False friends in French (faux amis)
False friends or false cognates are words that sound and/or look the same in two languages but different meaning. Thousands of words in French look like and/or sound similar to English words and most of them have the same or a similar meaning, for example banjo, duplication and mayonaise. However there are quite a few that mean either completely different things, or have somewhat different but related meanings.
The following French words look and/or sound like English words but have different meanings:
- achever = to finish, end, complete, reach. (to achieve = accomplir, réaliser, atteindre)
- actuellement = currently (actually = en fait)
- assister = to attend (to assist = aider)
- blesser = to wound (to bless = bénir)
- car = because, for (car = voiture)
- chair = skin (chair = chaise)
- chance = luck (a chance = une possibilité)
- chat = cat (to chat = causer)
- caution = deposit, guarantee, bail (caution = prudence)
- déçevoir =to disappoint (to deceive = tromper, duper)
- demander = to ask (to demand = exiger)
- four = oven (four = quatre)
- glace = icecream (glass = verre)
- large = wide (large = grand, vaste)
- manger = to eat (manger = mangeoire)
- pain = bread (pain = doleur, mal)
- piles = batteries (piles = hémorroïdes)
- préservatif = condom (preservative = conservateur)
- réalisation = completion, accomplishment (realisation = prise de conscience)
- roman = novel (Roman = Romain)
- sensible = sensitive (sensible = sage, raisonnable)
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