Spanish Vocabulary

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Spanish English Cognates Flash Cards

Sunday, September 2nd, 2012

Teaming up with Luz B. Gallego, we published our first Kindle book: Spanish English Cognates Flash Cards.

In this book we included 1,500 pairs of essential Spanish English cognates. The cognates are presented in flash cards format. An alphabetical list of the cognates were also provided at the later part of the book. You can order your own copy here


Purchase “Spanish-English Cognates Flash Cards” (Kindle Edition) from Amazon

Opposite Spanish Words

Thursday, August 23rd, 2012

We collected about 50 pairs of opposite Spanish words. This list is free for download.

Spanish English Spanish English
largo long corto short
verdadero true falso false
todo everything nada nothing
cerca close lejos far
ancho wide estrecho narrow
alto tall bajo short
gordo fat, obese delgado thin, skinny
listo smart tonto dumb
izquierda left derecho right
temprano early tarde late
rápido fast despacio slow
difícil difficult fácil easy
duro hard suave soft
subir to go up bajar to go down
guapo good looking feo ugly
interesante interesting aburrido boring
buen, bueno good mal, malo bad
mejor better peor worse
negro black blanco white
fuerte strong débil weak
siempre always nunca never
simpático pleasant, nice antipático unpleasant, not nice
ganar to win perder (e/ie) to lose
despierto awake dormido asleep
abierto open, opened cerrado closed
cubierto covered descubierto uncovered
grande big (size) pequeño small (size)
caliente hot frío cold
mucho a lot, much poco small (amount)
inicio start fin end
empieza begins termina ends
exacto right equivocado wrong
vacío empty lleno full
presente present pasado(a) past
dentro in fuera out
claridad light oscuro dark
rico rich pobre poor
barato cheap caro expensive
saludable well (healthy) indispuesto sick, unhealthy
arrancar start parar stop
ligero light pesado heavy
alegre happy triste sad
valiente brave cobarde cowardly
hacia adelante forward hacia atrás backward
perdido lost encontrado found
joven young viejo old
menor younger mayor older
mojado wet seco dry
limpio clean sucio dirty
amor love odio hate
más more menos less
aparecer appear desaparecer disappear
escrito written hablado spoken
nuevo new usado used
paz peace guerra war

Where to go next?


  1. PDF download:
    Opposite Spanish Words

  2. Common Spanish-English Cognates

  3. Common Spanish Adjectives

  4. Common Spanish Nouns

  5. Recommened Learn Spanish Resources

Spanish Words for Weather

Friday, August 17th, 2012

People talk about weather all the time. Thus to build up your Spanish vocabulary, it is important to
learn these Spanish words that are related to weather.



altamente highly
atmósfera atmosphere
aviso advisory
brisa breeze
calor hot
centímetro centimeter
chaparrón downpour
chubasco squall, downpour
ciclón cyclone
clima climate
desconocido unknown
disperso scattered
despejado cloudless, clear
escarcha frost
este east
fresco cool
frío cold
granizada hailstorm
granizo hail, sleet
huracán hurricane
inundación flood
kilómetro kilometer
humedad humidity
leve light
llover to rain (v.)
lluvia rain
mapa map
mayormente mostly
metro meter
milla mile
mínimo minimum
neblina fog
nevada snowfall
nevar to snow (v.)
niebla fog
nieve snow
norte north
nube cloud
nublado cloudy
occidente west
oeste west
oriente east
parcialmente partly
pie foot
poniente west
posibilidad possibility
precipitación precipitation
presión air pressure
pronóstico forecast
pulgada inch
rocío dew
satélite satellite
sol sun
soleado sunny
sur south
temperatura temperature
tempestad (thunder) storm
terremoto earthquake
tiempo weather, time
tormenta storm
trueno thunder
ventisca snowstorm
visibilidad visibility
viento wind
vientos helados wind chill

Where to go next?


  1. PDF download:
    Spanish Words for Weather

  2. Common Spanish-English Cognates

  3. Common Spanish Adjectives

  4. Common Spanish Nouns

  5. Recommened Learn Spanish Resources

Spanish Words for Animals

Saturday, August 11th, 2012

The following list gives the common Spanish words for animals. This list, together with other lists,
hopefully can help you build up your Spanish vocabulary.

la abeja bee
el águila eagle
la araña spider
la ardilla squirrel
el arenque herring
el atún tuna
el avestruz ostrich
la avispa wasp
la ballena whale
el bisonte bison
el bogavante lobster
el búfalo buffalo
el búho owl
el burro donkey
el buey ox
el caballo horse
la cabra goat
el calamar squid
el camello camel
el cangrejo crayfish, crab
el canguro kangaroo
el caracol snail
la carpa carp
el castor beaver
la cebra zebra
el cerdo pig
el ciervo deer, stag
el ciervo volante stag beetle
el cisne swan
el cocodrilo crocodile
el cochinillo piglet
el colibri hummingbird
el conejo rabbit
la cucaracha cockroach
el cuervo raven
el chimpancé chimpanzee
el delfín dolphin
el elefante elephant
el erizo hedgehog
el escorpión scorpion
el faisán pheasant
la foca seal
la gallina hen
el gallo cock, rooster
el ganado livestock
el gato cat
la gaviota gull, seagull
el gorila gorilla
el grillo cricket
el gusano worm
el halcón falcon
el hámster hamster
la hiena hyena
el hipopótamo hippo
la hormiga ant
el insecto insect
el jaguar jaguar
la jirafa giraffe
el lagarto lizard
la langosta locust
el león lion
el lobo wolf
el loro parrot
el mapache raccoon
la mariposa butterfly
la medusa jellyfish, medusa
el mono monkey
la mosca fly
el mosquito gnat, mosquito
el murciélago bat
la nutria otter
la oca goose
la onza cheetah
el oso bear
el oso polar polar bear
la ostra oyster
la oveja sheep
el pájaro bird
el paajarito little bird
la paloma dove
la panda panda
la pantera panther
el pato duck
el pavo turkey
el pavón peacock
el pelícano pelican
el perro dog
el pez fish
el pingüino penguin
el pulpo octopus
el pollo chicken
la rana frog
la rata rat
el ratón mouse
el renacuajo tadpole
el rinoceronte rhino, rhinoceros
el ruiseñor nightingale
el salmón salmon
el sapo toad
la serpiente snake
el ternero calf
el tiburón shark
el tigre tiger
el topo mole
el toro bull
la tortuga turtle
la trucha trout
la vaca cow
la víbora viper
el zorro fox

Where to go next?


  1. PDF download:
    Spanish Words for Animals

  2. Common Spanish-English Cognates

  3. Common Spanish Adjectives

  4. Common Spanish Nouns

  5. Recommened Learn Spanish Resources

False Spanish English Cognates

Saturday, October 25th, 2008
The convertible words between Spanish and English are called “cognates“. These Spanish English cognates usually have the same roots. The Spanish English cognates are a hidden gem for English speakers who are learning Spanish (or for Spanish speakers who are learning English).

However, there are also many “false Spanish English cognates“. These pairs of words look similar in Spanish and English but their actual meanings can be very different. It is not uncommon for English speakers to use these false cognate words incorrectly without knowing it. To avoid making such mistakes in Spanish, it is to the student’s advantage to learn and master these Spanish English false cognates.

Following is a list of 56 common false Spanish English cognates. You can download a PDF of this false Spanish English cognates list at the end of this page.


Word Explanation (if any)


advertencia

n. warning, piece of advice, reminder, or preface

advertisement
n. un anuncio


aguardar

to wait for

guard
guardar; defender; proteger


argumento

n. reasoning (as in a courtroom)

argument
n. 1) argumento (in the sense of reasoning);
2) discusión, pelea, disputa, or polémica (in the sense of disagreement)


asesor

n. advisor

assessor
n. evaluador


asunto


n. subject, topic

assumption
n. suposición


atender

(Latin America) to attend; (Spain) to pay attention to, to heed, or to care for

attend

asistir

billete


n. item of paper money

bill
Besides money, bill has several other meanings in English: cuenta; proyecto de legislación.


bizarro

adj. 1) valient, gallant, brave, or 2) generous

bizarre

adj. extraño or raro

cámara


n. 1) a camera, 2) a camera operator, 3) a chamber.

camera
n. a still camera: una cámara


carrera

n. running, race; row, line; beam, girder, joist; route, ride, journey, course; avenue; career; university studies

career

n. una carrera profesional, una profesión (Note that career does not have the many meanings that ‘carrera’ has.)

cartera


n. wallet

card
n. tarjeta; naipe


colorado

adj. red or reddish

colored

adj. de color

comodidad


n. comfort

commodity
n. producto agrícola, especialmente mercancía


conexión

n. a physical or logical connection, not human connection

connection

n.1) conexión, 2) (when referring to human connection) relación

conformar


to be in agreement, but also to adapt

conform
adaptar, pero no significa estar de acuerdo


conveniente

adj. suitable, fitting, proper, useful, or advantageous

convenient

adj. cómodo, práctico, útil, or accesible

convenir


to be in one’s interest; to be suitable

convene
convocar


crudo

adj. raw, cruel

crude

adj. bruto, sin pulido

decente


adj.1) honest, 2) decent

decent
adj. decente; gentil; amable


decepción

n. disappointment (verb form: decepcionar = to disappoint)

deception

n. un engaño, un fraude

desgracia


n. misfortune, mishap, accident, setback, bad luck

disgrace
n. deshonra, ignominia


digno

adj. worthy

dignified

adj. distinguido

disco


n. 1) disco, 2) disk, discus, traffic-light, or (audio) record

disco
n. disco, discoteca, sala de baile


divisar

to discern

devise

idear, inventar, hacer con imaginación


editor

adj. publishing;
n. publisher, editor

editor
n. editor, director, redactor


elaborar

to make, to manufacture

elaborate
entrar en más detalle


excitar

to excite sexually

excite
entusiasmar or provocar


excusar


to exempt; to excuse (rarely used)

excuse


firma

n. 1) (commonly) a signature, 2) a firm

firm
adj. firme, sólido, duro, seguro;
n. una firma or una empresa

forzoso


adj. necessary, obligatory

forced
adj. involuntario, forzado


fundir

to melt, to smelt

found

establecer, fundar

fútbol


n. soccer

football
n. el fútbol americano


grosería

n. (only refers to) rudeness, crudeness, or vulgarity

grocery store

n. tienda de abarrotes/comestibles

ignorar


v. to not know, to be unaware of

ignore
v. no hacer caso de, desatender, or dejar a un lado


informal

adj. unreliable (person)

informal

adj. sin etiqueta o ceremonia

joven


adj. young (person)

juvenile
adj. inmaduro


librería

n. bookstore

library

n. biblioteca

librero


n. a bookseller or bookcase

library
n. una biblioteca


macro

n. picture, door or window frame

mark

n. mancha; señal or símbolo escrito; una característica sobresaliente


minorista

n. (Caribbean and South American) retail or retail seller

minority
n. la minoría;
adj. minoritario


negocio

n. a business, deal, or transaction

negotiation
n. una negociación


oculto

adj. 1) hidden, concealed, or secret, 2) occult

occult
adj. oculto or misterioso


ordinario


adj. 1) ordinary, common, coarse (in reference to a person);
2) fine or ok, as in answer to ¿Cómo estás?

ordinary
adj. normal or corriente


pareja

n. couple

pair

n. par

patrón


n. 1) a boss or owner; 2) a pattern or standard

patron
n. patrocinador or cliente


pie

n. foot.

pie

n. pastel

pila


n. small battery; basin

pile


plata

n. silver; money

plate

n. lámina; plato

presente


n. current, present. There is no ‘gift’ meaning

present
n. presente. ‘Gift’ in Spanish is ‘regalo’.


procurar

to try and to manage to do something (rarely means to procure)

procure

obtener, conseguir

propio


adj. one’s own; also proper

proper
adj. apropiado


red

n. network

red

n. the color rojo;
adj. rojo


ropa

n. clothing

rope
n. una cuerda or una soga


suceder

to happen or to follow, come next

succeed
1) tener éxito, triunfar; 2) suceder


trato

n. treaty, contract, but also social treatment

treatment
n. tratamiento


vaso

n. a glass or tumbler

vase
n. un florero or jarrón

Where to go next?



  1. Download the current page of false Spanish English cognates in PDF

  2. Learn More about Spanish English cognates

  3. Purchase the list of the most common Spanish-English Cognates. (And get a list 255 false Spanish English cognates as well.)