Catalan and French: 58 words that are the same
Among the two thousand words each language uses most, these are written identically and carry the same meaning in both. If you have one of the two, this is the part you do not have to learn.
A shared word is not proof of a shared root. Two languages can land on the same spelling by borrowing from a third — that is all tren and bomba are — and a word that looks the same can still be said quite differently. What this list is good for is the head start.
| Word | In English | Catalan | French |
|---|---|---|---|
| vaca [ˈba]fr /va/ | to go | #18 | #55 |
| quica [ˈki]fr /ki/ | who, whom | #62 | #31 |
| vasca [ˈbas]fr /va/ | to go | #83 | #172 |
| tempsca [ˈtems]fr /tɑ̃/ | time | #104 | #116 |
| ohca /ˈɔ/fr /o/ | oh | #173 | #105 |
| nomca [ˈnɔm]fr /ˈnɔ̃/ | name | #222 | #201 |
| entreca [ˈen.tɾə]fr /ɑ̃tʁ/ | between | #273 | #215 |
| venirca [bəˈni]fr /və.niʁ/ | to come | #274 | #269 |
| sangca [ˈsaŋ]fr /sɑ̃/ | blood | #283 | #298 |
| tardca [ˈtart]fr /taʁ/ | late | #310 | #273 |
| ahca /ˈa/fr /a/ | ah | #324 | #220 |
| prendreca [ˈpɛn.dɾə]fr /pʁɑ̃.dʁə/ | to take | #384 | #193 |
| perdreca [ˈpɛr.dɾə]fr /pɛʁdʁ/ | to lose | #406 | #566 |
| servirca [sərˈbi]fr /sɛʁ.viʁ/ | to serve | #417 | #1,062 |
| quatreca [ˈkwa.tɾə]fr /katʁ/ | four | #427 | #516 |
| nordca [ˈnɔrt]fr [n̪ɔʁ̥] | north | #443 | #1,164 |
| fortca [ˈfɔrt]fr /fɔːʁ/ | strongly | #469 | #468 |
| agentca [əˈʒen]fr /a.ʒɑ̃/ | agent | #504 | #540 |
| mortsca /ˈmɔrs/fr /mɔʁ/ | dead | #522 | #659 |
| dormirca [durˈmi]fr /dɔʁ.miʁ/ | to sleep | #524 | #689 |
| durca [ˈdu]fr /dyʁ/ | hard | #549 | #456 |
| probablementca [pɾuˌβab.bləˈmen]fr /pʁɔ.ba.blə.mɑ̃/ | probably | #554 | #737 |
| armesca [ˈar.məs]fr /aʁm/ | weapon | #637 | #741 |
| futurca [fuˈtur]fr /fy.tyʁ/ | future | #655 | #1,327 |
| oncleca [ˈoŋ.klə]fr /ɔ̃kl/ | uncle | #708 | #763 |
| bonsca [ˈbɔns]fr /bɔ̃/ | good | #770 | #936 |
| sudca [ˈsut]fr /syd/ | south | #789 | #1,199 |
| centca /ˈsent/fr /sɑ̃/ | hundred | #850 | #1,772 |
| murca [ˈmur]fr /myʁ/ | wall | #882 | #1,157 |
| soldatsca [sulˈdats]fr /sɔlˈda/ | soldier | #891 | #1,473 |
| vendreca [ˈbɛn.dɾə]fr /vɑ̃dʁ/ | to sell | #936 | #989 |
| clubca /ˈklup/fr /klœb/ | club | #950 | #888 |
| sergentca [sərˈʒen]fr /sɛʁ.ʒɑ̃/ | sergeant | #988 | #1,225 |
| soldatca [sulˈdat]fr /sɔl.da/ | soldier | #989 | #1,482 |
| ellesca [ˈe.ʎəs]fr /ɛl/ | they | #1,005 | #265 |
| monca /mun/fr /mɔ̃/ | my | #1,020 | #47 |
| maca [mə]fr /ma/ | my | #1,028 | #68 |
| monstreca [ˈmɔns.tɾə]fr /mɔ̃stʁ/ | monster | #1,058 | #1,292 |
| nomsca [ˈnɔms]fr /ˈnɔ̃/ | name | #1,073 | #1,386 |
| horribleca [uˈrib.blə]fr /ɔ.ʁibl/ | horrible | #1,098 | #1,098 |
| acteca [ˈak.tə]fr /akt/ | act | #1,125 | #1,871 |
| contentca [kunˈten]fr /kɔ̃.tɑ̃/ | content, satisfied, pleased | #1,207 | #704 |
| simpleca [ˈsim.plə]fr /sɛ̃pl/ | single | #1,224 | #631 |
| agentsca [əˈʒens]fr /a.ʒɑ̃/ | agent | #1,253 | #1,589 |
| mentirca [mənˈti]fr /mɑ̃.tiʁ/ | to lie | #1,259 | #1,492 |
| universca [u.niˈβɛrs]fr /y.ni.vɛʁ/ | universe | #1,274 | #1,731 |
| exempleca [əɡˈzem.plə]fr /ɛɡ.zɑ̃pl/ | example | #1,277 | #1,064 |
| responsableca [rəs.punˈsab.blə]fr /ʁɛs.pɔ̃.sabl/ | responsible | #1,298 | #991 |
| ventca [ˈben]fr /vɑ̃/ | wind | #1,384 | #1,368 |
| membreca [ˈmem.bɾə]fr /mɑ̃bʁ/ | member | #1,394 | #1,698 |
| ministreca [miˈnis.tɾə]fr /mi.nistʁ/ | minister | #1,510 | #1,657 |
| arbreca [ˈa.βɾə]fr /aʁbʁ/ | tree | #1,602 | #1,662 |
| dentsca /ˈdens/fr /dɑ̃/ | tooth | #1,627 | #1,352 |
| animalca [ə.niˈmal]fr /a.ni.mal/ | animal | #1,714 | #1,785 |
| tonca /tun/fr /tɔ̃/ | your | #1,769 | #87 |
| restaurantca [rəs.təwˈɾan]fr /ʁɛs.tɔ.ʁɑ̃/ | to restore | #1,775 | #1,422 |
| vacancesca [bəˈkan.səs]fr /va.kɑ̃s/ | vacancy | #1,819 | #1,279 |
| membresca [ˈmem.bɾəs]fr /ˈmɑ̃bʁ/ | member | #1,899 | #1,736 |
The speaker plays the voice the LangX app uses for that language — synthesised, not a native speaker, so treat it as a guide. Voices for Catalan (upc_ona (ca_ES), CC BY-SA 4.0).
The overlap is the easy part.
The rest comes from using it with someone who speaks it.