Language/French/Vocabulary/English-French-True-Cognates
< Language | French | Vocabulary
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
Rate this lesson: 
French/English True Cognates List
In this lesson, we will be focusing on true cognates between English and French. Cognates are words that have a common origin and a similar form and meaning in two languages. True cognates are those that have the same origin and meaning in both languages, without any significant changes.
There are around 1,700 French cognates, many of which are identical to their English counterparts.
We have put together a list of the most common true French Cognates. In French, we call them "Vrais Amis".
Legend: types for French[edit | edit source]
- m: masculine noun
- f: feminine noun
- adj: adjective
- adv: adverb
- v: verb
True Cognates English/French list[edit | edit source]
| English | French | French (type) |
|---|---|---|
| abandon | abandon | m |
| abdomen | abdomen | m |
| abolition | abolition | f |
| abominable | abominable | adj |
| absence | absence | f |
| absent | absent | adj |
| absolutely | absolument | adv |
| absorption | absorption | f |
| abstinence | abstinence | f |
| abstraction | abstraction | f |
| acceleration | accélération | f |
| accent | accent | m |
| accessible | accessible | adj |
| accident | accident | m |
| action | action | f |
| active | active | adj |
| actuary | actuaire | adj |
| adaptation | adaptation | f |
| addiction | addiction | f |
| addition | addition | f |
| adjacent | adjacent | adj |
| administration | administration | f |
| admirable | admirable | adj |
| admiration | admiration | f |
| admission | admission | f |
| adolescent | adolescent | adj |
| adoption | adoption | f |
| adorable | adorable | adj |
| affluent | affluent | adj |
| agent | agent | m |
| agile | agile | adj |
| agriculture | agriculture | f |
| air | air | m |
| alliance | alliance | f |
| alphabetical | alphabetique | adj |
| ambiance | ambiance | f |
| ambition | ambition | f |
| ambulance | ambulance | f |
| amendment | amendement | m |
| amusement | amusement | m |
| anaconda | anaconda | m |
| analytical | analytique | adj |
| animal | animal | m |
| anniversary | anniversaire | m |
| apartment | appartement | m |
| appearance | appearance | f |
| applicable | applicable | adj |
| arbitrary | arbitraire | adj |
| ardent | ardent | adj |
| arrogance | arrogance | f |
| arrogant | arrogant | adj |
| artist | artiste | m |
| assistance | assistance | f |
| association | association | f |
| assurance | assurance | f |
| attention | attention | f |
| automobile (US) | automobile | f |
| ballet | ballet | m |
| banjo | banjo | m |
| blank | blanque | adj |
| blond(e) | blond(e) | adj |
| blouse | blouse | f |
| brilliance | brilliance | f |
| brilliant | brilliant(e) | adj |
| brutal | brutal | adj |
| cable | cable | m |
| cafe | café | m |
| camera | caméra | f |
| canyon | canyon | m |
| capable | capable | adj |
| catastrophe | catastrophe | f |
| catholic | catholique | m |
| cause | cause | f |
| celebration | célébration | f |
| central | central | adj |
| champion | champion | m |
| chauffeur | chauffeur | m |
| circumstance | circumstance | f |
| client | client | m |
| coast | côte | f |
| communication | communication | f |
| compliment | compliment | m |
| concert | concert | m |
| condition | condition | f |
| confetti | confetti | m |
| confusion | confusion | f |
| conscience | conscience | f |
| constellation | constellation | f |
| construction | construction | f |
| continent | continent | m |
| contract | contracter | v |
| contrary | contraire | m |
| contribution | contribution | f |
| convergence | convergence | f |
| conversation | conversation | f |
| correct | correct | adj |
| correctly | correctement | adv |
| cousin | cousin | m |
| coyote | coyote | m |
| critical | critique | m |
| crocodile | crocodile | m |
| cubical | cubique | adj |
| cyclist | cycliste | m |
| danger | danger | m |
| decent | décent | adj |
| decoration | décoration | f |
| deficient | déficient | adj |
| deliverance | deliverance | f |
| dentist | dentiste | m |
| diction | diction | f |
| dictionary | dictionnaire | m |
| dictionary | dictionnaire | m |
| different | différent(e) | adj |
| digital | digital | adj |
| diligent | diligent | adj |
| direct | direct | adj |
| direction | direction | f |
| directly | directement | adv |
| distance | distance | f |
| distinct | distinct | adj |
| document | document | m |
| dollar | dollar | m |
| dominance | dominance | f |
| donation | donation | f |
| dossier | dossier | m |
| double | double | m |
| dragon | dragon | m |
| dramatic | dramatique | adj |
| duel | duel | m |
| durable | durable | adj |
| dynamite | dynamite | f |
| edition | édition | f |
| effective | effective | adj |
| election | election | f |
| electrical | electrique | adj |
| elegance | elegance | f |
| element | élément | m |
| elephant | éléphant | m |
| elite | élite | f |
| emotion | émotion | f |
| empire | empire | m |
| encouragement | encouragement | m |
| endurance | endurance | f |
| energy | énergie | f |
| equation | equation | f |
| erosion | érosion | f |
| especially | spécialement | adv |
| ethical | éthique | adj |
| evident | évident(e) | adj |
| evidently | évidemment | adv |
| exact | exact(e) | adj |
| exactly | exactement | adv |
| excellent | excellent(e) | adj |
| exclamation | exclamation | f |
| exemption | exemption | f |
| exhibition | exhibition | f |
| experience | expérience | f |
| expiration | expiration | f |
| explosion | explosion | f |
| extra | extra | m |
| extraordinary | extraordinaire | adj |
| extravagant- extravagant(e) | adj & nom | |
| favorable | favorable | adj |
| festive | festive | adj |
| fiance | fiancé | nom |
| fiction | fiction | f |
| final | final | adj |
| finally | finalement | adv |
| finance | finance | f |
| flexible | flexible | adj |
| forest | forêt | f |
| fragile | fragile | adj |
| fragrance | fragrance | f |
| fruit | fruit | m |
| function | function | f |
| gallery | gallerie | f |
| gallon | gallon | m |
| generation | génération | f |
| ghetto | ghetto | m |
| golf | golf | m |
| gram | gramme | m |
| guide | guide | nom |
| habitable | habitable | adj |
| historical | historique | adj |
| horrible | horrible | adj |
| hospital | hôpital | m |
| hotel | hôtel | m |
| identical | identique | adj |
| identifiable | identifiable | adj |
| identification | identification | f |
| ignorant | ignorant(e) | adj |
| imaginary | imaginaire | adj |
| immediately | immédiatement | adv |
| immigrant | immigrant | adj & nom |
| immigration | immigration | f |
| impact | impact | m |
| impatience | impatience | f |
| importance | importance | f |
| important | important(e) | adj |
| impossible | impossible | adj |
| impression | impression | f |
| improbable | improbable | adj |
| inaccessible | inaccessible | adj |
| incident | incident | m |
| incredible | incrédible | adj |
| increment | incrément | m |
| incurable | incurable | adj |
| independence | indépendance | f |
| indicative | indicative | adj |
| indulgence | indulgence | f |
| infection | infection | f |
| influence | influence | f |
| information | information | f |
| infrastructure | infrastructure | f |
| injection | injection | f |
| innocence | innocence | f |
| innocent | innocent | adj |
| insect | insecte | m |
| inseparable | inséparable | adj |
| inspection | inspection | f |
| instinct | instinct | m |
| instruction | instruction | f |
| intelligence | intelligence | f |
| intelligent | intelligent | adj |
| intention | intention | f |
| interlude | interlude | m |
| international | international | adj |
| interview | interview | nom f ou m |
| intimidation | intimidation | f |
| intolerance | intolerance | f |
| introduction | introduction | f |
| invasion | invasion | f |
| invitation | invitation | f |
| jeans | jeans | m |
| journal | journal | m |
| jungle | jungle | f |
| justifiable | justifiable | adj |
| juvenile | juvénile | adj |
| kilogram | kilogramme | m |
| kilometre (UK)
kilometer (US) |
kilomètre | m |
| latent | latent | adj |
| leader | leader | m |
| legion | légion | f |
| leopard | léopard | m |
| lion | lion | m |
| literature | littérature | f |
| logical | logique | adj |
| long | long | adj |
| lyrical | lyrique | adj |
| machine | machine | f |
| maintenance | maintenance | f |
| manifestation | manifestation | f |
| marina | marina | f |
| massage | massage | m |
| maximum | maximum | m |
| mental | mental | adj |
| mention | mention | f |
| menu | menu | m |
| metal | métal | m |
| metre (UK)
meter (US) |
mètre | m |
| microscope | microscope | m |
| migration | migration | f |
| military | militaire | adj |
| million | million | m |
| miniature | miniature | f |
| minute | minute | f |
| mobile | mobile | adj |
| model | modèle | m |
| moment | moment | m |
| monument | monument | m |
| moral | moral | m |
| motion | motion | f |
| music | musique | f |
| nation | nation | f |
| national | national | adj |
| naturally | naturellement | adv |
| necessary | nécessaire | adj |
| nectar | nectar | m |
| nonchalant nonchalant | adj & nom | |
| normal | normal | adj |
| normally | normalement | adv |
| notable | notable | adj |
| notable | notable | adj |
| notice | notice | f |
| notion | notion | f |
| nuance | nuance | f |
| nuisance | nuisance | f |
| obedience | obédience | f |
| object | objet | m |
| obligation | obligation | f |
| obsession | obsession | f |
| occasion | occasion | f |
| ocean | océan | m |
| office | office | m |
| omission | omission | f |
| operation | opération | f |
| opinion | opinion | f |
| option | option | f |
| ordinary | ordinaire | adj |
| original | original | adj |
| parent | parent | m |
| part | part | f |
| passion | passion | f |
| patience | patience | f |
| perceptible | perceptible | adj |
| perfect | parfait | adj |
| permanent | permanent(e) | adj |
| perseverance | perseverance | f |
| persuasion | persuasion | f |
| pertinent | pertinent | adj |
| physique | physique | m, mais « la physique »
= « physics » |
| piano | piano | m |
| pirate | pirate | m |
| plan | plan | m |
| police | police | f |
| population | population | f |
| possible | possible | adj |
| potion | potion | f |
| practical | pratique | f |
| presentation | présentation | f |
| president | président | m |
| profit | profit | m |
| pronunciation- prononciation | f | |
| prudent | prudent(e) | adj & nom |
| question | question | f |
| racial | racial | adj |
| ratio | ratio | m |
| ration | ration | f |
| recent | récent | adj |
| recyclable | recyclable | adj |
| reflection | reflection | f |
| region | région | f |
| religion | religion | f |
| renaissance | renaissance | f |
| reptile | reptile | m |
| resemblance | ressemblance | f |
| reservation | réservation | f |
| resonance | resonance | f |
| respect | respect | m |
| respectable | respectable | adj |
| restaurant | restaurant | m |
| reunion | réunion | f |
| robot | robot | m |
| romantic | romantique | adj |
| rotation | rotation | f |
| route | route | f |
| salary | salaire | m |
| satellite | satellite | m |
| science | science | f |
| secret | secret | adj |
| segment | segment | m |
| serpent | serpent | m |
| session | session | f |
| silence | silence | m |
| silhouette | silhouette | f |
| simple | simple | adj |
| situation | situation | f |
| ski | ski | m |
| sociable | sociable | adj |
| social | social | adj |
| sofa | sofa | m |
| solo | solo | m |
| soup | soupe | f |
| solution | solution | f |
| station | station | f |
| statistical | statistique | f |
| substance | substance | f |
| support | support | m |
| surprise | surprise | f |
| suspect | suspect | adj |
| symmetrical | symetrique | adj |
| table | table | f |
| talent | talent | m |
| taxi | taxi | m |
| telephone | téléphone | m |
| telescope | télescope | m |
| television | télévision | f |
| terrible | terrible | adj |
| theatre | théâtre | m |
| tolerance | tolerance | f |
| totally | totalement | adv |
| train | train | m |
| trampoline | trampoline | m |
| transaction | transaction | f |
| transparent | transparent | adj |
| transport | transport | m |
| trillion | trillion | m |
| triple | triple | adj |
| triumphant | triumphant(e) | adj |
| tube | tube | m |
| typical | typique | adj |
| urgent | urgent | adj |
| vacant | vacant | adj |
| valve | valve | f |
| version | version | f |
| vertical | vertical | adj |
| vibrance | vibrance | adj |
| vibrant | vibrant | adj |
| violence | violence | f |
| visible | visible | adj |
| vocabulary | vocabulaire | m |
| vocal | vocal | adj |
| vulnerable | vulnérable | adj |
| yacht | yacht | m |
| zoo | zoo | m |
| zoom | zoom | m |
Videos[edit | edit source]
[Visual French lesson] 50 True cognates[edit | edit source]
Learn French - Les vrais amis / True cognates[edit | edit source]