Many words in English are written the same, or almost the same, as in Spanish. So, planet equals planeta, or drug equals droga. If we follow this rule, what about actually? Is the Spanish equivalence actualmente?

One of the difficulties we have when learning a new language other than our native one is the similarities of words in both of them. Here we welcome our dear FALSE FRIENDS, words that look similar, but they differ significantly in meaning.

For instance, actually has nothing to do with actualmente, which means nowadays. Actually has their Spanish equivalence en realidad or de hecho.

To avoid making mistakes when speaking Spanish, here below we suggest a list of some false friends. We hope you enjoy learning Spanish from false friends.

FALSE FRIEND	It means…	… and not …	… which is …
actually	en realidad	actualmente	nowadays
ancient	antiguo, antigua	anciano/a	old people
argument	discusión	argumento	plot
assist	ayudar	asistir	attend
bigot	intolerante	bigote	moustache
café/cafe	cafetería	café	coffee
conductor	director orquesta	conductor	driver
decepcion	engaño	decepción	disappointment
dinner	cena	dinero	money
dessert	postre	desierto	desert
exit	salida	éxito	success
envy	envidiar	enviar	to send
fabric	tela	fábrica	factory
gracious	cortés	gracioso	funny
idiom	frase hecha	idioma	language
library	biblioteca	librería	bookstore
molest (to)	acosar sexualmente	molestar	annoy (to)
office	oficina	oficio	trade
present	gift	presente	present
race	carrera	carrera profesional	career
realise	darse cuenta	realizar	make
sane	cuerdo	sano	healthy
soap	jabón	sopa	soup
success	éxito	suceso	event
topic	tema	tópico	stereotype
vase	jarrón, florero	vaso	glass

In this link you can find more false friends words that can help you to distinguish them and avoid making mistakes as a Spanish learner.

https://www.lawlessspanish.com/vocabulary/falsos-amigos/

Although confusing false friends is a mistake, it is a common thing and many people do it. However, what if we confuse words in one language that have a connotative meaning in another and can make us feel embarrassed?

If you want to understand better the meanings, read the tips, where funny examples are provided.

CONSTIPADO

When we say we are constipados, that is, cold, sick, that we are not well, etc., we do not say we are CONSTIPATED or that we have a CONSTIPATION.

To say that we have a cold, we would say:

We have a cold. – Estamos resfriados.

I do not feel good, I think I am getting a cold. – No me encuentro bien, creo que me estoy constipando.

So, if constipado is not constipated, what does it mean then? For example, is someone eats fiber it is not common to get constipated.

I have not gone to the toilet for days. Maybe I am constipated. – No he ido al baño por días. Tal vez esté estreñido.

TIPP: I went to the pharmacy and I said I was constipated. Luck me, they gave me a laxative, when I was supposed to get an aspirin.

Fui a la farmacia y dije que estaba estreñido. Suerte que me dieron un laxante, cuando se supone que debía recibir una aspirina.

NUDO

When we say the word nudo, that is, a join made by tying together the ends of a piece of string, rope, etc., we do not say we are NUDE, which have a completely different meaning.

To say that we are tying something, we would say:

We are making a knot. – Estamos haciendo un nudo

My son learned at Boy Scout camp how to knot his shoes. – Mi hijo aprendió en el campamento de los Boy Scouts a hacerse un nudo en los zapatos.

So, if nudo is not nude, what does it mean then? What do you think if I say someone posed nude for a magazine? Exactly, it does not have anything to do with making a knot, but not wearing any clothes.

In some beaches it is forbidden to sunbathe nude. – En algunas playas está prohibido tomar el sol desnudos.

TIPP: When I was five, I told my mother that I didn’t know how to untie a nude without knowing how it was done. She hit me very hard for saying obscenities.

Cuando tenía cinco años, le dije a mi madre que no sabía cómo desatar un desnudo sin saber cómo se hacía. Me golpeó muy fuerte por decir obscenidades.

HORNO

When we say the word horno, that is, the part of a cooker with a door, used to bake or roast food, we do not say HORNY.

To say that we are cooking someone in the horno, we would say:

My dog gets scared when it sees the oven open. – Mi perro se asusta cuando se encuentra con el horno abierto.

The following step of the recipe was to bake the cake for about 7 minutes. – El siguiente paso de la receta era poner la tarta al horno unos 7 minutos.

So, if horno is not horny, what does it mean then? If you say someone is horny, you are describing the sexual feeling of being hot, sexually excited.

After a couple of drinks, he was starting to feel horny. – Después de un par de copas, él estaba empezando a sentirse caliente.

TIPP: It was my first time trying to cook a homemade pizza. After one hour, I finally put it in the horny.

Era la primera vez que intentaba cocinar una pizza casera. Después de una hora, finalmente la puse en la caliente.

EMBARAZADA

A very common, and also uncomfortable mistake, is the difference between feeling embarrassed and being pregnant.

When we use the word embarazada, that means that a woman or a female animal is having a baby or babies developing in her womb. We do not say a woman is EMBARRASSED or is EMBARRASSING.

She announced to her husband that she was pregnant. – Ella anunció a su marido que estaba embarazada.

I am eight weeks pregnant. – Estoy (embarazada) de ocho semanas.

So, if pregnant is not embarrassed, what does it mean then? For example, some people are ashamed to wear a clown suit: a shy, ashamed, or guilty feeling.

Yesterday, John got drunk at the party; I was a little embarrassed of him. – Juan ayer se emborrachó en la fiesta; estaba un poco avergonzada de él.

TIPP: There is nothing really embarrassing about being pregnant.

Realmente, no hay nada de vergonzoso en estar embarazada.

LENTILLAS

One-word, double meaning in Spanish. When we talk about lentillas, they can refer to both food and a small piece of plastic that you wear to cover your eye (usually used by people who wear glasses).

If we are talking about the seeds that are used to cook, then we will translate it as lentils.

The kitchen robot makes great lenses. – El robot de cocina hace unas lentillas buenísimas.

The other day at the restaurant I ordered some lenses that turned out to be just soup. – El otro día en el restaurante pedí unas lentillas que resultaron ser solo sopa.

However, for example, if you wear glasses, but you are tired of using them, the most comfortable thing to do is to take this little piece of plastic that has the same function as the glasses, the lenses (or contact lenses).

The other day I wore my contact lenses for the first time, to my surprise, my friends didn’t recognize me. – El otro día utilicé las lentillas por primera vez, para mi sorpresa, mis amigas no me reconocieron.

TIPP: My eye hurts so much. I have to take these lentils out quickly.

Me duele el ojo muchísimo. Debo quitarme estas lentejas rápidamente.

The problem here is to be able to differentiate what we are referring to in each moment: are we talking about something related to eating or something related to the eyes?

CARPETA

Not surprisingly is the great similarity between carpeta (Spanish) and carpet (English), but these are some words that can lead us to even greater confusion.

The meaning of carpeta in Spanish refers to a piece of cardboard in which you can keep loose papers, but we do not say, in this context, we have a CARPET.

If we want to talk about the carpet, we would say:

While doing my homework, I realized that I left my folder at school. – Haciendo los deberes, me di cuenta que me dejé la carpeta en el colegio.

The folder that contained all my school notes was gone. – La carpeta que contenía todos mis apuntes escolares había desaparecido.

So, if carpeta is not carpet, what does it mean then? For example, would it be possible to say that the dog sleeps on the folder? Exactly! The dogs do not sleep on a folder, it is impossible, but on the carpet.

Cleaning the house, I found a lot of dust under the carpet. – Limpiando la casa, encontré mucho polvo debajo de la alfombra.

TIPP: I forgot my homework in the carpet.

Olvidé mis deberes en la alfombra.

CASUALIDAD

When we talk about casualidad is something that nobody has planned before, for example meeting in a place that you did not expect to be there, and we say “by chance”.

I saw a childhood friend by chance. – Me encontré con un amigo de la infancia por casualidad.

I do not feel good, I think I am getting a cold. – No me encuentro bien, creo que me estoy constipando.

So, if casualidad is not casualty, what does it mean then? For example, if you are working at the FBI, it is very likely that you will find many bodies; it is very likely that you will find many casualties.

Luckily, there were no casualties in the crash. – Por suerte, no hubo víctimas en el accidente.

TIPP: What a wonderful casualty!

¡Qué víctima más bonita!

To fix these false friends in their corresponding language and with the proper meaning, we recommend creating phrases with them that help you assume their meaning, as well as increasing and improving your Spanish vocabulary. The funnier the phrase, the sooner you will remember it and its words.

 

Texto Rocio Balada

Photo by Asya Cusima from Pexels