely completamente
company compaa
concert concierto
confetti confeti
confusing confuso
confusion confusin
constellation constelacin
construction construccin
contagious contagioso(a)
continent continente
continue (to) continuar
contract contrato
contribution contribucin
coyote coyote
crocodile cocodrilo
curious curioso(a)
/
family familia
famous famoso(a)
fascinate (to) fascinar
favorite favorito(a)
ferocious fero"
'nally 'nalmente
'rm 'rme
!e$ible !e$ible
!o(er !or
fortunately afortunadamente
fruit fruta
funeral funeral
furious furioso(a)
5
gala$y gala$ia
gallon galn
garden jardn
gas gas
gira%e jirafa
golf golf
glorious glorioso(a)
gorilla gorila
group grupo
guide gua
8
helicopter helicptero
hippopotamus hipoptamo
history historia
honor honor
hospital hospital
hotel hotel
hour hora
human humano(a)
1
idea idea
identi'cation identi'cacin
imagine (to) imaginar
immediately inmediatamente
immigrants inmigrantes
importance importancia
important importante
impressed impresionando(a)
impression impresin
incredible increble
incurable incurable
independence independencia
information informacin
insects insectos
inseparable inseparable
insist (to) insistir
inspection inspeccin
intelligence inteligencia
interesting interesante
interrupt (to) interrumpir
introduce (to)
introduction
introducir
introduccin
invent (to) inventar
investigate (to) investigar
invitation invitacin
invite (to) invitar
island isla
L
leader lder
lemon limn
lens lente
leopard leopardo
lesson leccin
lessons lecciones
line lnea
lion len
list lista
locate (to) locali"ar
M
machine m)uina
magic magia
magician mago
magni'cent magn'co(a)
manner manera
map mapa
*arch mar"o
march (to) marchar, caminar
marionettes marionetas, tteres
medal medalla
memory memoria
metal metal
microscope microscopio
million milln
miniature miniatura
minute minuto
minutes minutos
moment momento
monument monumento
much mucho
music m&sica
+
natural natural
necessity necesidad
nectar nctar
nervous nervioso(a)
notice noticia
4
obedience obediencia
object objeto
observatory observatorio
occasion ocasin
ocean ocano
+ctober octubre
o%ice o'cina
operation operacin
ordinary ordinario
$
palace palacio
panic pnico
paper papel
par, par)ue
part parte
patience paciencia
penguin ping-ino
perfect perfecto (a)
perfume perfume
permanent permanente
photo foto
photograph fotografa
photographer fotgrafo(a)
piano piano
pioneer pionero
pirate pirata
planet planeta
planetarium planetario
plans planes
plants plantas
plates platos
police polica
practice prctica
practice (to) practicar
prepare (to) preparar
present (to) presentar
problem problema
professional profesional
9
radio radio
ranch rancho
really realmente
restaurant restaurante
retire (to) retirar
reunion reunin
rich rico(a)
roc, roca
route ruta
2
secret secreto
.eptember septiembre
series serie
sofa sof
special especial
statistics estadstica
stomach estmago
study (to) estudiar
surprise sorpresa
T
telephone telfono
telescope telescopio
television televisin
terrible terrible
tomato tomate
totally totalmente
tourist turista
tra%ic tr'co
trap (to) atrapar
triple triple
trumpet trompeta
tube tubo
:
uniform uniforme
.
vegetables vegetales
version versin
visit (to) visitar
volleyball voleibol
vote (to) votar
splendid esplndido(a)
Adapted from/ 0aldern, *, August, #,
#urn, #, *adden, 1, 2 .lavin 3 * 4il
(5667). Spanish to English
Transitional Reading: Teacher's Manual.
8altimore, *#/ 9he .uccess for All :ou
ndation
2. FALSE FRIENDS OR COGNATES (Cognados Falsos)
Se denominan false friends (falsos amigos) o cognates (cognados) a las palabras que
por escribirse de la misma forma (o parecida) en espaol son confundidas, pero que en
realidad en ingls significan otra cosa. Por ejemplo, "conductor " en ingls no significa
conductor, sino que se refiere al director de la orquesta o al cobrador que se encuentra
en los autobuses. Aqu se encuentra una lista de los false friends o cognados ms
conocidos.
an abstract: resumen (y no abstracto)
actual: real, efectivo (y no actual, que se dice current)
actually: en realidad (y no actualmente, que se dice nowadays, at present)
to advertise: anunciar (y no advertir, que se dice to warn)
advice: consejos (y no aviso, que se dice warning, notice)
to apologise: pedir disculpas (y no apologa, que se dice defence)
apt: propenso (y no apto, que se dice qualifed, able)
argument: discusin, pelea (y no argumento de un libro/una pelcula, que se
dice plot)
arm: brazo (y no arma, que se dice gun)
to assist: ayudar (y no asistir a un lugar, que se dice to attend)
balloon: globo (y no baln, que se dice ball)
bank: banco - la institucin (y no banco de plaza, que se dice bench)
billet: acuartelamiento, alojamiento militar (y no billete, que se dice ticket o
note)
billion: mil millones (y no billn, que se dice trillion)
brave: valiente (y no bravo, que se dice ferce)
camp: base militar o campamento (y no campo en general, que se dice feld)
carpet: alfombra (y no carpeta, que se dice folder)
cartoon: dibujos animados, tira cmica (y no cartn, que se dice cardboard)
casualty: vctima o herido (y no casualidad, que se dice coincidence)
cellular: celular, relativo a la clula (y no telfono celular, que se dice mobile
telephone)
collar:cuello de las prendas de vestir (y no collar, que se dice necklace)
college: facultad, colegio universitario (y no colegio, que se dice school)
command: orden, mandato (y no comando, que se dice commando unit)
commodity: mercanca o materia prima (y no comodidad, que se dice comfort)
complexion: tez, tono de la piel (y no complexin, que se dice body type)
conductor: director de orquesta o cobrador (y no conductor, que se dice driver)
confdent: seguro de s mismo (y no confdente, que se dice confdant)
(to be) constipated: sufrir de estreimiento (y no estar constipado, que se dice
to have a cold/chill)
council: consejo (y no conciliar, que se dice to reconcile)
deception: engao (y no decepcin, que se dice disappointment)
dessert: postre (y no desierto, que se dice desert)
dinner: cena (y no dinero, que se dice money)
diversion: desviacin (y no diversin, alegra, que se dice fun)
dramatic: drstico, espectacular
economics: economa (y no econmicos, que se dice cheap)
embarrassed: avergonzado/a (y no embarazada, que se dice pregnant)
eventual: defnitivo o posible (y no eventual, que se dice casual, incidental)
eventually: fnalmente, tarde o temprano (y no eventualmente que se dice by
chance, possibly)
exit: salida (y no xito, que se dice success)
fabric: tela (y no fbrica, que se dice factory)
form: formulario (y no forma, que se dice shape)
fume: vapor o gas (y no fumar, que se dice smoke)
gracious: corts (y no gracioso, que se dice funny)
grocery: tienda de comestibles (y no grosera, que se dice rudeness o
rudeword/expression)
horn: cuerno (y no horno, que se dice oven)
idiom: modismo, locucin (y no idioma, que se dice language)
inhabitant: habitante (y no inhabitado, que se dice uninhabited)
involve: involucrar (y no envolver, que se dice wrap)
large: grande (y no largo, que se dice long)
lecture: conferencia (y no lectura, que se dice reading)
lentil: lenteja (y no lentilla, que se dice contact lens)l
ibrary: biblioteca (y no librera, que se dice bookshop)
mayor: alcalde (y no mayor, que se dice bigger)
media: medios (y no media, que se dice sock)
misery: tristeza (y no miseria, que se dice poverty)
to molest: abusar sexualmente (y no molestar, que se dice to bother o to annoy)
notice: nota, anuncio (y no noticia, que se dice a piece of news)
occurrence: aparicin (y no ocurrencia, que se dice absurd idea)
ordinary: comn (y no vulgar, que se dice vulgar)
pan: cacerola, cazuela (y no pan, que se dice bread)
parents: padres (y no parientes, que se dice relatives)
policy: poltica (y no polica, que se dice police)
preservative: conservante (y no preservativo, que se dice condom)
to quit: abandonar, dejar (y no quitar, que se dice to remove o to put away)
regular: de tamao normal (y no regular, que se dice bad, not so good)
rude: maleducado, descorts (y no rudo, que se dice rough)
to realize: darse cuenta (y no realizar, que se dice to make)
to record: grabar (y no recordar, que se dice to remember)
to remove: quitar, eliminar (y no remover, que se dice to stir)
to resume: reanudar, continuar o reasumir (y no resumir, que se dice to
summarize o to sumup)
salad: ensalada (y no salado, que se dice salty)
sane: cuerdo (y no sano, que se dice healthy)
sensible: sensitivo (y no sensible, que se dice sensitive)
sensitive: sensible (y no sensitivo, que se dice sensible)
signature: frma (y no asignatura, que se dice subject)
sin: pecado (y no sin, que se dice without)
spade: pala (y no espada, que se dice sword)
success: xito (y no suceso, que se dice event)
to support: apoyar (y no soportar, que se dice to put up with)
sympathy: compasin, comprensin, psame (y no simpata, que se dice
friendliness,afection)
target: objetivo (y no tarjeta, que se dice card)
terrifc: fenomenal, genial (y no terrorfco, que se dice terrifying)
to traduce:calumniar (y no traducir, que se dice to translate)
to translate: traducir (y no trasladarse, que se dice to move)
tramp: vagabundo (y no trampa, que se dice trap)
zealous: entusiasta (y no celoso, que se dice jealous)
Now in ENGLISH!!!!!!!
(COGNADOS.Definition: In a technical sense, two words that have a common origin are cognates. Most often,
cognates are words in two languages that have a common etymology and thus are similar or identical. For example,
the English "ios" and the !panish quiosco are cognates "ecause they "oth come from the #urish kosk.
$ognates often have a similar meaning, "ut in some cases the meaning has changed over the centuries in one
language or another. %n example of such a change is the English word "arena," which usually refers to a sports
facility, and the !panish arena, which usually means "sand." #hey "oth come from the &atin harena, which
originally meant "sand" and came in time to also refer to an area of a 'oman amphitheater that was covered with
sand. !panish retained the meaning of "sand" (although the word can sometimes refer to a sports arena), "ut English
expanded the word(s meaning to include facilities something lie the 'oman amphitheater.
In a popular and less technical sense, the term "cognate" also is used to refer to words in two languages that are
similar "ut have no common origin, such as the !panish sopa (meaning "soup") and the English "soap."
%lso in a popular and not technical sense, the phrase "false cognate" is used to refer to cognates that have different
meanings, such as the !panish molestar (to "other) and the English "molest" (to a"use sexually). % more precise term
to use for such word pairs is "false friends."
Examples:
$ognate pairs with similar meanings num"er in the thousands and include "a)ure"*azul, "committee"*comit and
"morphine"*morfina. !panish cognates that are false friends include asistir (which usually means "to attend," not "to
assist"), contestar (which usually means "to answer," not "to contest") and sano (which usually means "healthy"
rather than "sane+
FALSE
&earning !panish voca"ulary can seem so easy, $onstituticin means "constitution," nacin means "nation," and
decepcin means "deception," right-
.ot /uite. #rue, most words that end in -cin can "e translated into English "y changing the suffix to "0tion." %nd the
pattern holds true for the first two words listed a"ove (although constitucin refers to how something is constituted
more often than does the English word, which usually refers to a political document). 1ut una decepcin is a
disappointment, not a deception.
!panish and English have literally thousands of cognates, words that are "asically the same in "oth languages,
having the same etymology and similar meanings. 1ut com"inations such as decepcin and "deception" are so0called
false cognates 2 nown more precisely as "false friends" or falsos amigos 2 word pairs that loo lie they might
mean the same thing "ut don(t. #hey can "e confusing, and if you mae the mistae of using them in speech or
writing you(re liely to "e misunderstood.)