top of page
Search
Language Concepts LLC

Words That Translate Easily From English to Spanish


Are you a Spanish-speaker looking to improve your English vocabulary? Or an English-speaker trying to pick up some Spanish phrases? Look no further! In this post, we'll explore some English words that easily translate to Spanish. These are called cognates, words in different languages that have a similar origin and therefore, a similar meaning. They often have similar spellings and pronunciation. For example, the English word "action" and the Spanish word "acción" are cognates because they both come from the Latin word "actio." Similarly, the English word "animal" and the Spanish word "animal" are cognates because they both come from the Latin word "animalis."


Of course, this will just be the tip of the iceberg when it comes to English-Spanish translation. There are countless words and even some phrases that easily translate between the two languages. Both languages have been heavily influenced by Latin, and English also has a lot of influence historically from French and other Romance languages that share roots with Spanish.

Additionally, with technology and innovations happening so quickly and on a global scale, a lot of new words are very similar between languages. For example, the English word "computer" translates to "computadora" in Spanish. The words may not be exactly the same, but their meaning is easily recognizable. Another example is "telephone" (teléfono). These words are so similar that you could almost use them interchangeably!


Keep in mind, also, that while it can be fun to play around with these similarities, it's important to remember that professional translators should always be consulted for more complex ideas and business-related tasks. These examples are single words, but phrases and full sentences begin to get much more complex to translate. The right translation will also depend heavily on the context.


Also, relying too heavily on the idea that English and Spanish words that look similar have the same meaning can be problematic, leading to misunderstanding and confusion! For example, “Yo soy embarazada” might seem to an English speaker at first to mean “I am embarrassed,” but it means “I am pregnant”- a VERY different state of being. Another example is the Spanish “éxito” looks like “exit,” but actually means “success.”


While you can’t rely on assuming everything that looks similar to a word in your own language is the equivalent in the other, there are plenty, and studying them can speed up your learning of the other language! So the next time you're trying to expand your language skills, remember that English and Spanish have more in common than you might think. Happy translating and happy learning!


  1. Abandon: abandonar

  2. Abuse: abuso

  3. Academic: académico

  4. Accept: aceptar

  5. Access: acceso

  6. Accident: accidente

  7. Acid: ácido

  8. Action: acción

  9. Activist: activista

  10. Activity: actividad

  11. Additional: adicional

  12. Administrator: administrador

  13. Admission: admisión

  14. Admit: admitir

  15. Adolescent: adolescente

  16. Affect: afectar

  17. African: africano

  18. Agency: agencia

  19. Aggressive: agresivo

  20. Air: aire

  21. Airport: aeropuerto

  22. Alcohol: alcohol

  23. Analyst: analista

  24. Animal: animal

  25. Anual: anual

  26. Apparent: aparente

  27. April: abril

  28. Arab: árabe

  29. Artistic: artístico

  30. Athlete: atleta

  31. Basic: básico

  32. Car: carro

  33. Color: color

  34. Difficult: difícil

  35. During: durante

  36. Excellent: excelente

  37. Family: familia

  38. Hospital: hospital

  39. June: junio

  40. Minute: minuto

  41. Nation: nación

  42. Need: necesitar

  43. Park: parque

  44. Person: persona

  45. Personal: personal

  46. Possible: posible

  47. Problem: problema

  48. Public: público

  49. Restaurant: restaurante

  50. University: universidad

58 views0 comments

Opmerkingen


bottom of page