Elements with similar characteristics are similar to each other.
Similar is one or that which has similarity or analogy with someone or something . This adjective comes from simile , which refers to similarity and allows comparisons to be made between two things. For example: “The Rigberter sisters have a similar profile, inherited from their mother” , “Some alpine landscapes are very similar to those we can find in Patagonia” , “Lionel Messi has scored a goal similar to the one Diego Maradona scored in Mexico '86 against England .
The similar can be similar, similar or analogous to something else due to physical or abstract characteristics . Two cars, in this sense, can be similar because they exhibit lines that look similar and can even be confused at first glance. This means that the appearance of both cars is similar.
On the other hand, it can be said that two cars are similar by offering similar features, whether due to their internal dimensions, comforts, technology , etc. In this case, the similarity is not given by a physical characteristic that can be seen from the outside of the vehicle, but rather the similarity arises in its operation.
Similar people
Certain similarities can also be drawn between people. Juana and Martina have similar body characteristics: they are both blonde and tall, with a slim build and brown eyes. They are, therefore, two women with similar features.
At the same time, it can be said that Juana has a similar character to Lucía , since they are both extroverted, talk a lot and tend to laugh raucously. Physically, however, they are not alike: Lucía is dark-skinned and short.
Two things are similar when they look alike.
The cognates
The Royal Spanish Academy defines the term cognate as an adjective that is used in the field of grammar to indicate a morphological relationship between two or more terms. In other words, cognates are words that are written in a similar or identical way in two languages and that have the same meaning , or that at least some of their meanings coincide.
Taking English as a reference, one of the most important languages in the world today, let's look at some of the most common cognates: individual, balance, material, hotel, actor, general; These are words that in certain contexts have the same definition as their equivalents in Spanish, although their pronunciation can be very different, especially if all the existing accents in both languages are taken into account.
On the other hand, there are terms whose writing in English is very similar to the Spanish one, although it is not identical, as occurs in the following cases: bank and bank, collection and collection, concert and concert, delicate and delicate. Added to this are certain nuances such as gender and number, since there are English words that do not change to indicate the number and, in themselves, never do so to adjust to the gender of the subject or object to which they refer.
From the list above, the English term delicate , while very similar to delicate , can also be translated as delicates , delicate and delicate . In some cases, the meaning of two cognates is very different, to the point of not being able to be used in the same context ; These words are known as false cognates .
Let's look at some of the most striking false cognates between English and Spanish, first indicating the Anglo-Saxon term with its meaning in parentheses and then the one corresponding to the meaning they seem to have in Spanish: current (real), present (current); to advertise, to warn; advice, notice; arm (arm), gun (weapon); cartoon (comic), cardboard (cardboard); conductor (conductor), driver (conductor); contest (contest), to answer (reply); curse, course.
It is worth mentioning that finding a foreign word in a similar way to one from the native language does not always simplify learning, since in addition to the differences in pronunciation and intonation (which are sometimes considerable), even when they share meaning it is possible that they are used in different ways. different, given the grammatical rules.