False friends for English speakers

Erklärung

Many Spanish words look like English ones but mean something else, and a few cause real misunderstandings. The most dangerous: embarazada means 'pregnant', not 'embarrassed' (use avergonzado); actualmente means 'currently', not 'actually' (use en realidad); asistir means 'to attend', while 'to assist' is ayudar; realizar means 'to carry out', while 'to realize' is darse cuenta.

More of the high-frequency set: éxito = 'success' (an exit is una salida); librería = 'bookshop' (a library is una biblioteca); carpeta = 'folder' (a carpet is una alfombra); sensible = 'sensitive' (sensible is sensato); soportar = 'to put up with' (to support is apoyar); pretender = 'to intend/claim' (to pretend is fingir); molestar = 'to bother' (no stronger meaning).

Direction matters too, because the trap runs both ways. Introducir is 'to insert'; to introduce people is presentar. Una cuestión is 'an issue/matter'; a question is una pregunta. La lectura is 'reading'; a lecture is una conferencia or una clase. And eventualmente means 'occasionally', not 'eventually' (that's finalmente, al final).

Beispiele

Verwandte Regeln

• False friends for French speakers