Web Translation Projects/English-Spanish, Spanish-English Translation/False friends
English-Spanish false friends
editFalse friends, also called bilingual homophones are words in two or more languages that look or sound similar but differ significantly in meaning[1]. The origin of the term is as a shortened version of the expression "false friend of a translator", the English translation of a French expression (French: faux amis du traducteur) introduced by linguists Maxime Kœssler and Jules Derocquigny in their 1928 book[2]. The list below provides some of the most common English-Spanish false friends.
Spanish word (English translation) – Similar English word (Spanish translation)
− − A
− − actual (current, present-day) – actual (real, efectivo)
− − americano (person from North or South America) – american (estadounidense)
− − aprension (fear) – apprehension (comprensión)
− − asistir (to attend, be present at or assist) – asist (ayudar)
− − atender (to pay attention) – attend (asistir)
− − B
− − balde (bucket) – bald (calvo)
− − basamento (base of a clumn) – basement (sótano)
− − bigote (moustache) – bigot (intolerante, prejuicio)
− − billón ((US) trillion, (UK) billion) – billion (mil millones)
− − bizarro (dashing, brave, gallant) – bizarre (extraño)
− − boda (wedding) – body (cuerpo)
− − bombero (firefighter) – bomber (bombardero)
− − C
− − campo (countryside) – camp (campamento)
− − carpeta (folder) – carpet (alfombra)
− − chocar (strike, collide) – choke (ahogar)
− − casualidad (coincidence, chance) – casualty (victima)
− − cita (appointment) – city (cuidad)
− − codo (elbow) – code (codígo)
− − colegio (high school) – college (universidad)
− − complexión (physical constitution) – complexion (tez)
− − constipación (cold) – constipation (estreñimiento)
− − constipado (a cold) – constipated (estreñido)
− − contestar (to answer) – contest (concurso)
− − corresponder (to correspond to) – correspond with (escribir)
− − corrientemente (simply, without difficulty or contradiction) – currently (actualmente)
− − D
− − delito (crime) – delight (delicia, deleite)
− − desgracia (mistake, misfortune) – disgrace (vergüenza)
− − disgusto (annoyance, worry) – disgust (asco, repugnancia)
− − decepción (disappointment) – deseption (engaño)
− − despertar (to awake) – desperate (desesperado)
− − destituido (fired, deprived) – destitute (indigente)
− − dormitorio (bedroom) – dormitory (residencia, universitaria)
− − E
− − embarazada (pregnant) – embarrassed (avergonzada)
− − empresa (business enterprise, company) – empress (emperatríz)
− − enviar (to send) – envy (envidiar)
− − estrechar (to narrow, bring closer together) – stretch (estirar, alargar)
− − estimado (appreciated) – estimate (estimación, presupuesto)
− − éxito (success, hit) – exit (salida)
− − F / G / I
− − fábrica (factory) – fabric (tela)
− − fútil (insignificant) – futile (inútil)
− − ganga (bargain) – gang (pandilla)
− − grosería (coarseness, rudeness) – grocery (abarrotería, tienda de comestibles)
− − introducir (insert) – introduce (presentar)
− − L
− − largo (long) – large (grande)
− − lectura (reading) – lecture (conferencia)
− − librería (bookstore) – library (biblioteca)
− − M / N / O
− − mantel (tablecloth) – mantel (manto, mesilla)
− − molestar (bother) – molest (abusar, sexualmente)
− − nudo (knot) – nude (desnudo)
− − once (eleven) – once (una vez)
− − P
− − parada (stop, bus-stop) – parade (desfile)
− − pariente (relative) – parent (padre)
− − planta (level) – plant (fábrica)
− − pie (foot) – pie (pastel)
− − pretender (to attempt, to woo) – pretend (fingir)
− − preocupado (worried) – preoccupied (distraído)
− − R
− − rapista (barber) – rapist (violador)
− − realizar (perform) – realize (darse cuenta)
− − recordar (to remember, to remind) – record (grabar)
− − ropa (clothes) – rope (cuerda)
− − S
− − sano (healthy) – sane (cuerdo)
− − sensible (sensitive) – sensible (sensato)
− − sopa (soup) – soap (jabón)
− − soportar (tolerate, put up with) – support (apoyar)
− − suceso (event) – success (éxito)
− − T / U / V
− − tuna (prickly pear) – tuna (atún)
− − últimamente (recently) – ultimately (al final)
− − vaso (drinking glass) – vase (jarrón, florero)
- ↑ "False Friends: Spanish-English - The Complete List". Let's Speak Spanish. 2019-10-22. Retrieved 2021-05-22.
- ↑ Koessler, Maxime; Derocquigny, Jules (1928). Les faux amis; ou, Les trahisons du vocabulaire anglais (conseils aux traducteurs). Preservation Department UCLA Library. Paris, Vuibert. http://archive.org/details/lesfauxamisoules00kssl.