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Discover the Spanish "False Friends" for English Students
Jan 06, 2024
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In English and Spanish we know "false friends" as words that we think they mean the same thing in both English and Spanish because of their similarity, but in fact they have nothing to do with each other. These words, so apparently similar to each other, give a lot of headaches and complications to students. That is why in today's post we want to teach you how to identify these Spanish false friends so you can avoid mistakes. Are you ready to start?
- Sensible (Eng) and Sensible (Spa)When we are learning adjectives (words that are used to express qualities) it is common to come across the adjective "sensible", but it is not what in English it means to be prudent or to have the ability to think about the consequences before acting.This Spanish false friend means sensitive. And it is used to describe a person who is very emotional or is moved by emotions. A correct use of both words in Spanish would be:
Sensible:
Eng: Maria made a sensible decision.
Spa: Maria tomó una decisión sensata
Sensitive:
Eng: The child was moved by the movie. He is a very sensitive boy.
Spa: El niño se emocionó con la película. Es un chico muy sensible.
- Large (Eng) and Largo (Spa)
This is one of the most frequent false friends. When we are talking about sizes in English we say that something of high dimensions is large, but in Spanish is used the term "grande”.
It is a very common mistake to confuse it with the word "largo” which is used to define something with a lot of length, which in English we define as long. A correct use of both words "Largo” in Spanish would be:
Large
Eng: I have a large family.
Spa: Tengo una familia grande.
Long
Eng: The runner won a long distance race.
Spa: El corredor ganó una carrera de larga distancia.
- Actual (Eng) and Actual (Spa)
You know that in English the term "actual" means real or true. But be careful, because in the Spanish language this term has a completely different meaning. "Actual” is used to refer to today, to the current moment. Let´s give some examples:
Actual
Eng: We expected 50 people, but the actual number was a lot higher.
Spa: Esperábamos 50 personas, pero el número real ha sido mucho mayor.
Current
Eng: The current situation in the Middle East is extremely dangerous.
Spa: La situación actual de Oriente Medio es extremadamente peligrosa.
- Embarrassed (Eng) and Embarazada (Spa)
Remembering this Spanish false friend will help you avoid a complicated situation that may offend the person you are talking to. Be careful with the words "embarrassed" and "embarazada".
While embarrassed means "avergonzado”, feeling ashamed, the Spanish word "embarazada” is an adjective used to describe a woman who is expecting a baby. Let's see how it is used:
Embarrassed
Eng: You have no idea how embarrassed I was!
Spa: ¡No tienes ni idea de lo avergonzado que estaba!
Pregnant:
Eng: My sister is pregnant.
Spa: Mi hermana está embarazada.
- Introduce (Eng) and Introducir (Spa)
The last Spanish false friend we are going to study are the words "introduce" (eng) and "introducir" (spa).
Introduce is used to present someone by name to another in person, especially in a formal way. But in the case of Spanish the term "Introducir" is used to indicate "to lead something or someone into something·, what in English we know as "bring in", "to insert", "get into", and so on... As we have done in the previous examples, let's see how they are used:
Introduce
Eng: Let me introduce you to Maria. She is my best friend.
Spa: Dejadme que os presente a María. Ella es mi mejor amiga.
To insert
Eng: A coin must be inserted for the machine to start.
Spa: Se necesita introducir una moneda para que la máquina funcione.
Great job! In this Spanish lesson for beginners we have learned great tricks that will help us to avoid these little mistakes, remember that in our blog you can find more information with Spanish grammar tutorials, the best Spanish tutors and very usefull tips on Common Mistakes to Avoid When Learning Spanish.
See you soon!
