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French for English speakers

English isn't a Romance language, but it borrowed thousands of words from French and Latin: of the 2,264 everyday words in Cognata, 1,105 have a cognate between English and French. Start from those, and keep the false friends in sight.

Sets your pairing to English → French and opens the cognates.
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49%
distant cognates
4%
to learn fresh
47%

2,264 words compared

Words you already know

Everyday words whose English and French forms come from the same source.

False friends to watch

  • librairie (French) means “bookshop” · library (English) means “place to borrow books”

    Both go back to Latin LIBRĀRIUS 'of books' (French librairie is built on libraire 'bookseller'); English borrowed Old French librairie when it still meant a collection of books. Spanish librería and Italian libreria are bookshops too (Italian also 'bookcase').

  • éventuellement (French) means “possibly, if need be” · eventually (English) means “in the end”

    From Latin ĒVENTUS 'outcome'. Romance kept 'depending on what happens' (es eventualmente, it eventualmente too); English moved to 'as the final outcome'.

  • sensible (French) means “sensitive” · sensible (English) means “reasonable, level-headed”

    Both from Latin SENSIBILIS 'perceptible, able to feel'. The sisters kept 'able to feel' (es sensible, it sensibile); English drifted to 'having good sense'.

  • assister (à) (French) means “to attend, be present at” · assist (English) means “to help”

    Latin ASSISTERE 'to stand by'. French assister à means standing by as a spectator; assister quelqu'un 'to assist' exists but is formal. Spanish asistir a is the same trap.

  • préservatif (French) means “condom” · preservative (English) means “food additive that prevents decay”

    Both from Latin PRAESERVĀRE 'to guard beforehand'. Spanish preservativo and Italian preservativo are condoms too — ask for food 'sin conservantes', 'sans conservateurs', 'senza conservanti'.

  • coin (French) means “corner” · coin (English) means “piece of money”

    Both from Latin CUNEUM 'wedge'. French kept the wedge-shaped angle; English took Old French coin 'die for stamping money', and then the money itself.

Words to learn fresh

Common words where French went its own way.