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FALSE COGNATES
Sometimes a word in Spanish will sound like or seem like a similar one in English. In the Spanish language there are a number of false cognates like this. So you have to be careful or you might make a mistake and say, "Estoy embarazada," to mean that you are embarrassed, when actually you will be saying that you're pregnant!
OuterSpanish has put together a list of some of these false cognates in the Spanish language.
Below, in the first column, you will read the Spanish word and see what the actual definition is – not what you think it means in English! In the second column you can see how to translate the English word into Spanish.
Spanish-to-English |
English-to-Spanish |
acre: sharp, sour |
acre: acre, unidad de medida |
actual: current, present time |
actual: real, verdadero |
asisistir: to attend, to help |
to assist: ayudar, asistir |
atender: to pay attention, to take care of |
to attend: asistir a, cuidar |
carpeta: file folder, portfolio |
carpet: alfombra |
carta: letter |
cart: carro, carreta |
cigarro: cigarette |
cigar: puro |
colegio: high school |
college: universidad |
conferencia: lecture, meeting |
conference: junta, sesión, entrevista, conferencia |
contipado: to suffer from a cold |
constipated: estreñido |
costumbre: custom |
costume: vestuario, traje |
chocar: to hit, crash |
to choke: ahogar, sofocar |
desgracia: misfortunte, mishap |
disgrace: deshonra, verguenza |
desgraciado: unfortunate, unlucky |
digraced: deshonrado, avergonzado |
deshonesto: immodest, indecent |
dishonest: engañoso, falso |
dirección: address, direction |
direction: dirección |
disgusto: quarrel, annoyance, disgust |
disgust: hastío, asco, disgusto |
distinto: different, clear, distinct |
distinct: claro, visible, diferente, distinto |
embarazada: pregnant |
embarassed: avergonzado |
equipo: team, equipment |
equipment: aparatos, equipo |
equivocación: error, mistake |
equivocation: equívoco, subterfugio, engaño |
éxito: success |
exit: salida |
explanar: to level, grade |
to explain: explicar, aclarar |
fábrica: factory, mill, structure |
fabric: tela, textura |
falta: shortage, lack |
fault: culpa |
frase: sentence |
phrase: expresión, frase |
grande: large, big, great |
grand: magnífico, grandioso, grande |
honesto: decent, pure, virtuous, reasonable |
honest: honrado, integro, recto, sincero |
idíoma: language |
idiom: modismo |
largo: long |
large: grande |
lectura: a reading |
lecture: conferencia |
liar: to tie, bind, roll up |
liar: mentiroso |
media: stocking |
media: medios de comunicación |
parientes: relatives |
parents: padres |
realizar: to fulfill, achieve |
to realize: darse cuenta de |
recordar: to remember |
to record: grabar |
repente: start, sudden movement |
to repent: arrepentirse |
ropa: clothes |
rope: soga, cuerda |
ruin: vile, mean |
to ruin: arruinar, estropear |
sano: healthy, sound, whole |
sane: cuerdo, razonable, sano |
sauce: willow |
sauce: salsa, condimento |
sensible: sensitive |
sensible: razonable, sensato |
simpático: nice, agreeable, pleasent |
sympathetic: compasivo |
sopa: soup |
soap: jabón |
suceso : event, incident |
success : éxito |
taller : workshop, laboratory, studio |
taller : más alto |
vaso : glass |
vase: jarrón |
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