English is considered a Germanic language, whereas French is a Romance language. Yet, they share a substantial amount of vocabulary. The main reason is attributed to the Norman Conquest of England in the eleventh century. As a result, the English language borrowed a lot of French words. French Prime Minister Georges Clemenceau (1841-1929) famously claimed that “English is just badly pronounced French.” This is why the US Foreign Service Institute (FSI), which provides language training to diplomats and government employees, ranks French in the easiest language learning category for English speakers.
English Cognates
History aside, we can definitely capitalize on this connection. There are a lot of English cognates in the French language. Moreover, English has become a universal language. Hence, some English words have obviously found their way into many languages, including French.
Cognates often have the same meaning in French and English. However, it is important to note that this is not always the case, as languages have evolved separately. For example, the French word “déception” means disappointment or disillusion, not “deception” as you may have guessed. That would be “tromperie.” Similarly, the word “location” in French means “rental” and not “location.” That being said, recognizing English cognates is a powerful tool that can enhance the French vocabulary of any English-speaking learner.
Here, we list some parallels between English and French words. We hope that this will make you realize how many French words you already know or perhaps are able to guess correctly.
It is also important to note that these are not considered strict rules, but rather useful guidelines to make learning French easier.
List of English Cognates in French
| English | French | Examples |
| -ile | -ile | agile, automobile, fragile, hostile |
| -or | -eur -eure | couleur, erreur, intérieur, inventeur, supérieur |
| -ble | -ble | inévitabile, noble, notable, possible, probable, terrible |
| -al | -al -ale | animal, canal, central, final, local, social |
| -al | -el -elle | réel, personnel, industriel |
| -cal | -que | critique, physique, logique, magique, mécanique |
| -ic | -ique | démocratique, diabétique, fantastique, plastique |
| -ant | -ant -ante | élégant, ignorant, important, tolérant |
| -ent | -ent -ente | client, compétent, continent, différent, intelligent |
| -ment | -ment | document, élément, monument, parlement |
| -ist | -iste | artiste, communiste, dentiste, pianiste, touriste |
| -am | -amme | calligramme, diagramme, programme, télégramme |
| -em | -ème | emblème, poème, problème, sistème |
| -ous | -eux -euse | curieux, furieux, mystérieux, nerveux, religieux |
| -ary | -aire | anniversaire, contraire, culinaire, dictionnaire, imaginaire, itinéraire, salaire |
| -tion | -tion | condition, édition, nation, notion, situation |
| -tional | -tionnel -tionnelle | additionnel, rationnel, traditionnel, conditionnel |
| -tial | -tiel -tielle | confidentiel, essentiel, partiel, potentiel, résidentiel |
| -ce | -ce | différence, évidence, violence, importance, élégance |
| -cy | -ce -tie | agence, démocratie, aristocratie, urgence, clémence |
| -ty | -té | autorité, cavité, dignité, identité, possibilité, unité |
| -ly | -ment | naturellement, normalement, probablement, totalement |
| -phy | -phie | cinématographie, philosophie, photographie, géographie |
| -sion | -sion | compassion, conclusion, conversion, décision, discussion, occasion, version |
| -ism | -isme | astigmatisme, communisme, idéalisme, organisme |
| -id | -ide | avide, splendide, fluide, liquide, lucide, placide, rapide, solide, timide, valide |
| -ive | -if -ive | actif, adhésif, additif, attractif, décisif, définitif, positif, négatif |
| -fy | -fier | certifier, glorifier, justifier, modifier, notifier, vérifier |
| -cate | -quer | compliquer, éduquer, impliquer, indiquer |
False Cognates
As mentioned earlier, there are some false cognates. It can be useful to be familiar with these false friends to avoid some embarrassing errors. Below is a list of some of the most common ones:
| French Word | Meaning in English | English Cognate | Meaning of cognate in French |
| attendre | to wait | attend | assister à |
| blessé | hurt or injured | blessed | béni |
| coin | corner | coin | pièce de monnaie |
| déception | disappointment | deception | tromperie |
| librairie | book store | library | bibliothèque |
| location | rental | location | localization |
| monnaie | change (money) | money | argent |
| prune | plum | prune | pruneau |
| raisin | grape | raisin | raisin sec |
Other lessons in Level I:
