Are there any funny examples of false friends in Russian
Here are some funny examples of “false friends” in Russian—words that sound similar to English words but have completely different meanings:
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МАГАЗИН (magazin)
While it might sound like the English word “magazine,” in Russian, it actually means “store” or “shop” 1. -
АРТИСТ (artist)
This word might make you think of a painter or visual artist, but in Russian, it refers to a performer, such as an actor or entertainer 2. -
ФАМИЛИЯ (familia)
Although it resembles the English word “family,” in Russian, it means “last name” 2. -
КЛЕЙ (kley)
This looks like the English word “clay,” but in Russian, it means “glue” 2. -
АККУРАТНЫЙ (akkuratnyy)
This might seem like the English word “accurate,” but in Russian, it means “neat” or “tidy” 2. -
АКТУАЛЬНЫЙ (aktual’nyy)
While it sounds like “actual,” in Russian, it translates to “relevant” or “up-to-date” 2. -
ПРОСПЕКТ (prospekt)
This word might remind you of the English term “prospect,” but in Russian, it refers to a large avenue or boulevard 2. -
СИМПАТИЯ (sympatiya)
It resembles the English word “sympathy,” but in Russian, it means “liking” or having a crush on someone 2.
Additionally, there are some amusing examples of phrases that sound like English words but mean something entirely different in Russian:
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COKE DEALER
This phrase sounds like something illicit in English but resembles the Russian phrase “Как дела?” (Kak dela?), which simply means “How are you?” 5. -
PALE MAN
While it might conjure an image of a pale individual in English, this sounds like the Russian word “Пельмень” (Pel’men’), which refers to a type of dumpling 5. -
MY OWN ASS
This phrase humorously aligns with the Russian word “Майонез” (Mayonez), meaning mayonnaise 5. -
LOOK
In English, this is about seeing something, but in Russian, it sounds like “Лук” (Luk), which means onion 5.
These examples highlight how false friends can lead to amusing misunderstandings when learning a new language!