Spanish English false friends

7 Spanish-English false friends you should know

To be constipated or to have a cold?

False friends are words in two languages that look or sound similar, but differ quite in meaning. This can be sometimes confusing for students. For example, to be «constipated» has nothing to do with «estar constipado», which means «to have a cold». Being «constipated» means «estar estreñido». In this article, let’s see more examples like this and practice with exercises.

7 Spanish-English false friends

1. EMBARRASSED / PREGNANT

Spanish-English false friends

La niña está avergonzada porque no sabe la respuesta.

The girl is embarrassed because she doesn’t know the answer.

Cristina está embarazada. Espera un bebé.

Cristina is pregnant. She is expecting a baby.

Exercise 1

7 Spanish-English false friends

2. CONSTIPATED / COLD

Spanish-English false friends

Necesito comer más fibra. Estoy estreñido.

I need to eat more fibre. I am constipated.

Me siento mal, estornudo y toso. Creo que estoy constipado.

I feel bad. I sneeze and cough.

I think I have caught a cold.

Exercise 2

7 Spanish-English false friends

3. FABRIC / FACTORY

Spanish-English false friends

La tela de mi vestido es de algodón.

The fabric of my dress is cotton.

La fábrica donde ella trabaja está lejos de la ciudad.

The factory where she works is far from the city.

Exercise 3

7 Spanish-English false friends

4. ARGUMENT / PLOT

Spanish-English false friends

Ana y María han tenido una discusión esta mañana.

Ana and María had an argument this morning.

El argumento de la película es muy interesante.

This film’s plot is very interesting.

Exercise 4

7 Spanish-English false friends

5. LIBRARY / BOOKSHOP

FALSE FRIENDS ENGLISH SPANISH

Laura estudia en la biblioteca todas las tardes.

Laura studies at the library every afternoon.

He comprado un libro de gramática en una librería muy conocida.

I have bought a grammar book in a very famous bookshop.

Exercise 5

7 Spanish-English false friends

6. CARPET / FOLDER

FALSE FRIENDS ENGLISH SPANISH

Tienes una alfombra preciosa en el salón.

You have a beautiful carpet in the living room.

Los documentos están dentro de la carpeta.

Documents are inside the folder.

Exercise 6

7 Spanish-English false friends

7. CARD / LETTER

FALSE FRIENDS ENGLISH SPANISH

¿Puedo pagar con la tarjeta de crédito?

Could I pay with the credit card?

Hace mucho tiempo que no escribo una carta.

It’s been a long time since I wrote a letter.

Exercise 7

Great! Know that you have learned some Spanish-English false friends, maybe you can have a look at this: 7 Common mistakes in Spanish

Newsletter

If you liked this post, subscribe to receive my news and resources to learn Spanish in your email.

Related Post

Amparo

Amparo

¡Welcome to my Blog!​ Learn Spanish online with these free lessons. I provide lessons, exercises and much more materials and resources for learners. Check them out!​

NEWSLETTER

Subscribe to receive my news and ressources to learn Spanish in your email and get this free guide.

"MY BEST SUGGESTIONS AND TIPS TO LEARN SPANISH FASTER"

Deja un comentario