False Friends

¿Nunca te ha pasado que al estar leyendo algo de repente reconoces una palabra que es tan similar a tu idioma  que das por sabido su significado y después te das cuenta de que no significaba lo que pensabas? Si, verdad. No eres ni el primer@ ni serás la/el últim@ al que le pase.Estas palabras se denominan false friends (falsos amigos) son  palabras que por escribirse de la misma forma (o parecida) en español son confundidas, pero que en realidad en inglés significan otra cosa.

Por ejemplo, "conductor " en inglés no significa conductor, sino que se refiere al director de la orquesta o al los autobuses.

 Aquí te dejo  una lista de los false friends  mas conocidos. En la columna de la derecha tienes la palabra con la que se confunde y su significado en inglés.

TO ACHIEVE: lograr                                                  archivar: to file
ACTUAL: real, efectivo                                              actual: current
ACTUALLY: en realidad                                             actualmente: nowadays, at present
TO ADVERTISE: anunciar                                          advertir: to warn
ADVICE: consejos                                                     aviso: warning, notice
AILMENT: enfermedad leve, achaque                         alimento:  food
TO APOLOGISE: pedir disculpas                               apología: defence
APT: propenso                                                          apto: qualified, able
ARGUMENT: discusión, pelea                                    argumento de un libro/una película: plot
ARENA: estadio, plaza de toros                                 arena: sand
ARM: brazo                                                               arma:gun
ARMY: ejército                                                          armada: navy
ASSESSMENT: evaluación                                        asesoría: consultancy
TO ASSIST: ayudar                                                   asistir a un lugar:  to attend
TO ATTAIN: lograr, conseguir                                    atar: to tie
ATTEMPT: intento                                                     atentado: terrorist attack
ATTENDANCE: asistencia                                          atención: attention
AVOCADO: aguacate                                                 abogado : lawyer
BALLOON: globo                                                      balón: ball
BANK: banco - la institución                                       banco de plaza: bench
BARK: ladrar o ladrido                                               barco: boat o ship
BILLET: acuartelamiento, alojamiento militar               billete: ticket o note
BILLION: mil millones                                                billón:  trillion
BODY: cuerpo                                                           boda: wedding
BRAVE: valiente                                                        bravo: fierce
CAMP: base militar o campamento                             campo : field
CARPET: alfombra                                                    carpeta. folder
CARTOON: dibujos animados, tira cómica                  cartón: cardboard
CASUAL: fortuito, ocasional, informal, superficial       casual:accidental, chance
CASUALTY: víctima o herido                                     casualidad: coincidence
CAVE: cueva                                                             cavar: to dig
CELLULAR: celular, relativo a la célula                       teléfono ,  mobile telephone
COLLAR: cuello de las prendas de vestir                     collar: necklace
TO COLLAPSE: hundirse, derrumbarse                      colapsar: to bring to a standstill
COLLEGE: facultad, colegio universitario                     colegio,: school
COMMAND: orden, mandato                                      comando:commando unit
COMMODITY: mercancía o materia prima                   comodidad: comfort
TO COMPLAIN: quejarse                                           complacer: to please
COMPLEXION: tez, tono de la piel                             complexión: body type
TO COMPROMISE: ceder, transigir, poner en peligro compromiso:  commitment, engagement o agreement)
CONDUCTOR: director de orquesta o cobrador          conductor: driver
CONFIDENT: seguro de sí mismo                              confidente: confidant
(TO BE) CONSTIPATED: sufrir de estreñimiento         estar constipado:  to have a cold/chill
CONTEST: concurso                                                 contestar:  to answer
COUNCIL: consejo                                                    conciliar: to reconcile
CRANE: grúa                                                             cráneo: skull
CURSE: maldición                                                     curso: course
DATE: fecha                                                             dato: a piece of information o data
DECEPTION: engaño                                                decepción: disappointment
TO DELIVER: entregar                                               deliberar: to deliberate
DEPRIVATION: privación, pérdida                             depravación: depravity
DEROGATORY: despectivo                                       despective comtemptuous, pejorative
DESPERATE: desesperado                                       despertar : to wake up
DESSERT: postre                                                     desierto : desert
DINNER: cena                                                           dinero: money
DISCRETE: diferenciado                                           discreto :discreet
DISGUST: asco, repugnancia                                     disgusto: annoyance, quarrel, trouble o to be upset
DISPARATE: dispar                                                  disparate: nonsense o foolish act
DIVERSION: desviación                                            diversión, alegría: fun
TO DOZE: dormitar                                                    doce: twelve
ECONOMICS: economía                                            económicos :cheap
EMBARRASSED: avergonzado/a                               embarazada: pregnant
EVENTUAL: definitivo o posible                                eventual:casual, incidental
EVENTUALLY: finalmente, tarde o temprano              eventualmente : by chance,possibly
EXIT: salida                                                              éxito, que se dice success
FABRIC: tela                                                             fábrica, que se dice factory
FAMILIAR: conocido, familiar (adjetivo)                     pariente, familiar : relative
FIN: aleta                                                                  fin: end
FORM: formulario                                                      forma: shape
FRAY: riña, irritarse o deshilacharse                           fraile: friar
FUME: vapor o gas                                                   fumar: smoke
GENEVA: Ginebra                                                     Génova: Genoa
TO GRAB: agarrar, asir                                              grabar: to record
GRACIOUS: cortés                                                    gracioso:  funny
GROCERY: tienda de comestibles                             grosería: rudeness o rude word/expression
BY HEART: de memoria                                            de corazón: from one's heart
HORN: cuerno                                                           horno:oven
IDIOM: modismo, locución                                        idioma: language
INFLUENZA: gripe                                                     influencia: influence
INGENUITY: ingenio                                                  ingenuidad: naivety
INHABITANT: habitante                                             inhabitado: uninhabited
TO INTEND: tener la intención de                               intentar: to try
INTOXICATED: ebrio                                                 intoxicado: with food poisoning
INVOLVE: involucrar                                                  envolver: wrap
JAM: mermelada                                                       jamón :ham
LAME: cojo, rengo                                                    lamer: to lick
LARGE: grande                                                         largo: long
LECTURE: conferencia                                              lectura: reading
LENTIL: lenteja                                                         lentilla: contact lens
LETTER: letra del abecedario o carta                         letra de una canción: lyrics
LIBRARY: biblioteca                                                  librería: bookshop
LUXURY: lujo                                                            lujuria: lust
MACAROON: galleta con almendras o coco               macarrón: a piece of macaroni
MASCOT: persona/animal/objeto que da buena suerte mascota doméstica: pet
MAYOR: alcalde                                                        mayor: bigger
MEDIA: medios                                                         media: stocking
MISERY: tristeza                                                       miseria: poverty
TO MOLEST: abusar sexualmente                              molestar: to bother,  to annoy
NOTICE: nota, anuncio                                              noticia: a piece of news
OCCURRENCE: aparición                                          ocurrencia: crazy idea
OFFICE: oficina                                                        oficio: trad,  job
ONCE: una vez                                                          once: eleven
ORATION: discurso ceremonial                                  oración: sentence, prayer
ORDINARY: común                                                   ordinario: vulgar, common
PAN: cacerola, cazuela                                              pan: bread
PARADE: desfile                                                       pared: wall
TO PARE: pelar o cortar las uñas                               parar: to stop
PARENTS: padres                                                     parientes: relatives
PENDANT: colgante de un collar                                pendientes: earrings
PETROL: gasolina o nafta                                         petróleo:  oil, petroleum
PIE: pastel                                                                pie: foot
PLACE: lugar                                                            plaza: square
POLICY: política                                                       policía: police
POLITIC: diplomático, cortés o prudente                    político: politician
PRESERVATIVE: conservante                                   preservativo: condom
PRIZE: premio                                                          precio: price
TO PROBE: investigar                                               probar: to prove, taste o try
QUINCE: membrillo                                                   quince: fifteen
TO QUIT: abandonar, dejar                                        quitar: to remove o to put away
QUITE: bastante, totalmente                                      quitar: to remove o to put away
QUOTE: cita o presupuesto                                       cuota: fee, installment o payment
TO RAPE: violar                                                        rapar: to shave o to crop
RECOLLECTION: recuerdo                                        recolección: harvest o collection
RED: rojo                                                                  red: net
REGULAR: de tamaño normal                                    regular: bad, not so good
RELATIVES: parientes                                              relativos: relative (adjective)
ROPE: cuerda, soga                                                  ropa: clothes
RUDE: maleducado, descortés                                  rudo: rough
TO RAZE: arrasar                                                      raza: race
TO REALIZE: darse cuenta                                        realizar: to make
TO RECORD: grabar                                                  recordar: to remember
TO REMOVE: quitar, eliminar                                     remover: to stir
TO REST: descansar                                                 restar: to subtract
TO RESUME: reanudar, continuar                               resumir:  summarize o to sum up
SALAD: ensalada                                                      salado: salty
SANE: cuerdo                                                           sano: healthy
SCALLOP: vieira                                                       escalope: escalope
SENSIBLE: sensato                                                  sensible: sensitive
SENSITIVE: sensible                                                 sensitivo: sensory
SIGNATURE: firma                                                    asignatura: subject
SIN: pecado                                                              sin: without
SOAP: jabón                                                             sopa: soup
SPADE: pala                                                             espada: sword
TO STAY: quedarse                                                  estar. to be
TO STIR: revolver un líquido                                      estirar: to stretch
STRANGER: desconocido o forastero                       extranjero:foreigner
SUCCESS: éxito                                                       suceso : event
TO SUPPORT: apoyar                                               soportar: to put up with, bear
SYMPATHETIC: comprensivo                                    simpático: nice, likeable
SYMPATHY: compasión, comprensión, pésame         simpatía: affection
TARGET: objetivo                                                     tarjeta: card
TAX: impuesto                                                          taxi: taxi
TERRIFIC: fenomenal, genial                                     terrorífico: terrifying
TO TRADUCE: calumniar                                           traducir: to translate
TRAIT: rasgo                                                            trato: deal o treatment
TO TRANSLATE: traducir                                          trasladarse: to move
TRAMP: vagabundo                                                  trampa: trap
ULTIMATE: final                                                        último: last
UMPIRE: árbitro                                                        imperio: empire
ZEALOUS: entusiasta                                                celoso: jealous