False Friends

False friends by language — words in French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, and German that look like English words but mean something else entirely.

French

• actuellement: means 'currently/now' — not 'actually'. 'Actually' in French is en fait.
• librairie: means 'bookshop' — not 'library' (that's bibliothèque).
• assister (à): means 'to attend' — not 'to assist/help' (that's aider).
• attendre: means 'to wait for' — not 'to attend' (that's assister à).
• demander: means 'to ask' — not 'to demand' (that's exiger).
• sensible: means 'sensitive' — not 'sensible/reasonable' (that's raisonnable).
• éventuellement: means 'possibly' — not 'eventually' (that's finalement).
• rester: means 'to stay/remain' — not 'to rest' (that's se reposer).
• blesser: means 'to injure/hurt' — not 'to bless' (that's bénir).
• coin: means 'corner' — not 'coin' (a piece of money, that's pièce).
• location: means 'rental' — not 'a place' (that's emplacement).
• monnaie: means 'change/coins' — not 'money' in general (that's argent).
• déception: means 'disappointment' — not 'deception' (that's tromperie).
• ignorer: means 'to be unaware of / not know' — not 'to deliberately ignore/disregard' (that's ne pas tenir compte de).
• pain: means 'bread' — not physical pain (that's douleur).

Spanish

• embarazada: means 'pregnant' — not 'embarrassed' (that's avergonzada).
• éxito: means 'success' — not 'exit' (that's salida).
• ropa: means 'clothes' — not 'rope' (that's cuerda).
• sopa: means 'soup' — not 'soap' (that's jabón).
• carpeta: means 'folder' — not 'carpet' (that's alfombra).
• lectura: means 'reading' — not 'a lecture/talk' (that's conferencia).
• realizar: means 'to carry out/accomplish' — not 'to realize/become aware' (that's darse cuenta).
• actual: means 'current/present' — not 'actual/real' (that's real or verdadero).
• sensible: means 'sensitive' — not 'sensible/reasonable' (that's sensato).
• disgusto: means 'annoyance/upset' — not 'disgust' (that's asco).
• constipado: means 'having a cold' — not 'constipated' (that's estreñido).
• pretender: means 'to intend/attempt' — not 'to pretend/fake' (that's fingir).
• introducir: means 'to insert/bring in' — for introducing a person, use presentar.
• fábrica: means 'factory' — not 'fabric/cloth' (that's tela).
• largo: means 'long' — not 'large/big' (that's grande).

Portuguese

• pretender: means 'to intend' — not 'to pretend/fake' (that's fingir).
• assistir: means 'to watch' (a film, a show) — not 'to assist/help' (that's ajudar).
• fábrica: means 'factory' — not 'fabric/cloth' (that's tecido).
• costume: means 'custom/habit' — not 'a costume/disguise' (that's fantasia).
• esquisito: means 'weird/strange' — not 'exquisite' (that's requintado).
• livraria: means 'bookshop' — not 'library' (that's biblioteca).
• parentes: means 'relatives' — not 'parents' (that's pais).
• novela: usually means a TV soap opera — for 'novel' (a book), use romance.
• atual: means 'current/present' — not 'actual/real' (that's real).
• realizar: means 'to carry out/accomplish' — not 'to realize/become aware' (that's dar-se conta de).
• puxar: means 'to pull' — the false friend is with the identically-spelled English word 'push', which means the opposite: empurrar.
• constipado: in European Portuguese means 'having a cold' — not 'constipated' (that's preso do intestino / obstipado).

Italian

• parenti: means 'relatives' — not 'parents' (that's genitori).
• libreria: means 'bookshop' — not 'library' (that's biblioteca).
• assistere (a): means 'to attend/watch' — not 'to assist/help' (that's aiutare).
• attualmente: means 'currently' — not 'actually' (that's in realtà).
• educato: means 'polite/well-mannered' — not 'educated' (that's istruito).
• fattoria: means 'farm' — not 'factory' (that's fabbrica).
• magazzino: means 'warehouse/storage' — not 'magazine' (that's rivista).
• morbido: means 'soft' — not 'morbid' (that's macabro).
• pretendere: means 'to demand/expect' — not 'to pretend/fake' (that's fingere).
• sensibile: means 'sensitive' — not 'sensible/reasonable' (that's ragionevole).
• camera: means 'room/bedroom' — not a photo/video camera (that's macchina fotografica).
• confetti: means sugared almonds thrown at weddings — the paper pieces thrown at parties are coriandoli.
• eventualmente: means 'possibly' — not 'eventually' (that's alla fine).

German

• Gift: means 'poison' — not 'gift/present' (that's Geschenk).
• bekommen: means 'to receive/get' — not 'to become' (that's werden). Classic false-friend trap.
• Rat: means 'advice/council' — not the animal (a rat is Ratte).
• Chef: means 'boss' — not a cook (that's Koch).
• also: means 'so/thus/therefore' — not 'in addition' (that's auch).
• Handy: means 'mobile phone' — not 'convenient/useful' (that's praktisch). A German-invented pseudo-anglicism.
• Fabrik: means 'factory' — not 'fabric/cloth' (that's Stoff).
• Kind: means 'child' — not 'kind/nice' (that's nett).
• Art: means 'type/kind/way' — not necessarily creative art (that's Kunst).
• Brief: means 'letter' (mail) — not 'brief/short' (that's kurz).
• Note: means 'grade/mark' at school — not a short written message (that's Notiz).
• eventuell: means 'possibly' — not 'eventually' (that's schließlich).
• sensibel: means 'sensitive' — not 'sensible/reasonable' (that's vernünftig).