Common French false friends
The phonic proximity between French and Spanish can betray us and lead us to make mistakes.
ÍNDICE DE CONTENIDOS
In this article, we alert you to the false friends or faux amis and for this we provide you with alternative meanings, considering these phenomena of great importance for translation.
These errors are generally due to…
a) To false friends, that is, when the French term formally resembles the Spanish term but they have different meanings:
Examples:
| Test | repeter (theater) | y no essayer (f.a.) |
| Length | long | y no large (f.a.) |
| Stain | tache | y no manche (F.a.) |
| Right away | tout de suite | y no ensuite (f.a.) |
b) To one of the alternative meanings that the student chooses in the first place, attracted in some way, by the phonic similarity. These alternative meanings depend on the answer.
Examples:
| Let me know | previens-moi | y no * avise-moi | incorrect | |
| Answer (question) | répondre |
| incorrect | |
| Cross (a street) | traverser | y no * croiser | incorrect |
We propose below a list of some terms of both cases, chosen based on the mistakes that the Spanish speaker commits most frequently.
In the central column we indicate the most common terms to use. The use of the terms in the third column is either incorrect (case of f.a.) or it may be subject to semantic nuances whose solution must be resolved with the help of a good dictionary
| Correct | False friend | ||
| Agree | décider | accorder | |
| Admiration | étonnement | admiración | |
| Warn (verify) | remarquer / faire remarquer | advertir | |
| Assemble | monter / assembler | armer | |
| Arrive | accoster | arriver | |
| Cuddle up | se montrer / se pencher | assommer | |
| Service | faire attention à / s’occuper de | attendre | |
| Warn (prevent) | prévenir | aviser | |
| Bravo (prevent) | sauvage | brave | |
| Celebrate | avoir lieu | Célébrer | |
| Charlatán (talkative) | bavard | charlatan | |
| Class (classification) | sorte de /espèce | classe | |
| Musical time | mesure | un compas | |
| Composse | arranger | conposer | |
| Engage | s’engager | compromettre | |
| Attendance | affluence / assistance | concurrence | |
| Confess (not religion) | avouer | confesser | |
| Contemplate | envisager | contempler | |
| Answer | répondre | contester | |
| Cross (the street) | traverser | croiser | |
| Water cube | seau | cube | |
| Shirt collar | col | cou | |
| Misfortune | malheur | disgrâce | |
| After | après | depuis | |
| Skill | adresse / habileté | détresse | |
| Reason | penser / réfléchir | discourir | |
| Dislike | contrariété | dégoût | |
| Fun | distraction / amusement | diversion | |
| Spot | apercevoir | diviser | |
| Bend | plier | doubler | |
| Documentation | papiers d’identité | documentation | |
| Meet | trouver | rencontrer | |
| Ill | malade | enfermé | |
| Rehearse (theater) | répéter | essayer | |
| Right away | tout de suite | ensuite | |
| Stairs | escalier | échelle | |
| Wait for the bus | attendre | espérer | |
| Thorn | arête | épine | |
| Spoil | abîmer | estropier (blesser) | |
| Squeeze | presser | exptimer | |
| Factions (traits) | traits du visage | factions | |
| Facilitate | fournir | faciliter (rendre facile) | |
| Legit (sell on credit) | garantir/vendre à crédit | fiet | |
| Wild | cruel | fier | |
| Figure | silhoutte | figure | |
| User information | prospectus /brochure | feuiller | |
| Formal | sérieux / poli | formel | |
| Fortune (luck) | chance | fortune | |
| Fail | échouer | fracasser | |
| Genius | caractére | génie | |
| Gesture | grimace | Geste | |
| Funny | amusant | gracieux | |
| Farm | ferme | grange | |
| Save | ranger | garder | |
| Taste | plaisir | Goût | |
| Room | pièce / chambre | habitación | |
| Ask questions | poser (des questions) | faire | |
| Ilusion | joie, plaisir | ilusion | |
| Start | commencer | initier | |
| Go into the forest | pénétrer, s’enfoncer | interner | |
| Invest | investir | inverser | |
| Retire | prendre sa retraite | jubiler, se réjouir | |
| Length | long | large | |
| Knock (on a door) | frapper | appeler | |
| Stain | tache | manche | |
| Manifest | déclarer | manifester | |
| Keep | faire vivre, nourir | maintenir | |
| Manifest | déclarer | manifester | |
| Keep (feed) | faire vivre, nourrir | maintenir | |
| Leave | s’en aller | marcher | |
| Fathers | parents | pères | |
| Countryman | civil | paysan | |
| Taxi stop | arrêt | parade | |
| Participate | communiquer / faire part | participer | |
| Split | diviser | partir | |
| Pass | arriver | passer | |
| Petulance | arrogance | pétulance | |
| Peak | bec | pic | |
| Pillar (trap) | attraper | piller | |
| Therefore | donc, par conséquent | pourtant | |
| Prender (a pin) | attacher / fixer | prendre | |
| Boast | se vanter de | présumer | |
| Procure | essayer de | procurer | |
| Provide | procurer / fournir | proportionner | |
| Well | puisque / car… | puis | |
| Put off | Ôter | quitter | |
| Rare | Étramge /insolite | rare | |
| Regular | moyen / médiocre | régulier | |
| Repair | remarquer | réparer | |
| Take | obtenir | sortir / tirer | |
| Follow (this way) | continuer | suivre | |
| Happen | arriver /se produire | succéder | |
| Suffer | supporter / subir | soufrir | |
| Table | planche | table | |
| Mood | humeur | talent | |
| Value | courage | valeur | |
| Verify | avoir lieu | vérifier | |
