Cognates are words that look and mean the same in Spanish and English. They are your secret weapon for reading comprehension — you already know thousands of Spanish words!
| Spanish | English | Pattern |
|---|---|---|
| información | information | -ción → -tion |
| universidad | university | -dad → -ty |
| importante | important | -ante → -ant |
| problema | problem | -ema → -em |
| diferente | different | -ente → -ent |
| posible | possible | -ible → -ible |
| economía | economy | -ía → -y |
| natural | natural | identical |
You don't need to understand every word. These strategies help you extract meaning from any text:
1. Skimming — Get the general idea
Read the title, headings, first sentence of each paragraph. Ask: What is this about?
2. Scanning — Find specific information
Look for names, numbers, dates, key words. Don't read everything — hunt for what you need.
3. Context clues — Guess unknown words
Look at surrounding words, the sentence structure, and cognates nearby. Often you can infer the meaning without a dictionary.
4. Text structure — Recognize the format
News articles, recipes, ads, emails — each has predictable structures. Recognizing the format helps you know what to expect.
Read each text, then answer the comprehension question below it:
Text 1 — Weather report
Mañana se esperan lluvias fuertes en el norte del país. Las temperaturas bajarán a quince grados. Se recomienda llevar paraguas y abrigo. En el sur, el clima será soleado con temperaturas de veintiocho grados.
Text 2 — Restaurant review
El restaurante La Mesa Dorada ofrece comida colombiana auténtica. Los precios son razonables y el servicio es excelente. Recomiendo especialmente la bandeja paisa y el jugo de lulo. El único problema es que los fines de semana hay mucha espera.
A well-structured Spanish email follows a clear format. Here are the essential components:
| Section | Formal (usted) | Semi-formal (tú) |
|---|---|---|
| Greeting | Estimado/a señor/a: | Hola, [nombre]: |
| Opening | Le escribo para informarle... | Te escribo porque... |
| Request | Le agradecería que... | ¿Podrías enviarme...? |
| Closing | Quedo a su disposición. | Quedo atento/a. |
| Sign-off | Atentamente, | Un saludo cordial, |
Memorize these phrases to sound professional in any written context:
| Spanish | English | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Me dirijo a usted para... | I am writing to you to... | Opening |
| En relación con... | Regarding... | Reference |
| Adjunto el documento. | I attach the document. | Attachments |
| Le agradezco de antemano. | Thank you in advance. | Gratitude |
| A la espera de su respuesta. | Looking forward to your reply. | Closing |
| Sin otro particular. | Without further ado. | Closing |
| Cordialmente, | Cordially, | Sign-off |
| Reciba un cordial saludo. | Receive a warm greeting. | Sign-off |
These conectores make your writing flow naturally. They are essential for essays, reports, and formal communication:
Adding ideas
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| además | moreover, furthermore |
| también | also |
| asimismo | likewise |
| por otro lado | on the other hand |
Contrasting
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| sin embargo | however |
| no obstante | nevertheless |
| aunque | although |
| a pesar de | despite |
Cause & effect
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| por lo tanto | therefore |
| por eso | that's why |
| debido a | due to |
| como resultado | as a result |
Concluding
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| en conclusión | in conclusion |
| en resumen | in summary |
| para finalizar | to conclude |
| en definitiva | ultimately |
This universal structure works for opinion essays, argumentative texts, and academic writing:
1. Introducción
Hook + thesis. En este ensayo se analizará... / El objetivo de este texto es...
2. Argumento 1
Topic sentence + evidence + explanation. En primer lugar... Por ejemplo...
3. Argumento 2
Another point + support. En segundo lugar... Además...
4. Contraargumento
Counter + refute. Si bien es cierto que... sin embargo...
5. Conclusión
Restate thesis + final thought. En conclusión, se puede afirmar que...
These phrases help you express opinions in essays, debates, and formal discussions:
| Spanish | English | Register |
|---|---|---|
| En mi opinión... | In my opinion... | General |
| Considero que... | I consider that... | Formal |
| Desde mi punto de vista... | From my point of view... | Formal |
| Estoy de acuerdo con... | I agree with... | General |
| No estoy de acuerdo porque... | I disagree because... | General |
| Cabe destacar que... | It is worth noting that... | Academic |
| Es evidente que... | It is evident that... | Academic |
| Los datos demuestran que... | The data shows that... | Academic |