18 Abr 50 Spanish – English false friend words
Because Spanish and English share a lot of words with Latin roots, it’s easy to understand Spanish sentences like, «Seattle aprobó un salario mínimo de $15 la hora.» But sometimes words with the same origin take a separate path in each language, or words with different origins resemble each other by coincidence. That can mean trouble. You might want to tell someone you don’t want to embarrass her and wind up saying, «I don’t want to get you pregnant.» For your protection, here’s a list of Spanish-English «false friends.»
The Spanish words in the first column resemble the English ones in the third column, but have different meanings.
| Spanish word | English translation | English word | Spanish translation |
| ACTUAL | current, present-day | ACTUAL | real, efectivo |
| AMERICANO | person from North or South America | AMERICAN | estadounidense |
| ASISTIR | to attend, be present at OR to assist | ASSIST | ayudar |
| BILLóN | (US) trillion, (UK) billion | BILLION (US) | mil millones |
| BIZARRO | dashing, brave, gallant | BIZARRE | extraño |
| BOMBERO | firefighter | BOMBER | bombardero |
| CARPETA | folder | CARPET | alfombra |
| CASUALIDAD | coincidence, chance | CASUALTY | víctima |
| CHOCAR | strike, collide | CHOKE | ahogar |
| CODO | elbow | CODE | código |
| COLEGIO | high school | COLLEGE | universidad |
| COMPROMISO | obligation, commitment | COMPROMISE | componenda |
| CONDESCENDER | to comply, agree | CONDESCEND | dignarse |
| CONSTIPADO (n.) | a cold | CONSTIPATED | constipado (adj.) |
| CONTESTAR | to answer | CONTEST (v.) | contender |
| CORRIENTEMENTE | fluently, plainly, flatly | CURRENTLY | actualmente |
| DELITO | crime | DELIGHT | delicia, deleite |
| DESGRACIA | mistake, misfortune | DISGRACE | vergüenza |
| DISGUSTO | annoyance, worry | DISGUST | asco, repugnancia |
| DESTITUIDO | fired, deprived | DESTITUTE | indigente |
| DORMITORIO | bedroom | DORMITORY | residencia universitaria |
| EMBARAZADA | pregnant | EMBARRASSED | avergonzada |
| EMPRESA | business enterprise, company | EMPRESS | emperatríz |
| ENVIAR | send | ENVY (v.) | envidiar |
| ESTRECHAR | to narrow, bring closer together | STRETCH | estirar, alargar |
| ESTIMADO | esteemed | ESTIMATE | estimacíon, presupuesto |
| ÉXITO | success, hit | EXIT | salida |
| FÁBRICA | factory | FABRIC | tela |
| GROSERÍA | grossness, crudeness | GROCERY | abarrotería, tienda de comestibles |
| INTRODUCIR | insert | INTRODUCE (someone) | presentar |
| LARGO | long | LARGE | grande |
| LECTURA | reading | LECTURE | conferencia |
| LIBRERÍA | bookstore | LIBRARY | biblioteca |
| MANTEL | tablecloth | MANTEL | manto, mesilla |
| MOLESTAR | bother | MOLEST | abusar (sexualmente) |
| NUDO | knot | NUDE | desnudo |
| PARADA | stop, e.g. bus stop | PARADE | desfile |
| PARIENTE | relative | PARENT | padre |
| PRETENDER | to attempt, to woo | PRETEND | fingir |
| PREOCUPADO | worried | PREOCCUPIED | distraído |
| REALIZAR | to come true | REALIZE | darse cuenta |
| RECORDAR | to remember, remind | RECORD | grabar |
| ROPA | clothes | ROPE | cuerda |
| SANO | healthy | SANE | cuerdo |
| SOPA | soup | SOAP | jabón |
| SOPORTAR | tolerate, put up with | SUPPORT | apoyar |
| SUCESO | event | SUCCESS | éxito |
| TUNA | prickly pear | TUNA | atún |
| ÚLTIMAMENTE | recently | ULTIMATELY | al final |
| VASO | drinking glass | VASE | jarrón, florero |
Fuente: mentalfloss.com
Fuentes: Theconversation y ef.edu