You think an English false friend is a friend you can't trust? Well not at all, it's an English word that's identical or sounds like a French word but means something completely different. Unlike the hundreds of French cognates that are an exact, or very close, matching between English and French words and mean just the same thing. French false friends can be complete, absolute, or strict but chances are always high that you find yourself in a funny or very embarrassing situation!
For instance, let's say you're on holiday in Paris and you tell your new French friends that you would like to "introduire" your new girlfriend, boyfriend or partner. Not sure they like the idea and they might think you're just a... jerk. And if your Parisian neighbour tells you that he has lots of "affaires" on the go, it doesn't mean that he's very enterprising and collects love conquests. It just means he's a great entrepreneur who may be conquering many markets! So thanks to French false friends, some clichés could fall by the wayside. 😉
The trickiest issue is to know if the French word you encounter and looks like an English word you know is a French false friend or a French cognate. The resemblance between so many French and English words is not really due to chance. Many English words are derived from French or have Latin roots. They can be spelt exactly the same way or vary a little bit. Or, their spelling might be totally different but when you pronounce them, they sound like a French word. French false friends are words that have been borrowed from the French language but their use has been distorted over the years in English. Or their meaning was never understood but sounded great in certain contexts. Either way, these French false friends are an integral part of the English vocabulary.
We've compiled a list of the most common French false friends so you don't fall into their traps! You can keep these words in your pocket and check their meaning whenever you are in doubt, and make sure they are not French cognates. You just have to download French Translator & Dictionary + for free on your
iPhone & iPad or your
Android device. 📲
actuellement - now, at present
Christine Ducos-Restagno
actually - en fait, en realité
une affaire - business, matter (law)
affair - une aventure, une liaison
assister - to attend
to assist - aider
attendre - to wait
to attend - assister, participer
blanquette - veal stew
blanket - une couverture
blesser - to wound, to injure, to hurt
to bless - bénir
un bras - arm
bra - un soutien-gorge
brillant(e) - bright, shiny
brilliant - génial, super
une caméra - video camera
camera - un appareil photo
un car - coach, bus
car - une voiture
un caractère - personality, nature
character - un personnage (movie, book)
une caution - bail, guarantee
caution - la prudence
une cave - cellar (wine)
cave - une caverne, une grotte
la chair - flesh
chair - une chaise
la chance - luck, good luck, probability
chance - le hasard, le destin
charger - to load
to charge - facturer, faire payer
des chips - crisps [UK]
chips [UK] - des frites
choquer - to shock
to choke - s'étouffer
un coach - trainer, coach
coach - un autocar, un car
un coin - corner
coin - une pièce, une pièce de monnaie
le collège - middle school, high school, secondary school
college - la fac, l'université, une grande école
la commodité - convenience, usefulness
commodity - une marchandise, un article
une compétition - tournament
competition - la concurrence
compréhensive - understanding
comprehensive - complet(ète), exhaustif(ve)
la concurrence - competition
concurrence - une concomitance, une coïncidence
conducteur - driver
conductor - un chef d'orchestre
couramment - commonly, frequently
currently - actuellement
courant - common, ordinary, usual
current - actuel, en cours
une déception - disappointment, disillusion
deception - une tromperie, une supercherie
décevoir - to disappoint
to deceive - tromper, duper
demander - to ask
to demand - exiger
une douche - shower
douche - une poire ou douche vaginale
dramatique - terrible, tragic
dramatic - tthéâtral(e), spectaculaire
engagé(e) - committed, involved
engaged - fiancé(e)
une entrée - starter, first course [US]
entrée [US] - le plat principal, le plat de résistance
éventuellement - possibly, potentially
eventually - finalement, pour finir
une évidence - forgone conclusion, obvious
evidence - un indice, une preuve
une face - side, face
face - le visage, la figure
la figure - face
figure - un chiffre
formidable - astounding, terrific
formidable - redoutable, impressionnant
fortuné(e) - rich, wealthy
fortunate - chanceux(euse)
une friperie - second hand clothes store
frippery - des frivolités
génial(e) - brilliant, of genius
genial - sympa, aimable
une grappe - bunch, cluster
grape - le raisin, la vigne
grave - serious
grave - une tombe
un habit - item of clothing
habit - une habitude
injurier - to insult
to injure - blesser, se blesser
introduire - to insert
to introduce - présenter, faire les présentations
joli - pretty, attractive
jolly - joyeux(euse), gai(e)
une journée - day, daytime
journey - un voyage, un trajet
la lecture - reading
lecture - une conférence, un cours magistral
librairie - bookshop [UK] / bookstore [US]
library - une bibliothèque
la location - rental, renting, hire
location - un lieu
une main - hand
main - principal(e)
la médecine - medicine
medicine - un médicament (or 'médecine' depending on context)
mémoire - memory, recollection
memory - un souvenir, des souvenirs
misérable - wretched, unfortunate
miserable - malheureux(euse), très triste
la misère - extreme poverty, impoverishment
misery - une grande tristesse, la détresse
la monnaie - change, currency
money - l'argent
les nouvelles - piece of news (event, person)
the news - les infos, les informations
une opportunité - appropriateness, opportuneness
opportunity - une occasion, une possibilité, un moment opportun
le pain - bread
pain - la douleur
une partie - part, section
party - une fête, une réception
passer un exam - to take an exam
to pass an examen - réussir un examen, être reçu(e) à un examen
un patron - boss
patron - un mécène (art) or un parrain/une marraine (event)
petite - small, short
petite - menue, très mince
un(e) photographe - photographer
photograph - une photo, une photographie
une phrase - sentence
phrase - une expression (group of words)
un préservatif - condom
preservative - un conservateur
prétendre - to claim, to say
to pretend - faire semblant
prévenir - to warn, to let know
to prevent - empêcher, éviter
une race - breed
race - une course (horses, cars, etc.)
regarder - to watch, to look at
to regard - considérer, estimer
relatif(ve) - related to, linked with, regarding
relative - un parent, un membre de la famille
relever - to lift up, to pick up
to relieve - soulager
rester - to stay, to remain
to rest - se reposer
résumer - to summarise, to sum up
to resume - recommencer, relancer
une réunion - meeting
reunion - des retrouvailles
sale - dirty
sale - une vente, les soldes
sensible - sensitive, delicate
sensible - raisonnable, sensé(e)
une sentence - sentence (trial)
sentence - une phrase
un slip - pants, underpants
slip - une glissade
un store - blind, awning
store - magasin
surveiller - to supervise, to watch, to monitor
to survey - mener une enquête, faire un sondage, interroger
une tentative - attempt, try
tentative - timide, hésitant(e)
Eager to discover more French vocabulary or expressions you don't learn at school? Here are some articles you might find interesting!
- Funny French idioms
- French Slang Words and Phrases
- French Love Words and Phrases
- French Medical Terms
- Songs to Help you Learn French
- Canadian French words and phrases
Have you written an article about learning French that you think we should link to? Don't hesitate to email us atoutreach@vidalingua.com and we might link to it.
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