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
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
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
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
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
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
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
¿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
