Spanish/Common False Cognates
< SpanishThe phenomenon known as “false friends” happens between two languages, like Spanish and English, when there are two words sounding very similar because they come from the same root but their meaning is completely different. There are many “false friends” involving English and Spanish. Here you have some examples (but you can add more, so as to make up a full list):
| Spanish | False friend (en) | Spanish | False friend (en) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abismal Enormous |
Abysmal Pésimo |
Actual Current |
Actual Real or Verdadero | |
| Alcoba Bedroom |
Alcove Nicho |
Asistir To attend |
To assist Atender or Ayudar | |
| Atender To assist |
To attend Asistir |
Balón Ball |
Balloon Globo | |
| Bizarro Brave |
Bizarre Extraño |
Blanco White |
Blank Vacío | |
| Blando Soft or Gentle |
Bland Insípido |
Boda Wedding |
Body Cuerpo | |
| Campo Field or Countryside |
Camp Campamento |
Cara Face |
Car Coche or Carro | |
| Carpeta Folder |
Carpet Alfombra |
Chillar To shriek |
To chill Enfriar | |
| Complexión Physical build |
Skin complexion Tez or Cutis |
Comprensivo Understanding or Tolerant |
Comprehensive Exhaustivo or Completo | |
| Constipado Having a cold |
Constipated Estreñido |
Construir To build |
To construe Interpretar | |
| Costumbre Habit |
Costume Traje |
Disgusto Displeasure or Misfortune |
Disgust Asco or Repugnancia | |
| Embarazada Pregnant |
Embarrassed Avergonzada |
Éxito Success |
Exit Salida | |
| Fábrica Factory |
Fabric Tejido |
Globo Balloon |
Glove Guante | |
| Inhabitable Uninhabitable |
Inhabitable Habitable |
Injuria Insult |
Injury Lesión | |
| Librería Bookshop |
Library Biblioteca |
Mano Hand |
Man Hombre | |
| Molestar To annoy |
To molest Agredir |
Moroso Debtor |
Morose Malhumorado | |
| Nombre Name |
Number Número |
Pariente Relative |
Parents Padres | |
| Periódico Newspaper |
Periodical Revista |
Preservativo Condom |
Preservative Conservante | |
| Profesor (at any level) Teacher |
Professor Catedrático (at University) |
Recipiente Container |
Recipient Destinatario | |
| Recordar To remember or To remind |
To record Anotar (writing), or Grabar (on tape). |
Refrán Saying |
Refrain Estribillo | |
| Regalo Gift |
Regal Majestuoso |
Remover Stir |
Remove Eliminar | |
| Retirado Withdrawn |
Retired Jubilado |
Ropa Clothing |
Rope Cuerda | |
| Resumir To summarise |
To resume Reanudar |
Sanidad Health |
Sanity Cordura | |
| Sensible Sensitive |
Sensible Sensato |
Silla Chair |
Sill Alféizar | |
| Sopa Soup |
Soap Jabón |
Suave Soft or Smooth |
Suave Afable | |
| Vicioso Addict or depraved |
Vicious Salvaje |
Vacunar To vaccinate |
To vacuum Aspirar |