Spanish words that you don’t know that you already know!
Following are but a few of the Spanish cognates (words that have a common etymological origin) that may help you better communicate here in Mexico.
Obviously, word forms, tense, passive/active voices, use as gerunds or infinitives and other ways we humans twist and turn our words can create numerous variations of most of these.
Suffice it to say that there are many, many more than we have listed here. These are simply words that you might have need of using. We have endeavored to not include those that might be inappropriate or offensive in this culture if used by foreigners.
However, with only these “basics”, you’ll be surprised just how far you can go in effectively expressing yourself with new Mexican amigos!
– A –
abandon – abandonar: (a-band- o-naur) (Roll the last syllable)
abbreviation – abreviación: (a-bra-ve-a-cion) (Roll the “r”)
abdomen – abdomen: (ab-dough-men)
abnormal – abnormal: (ab-nor-mal)
abound – abundar: (a-bund-dar) (Roll the last syllable)
abrasion – abrasión: (ah-bra-see-on)
abrupt – abrupto: (a-broop-to)
abscess – absceso: (ab-cess-o)
absolute – absoluto: (ab-sew-loot-o)
absolutely – absolutamente: (ab-sew-loota-menta) (Hard ”a” on last)
absorb – absorber: ab-sor-ber (Roll the last syllable)
abstain – abstenerse: (ab-ste-ner-say) (Hard last “a”)
absurd – absurdo: (ab-surd-o)
acceleration – aceleración: (ah-ce-leh-rah-see- on)
accident – accidente: (ac-say-dent-a)
accompany – acompañar: (ah-com-pah-nyar) (roll the last syllable.
accumulation – acumulación: (ah-coo-moo-lah-see-on)
abundant – abundante: (ah-boon-dan- tay)
abuse – abuso: (ah-boo-sew)
abyss – abismo: (ah-bis-mo)
academy – academia: (aca-dame-ia)
accent – acento: (ac-cento)
accept – aceptar: (ac-cep-tar)
access – acceso: (ac-cess-o)
accessory – accesorio: (ac-ses-sor-io) (Emphasis on “sor”)
accuse – acusar: (ac-cu-sar) (Emphasis on last syllable.)
acquire – adquirir: (ad-qee-rear) (Roll the first “r”)
activate – activar: (ac-ti-var)
active – activo: (ac-tivo)
adapt – adaptar: (a-dap-tar) (Roll last syllable)
addition – adición: (a-di-ce-on)
additional – adicional: (a-dic-i-on-al)
additive – aditivo: (ad-i-tiv-o)
adhere – adherir: (a-day-rear) (Roll the last syllable)
adhesive – adhesivo: (a-day-see-vo)
adjacent – adyacente: (ad-yah-cent-a)
adjust – ajustar: (ah-hoo-star)
administrate – administrar: (ad-min-is-strar)
admire – admirar: (ad-me-rar) (Roll the last syllable)
admit – admitir: (ad-me-tear)
adopt – adoptar: (ah-dop-tar) (Roll last syllable)
adore – adorar: (a-dough-rar) (Roll last syllable)
advance – avance: (ah-van-say)
adversity – adversidad: (Odd-ver-see- dad) (Roll second syllable)
affect – afectar: (a-fec-tar) (Emphasis on last syllable)
affirm – afirmar: (ah-fear-mar)
air – aire
automobile – automóvil: (outo-mo-vil) (But better perhaps is “coche” pronounced ‘coachee’)
– B –
blouse –blusa
– C –
classification – clasificación
correspondence – correspondencia
– D –
– E –
extraordinary – extraordinario(a)
– F –
– G –
– H –
– I –
– J –
– K –
– L –
– M –
– N –
– O –
– P –
– Q –
– R –
– S –
– T –
– U –
– V –
– W –
– X –
– Y –
– Z –
zigzag – zigzag