Have you ever had a linguistic “oops” in English? Maybe te lanzaste a la piscina, and used a word that looks similar to one in Spanish, but doesn’t work in English. 🙊 False friends, or amigos falsos, are words that look the same in different languages, but do not have the same meaning.
Today we will look at some of these false friends between Spanish and English and learn when and how to use them. Ready? Let’s go!
🤝 Actually ≠ Actualmente
Actually = en realidad
Currently = actualmente
Example: “Currently I am working as a nurse, but actually my real passion is in the arts.”
🤝 Career ≠ Carrera
Career = carrera profesional
Degree = título
Example: “To have a career, it is often necessary to have a college degree.”
🤝 Exit ≠ Éxito
Exit = salida
Success = éxito
Example: “The exit is to your right.”
“The success of the project depends on everyone.”
🤝 Jam ≠ Jamón
Jam = mermelada
Ham = jamón
Example: “For breakfast, I like to have toast with strawberry jam and butter.”
“I don’t like normal ham, only serrano ham.”
🤝 Record ≠ Recordar
Record = grabar
To remember/to remind = recordar
Example: “We recorded the video on my camera, but I didn’t remember the microphone.”
🤝 Sensible ≠ sensible
Sensitive = sensible
Sensible = sensato
Example: “He is a very sensitive man, he always cries when a dog dies in a movie.”
“She is a very sensible woman, she spends her money carefully.“
Want to test your skills spotting false friends? Try to translate the two phrases below:
1. Currently I am studying a sensible degree in jam production, I hope to have success!
2. My career requires me to travel. I record documentaries about human rights, but in my personal life I am very sensitive.
Let us know how it goes in the comments! 🤓💪
Elizabeth Hickson Azocar