In your learning journey, have you ever heard of “false friends”? Sometimes two words that look alike in Spanish and English mean the same thing.
In your learning journey, have you ever heard of “false friends”? When you heard this expression did you think it was a friendship gone bad? Or that someone you thought was a friend was actually not your friend at all? While this may be true in one context, in the context of English learning the term “false friend” has a completely different meaning.
As we’ve mentioned in previous blogs, English has a lot of things in common with Spanish through its Latin origins. Sometimes two words that look alike in Spanish and English mean the same thing. These words are known as cognates. The origins of the word come from the same etymological origin and their meaning is the same in both languages. Hurrah!
Animal / animal
Ironic / irónico
Colour / color
Telephone / teléfono
Nation / nación
There are many, many words that are the same in English as they are in Spanish, and this is one of our advantages!!
However, we also have the concept of “false friends” which are also known as false cognates. And these false cognates can lead to misunderstandings! From English to Spanish and vice versa! When we use a false friend, we assume that the word in English is going to have the same meaning as it does in Spanish – but that is not the case!
For example:
Embarrassed is not “embarazada”! If you are embarrassed you have a slight feeling of shame. If you are “embarazada” then you are pregnant! Since both words are adjectives, these could be easily confused!
Marcos: “Hello Mary. How are you?”
Hannah: “Oh Marcos. I’m embarrassed…”
Marcos: “Congratulations!”
Hannah: confused “What??!”
“Actually” is and adverb that is used to mean “really” or “in reality”. It isn’t an adverb of time as it is in Spanish.
My company is actually working on a new project.
My company is in reality working on a new project.
Actually has nothing to do with at the moment or currently!
There are lots of ways to learn these “false friends” to use them correctly. The internet is a great resource and if you search you can find lists and lists. Choose three that are problematic or new to you. Write each false friend in English and it’s real meaning in Spanish. Use this word in a sentence to get context, write a little dialogue, look it up in the dictionary and take notes of the examples. Make your own flashcards. If you have native English speakers as friends or coworkers, ask them to correct any False friend mistakes.
The key is always practice and study! Good luck!!!
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