False friends: Spanish–English
42 words that look like English and mean something else. This list is built the other way round from the usual ones: on the left is what you want to say, next to it the Spanish word for it — and only then the trap. If all you know is what a word does not mean, you are still stuck in the conversation.
Everyday
The pairs that turn up in your first conversations.
| You mean | That is | Not this one | Because that means |
|---|---|---|---|
| once | una vez | once | eleven |
| Somos once en el equipo, contando al entrenador.There are eleven of us in the team, counting the coach.Same spelling, nothing in common: once is a number. «Once a week» is una vez a la semana. | |||
| pan (for cooking) | la sartén, el cazo | el pan | bread |
| Compra una barra de pan al volver, por favor.Pick up a loaf on the way back, please.A frying pan is la sartén, a saucepan el cazo or la cacerola. | |||
| red | rojo | la red | net; network |
| El balón tocó la red y entró.The ball touched the net and went in.La red is also the internet and a mobile network: las redes sociales are social media. | |||
| large | grande | largo | long |
| Tiene el pelo muy largo y rizado.She has very long, curly hair.A large house is una casa grande; una casa larga would be a long, narrow one. | |||
| parents | los padres | los parientes | relatives |
| En Navidad vienen todos los parientes de mi madre.All my mother’s relatives come over at Christmas.Los padres covers mother and father together, just as los hermanos covers brothers and sisters. | |||
| embarrassed | avergonzado; me da vergüenza | embarazada | pregnant |
| Mi hermana está embarazada de gemelos.My sister is expecting twins.The most famous false friend in Spanish. In conversation the natural way to say it is ¡qué vergüenza! or me dio mucha vergüenza. | |||
| constipated | estreñido | constipado | having a cold |
| Estoy constipado y no paro de estornudar.I’ve got a cold and I can’t stop sneezing.In Spain un constipado is an ordinary head cold. Resfriado means the same and is understood everywhere. | |||
| carpet | la alfombra; la moqueta | la carpeta | folder |
| Guarda las facturas en la carpeta azul.Keep the invoices in the blue folder.A rug is una alfombra; fitted carpet, wall to wall, is moqueta. | |||
| library | la biblioteca | la librería | bookshop |
| Abrieron una librería de viejo en mi calle.A second-hand bookshop has opened in my street. | |||
| rope | la cuerda | la ropa | clothes |
| Tengo que planchar la ropa para mañana.I need to iron my clothes for tomorrow. | |||
| exit | la salida | el éxito | success |
| La obra fue un éxito desde el primer día.The play was a hit from the first night.The sign over the door says salida; salida de emergencia is the fire exit. | |||
| petrol | la gasolina | el petróleo | crude oil |
| El precio del petróleo ha vuelto a subir.The price of crude has gone up again. | |||
| to record | grabar | recordar | to remember; to remind |
| Intento recordar dónde aparcamos el coche.I’m trying to remember where we parked the car.Recordar works with a person as well: recuérdame que llame a mi madre — remind me to ring my mum. | |||
| quiet | tranquilo; callado | quieto | still, not moving |
| Estate quieto un momento, que te hago una foto.Keep still for a moment while I take your photo.A quiet street is una calle tranquila; a quiet person, one who says little, is callado. | |||
At work
What goes wrong in a meeting, an e-mail or an application.
| You mean | That is | Not this one | Because that means |
|---|---|---|---|
| actually | en realidad, de hecho | actualmente | currently, at present |
| Actualmente vivimos en Valencia.We live in Valencia at the moment.Actual follows suit: it means «current», never «real». El presidente actual is the present one. | |||
| to assist (to help) | ayudar | asistir a | to attend |
| Asistieron a la reunión todos los jefes de sección.All the heads of department attended the meeting.Asistir can mean to look after someone in a medical sense, but with a and an event it means being there. For everyday help, ayudar. | |||
| to attend | asistir a | atender | to deal with, to serve |
| Ahora mismo no la puede atender, está en otra llamada.She can’t deal with you right now; she’s on another call.In a shop, ¿ya le atienden? is the assistant asking whether you are being served. | |||
| to realise | darse cuenta de | realizar | to carry out, to do |
| La empresa realizó una encuesta entre sus clientes.The company carried out a survey of its customers.Me he dado cuenta de que falta una página — I’ve realised a page is missing. | |||
| billion | mil millones | el billón | a million million (a trillion) |
| La deuda pública superó el billón de euros.Public debt went past a trillion euros.Spanish kept the long scale. A thousand million is mil millones; un billón has twelve noughts. | |||
| agenda (for a meeting) | el orden del día | la agenda | diary, planner |
| Lo apunto en la agenda para no olvidarme.I’ll put it in my diary so I don’t forget.In politics la agenda can also be the list of issues on the table; the items of a meeting are still el orden del día. | |||
| office | la oficina; el despacho | el oficio | trade, craft |
| Aprendió el oficio de carpintero con su abuelo.He learnt carpentry from his grandfather.La oficina is the workplace, el despacho one person’s room in it. | |||
| to introduce (a person) | presentar | introducir | to put in, to insert |
| Hay que introducir la tarjeta y marcar el número secreto.You have to insert your card and enter your PIN.Introducir cambios is fine — to introduce changes. People, though, are presentados: te presento a mi jefa. | |||
| lecture | la conferencia; la clase | la lectura | reading |
| La lectura es lo que más me gusta hacer en vacaciones.Reading is what I like doing most on holiday.A public lecture is una conferencia; at university it is simply una clase. | |||
| to advise | aconsejar | avisar | to let someone know; to warn |
| Te avisaré cuando llegue a casa.I’ll let you know when I get home. | |||
| application (for a job) | la solicitud | la aplicación | app; the applying of something |
| Descárgate la aplicación del banco.Download the bank’s app.You fill in una solicitud and you solicitas the job — or, less formally, te presentas for it. | |||
| to demand | exigir | demandar | to sue |
| Los vecinos demandaron al ayuntamiento por el ruido.The residents sued the council over the noise.The noun is kinder: la oferta y la demanda is supply and demand. The verb is the one that ends in court. | |||
Nearly right
Words that exist — just not for what you mean.
| You mean | That is | Not this one | Because that means |
|---|---|---|---|
| sensible | sensato, razonable | sensible | sensitive |
| Tengo la piel muy sensible al sol.My skin is very sensitive to the sun.The same Latin word ended up meaning different things. A sensible decision is una decisión sensata. | |||
| sympathetic | comprensivo | simpático | nice, friendly |
| El nuevo vecino es muy simpático.The new neighbour is really friendly. | |||
| preservative | el conservante | el preservativo | condom |
| Venden preservativos en la farmacia de la esquina.The chemist on the corner sells condoms.On a food label: sin conservantes ni colorantes. | |||
| fabric | la tela, el tejido | la fábrica | factory |
| Mi padre trabajó treinta años en la misma fábrica.My father worked in the same factory for thirty years. | |||
| mayor | el alcalde, la alcaldesa | mayor | older; bigger; main |
| Mi hermano mayor vive en Sevilla.My older brother lives in Seville.La plaza mayor is the main square of a town and has nothing to do with the mayor, who is el alcalde. | |||
| costume (fancy dress) | el disfraz | la costumbre | custom, habit |
| Tiene la costumbre de pasear después de comer.He’s in the habit of going for a walk after lunch.The costumes of a play are el vestuario; a swimming costume is el bañador. | |||
| to support | apoyar | soportar | to put up with; to bear |
| No soporto el calor de agosto.I can’t stand the August heat.Support for a team is animar or ser de: soy del Betis. | |||
| excited | ilusionado, emocionado | excitado | aroused; worked up |
| El perro se pone muy excitado cuando oye la puerta.The dog gets very worked up when it hears the door.Used of a person, excitado is usually read as sexual. Looking forward to something is me hace mucha ilusión. | |||
| to pretend | fingir, hacer como si | pretender | to intend, to try to |
| ¿Qué pretendes conseguir con esa actitud?What are you trying to achieve with that attitude? | |||
| sane | cuerdo | sano | healthy |
| Come muy sano: mucha fruta y poca carne.He eats very healthily: lots of fruit and not much meat. | |||
| eventually | al final, con el tiempo | eventualmente | possibly, should it happen |
| Si eventualmente hubiera algún problema, llámeme.Should any problem arise, give me a ring.Eventual means «possible, contingent», and un trabajo eventual is a temporary job. | |||
| casualty | la víctima; el herido | la casualidad | chance, coincidence |
| Nos encontramos en Roma de pura casualidad.We ran into each other in Rome by sheer chance.A hospital’s casualty department is urgencias. | |||
| deception | el engaño | la decepción | disappointment |
| La película fue una decepción.The film was a let-down. | |||
| disgust | el asco | el disgusto | upset, displeasure |
| Se llevó un disgusto enorme cuando suspendió.She was terribly upset when she failed.Something disgusting da asco: esto me da asco. | |||
| injury | la lesión; la herida | la injuria | insult, slander (formal) |
| Lo denunciaron por injurias contra el alcalde.He was reported for insulting the mayor.A sports injury is una lesión; a cut or a wound, una herida. | |||
| ingenuity | el ingenio | la ingenuidad | naivety |
| Me sorprende su ingenuidad: se cree todo lo que le dicen.I’m amazed at how naive she is: she believes everything she’s told. | |||