Web Translation Projects/English-Spanish, Spanish-English Translation/False friends

English-Spanish false friends

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False 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)

  1. "False Friends: Spanish-English - The Complete List". Let's Speak Spanish. 2019-10-22. Retrieved 2021-05-22.
  2. 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.