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What are some common false friends in French and English visualisation

What are some common false friends in French and English

False friends when learning French: What are some common false friends in French and English
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Here are some common false friends in French and English:

  • “Abandon” (English verb: to leave someone or something; to stop doing something) vs. “abandon” (French noun: abandonment)
  • “Academic” (English adjective: related to education, or clever; also a noun meaning university teacher) vs. “académique” (French adjective: related to an academy; conventional)
  • “Actuellement” (French: currently) vs. “Actually” (English: in fact, really)
  • “Assister” (French: to attend) vs. “Assist” (English: to help)
  • “Blesser” (French: to hurt, wound) vs. “Bless” (English: to confer or invoke divine favor)
  • “Déception” (French: disappointment) vs. “Deception” (English: trickery, fraud)
  • “Librairie” (French: bookstore) vs. “Library” (English: place where books are lent or studied)
  • “Préservatif” (French: condom) vs. “Preservative” (English: substance used to preserve food)
  • “Sensible” (French: sensitive) vs. “Sensible” (English: reasonable, practical)
  • “Prune” (French: plum) vs. “Prune” (English: dried plum)

These pairs look or sound similar but have different meanings, causing confusion for learners and translators. This phenomenon arises partly because of the historical influence of French on English, but meanings have shifted in different ways over time. The earliest use of “false friends” to describe this was in 1928 by French linguists Maxim Koessler and Jules Derecquigny.

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