Are there similarities between Spanish and English? Of course there are, there are equivalent structures and words too. But today we Will not talk about what makes our lives easier, but what complicates our existence 🤣. Today we will see the most frequent false cognates between Spanish and English (also called “false friends”).

During my career as a Spanish and English teacher, I have heard several theories regarding the usefulness or uselessness of using translation to learn or understand a language. In teaching practice classes at the university, we were forbidden to use our mother tongue to explain a new topic, as if our students were objects stripped of a story, empty of words. For me, that never made sense. I believe that a teacher must give the student the tools to learn quickly and independently, and I am absolutely convinced that it is necessary to build a bridge between the mother tongue and the foreign language whenever possible.

But… BE CAREFUL! We must not fall into the vice of believing that everything that sounds the same means the same. That is why in this article I present to you the most commin false cognates between Spanish and English that tend to give headaches.

False cognates between Spanish and English

[ES] Éxito / [EN] Exit

 “Éxito” is NOT “exit”, it means “success” in English, referring to the achievement or positive result.

Example:

• Su carrera fue un gran éxito.
  (His career was a great success)

On the other hand, “salida” in Spanish means “exit” in English, referring to a door or path to leave a place.

Ejemplo:

• The exit is on the left.
  (La salida está a la izquierda)

[ES] Ropa / [EN] Rope

“Ropa” is NOT “rope”, it means “clothes” in English, referring to the clothes we use to dress ourselves.

Example:

• Compré ropa nueva para la fiesta.
  (I bought new clothes for the party)

On the other hand, “cuerda” in Spanish means “rope” in English.

Example:

• The rope broke during the climb.
  (La cuerda se rompió durante la escalada)

[ES] Fábrica / [EN] Fabric

“Fábrica” ​​is NOT “fabric”, it means “factory” in English, a place where goods are produced.

Example:

• La fábrica de zapatos está en el norte de la ciudad.
  (The factory of shoes is in the north of the city)

Por otro lado, “Fabric” in English means  “tela” or “material textil” in Spanish.

Example:

• She bought the fabric to make a new dress.
  (Ella compró la tela para hacer un vestido nuevo)

[ES] Pretender / [EN] Pretend

“Pretender” is NOT “pretend”, it means “to intend” in English, referring to having the intention to do something.

Example:

• Pretendo terminar mi proyecto mañana.
  (I intend to finish my project tomorrow)

On the other hand, “fingir” in Spanish means “to pretend”  in English.

Example:

• She likes to pretend she’s a superhero.
  (A ella le gusta fingir que es una superheroína)

[ES] Rudo / [EN] Rude

“Rudo” is NOT “rude”, it means “tough” or “crude” in English, referring to something coarse or lacking in finesse.

Example:

• Danny Trejo siempre hace papeles de hombres rudos. 
  (Danny Trejo always plays tough guys)

On the other hand, “grosero” in Spanish  English means “rude” or “ill-mannered” in English.

Example:

• He was rude to the waiter.
  (Él fue grosero con el camarero)

[ES] Realizar / [EN] Realize

“Realizar” is NOT “realize”, it means “to carry out” or “to execute” in English, referring to carrying out something.

Example:

• Voy a realizar el proyecto esta tarde.
  (I’m going to carry out the project this afternoon)

On the other hand, “darse cuenta” in Spanish means “to realize” or “to understand” in English.

Example:

• I didn’t realize how much time had passed.
  (No me di cuenta de cuánto tiempo había pasado)

[ES] Decepción / [EN] Deception

“Decepción” is NOT “deception”, it means “disappointment” in English, referring to sadness about something that did not turn out as expected.

Example:

• Su actitud me causó mucha decepción.
  (His attitude caused me a lot of disappointment)

On the other hand, “engaño” in Spanish means “deception” or “fraud” in English.

Example:

• His actions were a form of deception.
  (Sus acciones fueron una forma de engaño)

[ES] Actualmente / [EN] Actually

“Actualmente” is NOT “actually”, it means “currently” in English, referring to something that is happening in the present.

Ejemplo:

• Actualmente estoy trabajando en varios proyectos.
  (I am currently working on several projects)

On the other hand, “de hecho” in Spanish means “in fact” or “in reality” in English.

Example:

• Actually, I think this is the best solution.
  (De hecho, creo que esta es la mejor solución)

[ES] Sensible / [EN] Sensible

“Sensible” is NOT “sensitive”, it means “sensitive” in English, referring to someone who is emotionally affected or who has great sensitivity.

Example:

• Es una persona sensible y siempre se preocupa por los demás.
  (He is a sensitive person and always worries about the others)

On the other hand, “sensato/a” in Spanish means “sensible” or “rational” in English.

Example:

• She is a sensible person and makes thoughtful decisions.
  (Es una persona sensata que toma decisiones prudentes)

[ES] Sopa / [EN] Soap

“Sopa” is NOT “soap”, it means “soup” in English, referring to a liquid meal or broth.

Example:

• Hoy para la cena vamos a tomar sopa de pollo.
  (Today for dinner we are having chicken soup)

On the other hand, “jabón” in Spanish means “soap” in English.

Example:

• I need to buy some soap for the bathroom.
  (Necesito comprar jabón para el baño)

[ES] Resumir / [EN] Resume

“Resumir” is NOT “resume”, it means “to summarize” in English, referring to making a summary or synthesis of something.

Example:

• Vamos a resumir los puntos más importantes de la reunión.
  (Let’s summarize the key points of the meeting)

On the other hand, “currículum” in Spanish means “resume” in English, a document that summarizes professional experience.

Example:

• He sent his resume to several companies.
  (Envió su currículum a varias empresas)

[ES] Policía / [EN] Policy

“Policía” is NOT “policy”, it means “police” in English, referring to the security force in charge of maintaining public order.

Example:

• La policía llegó rápidamente al lugar del accidente.
  (The police arrived quickly at the scene of the accident)

On the other hand, “política” in Spanish means “policy” in English, a guideline or set of rules adopted by an organization.

Example:

• The company has a strict policy regarding employee conduct.
  (La empresa tiene una política estricta sobre la conducta de los empleados)

[ES] Librería / [EN] Library

“Librería” is NOT “library”, it means “bookshop” in English, a store where books are sold.

Example:

• Voy a la librería a comprar el último libro de Mariana Enríquez.
  (I’m going to the bookshop to buy Mariana Enríquez’s latest book)

On the other hand, “bibilioteca” in Spanish means “library” in English.

Example:

• I need to return the book to the library tomorrow.
  (Necesito devolver el libro a la biblioteca mañana)

ES] Introducir / [EN] Introduce

“Introducir” is NOT “introduce” in English. In Spanish, it means to “insert” or put something in a place.

Example:

• Por favor, introduce la tarjeta en el cajero automático.
  (Please insert the card into the ATM).

On the other hand, “presentar” in Spanish is translated as “introduce” in English.

Example:

• Let me introduce you to my colleague.
  (Déjame presentarte a mi colega).

[ES] Embarazada / [EN] Embarrassed

“Embarazada” does NOT mean “embarrassed” in English. In Spanish, it is used as the state of being “pregnant”.

Example:

• Mi amiga está embarazada y tendrá gemelos.
  (My friend is pregnant and will have twins.)

On the other hand, “avergonzado/a” in Spanish means “embarrassed” in English.

Example:

• I felt embarrassed when I tripped in front of everyone.
  (Me sentí avergonzado cuando tropecé frente a todos.)

False cognates between Spanish and English (or between other languages) are colloquially known as “false friends.” Is it because they give us the illusion of similarity? Or because they seem to give us a hand in our learning, but then betray us? Whatever the case, they may seem like a help on the path of learning, but when we do not understand their true meanings, we can easily fall into misunderstandings and errors that affect our communication.

The good news is that with a little practice and repetition, you will train your eye and ear and you will be able to recognize at least the words I presented to you in this article. Thinking in Spanish is difficult, but with time and constant practice you will be able to do it and, as a result, you will no longer fall into these lexical traps.

Although false cognates between Spanish and English can be a source of confusion, they also represent an opportunity for growth. They invite us to be more attentive and curious, to question what we think we know and to delve deeper into the nuances of each language. Just think that one day you’ll be able to laugh at the confusion they create.

Is the topic clear? Let’s practice!