As you may have noticed from some of my prior posts, I love learning languages. Aside from my native language (English), Spanish is the one I've spent the most time learning. I think it's a beautiful and practical language and I'm always striving to improve my fluency. Over the years, I've used lots of mental tricks to try and remember the language, and one of which is below.
I have listed a word in Spanish, what it means, and then an English word that is related to it (usually by a Latin root word). For example, the word Mar, which means "sea" in Spanish, is related to the word Marina in English. If you've ever been near a body of water, "sea" or not, you've probably heard of the word Marina, which is a designated area for boaters to dock their boats. And now you've made a connection and are more likely to remember the Spanish word Mar.
Not all of these "buddies" will work for every person. For example, if you don't know what a Monstrance is, you it probably won't help you remember the word Mostrar. Unless of course you take time to look it up, in which case the hunt for knowledge may help you anyways. :)
| Spanish Word | What it means | English word buddy |
| Mar | Sea | Marina |
| Sol | Sun | Solar |
| Tierra | Earth | Extra-terrestrial Terra-cotta pot Terrain |
| Mostrar | To show | Monstrance (Maybe this is only helpful if you're Catholic and already know what a monstrance is. :P) |
| Bailar | To dance | Ballerina |
| Arbol | Tree | Arbor Day |
| Ratón | Mouse (both the animal and the computeraccesory) | Rat |
| Cuerpo | Body | Corporal (As in Corporal Works of Mercy, providing for the physical needs of others [food, water, clothes, etc.]) Corporate (A group acting as one body) |
| Luna | Moon | Lunar Lunatic (Person affected by the moon's changes) |
| Contar | To tell | Recount (To recount a tale after a long journey, perhaps) |
| Brazo | Arm | Embrace (Where you wrap your arms around someone :D:D) |
| Mano | Hand | Manufacture(To make by hand) Manacles (hand cuffs) Manicure Manual (by hand) |
| Escribir | To write/desk | Scribe Inscribe Script |
| Mal | Bad | Malignant Malfunction Malice |
| Bien | Good | Benevolent Benefit Benefactor Benign |
| Carne | Meat | Carnivore (someone who eats meat) |
| Camisa | Shirt | Camisole |
| Collar | Necklace | Collar (although not jewelry, it does go around ones neck) |
| Realizar | To perform | Realize (As in, to realize ones dreams) |
| Campo | Field | Campus |
| Enfermedad | Sickness | Infirmary |
| Media | Half | Medium |
| Pájaro | Bird | Parrot |
| Cien | Hundred | Century (One hundred years) Cent (One hundredth of a dollar) Percent (Of one hundred) Centimeter (One hundredth of a meter) |
| Mil | Thousand | Millennium(One Thousand years) Millimeter(One Thousandth of a meter) Millipede (A bug with "one thousand" legs) |
| Ocho | Eight | Octopus Octo-mom Octuplets |
| Vida | Life | Vital (Essential to life) Revive (Bring back to life) |
| Muerto | Death | Mortuary Morbid (Relating to death) Immortal (Cannot die) Mortified (Scared to death) |
| Ano | Year | Annual Anniversary |
| Con | With | Connect Contiguous |
| Grande | Large | Grand |
| Amigo | Friend | Amnesty Amicable Amity |
| Dormir | To sleep | Dorm (Where college students sleep) |
This is by no means a comprehensive list, but I had fun making it. What words/word buddies did I miss? Have any of you ever done this, either with Spanish or another language?
