Language/Spanish/Vocabulary/English-Spanish-False-Cognates

130+ English/Spanish False Cognates (False Friends)

The term "false friend" or "false cognates" refers to a word that looks like Spanish but in reality has a very different meaning. Considered a real trap when learning Spanish, false friends can very easily mislead an English speaker during conversations with Spanish speakers. We have listed the main meaning of these false friends in English; each definition of course depends on the context in which it is used.

Here is a list of more than 150 false friends that you need to know!

spanish word	english translation	english word	spanish translation
últimamente	recently	ultimately	al final
abogado	lawyer	avocado	aguacate, among others
acostar	lie down	accost	abordar (a alguien)
actual	current	actual	real
adecuado	suitable	adequate	apropiado
advertencia	warning	advertisement	publicidad
agenda	a notebook for one's schedule	agenda	orden del día, segunda intención
agonizante	dying	agonizing	angustioso
alianza	wedding ring	alliance	alianza
amasar	knead	amass	acumular (fama, dinero)
américa	the americas	america	estados unidos
americano	person from north or south america	american	estadounidense
animador	presenter, entertainer	animator	animador
apalear	beat (with a stick)	appall	horrorizar
aprehensión	detention	apprehension	aprensión
arena	sand	arena	arena
argumento	plot	argument	discusión
arma	weapon	arm	brazo
as	ace	ass	culo, asno
asignatura	subject	signature	firma
asistir	to attend, be present at or to assist	assist	ayudar
atender	to pay attention	attend	asistir
avisar	inform, warn	advice	aconsejar
bachillerato	high school diploma	bachelor's degree	licenciatura
bailarina	dancer	ballerina	bailarina de ballet
balde	bucket	bald	calvo
barco	boat, ship	bark	corteza, ladrar
basamento	base of a column	basement	sótano
bigote	moustache	bigot	intolerante, prejuicio
billón	(us) trillion, (uk) billion	billion (us)	mil millones
bizarro	dashing, brave, gallant	bizarre	extraño
blanco	white	blank	en blanco
blando	soft	bland	soso, insípido
boda	wedding	body	cuerpo
bombero	firefighter	bomber	bombardero
brincar	hop, jump	brink	borde de un abismo
bulla	racket, noise	bull	toro
café	coffee, café	café	cafetería
cafetería	café	cafeteria	cantina
campo	countryside	camp	campamento
cancelar una deuda	pay off a debt	cancel	cancelar
cantera	stone quarry	canter	medio galope
carpeta	folder	carpet	alfombra
carrera	race, university degree, career	career	carrera
carta	letter	card	tarjeta
casualidad	coincidence, chance	casualty	víctima
charco	puddle	shark	tiburón
chocar	strike, collide	choke	ahogar
cita	appointment	city	ciudad
codo	elbow	code	código
colegio	high school	college	universidad
comodidad	comfort	commodity	producto
compás	pair of compasses	compass	brújula
complaciente	accomodating, pleasing	complacent	conforme, autocomplaciente
complemento	accessory, complement	compliment	piropo
complexión	a person's build	complexion	tez
comprensivo	understanding	comprehensive	exhaustivo
compromiso	obligation, commitment	compromise	componenda
condescender	to comply, agree	condescend	dignarse
conductor	driver	conductor	director de orquesta
constipación	cold (sickness)	constipation	estreñimiento
constipado (n.)	a cold	constipated	constipado (adj.)
contestar	to answer	contest (v.)	contender
corresponder	to correspond to	to correspond with	escribir con
corrientemente	fluently, plainly, flatly	currently	actualmente
costumbre	habit	costume	disfraz
crudo	raw	crude	grosero
culo	butt, ass	cull	matanza selectiva
cuota	fee	quote	presupuesto
currante	worker	currant	grosella
data	date	data	datos
decepción	disappointment	deception	engaño
delincuencia	crime	delinquency	delincuencia juvenil
delito	crime	delight	delicia, deleite
demandar	sue	demand	exigir
denunciar un delito	to report a crime	denounce	denunciar
deporte	sport	deport	deportar
desgracia	mistake, misfortune	disgrace	vergüenza
designación	nomination	designation	atribución
despertar	to wake up	desperate	desesperado
destituido	fired, deprived	destitute	indigente
dinero	money	dinner	cena
direcciones	addresses	directions	instrucciones
discusión	argument	discussion	conversación
disgusto	annoyance, worry	disgust	asco, repugnancia
diversión	fun	diversion	desviación, distracción
dogo	mastiff	dog	perro
dormitorio	bedroom	dormitory	residencia universitaria
educado	polite	educated	culto
embarazada	pregnant	embarrassed	avergonzada
empresa	business enterprise, company	empress	emperatríz
empresa	company	empress	emperatriz
enviar	send	envy (v.)	envidiar
envolver	to wrap	involve	involucrar
escolar	schoolboy	scholar	erudito
esmoquin	tuxedo	smoking	fumando
espada	sword	spade	pala
estimado	esteemed	estimate	estimacíon, presupuesto
estrechar	to narrow, bring closer together	stretch	estirar, alargar
estuve	i was	stove	estufa
eventualmente	by chance, occasionally	eventually	al final, a la larga
excitado	aroused	excited	emocionado
éxito	success, hit	exit	salida
éxito	success	exit	salida
extranjero	foreigner	stranger	desconocido
fábrica	factory	fabric	tela
fábrica	factory	fabric	tela
facilidad	ease	facility	instalación
fagot	bassoon	faggot	maricón
grosería	grossness, crudeness	grocery	abarrotería, tienda de comestibles
introducir	insert	introduce (someone)	presentar
largo	long	large	grande
lectura	reading	lecture	conferencia
librería	bookstore	library	biblioteca
mantel	tablecloth	mantel	manto, mesilla
molestar	bother	molest	abusar (sexualmente)
nudo	knot	nude	desnudo
parada	stop, e.g. bus stop	parade	desfile
pariente	relative	parent	padre
preocupado	worried	preoccupied	distraído
pretender	to attempt, to woo	pretend	fingir
realizar	to come true	realize	darse cuenta
recordar	to remember, remind	record	grabar
ropa	clothes	rope	cuerda
sano	healthy	sane	cuerdo
sopa	soup	soap	jabón
soportar	tolerate, put up with	support	apoyar
suceso	event	success	éxito
tuna	prickly pear	tuna	atún
vaso	drinking glass	vase	jarrón, florero

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