Vocabulary: cognates and false friends

Many Spanish words look like English words and mean the same: these are cognates. Some look the same but mean something else: these are false friends.

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Cognate nouns

-ción = -tion (feminine), -dad = -ty (feminine), -ista = -ist.
SpanishEnglish
la actividadactivity
la atenciónattention
la decisióndecision
la diferenciadifference
la dificultaddifficulty
la energíaenergy
la importanciaimportance
la independenciaindependence
la influenciainfluence
la mayoríamajority
la oportunidadopportunity
la personalidadpersonality
la posibilidadpossibility
la situaciónsituation
el / la artistaartist

Cognate adjectives

-al = -al, -ivo = -ive, -ico = -ic or -ical.
SpanishEnglish
culturalcultural
eléctrico / eléctricaelectric
esencialessential
europeo / europeaEuropean
histórico / históricahistoric
internacionalinternational
negativo / negativanegative
positivo / positivapositive
originaloriginal
perfecto / perfectaperfect
popularpopular
responsableresponsible
especialspecial
tradicionaltraditional
moderno / modernamodern

False friends

These look like English words but mean something different.
SpanishEnglish
la libreríabookshop (not library)
embarazadapregnant (not embarrassed)
constipado / constipadahaving a cold (not constipated)
la carpetafolder (not carpet)
sensiblesensitive (not sensible)
actualcurrent (not actual)
asistir ato attend (not to assist)
el éxitosuccess (not exit)
realizarto carry out (not to realise)
la ropaclothes (not rope)
molestarto bother (not to molest)
el colegioschool (not college)
largo / largalong (not large)
el parienterelative (not parent)
Worked example

Work out the meaning: "La película fue un gran éxito y el director es muy sensible."

  1. éxito = success (false friend)
  2. sensible = sensitive (false friend)

Answer: The film was a great success and the director is very sensitive.

Key idea

Cognates: -ción, -dad, -ista nouns (la decisión, la posibilidad, el artista); -al, -ivo, -ico adjectives. False friends: la librería (bookshop), embarazada (pregnant), constipado (having a cold), la carpeta (folder), sensible (sensitive), actual (current), el éxito (success), largo (long), el pariente (relative).

Common mistakes
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Extra practice

2 more questions

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  1. What does la posibilidad mean?

    1. possibility
    2. majority
    3. activity
    4. difference
    Show the answer

    Answer: possibility

    La posibilidad = possibility.

  2. Which is the Spanish for "opportunity"?

    1. la oportunidad
    2. la dificultad
    3. la independencia
    4. la situación
    Show the answer

    Answer: la oportunidad

    Opportunity = la oportunidad.

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Last updated 2 October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us and we will fix it.

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