False Friends Or False Cognates

False cognates are words in English that can be confused with another word in the native language due to its similarity in spelling.

Words that are written in the same way (or similar) to other words in Spanish are called false friends or false cognates (false cognates), and therefore lend themselves to confusion or erroneous translations, but they actually have a totally different meaning.

What follows is a partial list of false cognates often used.

MEANING IN ENGLISH

To leave, to quit

Warning

Subject

Weird

Fireman

Common

Pregnant

FALSE COGNATE or FALSE FRIEND IN ENGLISH

Abandon (abandonment)(emotionally, morally

Advertisement

Signature

Bizarre

Bomber

Commune

Embarrassed

Abandonar

Advertencia

Asignatura

Bizarro

Bombero

Comun

Embarazada

SPANISH WORD

TRANSLATION IN SPANISH OF THE FALSE COGNATE or FALSE FRIEN

desamparar, abandono (moral o emocionalmente)

Anuncio

Firma

Extraño o estrafalario

Bombardero

Comunal, municipio

Avergonzada/o