COGNATE WORDS

IT IS AN ENGLISH WORD THAT YOU GUESS THE MEANING BECAUSE ITS

SPELLING IS CLOSE/SIMILAR TO PORTUGUESE.

HARMONY – POPULATION - HUMANITY

ANIMAL – CAMERA - NUCLEAR
COGNATES IN ENGLISH CAN BE:
NOUNS: TELEPHONE

ADJECTIVES : INTELLECTUAL

VERBS: COMMAND

ADVERBS: PERFECTLY
Cognate words are around the world.
English x Portuguese

English x Spain

English x French
THERE ARE A LOT OF SIMILARITIES IN OTHER LANGUAGES
BECAUSE THEIR ORIGINS ARE LATIN AND GREEK.
LATIN GREEK
 NOW, TRY TO IDENTIFY THE
COGNATE WORDS WHEN YOU READ
SOMETHING IN ENGLISH.
 The Washington Post reports that criminals and city street gangs across
the country use attack dogs such as rottweiler and pit bulls as weapons.
Although statistics are inconclusive, police and animal rights agree that
they now see more and more cases where dogs are involved in
violence, especially among people who enjoy the respect associated
with having a violent animal. In order to encourage aggressive
behavior, the owners often starve or mistreat dogs. A favorite trick,
according to the police, is to feed them gunpowder. Gunpowder gives
the animal a constant stomachache, making them more aggressive.
 English contains lots of false cognates, also
known as false friends. These are words that
look like they should have the same meaning
in Portuguese, but don’t. Often times this can
lead to funny or embarrassing situations, so
it’s good to know them.
 -ACTUALLY-
as a matter of fact – indeed – in fact
The tax rate is actually much higher.

-COSTUME-
garment – clothes - suit

He personates characters, with costume and mimic gesture.

 -INGENIOUS-
skillful – clever - inventive

She was ingenious at finding ways to work more quickly.

-EXQUISITE-
remarkable – amazing – unusual

She wore an exquisite dress.

 -ATTEND-
frequent – make an appearance

He'll be attending the university in the fall.

-REALIZE-
understand – perceive – comprehend
I didn't realize how much she loved me.
 -CONVICT-
condemn – sentence – doom

It was difficult to convict him of the falsity of his beliefs.

-COMPLIMENT-
praise - commendation

They paid him a high compliment.

01. (SEDEC – CE) – I did not realize until now that you are actually in a lot of pain. I
pretend to take you to the hospital for exams immediately. I promise to assist you
in any way possible. I’ll be waiting for you in the cafeteria. All of the words in bold
are false cognates. The word that is used INCORRECTLY in the sentence above is:

a) realize b) actually c) pretend

02. (ITA – SP) – Dadas as afirmações de que:

I. ingenious significa hábil, engenhoso;
d) assist e) cafeteria
C
II. to resume significa retomar;
III. syllabus pode significar sílaba;

constatamos que está(tão) correta(s):

a) apenas a afirmação I;;
b) apenas a afirmação II;
c) apenas a afirmação III;
d) apenas as afirmações I e II;
e) todas as afirmações.
D
03. (UP – PR) – The underlined word in: “The projected rise in population in the developing
world between 2000 and 2025 is actually just as large as the record–breaking increase in
the past quarter of a century, can be replaced by:

a) nowadays;
b)
c)
d)
e)
up to date;
scarcely;
hardly
indeed.
E
04. (ITA – SP) – Dadas as afirmações de que em português:
1. scholar significa letrado,
2. sensible significa sensato e
3. fabric significa tecido

Constatamos que está(ão) correta(s):

a) apenas a afirmação 1;
b) apenas a afirmação 2;
c) apenas a afirmação 3;
d) apenas a afirmação 1 e 2;
e) todas as afirmações.
E
05. (UERJ) – “... He realized that something was wrong with the car...” means:

a) He did something wrong when driving the car.

b) He noticed that he had made a mistake in driving the car.
c)
d)
e)
He understood that the car wasn’t all right.
He saw that he was driving the car in the wrong way.
He fixed the car because there was something wrong with it.
C
06. (IFTM – MG) – Push is a false cognate. In which of the sentences isn’t there
another one?

a) My parents have been living abroad for many years.

b) Actually he’s not been a great professor yet.
c)
d)
e)
Now I realize a lot of different things happening here.
Avoid diseases eating healthier food every day.
She’s attended several interesting lectures since she graduated.
D
 Educado – Educated
In English educated can be used as a verb to describe giving knowledge or schooling.

Example: I was educated in a private school.

Or it can be used to describe someone that has some schooling, can read, write, do
math or has some special knowledge in specific areas.

Example: Mike is a Harvard educated lawyer.

If you want to use the word educado you can say, polite.

Example: Mary seems really polite, she always says

‘please’ and ‘thank you.’
 Êxito – Exit
In English exit is the way or passage out of a building, plane, bus, etc.

Example: It is important to know where the exits are

in case of an emergency
If you want to use the word êxito you can say success.

Example: Success comes from a lot of hard work

and a little bit of luck.
 Fábrica – Fabric
In English fabric is the general word for a cloth made by weaving or knitting.

Example: I didn’t buy the shirt because I don’t like

synthetic fabric.
If you want to use the word fábrica you can say plant or factory.

Example: Many car factories have left the United States

and moved to other countries where labor is cheaper.
 Legenda – Legend
In English, a legend is a traditional story whose facts are unverified.

Example: Greek legends have been influential in

literature for a long time.
If you want to say legenda, you’ll want to use the word subtitle.

Example: It is a really good way to practice your English

to watch a movie in English with English subtitles.
 Preservativo – Preservative
This one has the potential to lead to some funny/embarrassing situations!

In English we use preservative to describe food additives that help prevent spoilage.

If you want to say preservativo in English, use condom.

 Push – Puxe

Similar sound, opposite meanings!

Push means to use force to move something away from you.

We use pull to describe puxe the opposite motion –

using force to bring something to you.
Prejudice= preconceito
Renders= torna/deixa