False friends when learning Spanish

When learning Spanish, it’s important to be aware of “false friends” or “falsos amigos,” which are words that look similar in English and Spanish but have different meanings. Here are some common examples:

1. Librería: This word might look like “library” in English, but it actually means “bookstore” ¹.

2. Embarazada: While it resembles “embarrassed,” it actually means “pregnant.” This can lead to humorous misunderstandings if someone mistakenly says “estoy embarazada” thinking they are saying they are embarrassed ².

3. Realizar: This verb might seem like it means “to realize,” but it actually means “to carry out” or “to perform” ¹.

4. Éxito: Although it looks like “exit,” it means “success” in Spanish ¹.

5. Simpático: This word might appear to mean “sympathetic,” but it actually translates to “nice” or “friendly” ¹.

6. Molestar: While it looks like the English word “molest,” it simply means “to bother” or “to annoy” ².

7. Actual: In Spanish, this word translates to “current,” not to be confused with the English word “actual.” Similarly, “actualmente” means “currently” ⁶.

8. Carpeta: This word translates to “folder,” not to be confused with “carpet” in English ⁵.

Understanding these false friends is crucial for avoiding misunderstandings and improving your fluency in Spanish.

References

• False Friends in Spanish | Falsos amigos | Basic Spanish 101

• English and Spanish False Friends - Falsos Amigos | HOLA SPANISH

• Spanish false cognates (false friends) that start with S,T, U, and V

• Spanish English False Cognates / False Friends(8 most … - YouTube

• “False Friends” to watch out for | Intermediate and Advanced Spanish

• Learn these 10 sneaky English Spanish false friends! - YouTube