What are the most dangerous false friends to know in Russian
False friends are words in two different languages that appear similar but have different meanings. In Russian, several false friends can be particularly misleading for English speakers. Here are some of the most notable ones:
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Магазин (Magazin): While it sounds like “magazine” in English, it actually means “store” or “shop” in Russian 3.
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Шеф (Shef): This word might be mistaken for “chef,” but in Russian, it means “boss” or “chief” 2.
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Костюм (Kostyum): Although it might seem like “costume,” in Russian, it refers to a “suit” 2.
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Дата (Data): This word looks like “data,” but it actually means “date” as in a calendar date 2.
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Облигация (Obligatsiya): It appears similar to “obligation,” but it means “bond” in Russian 2.
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Арт (Art): This might be confused with “art,” but it actually means “type” or “kind” in Russian.
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Аккуратный (Akkuratnyy): While it resembles the English word “accurate,” it actually means “neat” or “tidy” 4.
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Фамилия (Familiya): It looks like “family,” but it means “surname” or “last name” in Russian 4.
Understanding these false friends is crucial to avoid confusion and miscommunication when learning Russian.