What are Cognates in French?

Cognates are words that have a common origin, and as a result, they often share similar meanings. For example, the English word “parent” comes from the Latin word “parere,” which means “to bring forth.” Likewise, the French word “parent” comes from the Latin word “parens,” which also means “to bring forth.” As you can see, these two words share a common origin, and as a result, they have very similar meanings.

While cognates can be helpful when trying to learn a new language, it’s important to keep in mind that not all words that sound alike necessarily have the same meaning. For instance, the English word “embarrassed” is derived from the French word “embarrassé,” which means “to block or hinder.” However, the English word “embarrassing” actually has more to do with causing someone to feel self-conscious or uneasy. So while cognates can be helpful when learning a new language, it’s important to be aware of potential differences in meaning.

When it comes to French cognates, there are three main categories: true cognates, false cognates, and partial cognates. True cognates are words that have the same meaning in both French and English. False cognates are words that sound similar but have different meanings. Partial cognates are words that have a common origin but have slightly different meanings.

Here are some examples of true French-English cognates:

• actual (adj): réel (adj)
• assistant (noun): assistant(e) (noun)
• certain (adj): sûr (adj)
• competition (noun): concurrence (noun)
• environment (noun): environnement (noun)
• material (adj): matériel(le) (adj)

And here are some examples of false French-English cognates:

• eventually (adv): finalement (adv) – Eventually means “in the end” or “after a long time,” while finalement means “finally.”

• intelligent (adj): intelligent(e)( adj)- Intelligent means “able to think abstractly,” while intelligent(e) means “clever.”

Lastly, here are some examples of partial French-English Cognates:

• interest ((verb/noun): intérêt ((verb/noun)- The verb form of interest, intéresser, can mean “to be interested in,” while the noun form can mean either “interest” or “benefit.”

Knowing these three types of Cognates will help you understand and use them correctly when reading, writing, and speaking in French!