The easiest way to quickly start learning the French language or learning the German language, is to begin by looking at the cognates.
So what are cognates?
Cognates are words that are related by descent from the same ancestral language. Otherwise put, a COGNATE is a word that has the same original source as a similar word in another language and is therefore related to that word. The German word Haus is a cognate related to the English word “house.”
Another Cognate Example:
English father, German Vater, both are derived from Latin pater.
The origin or derivation of the word cognate is from early 17th century: from Latin cognatus, from co- ‘together with’ + natus ‘born’.
Simply put, you recognize the French or German word because the English word is ‘born’ out of the same ancestral language or root language, which could be Latin or Greek, for example.
Cognates may not be spelled identically the same and may not be pronounced identically the same; however, you will definitely recognize and identify the meaning because it is akin to your native language, English.
So how many German or French words to you already know before you even officially start to learn the language? THOUSANDS.
Here’s a very abbreviated list of German-English cognates:
Amerika – America
Ball – ball
Bär – bear
braun – brown
Finger – finger
Gras – grass
gut – good
Hamburger – hamburger
Land – land
Maus – mouse
Mutter – mother
Ring – ring
sauer – sour
Here’s a very abbreviated list of French-English cognates:
Amérique – America
ballon – ball
blond – blond
creme – cream
difficile – difficult
employeur – employer
garage – garage
invitation – invitation
logique – logical
musique – music
positif – positive
qualité – quality
réservation – reservation
théâtre – theater
Imagine now that there are actually thousands of cognates, and then you realize how much you already know prior to starting to learn French or starting to learn German. That’s an exciting start. This fact is yet another example which helps dispel the myth that “learning a language is hard.”
I always provide my French and German students with a list of cognates from the outset.
As a footnote, please be aware that there is such a thing as a “false cognate” or “false friend.” What is that? It is a French or German word that looks very similar or even the same as an English word, but carries a completely different meaning. It’s very important to be aware of those.
For example, you would not want to say to a German that you have a “Gift” for them for their birthday. Why? Because the German word “Gift” means poison in English. That gift would not be very well received.
It’s simple to get started. We can set up a free consultation and find out which language you’re ready to improve. CONTACT