|
|
|
|
|
List Of False FriendsSee false cognate, false friend, list of words, list of reference tables A | xamples of false friends between English and other languages | | Non-English word | Which resembles English | But actually means | | abb (French) | abbey | priest or abbot | | accuser (French) | accuse | can mean "to acknowledge" (accuser rception = acknowledge receipt), although it means "accuse" in most cases | actual (Romanian)
actual (Spanish)
actueel (Dutch)
aktuala (Esperanto)
actuel (French)
aktuell (German)
aktualny (Polish)
aktuelan (Serbian)
attuale (Italian)
atual (Portuguese) | actual | current | adepte (French)
adept (Romanian)
adept (Polish)
adepto (Portuguese)
adepto (Spanish) | adept (proficient) | follower | | administr (French) | administered | citizen (as seen from an elected official; old-fashioned)
user of a public administration (old-fashioned)
may also mean "administered" | | ado (French) | ado (fuss) | short for adolescent | advertncia (Portuguese)
advertencia (Spanish)
avertissement (French)
avertisment (Romanian) | advertisement | warning | affluent (French)
afluent (Romanian)
afluente (Spanish)
affluente (Italian) | affluent (wealthy) | tributary (of a river) effluent | | After (German) | after | anus | | agenc (French) | agency | laid out or arranged | agent (French)
agente (Spanish) | agent | officer, police officer, agent | | ail (French) | ail (sicken) | garlic | | aimer (French) | to aim | to love or to like | | aire (French) | air | area (mathematics) | | ale (Finnish) | ale (pronounced eil) | short for alennus "discount" in alennusmyynti "discount sale" | | alerte (French) | alert | agile, alert | | also (German) | also | thus | | allure (French) | allure (the power to attract) | speed, bearing; allure | | alto (French) | alto (singer) | viola, alto (singer) | | alto (Italian, Portuguese and Spanish) | alto (singer) | high; in Spanish it can also mean "stop!" (imperative) | | ampua (Finnish) | to amputate | to shoot | | an (latin) | an, or perhaps on when read | or | ananas (French, Finnish, Italian, Romanian, Hebrew and Serbian)
Ananas (German)
Anans (Portuguese) | bananas | pineapple | | ancien (French) | ancient | can mean very old but often means just former, ex- | | anciano (Spanish) | ancient | very old person, can be ascribed to a person without negative connotation | | non (French) | anon (short for anonymous) | baby donkey | | anser (Latin) | answer | goose | anta (Arabic)
| (Does not resemble English) resembles Japanese anata | you | | anus (latin) | anus | old woman | apologie (French)
apologie (Romanian)
apologa (Spanish)
apologia (Italian and Portuguese) | apology | praise, vindication | | appoint (French) | appoint | (extra) contribution or help | apontar (Portuguese)
apuntar (Spanish) | appoint | (to) aim; (to) note down; (to) button up | | arc (French and Romanian) | arc, ark | bow (weapon), arc | arme (French)
arma (Spanish and Portuguese) | arm (body part) | weapon | | as (Spanish, Polish, Serbian and French) | ass / as | ace | | asbestos (Greek) | asbestos | quicklime | | ask (Swedish) | ask | small box; ash (tree) | | a (German) | ass | ate | | assortie (French) | assorted | matched, matching | | assister (French) asistir (Spanish) assistere (Italian) | assist | attend (means both assist and attend in Italian) | atendi (Esperanto)
attendere (Italian)
attendre (French) | attend | to wait for; to expect | | atender (Spanish) | attend (an event) | to attend to, to serve, to take care of | | atomiki bomba (Greek) | atomic bomb | hand grenade | B | Which resembles English | But actually means | | bad (German) | bad | bath | | bald (German) | bald | soon | | barn (Swedish) bairn (Scots) | barn | child, children | | beg (Manx) | big | little | | bekommen (German) | become | obtain, receive, get (compare English "come by")
(Note: There is a joke to this in German: a German comes into a British restaurant and waits half an hour for his food. Finally, he asks the waiter:"When shall I become my steak?" "I should hope never, sir." | | beraten (German) | berate | advise, discuss | | big (Dutch) | big | piglet | bilion (Romanian, Serbian)
bilione (Italian)
biljon (Swedish)
Billion (German)
billion (French and Norwegian)
billón (Spanish)
| billion | 'Trillion' (1012 or million million) - see billion. | | blesser (French) | (to) bless | (to) injure | bloc (Spanish)
Block (German)
blok (Serbian)
block (Swedish) | block | can mean note pad | | boleta (Spanish) | bullet | admission ticket | | bond (French) | bond | leap, bound | | brancher (French) | branch | (to) be plugged in, (to) be cool (colloq.) | brand (Swedish, Dutch)
Brand (German) | brand | fire (the emergency) | | bras (French) | bra(ssiere)s | arm (the body part) | brat (брат) (Russian, Serbian)
brat (Polish) | brat | brother | brav (German)
bravo/a (Italian)
braaf (Dutch) | brave | well-behaved | | Brief (Dutch, German) | brief | letter (mail) | | brushing (French) | to brush | a blow-dry (hairdresser's) | | brutaal (Dutch) | brutal | bold | C | Which resembles English | But actually means | | calzn / calzones (Spanish), calzone / calzoni (Italian), caleon (French) | calzone | underwear (of course calzone comes from Italian, but in that language the main use of the word is for underwear) | | canto (Latin, Italian and Spanish) | canto | I sing; in Spanish, can also mean pebble, edge, or piece | | car (French) | car | bus or coach; because | | Car (German) | car | charter bus, motor coach | | car (Romanian) | car | I carry | | car (Polish) | car | tsar | carcter (Spanish)
carattere (Italian)
caractre (French) | character | temperament; can also mean "character" in the typographic meaning | | carpeta (Spanish) | carpet | folder | | casino (Italian) | casino | brothel | | casualmente (Spanish, Italian and Portuguese) | casually | fortuitously | | chair (French) | chair | flesh | | champin (Spanish) | champion | mushroom | | chance (French) | chance | luck | | chat (French) | chat (conversation) | cat | chef (French)
Chef (German)
szef (Polish)
šef (Serbian)
| chef | boss (in French, occasionally means "cook" or "head cook") | | cognato (Italian) | cognate | brother-in-law | | coin (French) | coin | corner | | compromiso (Spanish) | compromise | promise | | constipado (Spanish) | constipated | someone who has a cold | | contesto (Italian) | contest | context | corne (French)
corno (Italian)
cuerno (Spanish) | corn | horn | crayon (French)
creion (Romanian) | crayon | pencil (a wax crayon is crayon de cire in French) | culte (French)
kult (Polish)
culto (Spanish) | cult | worship (as in lieu de culte = house of worship). In Spanish it can also mean "educated". | | culo (Spanish and Italian) | cool | arse | D E F G H | Which resembles English | But actually means | | Handy (German) | handy | mobile phone, cell phone ("Handy" is not really German, it is artificial (pseudo-English) from English and German "hand", but most Germans think that the word is English). It's a pseudo-anglicism. | | hiy (היא) (Hebrew) | he | she | | hell (German) | hell | bright | | herb (German) | herb | harsh | | hiiri (Finnish) | hire | mouse | | hintti (Finnish) | hint | gay, fairy, fag | | home (Finnish) | home (pronounced houm, confusable in spelling only) | mold | | horno (Spanish) | horn | oven | | Hose (German) | hose | (pair of) trousers | | host (Czech) | host | guest | | hot (Swedish) | hot | threat | huta (Polish)
| hut | steel works | | huw (Hebrew) | who | he | I J | Which resembles English | But actually means | | juntta and juntti (Finnish) | junta hunta | juntta: pile driver, ramming machine; juntti: yokel | | juu (Finnish) | you juu | yeah | K | Which resembles English | But actually means | caution (French)
Kaution (German) | caution | deposit, bail | | kabinet (кабинет) (Russian) | cabinet | office | | kamppi (Finnish) | camp | tripping up | | kanto (Finnish) | canto | treestump | | kedr (Кедр) (Russian) | cedar | Siberian Pine | | kid (Swedish) | kid (baby goat, child) | fawn | | killa (Swedish) | kill, killer | tickle, scratch | | killinki (Finnish) | killing | farthing, coin | | Kind (German) | kind | child | | kind (Swedish) | kind | cheek | | Kinn (German) | kin | chin | | kissa (Finnish) | kiss | cat | | koi (Finnish) | coy /koi/ | dawn | kontroll (Swedish)
kontrollieren (German) | control | check, examine | | korn (Swedish) | corn | barley | Kraft (German)
kraft (Swedish) | craft | power, strength | | kreatur (Swedish) | creature | cattle | | Kritik (German) | critic | criticism, review | | kropp (Swedish) | crop | body, mathematical field | | kut (Dutch) | cut | cunt (vulgar) | | kuula, koolaus (Finnish) | cool kuul, cooling | kuula: bullet; (of granules) pellet, ball
koolaus: studwork (in construction) | | knni | canny /kni/ | (the experience of) drunkness | L | Which resembles English | But actually means | | lack (Swedish), lakka (Finnish) | lack | lacquer | | lakki (Finnish) | lack | lakki: hat, cap (the clothing accessory) | | lammas (Finnish) | Lammas | sheep | lappu (Finnish)
Lapp (numerous languages) | lap | slip, tag, label, patch
("Lapp" or Finnish "lappalainen" is also a politically incorrect xenonym for the Smi, suggesting they are bums in patched clothes.) | Last (German)
last (Swedish, Dutch)
lasti (Finnish) | last | load, burden | | leg (Swedish) | leg | ID, identification papers (short for "legitimation") | | librera (Spanish | library | bookstore | | lime (French) | lime | file (the tool) | | Limo (German) | limo | soft drink, lemonade | | limpa (Swedish) | limp | loaf (bread), carton of cigarette packages | | limppa (Finnish) | limp | short for "limonadi", lemonade | | limppi (Finnish) | limp | lump | List (German)
list (Swedish, Dutch) | list | cunning, artfulness, ruse | | list (лист) (Russian) | list | leaf | | listi (Finnish) | to list | bump off, (of insects) kill
(the correct verb is listata) | | lokki (Finnish) | lock | seagull | | lul (Dutch) | lull | penis (vulgar) | | lump (Swedish language) | lump | discarded fabric, slang for mandatory military service | lujuria (Spanish)
lussuria (Italian)
luxure (French) | luxury | lust | M N O P | Which resembles English | But actually means | | pain (French) | pain | bread | | paini (Finnish) | pain | wrestling | | pan (Spanish, Japanese) | pan | bread | | pan (Polish) | pan | sir, mister | | papa (Spanish) | papa (slang) (father) | potato | | pateettinen (Finnish) | pathetic | high-flown (i.e. full of pathos) | patetic (Romanian)
pathétique (French) | pathetic | emotional (in French, can also mean pathetic) | | pathetisch (German) | pathetic | solemn, lofty | | pavimento (Italian) | pavement | floor | | pétulant (French) | petulant | playful | | pie (Spanish) | pie | foot | | pii | π | silicon the element, also archaic "tooth" | | pilli (Finnish) | pill | drinking straw | | pimppi (Finnish) | pimp | childish world for "female genitalia" | | pingouin (French) | penguin | auk | polizia (Italian)
polica (Spanish) | policy | police | | pom (Romanian) | Pommie, Pom | Fruit bearing tree | pomm (Estonian)
pommi (Finnish) | Pommie, Pom | bomb | | pomme (French) | Pommie, Pom (see Alternate words for British) | apple | pregnant (Romanian, Swedish)
prägnant (German) | pregnant | short but informative; remarkable, prominent | preservativo(Spanish)
prezervativ (Romanian)
Präservativ (German)
prezerwatywa (Polish)
préservatif (French) (1) | preservative | condom; also "preservative" in Spanish | | prick (Swedish) | prick | dot | propaganda (Spanish)
| propaganda | advertising | prospect (Romanian)
Prospekt (German) | prospect | brochure, leaflet, prospectus | | prospekt (Swedish) | prospect | prospectus, document or brochure detailing an offer (usually from a travel agent) | | prospekt (проспект) (Russian) | prospect | avenue | proces (Romanian)
proces (Polish)
process (Swedish)
Prozess (German) | process | trial (at court)/(in Swedish and German mainly used to denote process but also means trial) | | prune (French) | prune | plum | | pus (Finnish) | pus | onomatopoeia for a kiss | | pussi (Finnish) | pussy | bag | Q | Which resembles English | But actually means | | queue (French) | queue | tail | R S | Which resembles English | But actually means | | saikou (Japanese) | psycho | the best | | sake (Japanese) | sake | Japanese rice wine | | sale (French) | sale | dirty | | sale (Italian) | sale | salt | | sale (Estonian) | sale | slender | | sale (Spanish) | sale | goes out | | Sale (Finnish) | sale | nickname for Sauli | | sale (Polish) | sale | rooms | | salivit (Latin) | salivate | he/she/it jumped | | salvaje (Spanish) | salvage | savage | sechs (German)
sex (Swedish)
| sex | six
| | -seksi, as a suffix (Finnish) | sexy | The suffix -nen in translative, e.g. Rikknen -> Rikkseksi | secte (French)
Sekte (German)
secta (Spanish)
sekta (Serbian) | sect | cult, sect | | See (German) | see | See (m.): lake; See (f): sea | | Seite (German) | site | page | | Sekt (German) | sect | champagne, sparkling wine | | Sensation (German) | sensation | blowoff, scorcher | sensibel (German)
sensibile (Italian)
sensible (French and Spanish) | sensible | sensitive | | she (舌) (Mandarin) | she | tongue | | side (Finnish) | side said | bandage, bond, tie, blindfold | | Sie (German) | see | you (formal), she, they | | Sinn (German) | sin | sense, mind, meaning, acceptance, aesthesia, signification, tenor, appreciation | | sin (Serbian) | sin | son | | sin (Spanish) | sin | without | | sin (Swedish) | sin | "your own" | | sin (spoken Finnish) | sin | short for sinne, "into there" | | slang (Swedish) | slang | hose | | lip (German) | slip | knickers | Smoking (German)
smoking (Swedish)
esmoqun (Spanish) | smoking | dinner jacket (Br.), tuxedo (U.S.); but not smoking jacket | | son (Spanish) | son | (they) are; song | | son (French) | son | sound; bran; his/her (masculine thing possessed) | | soy (Spanish) | soya, soybean | (I) am | | stark (German and Swedish) | stark | strong | | step (Chumash) | step | flea | | stor (Swedish) | store | big, large | | stout (Dutch) | stout | naughty | | strafen (German) | strafe | punish | | sum (Latin) | sum | I am | | sun (spoken Finnish) | sun /san/ | your | Sveti, Sweti
(several Slavic languages, e.g.:)
Święty (Polish)
Sveti (Свети) (Bulgarian) | sweaty | Saint | simpatic (Romanian)
simpatico (Italian)
simpático (Spanish and Portuguese)
sympathique (French)
sympathisch (German)
sympatyczny (Polish)
sympatisk (Swedish)
| sympathetic | likeable, friendly | T | Which resembles English | But actually means | Tag (German)
tag (Swedish) | tag | German: day
Swedish: take!
| | tikki, tkki, takki, tukki (Finnish) | tick tik, tack tk, tuck tak | stitch, quilt, jacket, log, respectively | | talli (Finnish) | tally | garage, stable | | tarra (Finnish) | tar | sticker | | tekniikka (Finnish) | technique (tek'niik) | technology (as a discipline) | | teknologi (Swedish) | technology | technology as a discipline | | ten (Spanish) | ten | take! (imperative tense) | | ten (Polish) | ten | this | | tie, tai (Finnish) | tie tai | tie "road", tai "or" | | Tier (German) | tier | animal | to (Polish)
to (Serbian) | to (in writing) | that | | trombone (French) | trombone | trombone, or paperclip | tu (Polish)
tu (Serbian) | to (in reading) | there | | toi (spoken Finnish; "tuo" in standard language) | toy toi | that | | t'oi (台) (Hakka) | toy | tower | U V W Y | Which resembles English | But actually means | | you (有) (Mandarin) | you | to have | False friends
|
 |
|
| Copyright 2005-2009 OnPedia.com. All Rights Reserved |
|
|