Visual Link Spanish Newsletter (V:1; I:17)

Complete Spanish Course!-----

Spanish Culture ----- Pregnant or Embarrassed?

As you learn Spanish, it's important to know that phrases can't always be translated directly from English to Spanish and expect to get them right or expect them to make sense. By the same token, you can't take words that sound the same in both languages and always suppose they have the same meaning.

Are you ready for a heavy duty term in the language learning world? It is the word "cognate". A cognate is a word that looks similar in English and Spanish and has the same meaning in both languages. For example, the word "irregular" in Spanish and English is spelled the same, has the same meaning, and has similar pronunciation. It is a cognate. There are many words in Spanish and English that are cognates and many words that are false cognates. A false cognate is a word that looks the same in both languages, sounds similar, but has a different meaning. You have to watch out for "false cognates" in Spanish because they can really get you into trouble. Let me give you an example of this.

The English word "embarrassed" sounds and looks a lot like the Spanish word "embarazada". Many people learning Spanish think it has the same meaning. However, the Spanish word "embarazada" actually means "pregnant"! Let me tell you -- there is a big difference between being "pregnant" and being "embarrassed". The following story will illustrate this fact and make you aware of "false cognates" so you don't have problems next time you hear one.

A large crowd had gathered together in an auditorium to hear a lecture. There were some native Spanish speakers, who were dignitaries, sitting on the stage. An American woman had been invited to address to the audience as one of the guest speakers. As she began speaking, she introduced herself, and then to break the ice, she pointed to the person on the stage who had invited her to speak and said in Spanish, "I'm 'embarazada' and it's his fault". She meant to say "I'm embarrassed and it's his fault," but what she actually said was "I'm 'pregnant' and it's his fault". The crowd gasped and everyone was in shock. You can imagine how she must have felt afterward when she found out what she had really said.

This is a very drastic example, but it's important to know that "false cognates" exist so you don't make the same type of mistakes. If you choose to learn Spanish with a Spanish course, it will generally teach you many of these false cognates as well as the correct ways to say things in Spanish. A formal course like our Visual Link Spanish™ program will help keep you on-track and avoid cultural faux-pas, and embarrassment.

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¡Hasta luego! (Until Later!)


David S. Clark -- President
U.S. Institute of Languages
dave@spanishprograms.com
http://www.spanishprograms.com