What are some examples of false friends in French that involve verbs
False friends when learning French: What are some examples of false friends in French that involve verbs
Here are some examples of false friends involving French verbs, where the French verb’s meaning differs notably from its similar-looking English counterpart:
- Achever means “to finish” in French, but it looks like “to achieve” in English, which means “to succeed.”
- Attendre means “to wait” in French, not “to attend” as in English (which is usually translated as assister à).
- Prévenir means “to warn,” whereas “to prevent” means to stop or avoid.
- Délivrer means “to set free” in French, not “to deliver” (which means to distribute).
- Rester means “to stay,” while “to rest” means to relax.
- Supplier means “to implore” or “to beg,” different from “to supply” which means to provide.
- Supporter means “to put up with” or “to tolerate,” not “to support” (to help).
- Surveiller means “to watch” or “to supervise,” not “to survey” (to examine).
- Demander means “to ask for” or “to request,” not “to demand” (which is exiger).
- Assister mainly means “to attend” or “to witness,” not “to assist” (which is aider).
These false friend verbs often cause confusion for English speakers learning French because their appearances are similar but meanings are quite different. Being aware of these helps in avoiding misunderstandings when speaking or reading French.