Today we are going to learn some false cognates in Spanish and English!
A cognate is a word that has the same origin as another one.
For example, educación in Spanish is cognate with ‘education’ in English, since both come from Latin educatio.
You can check my previous articles 250 words that are the same in English and Spanish and Spanish words that are similar to English words.
You will expand your vocabulary in Spanish right away!
But in other cases, there are also false cognates -or false friends-, words that are really similar, even written the same sometimes, and yet they have a different meaning.
Probably the most famous pair of false friends is ’embarrased’ and embarazado, which means ‘pregnant’.
Let’s learn more of those false cognates in Spanish and English!
False cognates in Spanish and English
These are some of the most common false friends in Spanish.
As always, I have chosen those that native Spanish speakers really use in their daily lives!
A
acomodar = to tidy up
actualmente = currently
advertencia = warning
advertir = to warn
arena = sand
argumentar = to argue (to give reasons)
argumento = argument (reason), plot
asignatura = subject, course
asistir = to attend (asistir can mean ‘to assist’ too, but it’s rather formal)
atender = to serve, to answer
B
billón = trillion
blando = soft, tender
bombero = firefighter
C
café = coffee
cafetería = cafe, snack bar
carpeta = folder
cartón = cardboard
casualidad = chance
chocar = to crash
codo = elbow
collar = necklace, collar (for pets)
conductor = driver
contestar = to answer
costumbre = habit, custom
curso = course
D
decepción = disappointment
dinero = money
discusión = argument (fight)
disgusto = annoyance
E
embarazada = pregnant
empresa = company
envolver = to wrap
espada = sword
excitado = horny
éxito = success
F
fábrica = factory
fin = end, purpose
G
gracioso = funny
grosería = rudeness, swear word
H
horno = oven
I
idioma = language
intentar = to try
introducir = to put in, to insert
J
jamón = ham
L
largo = long, length
lectura = reading
librería = bookshop, bookstore
lujuria = lust
M
mayor = older, oldest, bigger, biggest
media = sock, average
molestar = to disturb, to annoy
N
noticia = news
nudo = knot
O
ocurrencia = idea
once = eleven
P
pan = bread
pariente = relative
pie = foot
preservativo = condom
pretender = to want, to expect
presumir = to show off (although possible, native speakers don’t use it to mean ‘to presume’)
probar = to prove, to check, to try (a food or a drink)
Q
quitar = to take off, to remove
R
realizar = to make, to carry out
recordar = to remember
red = net, network
resumen = summary
ropa = clothes
S
salado = salty
sano = healthy, fit
sensible = sensitive
sonrisa = smile
simpatía = liking, charm
soportar = to put up with, to stand
suceso = event, incident
T
trampa = trap, cheating
And that’s all for today!
Do you want to learn more Spanish?
I hope you have enjoyed this article about false cognates in Spanish and English!
If you liked this post, you can share it with someone else who might find it helpful! I’m always glad to reach and help more people around the world.
If you want to learn more Spanish, subscribe to my newsletter for free! You will get new updates by email, as well as a copy of my ebook, the Definitive Guide to Learn Conjugations in Spanish.
And to improve your Spanish even further, book a lesson with me! My students are already speaking Spanish and using it in their everyday lives. Be one of them!
Thank you very much and until next time,
Kevin.