List of false friends
See false cognate, false friend, list of words, list of reference tables, List of English-French Faux Amis
| Non-English word | Which resembles English | But actually means
|
|---|---|---|
| abbé (French) | abbey | priest or abbot
|
| accuser (French) | accuse | acknowledge (accuser réception = acknowledge receipt), although it can also mean "accuse" in other cases
|
| actual (Romanian) actual (Spanish) actueel (Dutch) aktuala (Esperanto) actuel (French) aktuell (German) attuale(Italian) | actual | current
|
| adepte (French) adept (Romanian) | adept (proficient) | follower
|
| administré (French) | administered | citizen
|
| ado (French) | ado (fuss) | short for adolescent
|
| affluent (French) | affluent (wealthy) | tributary (of a river) [effluent]
|
| After (German) | after | anus
|
| agencé (French) | agency | laid out or arranged
|
| agent (French) | agent | officer, police officer, agent
|
| ail (French) | ail (sicken) | garlic
|
| aimer (French) | to aim | to love or to like
|
| aire (French) | air | area (mathematics)
|
| alerte (French) | alert | agile, alert
|
| also (German) | also | thus
|
| allure (French) | allure (the power to attract) | speed, bearing
|
| alto (French) | alto (singer) | viola, alto (singer)
|
| ananas (French, Finnish and Romanian) Ananas (German) | bananas | pineapple
|
| ânon (French) | anon (short for anonymous) | baby donkey
|
| apologie (French) apologie (Romanian) | apology | praise, vindication
|
| appoint (French) | appoint | (extra) contribution or help
|
| arc (French and Romanian) | arc, ark | bow (weapon), arc
|
| arme (French) arma (Spanish) | arm (body part) | weapon
|
| ask (Swedish) | ask | small box; ash (tree)
|
| aÃÂ (German) | ass | ate
|
| assortie (French) | assorted | matched, matching
|
| assister (French) | assist | attend
|
| atendi (Esperanto) attendere (Italian) attendre (French) | attend | to wait for; to expect
|
| bald (German) | bald | soon
|
| barn (Swedish) | barn | child, children
|
| beg (Manx) | big | little
|
| bekommen (German) | become | obtain, receive, get (compare English "come by") (Note: There is a joke to this in German: a German comes into a British restaurant and waits half an hour for his food. Finally, he asks the waiter:"When shall I become my steak?" "I should hope never, sir."
|
| beraten (German) | berate | advise, discuss
|
| bilion (Romanian) bilione (Italian) biljon (Swedish) Billion (German) billion (French) and (Norwegian) billón (Spanish) | billion | American 'trillion' (1012 or million million). The American English billion is in fact a false friend in German, Italian, Spanish and Swedish and means "Milliarde" (109 or thousand million) Formerly did not apply to British English or where English was taught as a foreign language, but this is changing - see billion.
|
| bloc (Spanish) Block (German) block (Swedish) | block | note pad
|
| bond (French) | bond | leap, bound
|
| brand (Swedish Brand (German) | brand | fire
|
| bras (French) | bra(ssiere)s | arm (the body part)
|
| brat (брат) (Russian) | brat | brother
|
| brav (German) | brave | well-behaved
|
| brushing (French) | to brush | a blow-dry (hairdresser's)
|
| brutaal (Dutch) | brutal | bold
|
| calzone (Spanish) | calzone | underwear
|
| canto (Latin, Italian and Spanish) | canto | I sing
|
| car (French) | car | bus or coach; because
|
| Car (German) | car | charter bus
|
| car (Romanian) | car | I carry
|
| casino (Italian) | casino | brothel
|
| chair (French) | chair | flesh
|
| chat (French) | chat (conversation) | cat
|
| chef (French) Chef (German) | chef | boss
|
| compromiso (Spanish) | compromise | promise
|
| constipado (Spanish) | constipated | (a) cold
|
| corne (French) corno (Italian) | corn | horn
|
| crayon (French) creion (Romanian) | crayon | pencil (a wax crayon is crayon de cire in French)
|
| culte (French) | cult | worship (as in lieu de culte = house of worship)
|
| demander (French) | to demand | to ask or request
|
| die (German) | (to) die | the [feminine and plural article; example: die Ehefrau (the wife), die Häuser (the houses)]
|
| dick (German) | dick (slang for the penis or a detective) also short for Richard, e.g. in idiom "every Tom, Dick and Harry" | fat (adjective only), thick
|
| diverse (Swedish and German) | diverse | various
|
| dag (דג) (Hebrew) | dog | fish
|
| Dom (German) | dome | cathedral
|
| dungo (Esperanto) | dung | employment |
| egg (Swedish) | egg | edge of a cutting tool, such as knife edge
|
| ego (Latin) | ego | I
|
| empirer (French) | empire | to become worse
|
| angajat (Romanian) engagerad (Swedish) | engaged | considered or involved in something in Swedish; involved or employed in Romanian
|
| embarazada (Spanish) | embarrassed | pregnant
|
| entrée (French) | entrée | entrance, or appetizer
|
| etichetă (Romanian) etichetta (Italian) etiket (Dutch) Etikett (German) etiqueta (Spanish) étiquette (French) | etiquette | label (can also mean etiquette in French or Spanish, but is mostly used as label)
|
| eventual (Romanian) eventualmente (Spanish and Italian) eventueel (Dutch) eventuell (German and Swedish) éventuellement (French) | eventually | maybe, perhaps, possibly
|
| éxito (Spanish) | exit | success
|
| fabbrica (Italian) fabrică (Romanian) fábrica (Spanish) fabriek (Dutch) Fabrik (German) fabrik (Swedish) fabrika (Serbian) fabrique (French) | fabric | factory (compare 'fabricate') Possible origin due to large Victorian factories producing woven fabric.
|
| facilidad (Spanish) | facility | ease
|
| Fahrt (German) Vaart (Dutch) | fart | German: journey; speed; trip, excursion, voyage Dutch: similar, but only used for ships
|
| familiär (German) | familiar | familial
|
| familiya (фамилия) (Russian) | family | surname
|
| far (Swedish) | far | father
|
| fart (Swedish) | fart | speed
|
| fart (Polish) | fart | luck
|
| fast (German) | fast | nearly, almost
|
| fast (Swedish) | fast | firm, steady (compare "steadfast")
|
| fat (Swedish) | fat | (dinner) plate
|
| fat (發) (Cantonese) | fat | to exhibit; to distribute; prosperity (used in conjunction with 財, as in gong hei fat choi)
|
| fattoria (Italian) | factory | farm
|
| file (Italian) | file | line; queue (in computing)
|
| final (Romanian) | finally (as in "at last") | at the end (as in "finish")
|
| flint (Swedish) | flint | bald head
|
| foresto (Esperanto) | forest | absence
|
| fort (French) forte (Italian) | fort | strong (but can also mean fort)
|
| Gift (German) Gif (Dutch) | gift | poison
|
| gift (Swedish) | gift | married, poison
|
| glass (Swedish) | glass | icecream
|
| Glut (German) | glut | heat; glow; embers
|
| greippi (Finnish) | grape | grapefruit
|
| gren (Swedish) | green | branch
|
| grippe (French) Grippe (German) | grip (hold) or gripe (complaint) | influenza
|
| groin (French) | groin | snout
|
| gimnaziu (Romanian) Gymnasium (German and Swedish) | gym(nasium) | high(er) school, grammar school (see Secondary education)
|
| Handy (German) | handy | mobile phone, cell phone ("Handy" is not really German, it is artificial (pseudo-English) from English and German "hand", but most Germans think that the word is English). It's a pseudo-anglicism.
|
| he (היא) (Hebrew) | he | she
|
| herb (German) | herb | harsh
|
| Hose (German) | hose | (pair of) trousers/pants
|
| hot (Swedish) | hot | threat
|
| i (Latin) | I | go! (imperative)
|
| is (Norwegian) | is | ice cream
|
| is (Latin) | is | you go
|
| is (Swedish | is | ice
|
| Island (Swedish and German) Islande (French) | island | Iceland
|
| it (Latin) | it | he/she/it goes
|
| caution (French) Kaution (German) | caution | deposit, bail
|
| kabinet (кабинет) (Russian) | cabinet | office
|
| kedr (Кедр) (Russian) | cedar | Siberian Pine
|
| kid (Swedish) | kid | fawn
|
| killa (Swedish) | kill, killer | tickle, scratch
|
| Kind (German) | kind | child
|
| kind (Swedish) | kind | cheek
|
| Kinn (German) | kin | chin
|
| kontroll (Swedish) kontrollieren (German) | control | check, examine
|
| korn (Swedish) | corn | barley
|
| Kraft (German) kraft (Swedish) | craft | power, strength
|
| kreatur (Swedish) | creature | cattle
|
| Kritik (German) | critic | criticism, review
|
| Last (German) last (Swedish) | last | load, burden
|
| lime (French) | lime | file (the tool)
|
| Limo (German) | limo | soft drink
|
| limpa (Swedish) | limp | loaf (bread), carton of cigarette packages
|
| List (German) list (Swedish) | list | cunning, artfulness, ruse
|
| lump (Swedish) | lump | discarded fabric, slang for mandatory military service
|
| magasin (French) magazin (магазин) (Russian) | magazine | store
|
| main (French) | main | hand
|
| mama (Georgian) | mother | father
|
| me (Finnish) | me | we
|
| me (麼) (Mandarin) | me | interrogative marker
|
| merci (French) | mercy | thank you
|
| mille (French) Mille (German (slang)) | million, mile | thousand, mile
|
| miséricorde (French) misericordia (Italian) | misery | mercy, forgiveness
|
| Mist (German) | mist | manure, droppings
|
| miting (Serbian) | meeting | political demonstration
|
| Mode (German) mode (Swedish) | mode | fashion, haute couture
|
| monnaie (French) | money | change (returned from a purchase); currency
|
| Mörder (German) | murder | murderer
|
| nai (ναι) (Greek) | nay, no | yes
|
| Not (German) | not | need
|
| Novelle (German) novell (Swedish) novela (Spanish) | novel | short story
|
| on (Serbian) | on | he
|
| once (Spanish) | once | eleven
|
| or (French) | or | gold, now (introducing second proposition of a syllogism)
|
| ours (French) | ours | a bear
|
| patetic (Romanian) pathétique (French) | pathetic | emotional
|
| pathetisch (German) | pathetic | solemn, lofty
|
| pavimento (Italian) | pavement | floor
|
| pétulant (French) | petulant | playful
|
| pingouin (French) | penguin | auk
|
| pom (Romanian) | Pommie, Pom | Fruit bearing tree
|
| pomme (French) | Pommie, Pom (see Alternate words for British) | apple
|
| pregnant (Romanian, Swedish) prägnant (German) | pregnant | short but informative; remarkable, prominent
|
| prezervativ (Romanian) Präservativ (German) préservatif (French) (1) | preservative | condom
|
| prospect (Romanian) Prospekt (German) | prospect | brochure, leaflet, prospectus
|
| prospekt (Swedish) | prospect | prospectus, document or brochure detailing an offer (usually from a travel agent)
|
| prospekt (Russian) | prospect | avenue
|
| proces (Romanian) process (Swedish) Prozess (German) | process | trial (at court)/(in Swedish and German mainly used to denote process but also means trial)
|
| queue (French) | queue | tail
|
| Rat (German) | rat | advice; council; councilor (U.S.), councillor (Br.)
|
| Rest (German) rest (Swedish) reste (French) | rest | remainder
|
| restar (Spanish) | (to) rest | to subtract
|
| rester (French) restare (Italian) | (to) rest | to stay; to remain
|
| roman (French, Romanian and Swedish) Roman (German) | Roman | novel
|
| saikou (Japanese) | psycho | the best
|
| sale (French) | sale | dirty
|
| sale (Italian) | sale | salt
|
| sale (Spanish) | sale | goes out
|
| salivit (Latin) | salivate | he/she/it jumped
|
| secte (French) Sekte (German) | sect | cult
|
| Sekt (German) | sect | champagne, sparkling wine
|
| Sensation (German) | sensation | blowoff, scorcher
|
| sensibel (German) sensibile (Italian) sensible (French and Spanish) | sensible | sensitive
|
| she (舌) (Mandarin) | she | tongue
|
| sin (Swedish) | sin | "your own"
|
| Sinn (German) | sin | sense, mind, meaning, acceptance, aesthesia, signification, tenor, appreciation
|
| Smoking (German) smoking (Swedish) esmoquÃÂn Spanish) | smoking | dinner jacket (Br.), tuxedo (U.S.); but not smoking jacket
|
| son (Spanish) | son | (they) are; song
|
| son (French) | son | sound; bran; his/her (masculine thing possessed)
|
| soy (Spanish) | soya, soybean | (I) am
|
| stark (German and Swedish) | stark | strong
|
| step (Chumash) | step | flea
|
| stor (Swedish) | store | big, large
|
| stout (Dutch) | stout | naughty
|
| strafen (German) | strafe | punish
|
| sum (Latin) | sum | I am
|
| simpatic (Romanian) simpatico (Italian) simpático (Spanish) sympathique (French) sympathisch (German) sympatisk (Swedish) | sympathetic | likeable, friendly
|
| teknologi (Swedish) | technology | technology as a discipline
|
| to (Serbian) | to (in writing) | that
|
| tu (Serbian) | to (in reading) | there
|
| t'oi (台) (Hakka) | toy | tower
|
| Unterstand (German) | (to) understand | shelter; dugout; bunker
|
| vi (Serbian) | we (in reading) | you
|
| wanken (German) | (to) wank | to sway; to succumb; to fall
|
| was (German) | was | what?
|
| Webseite (German) | web site | web page
|
| wer (German) | where | who
|
| will (German) vill (Swedish) | will | I/he/she/it wants
|
| vink (Swedish) | wink | hint, wave (salutation)
|
| winken (German) | wink | to wave
|
| wo (German) | who, woe | where
|
| vrist (Swedish) | wrist | ankle
|
| you (有) (Mandarin) | you | to have
|