Hi there! We all have to be careful with the cheeky monkeys that are false friends. Of course, we’re talking about those tricky linguistic friends that look like a similar word in different languages but actually mean something very different.
So let’s jump straight in and take a look at some the most common false friends for Spanish speakers learning English.
1. Actually: In English it means ‘in fact’ or is used to emphasise something.
For example:
Our company has grown a great deal in the last few years, and actually, we’re now the market leader.
He actually expected me to be pleased about it!
The same occurs with actual: In English it means real or existing.
For example:
The estimate was much less than the actual cost.
👀 OJO! In Spanish, ‘actualmente’ = currently & ‘actual’ = current
I’m actually working on a new project. X
I’m currently working on a new project. ✔
My actual job X
My current job ✔
2. Discuss / have a discussion: It means to talk about something
For example:
Let’s discuss the details of the sales report.
Let’s have a discussion about all the possible options.
👀 OJO! In Spanish, ‘una discusión’ = an argument and ‘discutir’ = to argue
They were both very angry and ended up having a discussion X
They were both very angry and ended up having an argument ✔
They were both very angry and ended up arguing✔
3. Carpet: In Spanish, ‘carpeta’ refers to a folder or a file. However, in English, carpet refers to a floor covering.
👀 OJO! These words both look and sound very similar but mean very different things.
This carpet contains confidential documents. X
This folder contains confidential documents. ✔
The hotel lounge floor was covered in a thick, luxurious carpet. ✔
4. Introduce: Doesn’t mean ‘introducir’ in Spanish. Introduce is used for when people meet for the first time i.e. ‘presentar a alguien’.
Let me present you to my co-workers. X
Let me introduce you to my co-workers. ✔
👀 OJO! ‘Introducir’ can be translated as insert, enter or fill in.
You need to insert your credit card. ✔
You need to enter / fill in your details in the form below. ✔
You need to introduce your details in the form below. X
5. Support: Looks a lot like ‘soportar’ but has has a very different meaning.
👀 OJO! Support can be translated as ‘apoyar’ or ‘apoyo’, whereas ‘soportar’ means to tolerate, put up with or stand.
It’s important for the team to support one another. ✔
We need to provide an excellent level of support to our customers. ✔
I can’t support people arriving late for meetings. X
I can’t stand / tolerate / put up with people arriving late for meetings. ✔
We hope you’ve found these examples useful and can start putting them into practice straight away. So what are you waiting for? Are you ready to Boost your English?
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