Tandem Hour LanguagesGlossary
02
Glossary
Class words, explained plainly
Short, neutral definitions of the terms your teachers use in class. Each entry points to related words so you can follow one idea to the next.
Every term, A to Z
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Accent mark
noun
A small mark written above a letter that changes its sound or shows which syllable to stress. Leaving it out can change the meaning of a word.
See also:Liaison, Cognate
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Cognate
noun/KOG-nayt/
A word that looks and means much the same in two languages, such as station and estación. Cognates give beginners a large head start on reading signs and menus.
See also:False friend
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Conjugation
noun/kon-joo-GAY-shun/
The way a verb changes its ending to show who is doing the action and when. Travel phrases usually need only a handful of forms.
See also:Formal address, Register
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False friend
noun
A word that looks like an English word but means something different. Many cause small, funny mix-ups at restaurants and shops.
See also:Cognate
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Formal address
noun
The polite form of you used with strangers and staff, such as vous, usted, Lei or Sie. It also changes the verb ending that follows.
See also:Register, Conjugation
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Gender
noun
A grammar label that sorts nouns into groups, usually masculine and feminine, and in German also neuter. It decides which word for the is used.
See also:Conjugation
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Liaison
noun/lee-AY-zon/
In French, the linking of a normally silent final consonant to a following vowel sound. It is one reason spoken French sounds like a continuous stream.
See also:Accent mark
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Register
noun
The level of politeness or formality in how you speak. The same request can be worded casually with friends or carefully with a hotel manager.
See also:Formal address
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Role-play
noun
A practice exercise where learners act out a real situation, such as ordering lunch or buying a ticket. The teacher usually plays the local.
See also:Survival phrase
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Survival phrase
noun
A short, fixed expression that gets a basic need met, such as asking for the bill or the toilet. Learners memorise these as whole units.
See also:Role-play, Register