{"id":134827,"date":"2023-09-15T11:11:05","date_gmt":"2023-09-15T15:11:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/learn\/spanish-english-false-friends-cognates\/"},"modified":"2025-04-02T04:46:27","modified_gmt":"2025-04-02T08:46:27","slug":"spanish-english-false-friends-cognates","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/spanish\/spanish-english-false-friends-cognates\/","title":{"rendered":"20 Surprising Spanish False Friends You Should Be Aware Of"},"content":{"rendered":"

False friends are words that sound the same in English and Spanish. They lure new users of the language into thinking they have the exact same meaning in both languages too, such as library and librer\u00eda<\/em>.<\/p>\n

But these can be overcome if you study them closely. I\u2019ve listed down common Spanish-English false friends here so you can watch out for them and avoid the common mistake<\/a> of confusing them.\u00a0
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Librer\u00eda<\/em> (Bookstore) | Biblioteca<\/em> (Library)<\/h2>\n

\"library,<\/a><\/p>\n

Meet\u00a0librer\u00eda<\/em>\u00a0and library.\u00a0<\/b>You could go to either one of these places to pick up books for your Spanish reading practice. The difference is that\u00a0one of them is for profit\u00a0(bookstore)<\/b>\u00a0and the other is more philanthropic\u00a0(library)<\/b>. Can you guess which is which? From hereafter, it should not be a guessing game!<\/p>\n

Qu\u00e9 verg\u00fcenza<\/em> (How embarrassing) | Estoy embarazada<\/em> (I am pregnant)<\/h2>\n

\"how<\/a><\/p>\n

Imagine being out with a group of Spanish friends and then accidentally spilling your drink on someone. What you want to say is: \u201cI am so sorry, how embarrassing!\u201d\u00a0\u00a0(Lo siento, \u00a1qu\u00e9 verg\u00fcenza!)<\/i> <\/b>But instead, you say: \u201cI am so sorry, I am pregnant!\u201d (Lo siento, \u00a1estoy tan embarazada!)<\/i><\/b>\u00a0<\/p>\n

Your friend stares at you awkwardly, not knowing how to react. It would have spared you from some uncomfortable moments had she known the difference between these two phrases.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Constipado<\/em> (To have a cold) | Estre\u00f1ido<\/em> (Constipated)<\/h2>\n

\"know<\/a><\/p>\n

One of the more dangerous pairs is\u00a0constipado<\/em> and constipated.\u00a0<\/b> While they both indicate a lack of health, they refer to very different conditions. More importantly, they are both treatable with over-the-counter products.<\/p>\n

Obtaining any kind of medicinal product in Spanish-speaking countries requires you to go to a pharmacy and speak with the pharmacist. So, it is wise to know the difference between these two.<\/p>\n

Conservante<\/em> (Preservatives) | Preservativo<\/em> (Condom)<\/h2>\n

\"know<\/a><\/p>\n

These are probably the most embarrassing false friends on this entire list. After all, both of these words can be thought of as preserving or conserving something. With un c<\/em><\/strong>onservante<\/em> (preservative)<\/strong>, you\u2019re preventing food from spoiling, while un preservativo <\/em>(condom)<\/strong> protects from pregnancy.<\/p>\n

Be careful with these\u2014your listeners will definitely give you a funny look (or laugh outright) if you\u2019re trying to talk about preservatives but end up mentioning condoms instead.<\/p>\n

Realizar<\/em> (To carry out, perform or achieve) | Darse cuenta<\/em> (To realize)<\/h2>\n

False friends are a lot like parasites. That is, without their host (native language) they cannot survive. Once you\u00a0realize (darse cuenta)<\/em>\u00a0<\/b>this, you will be freed of their power over you and be better equipped\u00a0to achieve (realizar)<\/em><\/b>\u00a0your potential in Spanish.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

Gangas<\/em> (Bargains) | Pandillas <\/em>(Gangs)<\/h2>\n

\"know<\/a><\/p>\n

Maybe you\u2019re talking to your friends about the difference between your country and Spanish culture, and the topic steers towards violence and youth. Impulsively you ask: \u201cAre there a lot of bargains in Spain?\u201d\u00a0<\/b>when what you really mean to contribute is:\u00a0\u201c\u00bfHay muchas pandillas en Espa\u00f1a<\/em>?\u201d\u00a0<\/b>You know something is wrong when your friends ask in a puzzled tone:\u00a0\u201c\u00bfGangas<\/em>?\u201d\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

All you can do is explain and take the heat for your mistake. Spanish people like to tease others about anything and everything!<\/p>\n

Lectura<\/em> (Reading) | Charla, Conferencia<\/em> (Lecture)<\/h2>\n

\"know<\/a><\/p>\n

Take a close look at the words above. See if you can spot the differences between them!<\/p>\n

Although almost identical in their format, the word\u00a0lectura\u00a0<\/b><\/em>in Spanish is not in any way synonymous to a\u00a0lecture\u00a0<\/b>in English.\u00a0 You can certainly make inferences about how they are related, but you\u00a0cannot use them interchangeably.<\/b><\/p>\n

Recordar<\/em> (To remember) | Grabar <\/em>(To record)<\/h2>\n

Hmmm, let me see if I can remember\u2026Yes, I\u00a0remember<\/b>. You may not\u00a0record<\/b>\u00a0these words as alternates.\u00a0recordar<\/em> \u2260 record.<\/b>\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

Recordar\u00a0<\/em>actually comes from the Latin word\u00a0cor<\/em>, which means heart, so\u00a0recordar<\/em> means to revisit something in your heart. On the other hand,\u00a0grabar<\/em> means to save (or to “grab”) sounds in a camera, phone or other device.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Introducir<\/em> (To insert) | Presentar<\/em> (To introduce someone)<\/h2>\n

Introducir<\/em><\/strong> is about inserting an object, whether you’re putting a coin in a slot, entering your password on a website or even metaphorically “introducing” new regulations. But it has nothing to do with meeting other people!<\/p>\n

The Spanish word for that would be presentar<\/em><\/strong> instead. You’re “presenting” (introducing) yourself or someone else to another person or an audience.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n

Carta<\/em> (Paper letter, playing card) | Tarjeta<\/em> (Credit, debit, greeting card)<\/h2>\n

\"know<\/a><\/p>\n

This one can be really confusing. If you’re at a shop and about to pull out your debit or credit card, don’t ask if you can pay using your carta.\u00a0<\/em>Carta<\/em><\/strong> means a letter\u2014usually, the physical, old-fashioned type that you send over mail. For example, a carta de amor<\/em> is a love letter.\u00a0<\/p>\n

On the other hand,\u00a0tarjeta<\/em><\/strong> is used for credit or debit cards, along with greeting cards and business cards.<\/p>\n

There’s one exception, though: playing cards actually go by carta<\/em> too.\u00a0<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

With so many similarities between Spanish and English, it’s easy to get complacent and start assuming English-sounding words have a similar meaning. Remember that any new skill requires practice, practice, practice.<\/p>\n

Aside from exposure, flashcards<\/a> are a great way to remember these tricky false friends. You can do minimalist flashcards on Anki<\/a>, or use multimedia flashcards on FluentU<\/a> with audio and video included. Each vocabulary on FluentU also links to videos featuring the word, so you can understand exactly how to use it.

FluentU<\/strong> takes authentic videos\u2014like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks\u2014and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.<\/p>\r\n

You can try FluentU for free for 2 weeks. Check out the website or download the iOS app<\/a> or Android app.<\/a><\/p>\r\n

P.S. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month)<\/a><\/i>\r\n<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n \"FluentU\r\n

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