...word association with emojis!
- 1000 most used Italian words
- Cognates
- Group 1
- Group 2
- Group 3
- Group 4
- Group 5
- Group 6
- Numbers
- Days of the week
- Months
~1000 most used Italian words
- io: I
- il suo: his
- che: that
- lui: he
- era: was
- per: for
- su: on
- sono: are
- con: with
- essi: they
- essere: be
- a: at
- avere: have
- questo: this
- da: from
- da: by
- caldo: hot
- parola: word
- ma: but
- cosa: what
- alcuni: some
- è: is
- esso: it
- voi: you
- o: or
- aveva: had
- il: the
- di: of
- a: to
- e: and
- un: a
- in: in
- noi: we
- lattina: can
- fuori: out
- altro: other
- erano: were
- che: which
- fare: do
- loro: their
- tempo: time
- se: if
- volontà: will
- come: how
- suddetto: said
- un: an
- ogni: each
- dire: tell
- fa: does
- set: set
- tre: three
- desiderare: want
- aria: air
- bene: well
- anche: also
- giocare: play
- piccolo: small
- fine: end
- mettere: put
- casa: home
- leggere: read
- mano: hand
- porto: port
- grande: large
- compitare: spell
- aggiungere: add
- anche: even
- terra: land
- qui: here
- mosto: must
- grande: big
- alto: high
- tale: such
- seguire: follow
- atto: act
- perché: why
- chiedere: ask
- maschi: men
- cambiamento: change
- è andato: went
- luce: light
- tipo: kind
- spento: off
- bisogno: need
- casa: house 🏠
- immagine: picture
- provare: try
- noi: us
- di nuovo: again
- animale: animal
- punto: point
- madre: mother
- mondo: world
- vicino: near
- costruire: build
- se stesso: self
- terra: earth
- padre: father
- qualsiasi: any
- nuovo: new
- lavoro: work
- parte: part
- prendere: take
- ottenere: get
- posto: place
- fatto: made
- vivere: live
- dove: where
- dopo: after
- indietro: back
- poco: little
- solo: only
- turno: round
- uomo: man
- anno: year
- è venuto: came
- spettacolo: show
- ogni: every
- buono: good
- me: me
- dare: give
- il nostro: our
- sotto: under
- nome: name
- molto: very
- attraverso: through
- solo: just
- forma: form
- frase: sentence
- grande: great
- pensare: think
- dire: say
- aiutare: help
- basso: low
- linea: line
- differire: differ
- turno: turn
- causa: cause
- molto: much
- dire: mean
- prima: before
- spostare: move
- diritto: right
- ragazzo: boy
- vecchio: old
- troppo: too
- stesso: same
- lei: she
- tutto: all
- ci: there
- quando: when
- su: up
- uso: use
- il tuo: your
- modo: way
- circa: about
- molti: many
- allora: then
- loro: them
- scrivere: write
- sarebbe: would
- come: like
- così: so
- queste: these
- lei: her
- lungo: long
- rendere: make
- cosa: thing
- vedere: see
- lui: him
- ha: has
- guardare: look
- di più: more
- giorno: day
- potuto: could
- andare: go
- venire: come
- ha fatto: did
- numero: number
- suono: sound
- no: no
- più: most
- persone: people
- il mio: my
- oltre: over
- sapere: know
- acqua: water 💧
- di: than
- chiamata: call
- primo: first
- che: who
- può: may
- giù: down
- lato: side
- stato: been
- ora: now
- trovare: find
- testa: head
- stare in piedi: stand
- proprio: own
- pagina: page 📃
- dovrebbe: should
- paese: country
- fondare: found
- risposta: answer
- scuola: school 🏫
- crescere: grow
- studio: study
- ancora: still
- imparare: learn
- impianto: plant 🌱
- copertura: cover
- cibo: food
- sole: sun 🌞
- quattro: four
- fra: between
- stato: state
- mantenere: keep
- occhio: eye 👁
- mai: never
- ultimo: last
- lasciare: let
- pensiero: thought
- città: city
- albero: tree 🌲
- attraversare: cross
- fattoria: farm
- difficile: hard
- inizio: start
- forza: might
- storia: story
- sega: saw
- lontano: far
- mare: sea
- disegnare: draw
- sinistra: left
- tardi: late
- run: run
- non: don’t
- mentre: while
- stampa: press
- close: close
- notte: night
- reale: real
- vita: life
- pochi: few
- nord: north
- libro: book
- portare: carry
- ha preso: took
- scienza: science
- mangiare: eat
- camera: room
- amico: friend
- ha iniziato: began
- idea: idea
- pesce: fish
- montagna: mountain 🏔
- stop: stop
- una volta: once
- base: base
- sentire: hear
- cavallo: horse 🐴
- taglio: cut
- sicuro: sure
- orologio: watch ⌚️
- colore: color
- volto: face
- legno: wood
- principale: main
- aperto: open
- sembrare: seem
- insieme: together
- prossimo: next
- bianco: white
- bambini: children
- inizio: begin
- ottenuto: got
- camminare: walk
- esempio: example
- alleviare: ease
- carta: paper
- gruppo: group
- sempre: always
- musica: music 🎼
- quelli: those
- entrambi: both
- marchio: mark
- spesso: often
- lettera: letter
- fino a quando: until
- miglio: mile
- fiume: river
- auto: car 🚗
- piedi: feet 🦶
- cura: care
- secondo: second
- abbastanza: enough
- pianura: plain
- ragazza: girl
- solito: usual
- giovane: young
- pronto: ready
- sopra: above
- mai: ever
- rosso: red
- elenco: list
- anche se: though
- sentire: feel
- Discussioni: talk
- uccello: bird 🦜
- presto: soon
- corpo: body
- cane: dog 🐶
- famiglia: family
- diretto: direct
- posa: pose
- lasciare: leave
- canzone: song
- misurare: measure
- porta: door 🚪
- prodotto: product
- nero: black
- breve: short
- numerale: numeral
- classe: class
- vento: wind 💨
- domanda: question
- accadere: happen
- integrale: complete
- nave: ship 🛳
- area: area
- metà: half
- rock: rock
- ordine: order
- fuoco: fire 🔥
- sud: south
- problema: problem
- pezzo: piece
- ha detto: told
- sapeva: knew
- passare: pass
- da: since
- top: top
- tutto: whole
- re: king
- strada: street
- pollice: inch
- moltiplicare: multiply
- niente: nothing
- corso: course
- soggiornare: stay
- ruota: wheel
- completo: full
- vigore: force
- blu: blue
- oggetto: object
- decidere: decide
- superficie: surface
- profondità: deep
- luna: moon 🌚
- isola: island 🏝
- piede: foot
- sistema: system
- occupato: busy
- test: test
- record: record
- barca: boat
- comune: common
- oro: gold
- possibile: possible
- piano: plane
- vece: stead
- asciutto: dry
- meraviglia: wonder
- ridere: laugh
- migliaia: thousand
- fa: ago
- corse: ran
- controllare: check
- gioco: game
- forma: shape
- uguagliare: equate
- caldo: hot
- perdere: miss
- portato: brought
- calore: heat
- neve: snow
- pneumatico: tire
- portare: bring
- sì: yes
- lontano: distant
- riempire: fill
- est: east
- dipingere: paint
- lingua: language
- tra: among
- unità: unit
- potenza: power
- città: town
- fine: fine
- certo: certain
- volare: fly
- cadere: fall
- portare: lead
- grido: cry
- scuro: dark
- macchina: machine
- nota: note
- aspettare: wait
- piano: plan
- figura: figure
- stella: star
- scatola: box
- sostantivo: noun
- campo: field
- resto: rest
- corretto: correct
- in grado di: able
- libbra: pound
- done: done
- bellezza: beauty
- unità: drive
- sorgeva: stood
- contenere: contain
- frontale: front
- insegnare: teach
- settimana: week
- finale: final
- ha dato: gave
- verde: green
- oh: oh
- veloce: quick
- sviluppare: develop
- oceano: ocean
- caldo: warm
- gratuito: free
- minuto: minute
- forte: strong
- speciale: special
- mente: mind
- dietro: behind
- chiaro: clear
- coda: tail
- produrre: produce
- fatto: fact
- spazio: space
- sentito: heard
- migliore: best
- ora: hour
- meglio: better
- vero: true
- durante: during
- ricordare: remember
- passo: step
- presto: early
- tenere: hold
- ovest: west
- terra: ground
- interesse: interest
- raggiungere: reach
- veloce: fast
- verbo: verb
- cantare: sing
- ascoltare: listen
- tavolo: table
- viaggi: travel
- meno: less
- mattina: morning
- semplice: simple
- alcuni: several
- vocale: vowel
- verso: toward
- guerra: war
- porre: lay
- contro: against
- modello: pattern
- lento: slow
- centro: center
- amore: love
- persona: person
- soldi: money 💵
- servire: serve
- apparire: appear
- strada: road
- mappa: map 🗺
- pioggia: rain
- regola: rule
- governare: govern
- tirare: pull
- freddo: cold
- avviso: notice
- voce: voice
- energia: energy
- caccia: hunt
- probabile: probable
- letto: bed 🛏
- fratello: brother
- uovo: egg
- giro: ride
- cella: cell
- credere: believe
- forse: perhaps
- scegliere: pick
- improvviso: sudden
- contare: count
- piazza: square
- motivo: reason
- lunghezza: length
- rappresentare: represent
- arte: art
- soggetto: subject
- regione: region
- dimensione: size
- variare: vary
- risolvere: settle
- parlare: speak
- peso: weight
- generale: general
- ghiaccio: ice
- materia: matter
- cerchio: circle
- coppia: pair
- includere: include
- divide: divide
- sillaba: syllable
- feltro: felt
- grande: grand
- palla: ball
- ancora: yet
- onda: wave
- cadere: drop
- cuore: heart
- am: am
- presente: present
- pesante: heavy
- danza: dance
- motore: engine
- posizione: position
- braccio: arm
- ampio: wide
- vela: sail
- materiale: material
- frazione: fraction
- foresta: forest
- sedersi: sit
- gara: race
- finestra: window
- negozio: store
- estate: summer
- treno: train 🚂
- sonno: sleep
- dimostrare: prove
- solitario: lone
- gamba: leg
- esercizio: exercise
- muro: wall
- prendere: catch
- monte: mount
- desiderio: wish
- cielo: sky
- pensione: board
- gioia: joy
- inverno: winter
- sat: sat
- scritto: written
- selvaggio: wild
- strumento: instrument
- tenere: kept
- vetro: glass
- erba: grass
- mucca: cow 🐮
- lavoro: job
- bordo: edge
- segno: sign
- visita: visit
- passato: past
- morbido: soft
- divertimento: fun
- luminoso: bright
- gas: gas
- tempo: weather
- mese: month
- milione: million
- sopportare: bear
- finitura: finish
- felice: happy
- speranza: hope
- fiore: flower
- vestire: clothe
- strano: strange
- gone: gone
- commercio: trade
- melodia: melody
- viaggio: trip
- ufficio: office
- ricevere: receive
- fila: row
- bocca: mouth
- esatto: exact
- simbolo: symbol
- morire: die
- meno: least
- difficoltà: trouble
- shout: shout
- tranne: except
- ha scritto: wrote
- seme: seed
- tono: tone
- aderire: join
- suggerire: suggest
- pulito: clean
- pausa: break
- signora: lady
- cantiere: yard
- salire: rise
- male: bad
- colpo: blow
- olio: oil
- sangue: blood
- toccare: touch
- è cresciuto: grew
- cent: cent
- mescolare: mix
- team: team
- filo: wire
- costo: cost
- perso: lost
- marrone: brown
- indossare: wear
- giardino: garden
- pari: equal
- inviato: sent
- scegliere: choose
- caduto: fell
- adattarsi: fit
- flusso: flow
- fiera: fair
- banca: bank
- raccogliere: collect
- salvare: save
- controllo: control
- decimale: decimal
- orecchio: ear
- altro: else
- abbastanza: quite
- rotto: broke
- caso: case
- mezzo: middle
- uccidere: kill
- figlio: son
- lago: lake
- momento: moment
- scala: scale
- forte: loud
- primavera: spring
- osservare: observe
- bambino: child
- dritto: straight
- consonante: consonant
- nazione: nation
- dizionario: dictionary
- latte: milk 🥛
- velocità: speed
- metodo: method
- organo: organ
- pagare: pay
- età: age
- sezione: section
- vestito: dress
- nube: cloud ⛅️
- sorpresa: surprise
- tranquillo: quiet
- pietra: stone
- piccolo: tiny
- salita: climb
- fresco: cool
- design: design
- povero: poor
- lotto: lot
- esperimento: experiment
- fondo: bottom
- chiave: key 🔑
- ferro: iron
- singolo: single
- bastone: stick
- appartamento: flat
- venti: twenty
- pelle: skin
- sorriso: smile 😄
- piega: crease
- foro: hole
- salto: jump
- bambino: baby 👶
- otto: eight
- villaggio: village
- si incontrano: meet
- radice: root
- acquistare: buy
- aumentare: raise
- risolvere: solve
- metallo: metal
- se: whether
- spingere: push
- sette: seven
- paragrafo: paragraph
- terzo: third
- deve: shall
- tenuto: held
- capelli: hair
- descrivere: describe
- cuoco: cook
- piano: floor
- o: either
- risultato: result
- bruciare: burn
- collina: hill
- sicuro: safe
- gatto: cat 😸
- secolo: century
- considerare: consider
- tipo: type
- legge: law
- bit: bit
- costa: coast
- copia: copy
- frase: phrase
- silenzioso: silent
- alto: tall
- sabbia: sand
- suolo: soil
- rotolo: roll
- temperatura: temperature
- dito: finger
- industria: industry
- valore: value
- lotta: fight
- bugia: lie
- battere: beat
- eccitare: excite
- naturale: natural
- vista: view
- senso: sense
- capitale: capital
- non sarà: won’t
- sedia: chair
- pericolo: danger
- frutta: fruit
- ricco: rich
- spesso: thick
- soldato: soldier
- processo: process
- operare: operate
- pratica: practice
- separato: separate
- difficile: difficult
- medico: doctor
- per favore: please
- proteggere: protect
- mezzogiorno: noon
- raccolto: crop
- moderno: modern
- elemento: element
- colpire: hit
- studente: student
- angolo: corner
- partito: party
- fornitura: supply
- la cui: whose
- individuare: locate
- anello: ring
- carattere: character
- insetto: insect
- catturato: caught
- periodo: period
- indicare: indicate
- radio: radio
- raggio: spoke
- atomo: atom
- umano: human
- storia: history
- effetto: effect
- elettrico: electric
- aspettare: expect
- osso: bone 🦴
- ferrovia: rail
- immaginare: imagine
- fornire: provide
- concordare: agree
- così: thus
- dolce: gentle
- donna: woman
- capitano: captain
- indovinare: guess
- necessario: necessary
- tagliente: sharp
- ala: wing
- creare: create
- prossimo: neighbor
- lavaggio: wash
- pipistrello: bat 🦇
- piuttosto: rather
- folla: crowd
- mais: corn
- confrontare: compare
- poesia: poem
- stringa: string
- campana: bell 🔔
- dipendere: depend
- carne: meat
- strofinare: rub
- tubo: tube
- famoso: famous
- dollaro: dollar
- ruscello: stream
- paura: fear
- vista: sight
- sottile: thin
- triangolo: triangle
- pianeta: planet
- fretta: hurry
- capo: chief
- colonia: colony
- orologio: clock 🕐
- miniera: mine
- cravatta: tie
- inserire: enter
- maggiore: major
- fresco: fresh
- ricerca: search
- inviare: send
- giallo: yellow
- pistola: gun
- consentire: allow
- stampa: print
- morto: dead
- spot: spot
- deserto: desert
- tuta: suit
- corrente: current
- ascensore: lift
- rosa: rose 🌹
- arrivare: arrive
- master: master
- pista: track
- genitore: parent
- riva: shore
- divisione: division
- foglio: sheet
- sostanza: substance
- favorire: favor
- collegare: connect
- Messaggio: post
- spendere: spend
- accordo: chord
- grasso: fat
- felice: glad
- originale: original
- quota: share
- stazione: station
- papà: dad
- pane: bread 🍞
- carica: charge
- corretto: proper
- bar: bar
- offerta: offer
- segmento: segment
- schiavo: slave
- anatra: duck
- immediato: instant
- mercato: market
- grado: degree
- popolare: populate
- pulcino: chick
- caro: dear
- nemico: enemy
- rispondere: reply
- bevanda: drink
- verificarsi: occur
- supporto: support
- discorso: speech
- natura: nature
- gamma: range
- vapore: steam
- moto: motion
- sentiero: path
- liquido: liquid
- log: log
- significava: meant
- quoziente: quotient
- denti: teeth
- guscio: shell
- collo: neck
- ossigeno: oxygen
- zucchero: sugar
- morte: death
- piuttosto: pretty
- abilità: skill
- donne: women
- stagione: season
- soluzione: solution
- magnete: magnet
- argento: silver
- grazie: thank
- ramo: branch
- partita: match
- suffisso: suffix
- particolarmente: especially
- fico: fig
- impaurito: afraid
- enorme: huge
- sorella: sister
- acciaio: steel
- discutere: discuss
- avanti: forward
- simile: similar
- guidare: guide
- esperienza: experience
- punteggio: score
- mela: apple
- comprato: bought
- portato: led
- pece: pitch
- cappotto: coat
- massa: mass
- scheda: card
- banda: band
- corda: rope
- slittamento: slip
- vittoria: win
- sognare: dream
- sera: evening
- condizione: condition
- alimentazione: feed
- strumento: tool
- totale: total
- di base: basic
- odore: smell
- valle: valley
- né: nor
- doppio: double
- sedile: seat
- continuare: continue
- blocco: block
- grafico: chart
- cappello: hat 🧢
- vendere: sell
- successo: success
- azienda: company
- sottrarre: subtract
- evento: event
- particolare: particular
- affare: deal
- nuoto: swim 🏊♀️
- termine: term
- opposto: opposite
- moglie: wife
- scarpa: shoe
- spalla: shoulder
- spread: spread
- organizzare: arrange
- campo: camp
- inventare: invent
- cotone: cotton
- nascita: born
- determinare: determine
- quarto di gallone: quart
- nove: nine
- camion: truck
- rumore: noise
- livello: level
- possibilità: chance
- raccogliere: gather
- negozio: shop
- tratto: stretch
- gettare: throw
- shine: shine
- proprietà: property
- colonna: column
- molecola: molecule
- selezionare: select
- sbagliato: wrong
- grigio: gray
- ripetizione: repeat
- richiedere: require
- ampio: broad
- preparare: prepare
- sale: salt 🧂
- naso: nose
- plurale: plural
- rabbia: anger
- richiesta: claim
- continente: continent
A cognate is a word derived from the same root as another word. Cognates are words that have a common origin. They may happen in a language or in a group of languages.
I have classified all 475 nouns into groups based on the available meaningful connections for an English speaker learning Italian:
- 208 are very easy, meaning they’re very close to their English counterparts (Group 1)
- 54 are still fairly easy, being cognate with their English counterparts, and similar enough if you’re looking for it (Group 2)
- 101 are harder to see, but are still cognate (Group 3)
- 77 are still cognate, but more difficult (Group 4)
- 23 have cognates, but with obscure words or common French or Spanish words, or the similarity is much less evident (Group 5)
- 12, and only 12, are unrelated, and thus require a mnemonic connection (Group 6)
Group 1
- abilità: skill, ability
- accordo: accord, agreement, chord (mus.)
- animale: animal
- appartamento: apartment, flat
- area: area
- arte: art
- atomo: atom
- atto: act
- auto: car (automobile)
- banca: bank
- banda: band
- bar: bar
- base: base
- bit: bit
- blocco: block
- bordo: edge, border
- campo: field, camp
- capitale: capital
- capitano: captain
- carattere: character
- caso: case
- causa: cause
- cella: cell
- cent: cent
- centro: center
- città: city, town
- classe: class
- colonia: colony
- colonna: column
- colore: color
- commercio: trade, commerce
- condizione: condition
- consonante: consonant
- continente: continent
- controllo: control
- copia: copy
- corda: rope, cord
- corrente: current
- corso: course
- costa: coast
- costo: cost
- cotone: cotton
- cuoco: cook
- cura: care, treatment, cure
- danza: dance
- decimale: decimal
- deserto: desert
- difficoltà: trouble, difficulty
- discussioni: discussion, argument
- divisione: division
- dizionario: dictionary
- dollaro: dollar
- effetto: effect
- elemento: element
- energia: energy
- esempio: example
- esercizio: exercise
- esperienza: experience
- esperimento: experiment
- est: east
- evento: event
- famiglia: family
- fatto: fact
- feltro: felt
- fico: fig
- fiera: fair, exhibition
- figura: figure
- finale: final
- finitura: finish
- foresta: forest
- forma: form, shape
- forza: force, strength
- frase: sentence, phrase
- frazione: fraction
- frutta: fruit
- gas: gas
- gatto: cat
- giardino: garden
- gruppo: group
- idea: idea
- industria: industry
- insetto: insect
- interesse: interest
- lettera: letter
- liquido: liquid
- linea: line
- livello: level
- log: log
- lotto: lot
- macchina: machine
- magnete: magnet
- mais: maize, corn
- mappa: map
- marchio: mark
- massa: mass
- materia: matter
- materiale: material
- melodia: melody
- messaggio: message
- modello: model, pattern
- motivo: reason, motive
- metallo: metal
- metodo: method
- minuto: minute
- molecola: molecule
- momento: moment
- montagna: mountain
- monte: mount, mountain
- moto: motion
- motore: engine, motor
- musica: music
- natura: nature
- nazione: nation
- nome: name
- nord: north
- nota: note
- numerale: numeral
- numero: number
- oceano: ocean
- offerta: offer
- oggetto: object
- olio: oil
- ora: hour
- ordine: order
- organo: organ
- pagina: page
- palla: ball
- papà: dad
- paragrafo: paragraph
- parte: part
- partito: party
- pausa: pause, break
- periodo: period
- persona: person
- persone: people
- pistola: gun
- porto: port
- posa: pose
- posizione: position
- possibilità: possibility, chance
- pratica: practice
- presente: present
- problema: problem
- processo: process
- prodotto: product
- proprietà: property
- punto: point
- quarto:di gallone, quart
- quota: share, portion, quota
- quoziente: quotient
- radio: radio
- record: record
- regione: region
- resto: rest
- risultato: result
- rock: rock
- rosa: rose
- sale: salt
- scala: scale
- scienza: science
- scuola: school
- segmento: segment
- segno: sign — also signal
- senso: sense
- sistema: system
- sezione: section
- sillaba: syllable
- simbolo: symbol
- soluzione: solution
- sorpresa: surprise
- sostanza: substance
- spazio: space
- stato: state
- stazione: station
- storia: story, history
- strada: street, road
- stringa: string
- strumento: instrument, tool
- studente: student
- studio: study
- successo: success
- sud: south
- suffisso: suffix
- supporto: support
- tavolo: table
- team: team
- temperatura: temperature
- termine: term
- test: test
- tipo: type
- tono: tone
- totale: total
- treno: train
- triangolo: triangle
- tubo: tube
- turno: turn
- ufficio: office
- umano: human
- unità: unit, unity
- uso: use
- valle: valley
- valore: value
- vapore: steam, vapor / vapour
- velocità: speed, velocity
- verbo: verb
- vigore: force, vigor / vigour
- villaggio: village
- visita: visit
- vittoria: win, victory
the fairly easy nouns (but you may have to work a little to see the connection)
Group 2
- acqua: water — aqua, aquatic
- amico: friend — amicable, Spanish amigo
- angolo: corner — angle
- anno: year — annual
- amore: love — amorous, French amour
- bambino: child, baby
- barca: boat — barge, barque
- bellezza: beauty — belle (the belle of the ball)
- bevanda: drink — beverage
- cane: dog — canine
- carne: meat — carnivore
- casa: home, house — well-known in English from the Spanish casa; also cognate with French chez (to, at), as in chez moi (at my house)
- cavallo: horse — cavalry
- cielo: sky — ceiling
- collo: neck — collar
- corpo: body — corpse
- cravatta: tie — cravat
- denti: teeth — dental, dentist
- dimensione: size — dimension
- discorso: speech, discourse
- donna: woman — madonna, dame
- erba: grass — herb
- fine: end — final, also French fin
- fratello: brother — fraternal, fraternity
- libro: book — library
- lingua: language — cognates, also linguistics, lingo
- luna: moon — lunar
- madre: mother — cognates, also maternal, maternity
- mano: hand — manuscript (written by hand), also French main, Spanish mano
- mare: sea — marine, maritime
- mente: mind — cognates, also mental
- meraviglia: wonder — marvel, marvellous
- mercato: market — cognates, also merchant, mercantile
- morte: death — mortal, mortality
- naso: nose — cognates, also nasal
- nave: ship — nautical, navy, navigate
- pneumatico: tyre / tire — pneumatic tyre
- poesia: poem — also poetry, poetic
- posto: place, spot — post, position
- potenza: power — potent
- regola: rule — cognates, also regulate, regular
- risposta: answer — response, riposte
- salto: jump — saltatory, saltation, also French sauter
- sangue: blood — sanguinary, sanguine, exsanguinate, also French sang, Spanish sangre
- signora: lady — cognate with senior, sire
- sole: sun — solar
- stella: star — stellar
- terra: land, earth, ground — terrestrial, also French terre
- tratto: stretch (of road, river, land) — tract
- uomo: man — human
- vento: wind — cognates, also ventilate
- vista: view, sight — vista
- vita: life — vital
Here are the words that are cognate, but less obviously so:
Group 3
- alimentazione: supply, feed, diet — alimentary (canal), alimentation
- anello: ring — annulus, annular.
- aria: air — aura, air, aerate, aerial
- avviso: notice, advice, advertisement
- calore: heat — calorie, calorific
- campana: bell — is in fact the word for a church bell in English, but this is not a well-known word! also cognate with campanology, the study of bells
- canzone: song — chant, French chanson
- capelli: hair — capillary (because capillary veins are as fine as hair)
- capo: chief — capo (come into English through the portrayals of the mafia), capital, per capita
- cappello: hat — cap
- coda: tail — coda, caudal, caudate.
- copertura: cover — cover, covert
- desiderio: wish — desire
- dito: finger — digit
- divertimento: fun — diversion
- fattoria: farm — factor (meaning someone who acts as a business agent, especially a manager of a landed estate)
- ferro: iron — ferric, meaning related to iron; also French fer
- ferrovia: railway — ‘iron way’, A railway is an iron way, ferric via
- fila: row — file (in the sense of people in a row, moving ‘in file’)
- finestra: window — defenestrate, also French fenêtre, Spanish fenestra, German Fenster
- fiore: flower — floral, flower; also Spanish flor, French fleur
- flusso: flow — cognate with flux (when something’s in flux, it’s still in flow)
- foglio: sheet, leaf — folio, foliate, exfoliate
- fondo: bottom — fundamental, profound.
- genitore: parent — progenitor, genitive
- gioia: joy
- giorno: day — journal, also French jour, journée
- grado: degree, level, grade — grade, gradient
- grafico: chart — graph, graphic
- guerra: war — guerilla, also French guerre
- immagine: picture — image, imagine
- impianto: plant — implant, plant
- isola: island — isle, isolated
- lago: lake — lagoon
- lato: side — lateral (relating to the side), quadrilateral (four-sided)
- latte: milk — latte (milky coffee), lactose, lactating
- lavaggio: wash — lave, lavatory, launder
- lavoro: work, job — labour/labor
- libbra: pound — this is why the abbreviation for pound is lb. (from Latin libra), also French livre, Spanish libra, and the zodiac sign Libra
- luce: light — lux, lucent, translucent
- lunghezza: length — from lungo, meaning long
- maschi: men — macho, masculine
- mattina: morning — matins (an early morning church service), also French matin
- medico: doctor — medic, medical
- mese: month — cognate with menses, trimester (3 months), semester (six months); also Spanish mes and French mois
- mezzogiorno: noon — break it down into mezzo-giorno = mid-day
- miglio: mile — cognates, and related to migliaia, thousand, from the Roman mile being 1000 paces
- miniera: mine — cognates
- modo: manner, way — mode
- mondo: world — mundane (worldly, belonging to the world), also French monde, Spanish mundo
- muro: wall — mural, immured
- nascita: birth — nascent, renaissance
- negozio: store, shop — negotiate
- nemico: enemy — inimical, enemy
- notte: night — nocturnal, and indeed night
- nube: cloud — nebula, nebulous
- onda: wave — undulate
- oro: gold — auric, French or
- orologio: watch, clock — horology
- ossigeno: oxygen — cognates
- osso: bone — ossify
- ovest: west — cognates, also French ouest, Spanish oeste
- padre: father — padre, pater, paternal, paternity
- pane: bread — French pain, as in pain au chocolat; also Spanish pan
- passo: step — pace
- pensiero: thought — pensive, also French penser
- pensione: board — pension
- pesce: fish — Pisces, piscatory, also Spanish pez, and French poisson
- pezzo: piece — cognates (also, you can think of a piece of pizza!)
- pianeta: planet — cognates
- piano: plane, plan, floor — cognates
- piazza: square, plaza — plaza
- piede: foot — pedal, pedestrian, also French pied, Spanish pie
- piedi: feet — as before
- pista: track — French piste, as in the English expression "off piste"
- porta: door — portal, also French porte
- primavera: spring — prima is cognate with primary (1st) and vera with vernal (relating to spring)
- prossimo: neighbor — proximal, proximate
- radice: root — radish
- re: king — rex
- riva: shore — river
- rotolo: roll — rotate, roll
- ruota: wheel — rotate, rota
- sedia: chair — sedan chair, sedentary
- sedile: seat — ditto
- seme: seed — semen
- soggetto: subject — cognates
- soldato: soldier — cognates
- soldi: money — solid, an old coin called the solidus, also French sol, sou
- sorella: sister — sorority, also French sœur, Spanish sor
- speranza: hope — esperance, desperate (out of hope), also Spanish esperanza, French espérer
- spettacolo: show — spectacle
- suolo: soil — cognate with French sol, Spanish suelo
- suono: sound — cognates, also French son, Spanish son, sueno
- superficie: surface — superficial
- uovo: egg — ovary, also French œuf, Spanish huevo
- viaggio: trip — voyage
- vocale: vowel — vocal (because vowels are voiced by the vocal cords with little restriction on them, in an open way)
- voce: voice — cognates
- volontà: will — voluntary
- zucchero: sugar — cognates
harder cognates, where the links are more obscure:
Group 4
- acciaio: steel — the common root means sharp; cognate with acid, acerbic, acrimony
- ala: wing — cognate with alar, agile, axle
- albero: tree — cognate with arbor, arboreal, arboretum, also French arbre
- azienda: company — cognate with hacienda
- bastone: stick — cognate with bâton
- caccia: hunt — cognate with catch
- camera: room — used in the expression in camera, and cognate with bicameral, chamber, cabaret
- camion: truck — comes from French camion, which has passed the word into many languages, including English; may derive from chemin, meaning way, path (see Spanish camino)
- cappotto: coat — cognate with cape
- carica: charge (as in attack), load — cognates, also car, chariot (think of a chariot charge and a car's load)
- carta: paper — cognate with card, chart
- cerchio: circle — cognates, also circus
- chiamata: call — cognate with claim, declaim, proclaim
- chiave: key — cognate with clavis, clavichord, clavicle, clef
- collina: hill — cognates, also column, colliculus (anatomical term)
- colpo: blow — cognate with the English/French word coup (coup de foudre, coup d'état, coup de grâce)
- coppia: pair — cognate with couple; could also think of copied
- cosa: thing — cognate with cause, also French chose
- cuore: heart — cognate with core, accord, also French cœur
- domanda: question, request, demand — cognate with demand
- estate: summer — cognate with estivate/aestivate, estival/aestival, also French été
- età: age — cognate with eternal, eon
- figlio: son — cognate with filial, also French fils
- filo: wire — cognate with filament, file
- fiume: river — cognate with fluvial, flume, fluent, fluid
- folla: crowd — cognate with full, folk, also French foule
- fornitura: supply — cognate with furniture, furnish
- foro: hole — cognate with door, forum, forensic
- fretta: hurry — cognate with Fr frit, meaning fried (as in pommes frites), and indeed English fry, fried
- fuoco: fire — cognate with focus (think of the hearth historically being the focus of the home or room)
- gamba: leg — cognate with gambol, and French jambe
- gamma: range — cognate with gamut, and of course the Greek letter gamma (but this doesn't point to the meaning in the same way)
- ghiaccio: ice — cognate with glacier, and French glace (ice, ice cream)
- gioco: game — cognate with joke, juggle, also French jeu, Spanish juego
- giro: ride, tour, turn — cognate with gyrate
- grido: cry — may be cognate with cry, also Spanish gritar
- inverno: winter — cognate with hibernate, also French hiver
- lattina: can, tin (diminutive of latta, meaning the same thing) — cognate with lath, lattice (all to do with being thin, narrow)
- legge: law — cognate with legal
- legno: wood — cognate with ligneous, lignite
- letto: bed — cognate with litter (think of the litter used for carrying the sick or wounded, not trash), also French lit
- lotta: fight, struggle — cognate with lock, locket, through a root meaning to bend, twist; also French lutte, Spanish lucha
- mela: apple — cognate with melon
- metà: half — cognate with median, mediate
- moglie: wife — cognate with moll, mollify, Molly
- neve: snow — cognate with Nevada, névé, nival, and indeed snow; also French neige, Spanish nieve
- occhio: eye — cognate with ocular, oculist, monocle, and indeed eye; also Spanish ojo
- orecchio: ear — cognate with aural, auricular, ear, also French oreille
- paese: country — cognate with peace, also French pays, Spanish país
- parola: word — cognate with palaver, parole, parlay, parable, also Spanish palabra
- paura: fear — cognate with French peur (also quite similar to fear)
- pece: pitch — cognates
- pelle: skin — cognate with pelt, pellagra, film
- pericolo: danger, peril
- peso: weight — cognate with suspend, pound, expense, pensive
- piega: crease, fold, pleat — cognate with pleat, replica, duplicate
- pietra: stone — cognate with petrify (literally, turn to stone), also French pierre, Spanish piedra
- pulcino: chick — cognate with pullet, also French poulet, poule
- punteggio: score — may be cognate with point (as in score a point)
- rabbia: anger, rabies — cognate with rabies, rage
- raccolto: crop — cognate with recollect, collect
- raggio: radius, spoke — cognate with radius
- ramo: branch — cognate with root, ramus, ramification (branching)
- ricerca: search, research — cognates, also French chercher (Cherchez la femme!)
- richiesta: claim, request, demand — cognate with require, request
- rumore: noise — cognate with rumour
- schiavo: slave — cognates
- secolo: century — secular (from the Latin saeculum meaning generation, century, and also worldly), also French siècle, Spanish siglo
- sega: saw — cognate with saw, dissect, secant, segment (notice the cutting theme)
- sonno: sleep — cognate with somnolent
- sostantivo: noun — cognate with substantive, with core of word (stant) cognate with stand; think of a noun as a substantive thing that stands, that is, a concrete object
- spalla: shoulder — cognate with spatula, spatulate (think of the broad, flat nature of the shoulder blade), epaulettes, also Spanish espalda
- tempo: weather — cognate with tempo, tempest, also French temps, Spanish tiempo
- vece: stead, place (as in, in my place, in my stead) — cognate with vice versa, vice (meaning in place of, subordinate to), also week, vicissitude, vicar
- vela: sail — cognate with veil, velum (a thin membrane like a veil)
- vestito: dress — cognate with vestiment, vest, divest
- vetro: glass — cognate with vitreous, vitrify, also French verre, vitre, and Spanish vidrio
Those with with the hardest connections
Group 5
- anatra: duck — cognate with an obscure English word, anatine, also German Ente
- bisogno: need — cognate with French besoin; a possible keyword for those unfamiliar with this word is bison
- bocca: mouth — another obscure cognate: buccal (relating to the cheek), also French bouche (as in Fermez la bouche!)
- braccio: arm, branch — cognate with brachial; not cognate with branch, but similarity useful
- bugia: lie — cognate with boast
- cambiamento: a change, shift, turn — cognate with change, although not very obvious; perhaps clearer if you know that cambiamento derives from cambiare, to change, and the English comes from French changier
- guscio: shell — may be cognate with cyst
- pioggia: rain — cognate with pluvial, flood, float, also French pluie
- pipistrello: bat — used to be vipistrello, which makes the link to cognates vespers (evening prayers) and western (where the sun sets) more obvious
- pollice: inch, thumb — cognate with obscure word pollical (of the thumb), also French pouce (thumb, inch)
- ruscello: stream — cognate with rivulet, also French ruisseau (but may be easier to go with a keyword: the rushing stream)
- sabbia: sand — cognates from a root meaning to pour, also French sable
- salita: climb — cognate with saltatory, saltation, also French sauter
- scarpa: shoe — cognate with sharp, derives from Gothic word meaning sharp object with pointed ends, because shoes had a pointed end?
- sentiero: path — cognate with French sentier, Spanish sendero; apparently not cognate with send, sent, but PIE root word *sent- meant to go, to travel, so could be considered so
- sera: evening — here's an obscure cognate that some might know: serotine (a bat); more familiarly probably: French soir (as in bonsoir), and Spanish sera
- settimana: week — cognate with September, through the sept=7 connection; also French semaine, Spanish semana
- slittamento: slip, sliding — not cognate, but similarity sufficient for imagining so
- sorriso: smile — cognate with risible (laughable) and riant (laughing); sorriso derives from Latin sub-rideo (below a laugh, as it were); also cognate with French sourire, souriant
- stagione: season — cognate with station, also Spanish estación
- taglio: cut — cognate with tagliatelle, intaglio
- testa: head — cognate with French tête, Spanish testa
- uccello: bird — cognate with avian, aviary, also French oiseau
Those with no connections. These are the ones for which a mnemonic link is recommended, and I’ve provided some suggestions:
Group 6
- cantiere: shipyard, building site — canter into the yard
- cibo: food — chip (actually cognate with ciborium, a receptacle for communion wafers, if you happen to know it; also Spanish cebo)
- elenco: list — elect to the list
- gara: race — cheer the race
- mucca: cow — moo cow
- partita: (sports) match, game — participate in the game (actually cognate with a musical term in English, if you happen to know it)
- ragazza: girl / ragazzo, boy — ragged urchin
- scatola: box — casket
- scheda: card — the schedule is written on the card
- se:stesso, self — stetson
- tuta: suit (sweatsuit, tracksuit, overalls) — tutu
- volto: face — think of the expression volte face
- uno: one
- due: two (think duo, dual)
- tre: three (also cognate with tri-, as in triangle, trio, tripod)
- quattro: four (think of quadruple, quadrilateral, quadruped, square)
- cinque: five (cognate with five, but this is not very obvious; also cognate with quinquennial and quinate, and of course French cinq)
- sei: six (cognate, but you do have to focus on the first part of ‘six’!)
- otto: eight (think octagon, octopus, octave)
- nove: nine (French neuf, English November (same reason: it started off as the 9th month), novena)
- dieci: ten (cognate with decimal, and French dix)
- venti: twenty (okay, there are words in English cognate with this, but they’re pretty rare; still, if you drop the initial t, the words become much more similar)
- cento: hundred (cognate with cent, century)
- migliaia: thousand (think of millimeter, millisecond, etc)
- milione: million
- Lunedì: Monday
- Martedì: Tuesday
- Mercoledì: Wednesday
- Giovedì: Thursday
- Venerdì: Friday
- Sabato: Saturday
- Domenica: Sunday
- Gennaio: January
- Febbraio: February
- Marzo: March
- Aprile: April
- Maggio: May
- Giugno: June
- Luglio: July
- Agosto: August
- Settembre: September
- Ottobre: October
- Novembre: November
- Dicembre: December