Spanish false friends: 18 words that trick English speakers
By María Elena Fernández García, Spanish teacher in Brussels
When you’re learning a language, the words that look like your own feel like a gift… until they don’t. You use them with total confidence and suddenly the person you’re talking to gives you a very funny look. Welcome to the club of false friends: words that look familiar and mean something else entirely.
I’ve been teaching Spanish for many years, first in Hamburg and now in Brussels, and with English speakers these traps come back year after year. It isn’t a question of level: beginners fall for them, and so do advanced students, believe me. Here are 18 of the ones I hear most often, with what they really mean, an example and the Spanish word you were actually looking for.
embarazada
Looks like “embarrassed”… but no.
It means pregnant
Mi hermana está embarazada.
And the English word “embarrassed” in Spanish is avergonzado, avergonzada
la librería
Looks like “library”… but no.
It means bookshop, bookstore
Compro mis libros en la librería del barrio.
And the English word “library” in Spanish is la biblioteca
el éxito
Looks like “exit”… but no.
It means success
¡La fiesta fue un éxito!
And the English word “exit” in Spanish is la salida
actual
Also exists in English… but means something else.
It means current, present
La situación actual es complicada.
And the English word “actual” in Spanish is real, verdadero
la carpeta
Looks like “carpet”… but no.
It means folder
Guarda los papeles en la carpeta.
And the English word “carpet” in Spanish is la alfombra
sensible
Also exists in English… but means something else.
It means sensitive
Tengo la piel muy sensible.
And the English word “sensible” in Spanish is sensato, razonable
constipado
Looks like “constipated”… but no.
It means having a cold
Estoy constipado: hoy me quedo en casa.
And the English word “constipated” in Spanish is estreñido
la ropa
Looks like “rope”… but no.
It means clothes
Tengo que lavar la ropa.
And the English word “rope” in Spanish is la cuerda
realizar
Looks like “realize”… but no.
It means to carry out
Vamos a realizar un proyecto nuevo.
And the English word “realize” in Spanish is darse cuenta
asistir
Looks like “assist”… but no.
It means to attend
Asisto a clase los lunes.
And the English word “assist” in Spanish is ayudar
el pariente
Looks like “parent”… but no.
It means relative
Tengo parientes en Sevilla.
And the English word “parent” in Spanish is el padre o la madre
la decepción
Looks like “deception”… but no.
It means disappointment
La película fue una decepción.
And the English word “deception” in Spanish is el engaño
la lectura
Looks like “lecture”… but no.
It means reading
La lectura es mi afición favorita.
And the English word “lecture” in Spanish is la conferencia, la clase magistral
contestar
Looks like “contest”… but no.
It means to answer
Contesta al teléfono, por favor.
And the English word “contest” in Spanish is el concurso; como verbo, impugnar
el colegio
Looks like “college”… but no.
It means school
Mis hijos van al colegio del barrio.
And the English word “college” in Spanish is la universidad, la facultad
la fábrica
Looks like “fabric”… but no.
It means factory
Trabaja en una fábrica de coches.
And the English word “fabric” in Spanish is la tela
largo
Looks like “large”… but no.
It means long
Fue un viaje muy largo.
And the English word “large” in Spanish is grande
la sopa
Looks like “soap”… but no.
It means soup
Esta sopa está muy rica.
And the English word “soap” in Spanish is el jabón
How to stop falling into the trap
- Be wary of Spanish words that look too much like English. Not all of them will trick you, far from it, but just in case, check them in a dictionary before you take the plunge.
- Learn each word inside a sentence, not as a bare translation. With “Mi hermana está embarazada”, the situation reminds you what the word really means; with a list like “embarazada = pregnant”, after a few days the English look-alike takes over again.
- Keep a note of your mistakes. We almost always trip over the same words, and the good news is that once a word has made you blush, you’ll never forget it.
And if you want to keep practising, you’ll find these words as cards you can flip over on the home page. As for me, I keep collecting false friends. There’s always a new one.