Barcelona

"False friends" in Spanish: they sound familiar but mean something else

"False friends" are words in different languages that look similar but have different meanings. Here are 5 Spanish "false friends" that you need to watch out for:

  1. Embarazada: This word might look like "embarrassed" in English, but it actually means "pregnant" in Spanish.
  2. Actual: While in English "actual" often means "current," in Spanish it means "real" or "true."
  3. Molestar: This word might seem similar to "molest" in English, but in Spanish, it means "to bother" or "to annoy."
  4. Librería: It might look like "library" in English, but in Spanish, "librería" means "bookstore."
  5. Éxito: This word might look like "exit" in English, but in Spanish, it means "success."

These examples demonstrate the importance of being cautious with words that seem familiar across languages but can lead to misunderstandings due to their different meanings.
2023-08-11 17:41 Expat news