Wait, Don't I Already Know Some Spanish?
Yes, you really do! If you speak English, you already know a lot of Spanish words. Many English words are borrowed from Spanish, and many Spanish words are borrowed from English. You probably know a bunch, like:
Words Used in Both Languages
A burrito is a burrito, and a taco is a taco. These words are used in both languages, and they mean the same thing.
- burrito
- fiesta
- macho
- patio
- salsa
- siesta
- taco
Common Spanish Words You Commonly Hear in English
Thanks movies and media!
- amigo
- andale
- mañana
- mucho(s)
- muchacho
- cerveza
- gracias
Cognates: Words That Sound and Mean Similar Things in Both Languages
I'll bet you can think of a thousand of these!
Rule: nouns ending tion in English can be converted to Spanish by replacing it with
a ción.
English (-tion) | Español (ción) |
|---|---|
| Action | Acción |
| Admiration | Admiración |
| Appreciation | Apreciación |
| Attention | Atención |
| Attraction | Atracción |
| Celebration | Celebración |
| Collection | Colección |
| Combination | Combinación |
| Condition | Condición |
| Conservation | Conservación |
| Consideration | Consideración |
| Construction | Construcción |
| Fiction | Ficción |
| Nation | Nación |
| Simplification | Simplificación |
Rule: nouns ending ary can be converted to Spanish by replacing with a ario.
English (-ary) | Español (-ario) |
|---|---|
| Arbitrary | Arbitrario |
| Complementary | Complementario |
| Contrary | Contrario |
| Estuary | Estuario |
| Rosary | Rosario |
| Secretary | Secretario |
| Solitary | Solitario |
| Vocabulary | Vocabulario |
| Temporary | Temporario |
Rule: adjectives ending ic can be converted to Spanish by replacing with a ico.
English (-ic) | Español (-ico) |
|---|---|
| Academic | Académico |
| Basic | Básico |
| Comic | Cómico |
| Dramatic | Dramático |
| Electronic | Electrónico |
| Fantastic | Fantástico |
| Generic | Genérico |
| Heroic | Heroico |
| Ironic | Irónico |
| Medic | Médico |
| Public | Público |
| Systematic | Sistemático |
Rule: adjectives ending ous can be converted to Spanish by replacing with a oso.
English (-ous) | Español (-oso) |
|---|---|
| Curious | Curioso |
| Delicious | Delicioso |
| Glorious | Glorioso |
| Mysterious | Misterioso |
| Numerous | Numeroso |
| Precious | Precioso |
| Religious | Religioso |
| Tedious | Tedioso |
Rule: words ending ct in English can be converted to Spanish by replacing with a
cto.
English (-ct) | Español (-cto) |
|---|---|
| Abstract | Abstracto |
| Compact | Compacto |
| Conflict | Conflicto |
| Contact | Contacto |
| Correct | Correcto |
| Direct | Directo |
| Exact | Exacto |
| Perfect | Perfecto |
| Product | Producto |
| Select | Selecto |