Faux Amis False Cognates of French and English

French and English have hundreds of cognates (words which look and/or are pronounced alike in the two languages), including true (similar meanings), false (different meanings), and semi-false (some similar and some different meanings). A list of hundreds of false cognates can be a bit unwieldy, so here is an abridged list of the most common false cognates in French and English. Common False Cognates in French and English Actuellement vs Actually Actuellement means at the present time and should be translated as currently or right now: Je travaille actuellement - I am currently working A related word is actuel, which means present or current: le problà ¨me actuel - the current/present problem Actually means in fact and should be translated as en fait or à   vrai dire. Actually, I dont know him - En fait, je ne le connais pas Actual means real or true, and depending on the context can be translated as rà ©el, và ©ritable, positif, or concret: The actual value - la valeur rà ©elle Assister vs Assist Assister à   nearly always means to attend something: Jai assistà © à   la confà ©rence - I attended (went to) the conference To assist means to help or aid someone or something: I assisted the woman into the building - Jai aidà © la dame à   entrer dans limmeuble Attendre vs Attend Attendre à   means to wait for: Nous avons attendu pendant deux heures - We waited for two hours. To attend is translated by assister (see above): I attended the conference - Jai assistà © à   la confà ©rence Avertissement vs Advertisement Un avertissement is a warning or caution, from the verb avertir - to warn. An advertisement  is une publicità ©, une rà ©clame, or un spot publicitaire. Blesser vs Bless Blesser means to wound, injure, or offend, while to bless  means bà ©nir. Bras vs Bras Le bras refers to an arm; bras in English  is the plural of bra - un soutien-gorge. Caractà ¨re vs Character Caractà ¨re refers only to the character or temperament of a person or thing: Cette maison a du caractà ¨re - This house has character. Character can mean both nature/temperament as well as a person in a play: Education develops character - Là ©ducation dà ©veloppe le caractà ¨reRomeo is a famous character - Romeo est un personnage cà ©lebre Cent vs Cent Cent is the French word for a hundred, while cent in English  can be figuratively translated by un sou. Literally, it is one-hundredth of a dollar. Chair vs Chair La chair means flesh. A chair can refer to une chaise, un fauteuil (armchair), or un sià ¨ge (seat). Chance vs Chance La chance means luck, while chance in English refers to un hasard, une possibilità ©, or une occasion. To say I didnt have a chance to... see Occasion vs Occasion, below. Christian vs Christian Christian is a masculine French name while Christian in English can be an adjective or a noun: (un) chrà ©tien. Coin vs Coin Le coin refers to a corner in every sense of the English word. It can also be used figuratively to mean from the area: là ©picier du coin - the local grocerVous à ªtes du coin ? - Are you from around here? A coin is a piece of metal used as money - une pià ¨ce de monnaie. Collà ¨ge vs College Le collà ¨ge and le lycà ©e both refer to high school: Mon collà ¨ge a 1 000 à ©là ¨ves - My high school has 1,000 students College is translated by università ©: This colleges tuition is very expensive - Les frais de scolarità © à   cette università © sont trà ¨s à ©levà ©s. Commander vs Command Commander is a  semi-false cognate. It means to make an order (command) as well as to order (request) a meal or goods/services. Une  commande  is translated by  order  in English. Command  can be translated by  commander,  ordonner, or  exiger. It is also a noun:  un  ordre  or  un  commandement. Con vs Con Con  is a vulgar word that literally refers to female genitalia. It usually means an  idiot, or is used as an adjective in the sense of  bloody  or  damned. Con  can be a noun - la  frime, une  escroquerie, or a verb -  duper,  escroquer. Pros and cons - le pour et le contre Crayon vs Crayon Un crayon is a  pencil, while a crayon  is as un crayon de couleur. The French language uses this expression for both crayon and colored pencil. Dà ©ception vs Deception Une dà ©ception is a  disappointment  or  let-down, while a deception  is une  tromperie  or  duperie. Demander vs Demand Demander means  to ask  for: Il  ma  demandà © de  chercher  son pull - He asked me to look for his sweater Note that the French noun  une  demande  does correspond to the English noun demand. To demand is usually translated by  exiger: He demanded that I look for his sweater - Il  a exigà ©Ã‚  que  je  cherche  son pull Dà ©ranger vs Derange Dà ©ranger can mean to  derange  (the mind), as well as to  bother,  disturb, or  disrupt. Excusez-moi  de  vous  dà ©ranger... - Im sorry for bothering you....   To derange  is used only when talking about mental health (usually as an adjective: deranged dà ©rangà ©). Douche vs Douche Une douche is a   shower, while douche  in English refers to a method of cleaning a body cavity with air or water:  lavage interne. Entrà ©e vs Entrà ©e Une entrà ©e is an  hors-doeuvre  or appetizer, while an entrà ©e refers to the main course of a meal: le plat principal. Envie vs Envy Avoir  envie  de  means  to want  or  to feel like  something: Je  nai  pas  envie  de  travailler  - I dont want to work / I dont feel like working The verb envier, however, does mean to envy. Envy means to be  jealous  or  desirous  of something belonging to another. The French verb is envier: I envy Johns courage - Jenvie le courage à   Jean Éventuellement vs Eventually Éventuellement means  possibly,  if need be, or  even: Vous  pouvez  Ãƒ ©ventuellement  prendre  ma  voiture  - You can even take my car / You can take my car if need be. Eventually indicates that an action will occur at a later time; it can be translated by  finalement,  Ãƒ   la  longue, or  tà ´t ou tard: I will eventually do it - Je le  ferai  finalement  / tà ´t ou tard Expà ©rience vs Experience Expà ©rience is a semi-false cognate, because it means both  experience  and  experiment: Jai fait une expà ©rience - I did an experimentJai  eu une expà ©rience intà ©ressante  - I had an interesting experience Experience can be a noun or verb  refering  to something that happened. Only the noun translates into expà ©rience: Experience shows that ... - Lexpà ©rience dà ©montre  que... He experienced some difficulties - Il a rencontrà © des difficultà ©s Finalement vs Finally Finalement means  eventually  or  in the end, while finally  is  enfin  or  en dernier lieu. Football vs Football Le football, or le foot, refers to  soccer  (in American English). In the US, football   le  football amà ©ricain. Formidable vs Formidable Formidable is an interesting  word  because it means  great  or  terrific; almost the opposite of the English. Ce film est  formidable !  - This is a great movie! Formidable in English means  dreadful  or  fearsome: The opposition is formidable - Lopposition est  redoutable/effrayante Gentil vs Gentle Gentil  usually means  nice  or  kind: Il a un  gentil  mot pour  chacun  - He has a kind word for everyone It can also mean good, as in: il  a à ©tà ©Ã‚  gentil  - he was a good boy Gentle can also mean  kind  but in the more physical sense of  soft  or  not rough. It can be translated by  doux,  aimable,  modà ©rà ©, or  là ©ger: He is gentle with his hands - Il a la main douceA gentle breeze -  une   brise  là ©gà ¨re Gratuità © vs Gratuity Gratuità ©Ã‚  refers to anything that is given for free: la gratuità © de là ©ducation - free education while a gratuity  is un  pourboire  or  une  gratification. Gros vs Gross Gros means  big,  fat,  heavy, or  serious: un  gros  problà ¨me - a big/serious problem Gross  means  grossier,  fruste, or (informally)  dà ©gueullasse. Ignorer vs Ignore Ignorer is a semi-false cognate. It nearly always means  to be ignorant or unaware  of something:   jignore  tout de  cette  affaire - I know nothing about this business To ignore means to deliberately not pay attention to someone or something. The usual translations are  ne  tenir  aucun  compte  de,  ne  pas  relever, and  ne  pas prà ªter attention à  . Librairie vs Library Une  librairie  refers to a  bookstore, while library in French is  une  bibliothà ¨que. Monnaie vs Money La  monnaie  can refer to  currency,  coin(age), or  change, and money is the general term for  argent. Napkin vs Napkin Un napkin refers to a  sanitary napkin. A napkin is correctly translated by   une  serviette. Occasion vs Occasion Occasion refers to a(n)  occasion,  circumstance,  opportunity, or  second-hand purchase. Une chemise  doccasion  - a  second-hand  or  used  shirt. Avoir  loccasion  de means  to have a/the chance  to:   Je  navais  pas  loccasion  de  lui  parler  - I didnt have a chance to talk to him. An occasion is une  occasion, un  Ãƒ ©và ©nement, or un  motif. Opportunità © vs Opportunity Opportunità © refers to  timeliness  or  appropriateness: Nous  discutons  de lopportunità ©Ã‚  daller  Ãƒ   la plage -  Were discussing the appropriateness of going to the beach (under the circumstances). Opportunity leans toward favorable circumstances for a particular action or event and is translated by  une  occasion: Its an opportunity to improve your French -  Cest  une  occasion de te  perfectionner  en franà §ais. Parti/Partie vs Party Un  parti  can refer to several different things: a  political party, an  option  or  course of action  (prendre  un  parti  - to  make a decision), or a  match  (i.e., Hes a good match for you). It is also the past participle of  partir  (to leave). Une  partie  can mean  a  part  (e.g.,  une  partie  du film - a  part of the film), a  field  or  subject, a  game  (e.g.,  une  partie  de  cartes  - a  game of cards), or a  party  in a trial. A party  usually refers to une  fà ªte,  soirà ©e, or  rà ©ception; un  correspondant  (on the phone), or  un groupe/une à ©quipe. Pià ¨ce vs Piece Une pià ¨ce is a semi-false cognate. It means  piece  only in the sense of broken pieces. Otherwise, it indicates a  room,  sheet of paper,  coin, or  play.   Piece  is a part of something - un  morceau  or  une  tranche. Professeur vs Professor Un  professeur  refers to a high school, college, or university  teacher  or  instructor, while a professor is un  professeur  titulaire  dune  chaire. Publicità © vs Publicity Publicità © is a semi-false cognate. In addition to  publicity, une publicità © can mean  advertising  in general, as well as a  commercial  or  advertisement. Publicity is translated by  de la publicità ©. Quitter vs Quit Quitter is a semi-false cognate: it means both  to leave  and  to quit  (i.e., leave something for good). When quit means to leave something for good, it is translated by  quitter. When it means to quit (stop) doing something, it is translated by  arrà ªter de: I need to quit smoking - Je  dois  arrà ªter de fumer. Raisin vs Raisin Un raisin is a  grape; a raisin is un  raisin sec. Rater vs Rate Rater means to  misfire,  miss,  mess  up,  or  fail, while  rate  is the noun  proportion  or  taux  or the verb  Ãƒ ©valuer  or  considà ©rer. Rà ©aliser vs Realize Rà ©aliser means to  fulfill  (a dream or aspiration) or  achieve. To realize  means  se rendre compte de,  prendre conscience de, or  comprendre. Rester vs Rest Rester is a semi-false cognate. It usually means  to stay  or  remain: Je  suis  restà ©e à   la  maison  - I stayed at the house When it is used idiomatically, it is translated by  rest: He refused to let the matter rest - Il  refusait  den  rester là   The verb to rest in the sense of getting some rest is translated by  se  reposer: Elle  ne  se  repose  jamais  - She never rests Rà ©union vs Reunion Une rà ©union can mean  collection,  gathering,  raising  (of money), or  reunion. A reunion  is  une  rà ©union, but note that it usually refers to a meeting of a group that has been separated for an extended period of time (e.g., class reunion, family reunion). Robe vs Robe Une robe is a  dress,  frock, or  gown, while a robe  is un  peignoir. Sale vs Sale Sale is an adjective -  dirty. Saler means to  salt. A sale  is  une vente  or  un solde. Sympathique vs Sympathetic Sympathique (often shortened to  sympa) means  nice,  likeable,  friendly,  kindly. Sympathetic  can be translated by  compatissant  or  de  sympathie. Type vs Type Un type  is informal for a  guy  or  bloke. In the normal register, it can mean  type,  kind, or  epitome. Quel type de  moto ?  - What kind of motorbike?Le type de là ©goà ¯sme - The epitome of selfishness. Type  means un  type, un  genre, une  espà ¨ce, une  sorte, une  marque, etc. Unique vs Unique The French word unique means  only  when it precedes a noun (unique  fille  -  only girl) and  unique  or  one of a kind  when it follows. In English, unique means  unique,  inimitable, or  exceptionnel. Zone vs Zone Une zone usually means a  zone  or an  area, but it can also refer to a  slum. A zone is  une  zone.