6 Spanish false friends you should know 6 Spanish false friends you should know is a post where you will learn how sometimes words we learn and words we know can play us tricks, because sometimes they do not mean what they seem to mean.

29th January 2016 - By blancadt

There are a lot of Spanish words that sound and look the same that an English one and you might know but they actually (watch out for this one in the list below) they mean something that could not be more different.

Let’s start to explain what is a false friends, maybe you know it by now, but it is always good to say it/read it one more time, you know humans learn through repetition. False friends are words that look and sometimes sound so similar in two different languages and they make you think they mean the same or something similar but the truth is that their meanings are not even close…

So it is better to know then beforehand or when you less think about it you will be saying them in your conversations thinking that means the same, but you would actually mean something so different and the only thing you would do it make the person you are talking to either laugh or feel confused (ack…ward!)

6 Spanish false friends you should know

Knowledge is power, so if you learn these 6 false friends you will have the power to avoid them in the wrong situations, so read carefully.

1-EMBARAZADA

Can you imagine some Spanish friend would tell you the news “!Estoy embarazada!” I am pregnant and the only answer you could think of will be “Why?” (in terms of why are you embarrassed, because you just relate the two similar words instead of giving the correct meaning…)

2-CONSTIPADO

Imagine your face/thoughts if your friends are talking about one of them having a cold and you could not stop thinking he is constipated(mmmm…ackward!!)

3-ARGUMENTO

I bet it would be quite confusing if your friends are talking about a movie “argumento” and you could not help wondering why the hell they seem so engaged in a friendly “argument” …

4-ACTUALMENTE

WATCH OUT! One of the most common mistakes that even advanced Spanish learners do from time to time because it is just similar. Keep an eye on it

5-CARPETA

Would it be weird if someone is so happy because they lost their “carpeta” and you could not thing about another thing that a carpet and how someone can loose something that big which most of the time is in the same place :S

6-SENSIBLE

Your friend is talking about a sensible (Spanish word) niece that is always crying, I bet you would ask yourself or you might ask your friend, why a sensible (English word) would cry?They are just very responsible aren’ t they?

As you saw the situations above would not be ideal would it? They would be funny tho, I bet you would always have to tell 🙂

I said before knowledge is power so share the power with a friend and spread the Spanish joy.

Homework

Write at least two sentences with each word, and repeat them through the day, it will help your brain to get the meaning clear and stuck on it 🙂

Feel free to share your sentences wit us in the comment below, your sentences it might help other people to learn this “tricky (because I do not want to use swear words) friends”

Have a good one. !Buen día!

Talk/write to you “pronto” (next viernes to be more specific)