Language/Multiple-languages/Vocabulary/False-Friends

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“False friends” is a phrase to describe two words or phrases that exist in several languages with similar spellings or pronunciations but different meanings.

There is a similar phrase: false cognates. Their difference is explained at

https://linguistics.stackexchange.com/questions/2612/whats-the-difference-between-a-false-cognate-and-a-false-friend

Types of false friends include:

  1. same origin, similar meanings, different parts of speech;
  2. same origin, one language has more meanings than the other (or one language has fewer meanings than the other);
  3. same origin, different meanings;
  4. different origin, different meanings.

In addition, some words in different languages have the same meaning, but their use is different from one language to the other.

About building a table for European languages, it is suggested to be etymology-oriented: a Latin or Greek word with its descendants in various languages. Because of the huge number of languages, it would be better to categorize them by the similarity of meanings. Also, ISO 639-3 codes can be used instead of language names to save space.

As you complete this lesson, consider broadening your horizons with these related topics: Glossary for translations, Transparent Words, Greetings Where are you going & Common words about computers and other devices.

Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese[edit | edit source]

Main article: https://polyglotclub.com/wiki/Language/Multiple-languages/Vocabulary/CJKV-False-Friends

English & French[edit | edit source]

See full article here: https://polyglotclub.com/wiki/Language/French/Vocabulary/False-Friends

actually - actuellement

ancient - ancien

apology - apologie

assist - assister

attend - attendre

blanket - blanquette

bless - blesser

bleesed - bleesé

bras - bras

brassiere - brasserie

button - bouton

cent - cent

character - caractère

chair - chair

chance - chance

change - change

coin - coin

college - collège

comprehensive - compréhensif

concourse - concours

deception - déception

envy - envie

eventually - éventuellement

excited - excité

grand - grand

grape - grappe

introduce - introduire

jolly - joli

journey - journée

library - librairie

location - location

luxurious - luxurieux

money - monnaie

pass - passer

pile - pile

prejudice - préjudice

preservative - préservatif

prune - prune

raisin - raisin

sensible - sensible

slip - slip

trainee - traînée

English & German[edit | edit source]

also - also

ambulance - Ambulanz

art - Art

bald - bald

beamer - Beamer

become - bekommen

blend - blenden

body bag - Bodybag

brand - Brand

cracker - Cracker

decent - dezent

dick - dick

direction - Direktion

dose - Dose

eventually - eventuell

evergreen - Evergreen

fast - fast

fraction - Fraktion

genie - Genie

gift - Gift

grab - graben

gross - groß

gymnasium - Gymnasium

handy - Handy

herd - Herd

hose - Hose

hut - Hut

irritate - irritieren

caution - Kaution

kind - Kind

confession - Konfession

concurrence - Konkurrenz

consequent - Konsequent

concern - Koncern

craft - Kraft

labor - Labor

leck - leck

last - last

lecture - lektüre

local - Lokal

lock - locken

lyrics - Lyrik

map - Mappe

meaning - Meinung

mess - Messe

mist - Mist

note - Note

notice - Notiz

objective - Objektiv

oldtimer - Oldtimer

ordinary - Ordinär

paragraph - Paragraph

pickle - Pickel

preservative - Präservativ

pregnant - Prägnant

probe - Probe

promotion - Promotion

prospect - Prospekt

provision - Provision

process - Prozess

public - Publikum

rat - Rat

rate - Rate

realise - realisieren

rent - Rente

receipt - Rezept

ring - Ringen

rock - Rock

Roman - Roman

schmuck - Schmuck

sect - Sekt

sensible - sensibel

serious - seriös

smoking - Smoking

spend - spenden

spot - spotten

staple - Stapel

stark - stark

stern - Stern

stock - Stock

sympathetic - sympathisch

tablet - Tablett

tag - Tag

taste - Taste

toll - toll

trunk - Trunk

warehouse - Warenhaus

wink - winken

More[edit | edit source]

https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/False_Friends_of_the_Slavist

https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Esperanto/Appendix/False_friends

https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Spanish/Common_False_Cognates

https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Dutch/Vocabulary/False_friends

AUTHOR[edit | edit source]

GrimPixel

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