I know that in regards to writing, there are tons of cognates but that’s only in text (such as: hôtel / hotel, table, garage & etc). Instead, can speakers of either language understand each other when having a verbal face to face conversation? Both languages are from different backgrounds: French is part of the Romance group while English is a Germanic one.
Native Swedish speaker that speaks all mainland Scandinavian languages, also English, and because my roots I can understand Finnish but barely speak it. I read German and Spanish in school in ancient times but I can’t say I can speak or follow anything slightly complex now.
In the sense you are thinking, I can “understand” Icelandic and Dutch if spoken by someone that wants me to understand them despite not having learned the language.
Understand French? Nope. Not a chance.
Excuse me ursäkta anteeksi entschuldigung pardon? Le Hotel is to over there? Great, thanks, Merci! (To the Parisian cursing up in arms that not the entire world speaks the only language he knows)