61 False Cognates in French To Watch Out For
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For those who’re studying French, you’re already conscious that many French phrases are straightforward to acknowledge and perceive at first look, as a result of they give the impression of being similar to English phrases—and have the identical that means. These pleasant phrases are referred to as mots apparentés (French cognate phrases), and so they’re certain to make it simpler to study French shortly, proper?
Not essentially. Some phrases are a lot trickier as a result of they don’t have the identical that means (although they give the impression of being the identical). They’re referred to as fake amis (false buddies) or “false cognates.”. As soon as you recognize the most typical false cognate in French, you’ll keep away from potential confusion or embarrassment.
What’s a cognate?
A cognate is a phrase in a single language that’s similar to a phrase in one other language with the identical that means. It might be that the phrase has an analogous linguistic root or that it was borrowed alongside the best way because the languages advanced.
True cognates imply the very same factor like these French and English phrases:
- un accident = an accident
- un éléphant = an elephant
- vital = vital
- la rose = the rose
There are additionally semi-cognates, which aren’t spelled the identical means, however are so intently associated that their that means is apparent.
- dangereux = harmful
- la bicyclette = the bicycle
- la lampe = the lamp
The vital factor is that these similar-looking phrases should imply the identical factor. If not, they’re referred to as false cognates as a result of they don’t relate to one another.
Commonest false cognates in French
Hold your eyes broad open for these fake amis. This group of false cognates in French consists of phrases which have fully completely different meanings that would trigger confusion. The excellent news is, any sympathetic speaker who’s accustomed to novices can have heard many of those French false cognates earlier than and can be capable to determine what you’re attempting to say from the context. Collectively, you may have a great giggle when these inevitable errors happen.
Les affaires (enterprise/issues)
Complicated these two phrases may result in some detrimental false accusations.
- J’ai des affaires à Paris. = I’ve enterprise in Paris.
- Il a eu une aventure à Paris. = He had an affair in Paris. (romantic)
You may additionally hear “affaires” used to seek advice from “stuff/belongings.”
- S’il te plaît, vary tes affaires. = Please decide up your issues
Un avertissement (a warning)
This phrase is usually placed on security merchandise and in instruction manuals to make sure correct use.
- J’ai vu l’avertissement, donc j’ai évité le centre cet après-midi. = I noticed the warning, so I averted the town middle this afternoon.
- J’ai vu la publicité au centre ce matin. = I noticed the advert within the metropolis middle this morning.
Blesser (to harm/injure)
As an alternative of claiming “bless you” when somebody sneezes, the French use the phrase à tes souhaits (to your needs).
- Je me suis blessé au bras. = I damage my arm.
- Le prêtre a béni l’assemblée. = The priest blessed the congregation.
Un bras (an arm)
This phrase can simply journey you up should you see it with out realizing it’s a false buddy in French.
- Je me suis blessée au bras. = I damage my arm.
- Je vais acheter un nouveau soutien-gorge. = I’m going to purchase a brand new bra.
If one thing is pricey, we are saying it prices an “arm and a leg” in English. The French expression is comparable, ça coûte un bras (it prices an arm), however one other French idiom is ça coûte les yeux de la tête (it prices the eyes out of your head).
Le collège (center faculty)
In English, “college” and “faculty” are considerably interchangeable, although there are some variations in accreditation and status. What appears to be like like “faculty” in French is kind of completely different although.
- Je vais aller chercher mon fils au collège. = I’m going to select up my son at (center) faculty.
- On a déposé notre fils à l’université. = We dropped our son off at faculty/college.
Usually a toddler first goes to la maternelle (preschool), adopted by l’école primaire (elementary faculty) earlier than attending le collège after which le lycée (highschool).
L’entrée (the starter/first course)
In the USA, folks use the borrowed phrase “entrée” to seek advice from the primary course of a meal. Whereas ordering in a restaurant in France, that is the “entrance” of the meal, so it’s typically a small first course or an appetizer or starter, eaten and completed earlier than the primary course is served.
- L’entrée se compose d’une salade verte. = The first course is a inexperienced salad.
- Il y avait deux plats principaux.= There have been two primary dishes.
The phrase entrée additionally refers to an entranceway or doorway in French.
La journée (day/daytime)
“Journey” and “voyage” have barely completely different meanings in French.
- Bonne journée ! = Have a terrific day!
- Bon voyage ! = Have a terrific journey!
These are fantastic well-wishes to study alongside methods to say good day in French.
Le ache (the bread)
To specific having bodily ache, the French expression avoir mal à precedes a physique half. For instance, j’ai mal à la tête means “I’ve a headache.”
- J’ai mangé beaucoup de ache. = I ate numerous bread.
- J’ai une douleur à la jambe. = I’ve a ache in my leg.
An inventory of different French false cognates
This listing of English to French false cognates embody among the mostly confused phrases from a number of components of speech. The French phrases with the supposed that means are sometimes very completely different from the same wanting English phrase.
| French | English | Typically Confused With |
| actuel/actuellement | present/at present | réel/vraiment (precise/really) |
| attendre | to attend | assister (to attend) |
| la chair | the flesh | la chaise (the chair) |
| charger | to load | le chargeur (the charger) |
| le coin | the nook | la pièce de monnaie (the coin) |
| la déception | la disappointment | la tromperie (the deception) |
| la douche | the bathe | la douche vaginale (cleaning douche) |
| la determine | the face | le chiffre (numerical determine) la ligne (curve of 1’s physique) |
| graduer/la commencement | to calibrate/measurement in increments | obtenir une license/obtenir son diplôme (to graduate from college/highschool) |
| introduire | to insert | présenter (to introduce somebody) faire les présentations (to introduce two folks) |
| joli | fairly/cute/pretty | joyeux/jovial (jolly) |
| la lecture | the studying | la conférence (the tutorial speech) |
| la librairie | the bookstore | la bibliothèque (the library) |
| la location | the rental | l’emplacement/la place (the situation/place) |
| la pièce | the room/the coin | le morceau/la tranche (the piece/the slice) |
| pleine | pregnant (animals)/full (stuffed up) | easy (unadorned) évident (plain to see) |
| le préservatif | the condom | le conservateur (meals additive) |
| prétendre | to say/to purport/to say | faire semblant (to fake) imaginaire (not actual) |
| rater | to fail | l’évaluateur/l’evaluatrice (the rater) |
| rester | to remain | se reposer (to relaxation) |
| sale | soiled | la vente (the sale) |
| wise | delicate/delicate | raisonnable/sensé (wise) |
| stage | coaching interval/internship | la scène (the stage) |
| sympathique | good/nice/pleasant | compatissant (sympathetic) |
>>Studying Spanish? Keep away from being tricked by these Spanish false cognates.
Generally a French phrase appears to be like just like an English phrase and shares a part of the that means with some slight variations. These false cognates in French may help with communication and comprehension due to the robust connection between the 2 ideas.
La probability (luck) can hook up with expressions like “by probability” or “a sport of probability” in English. To translate “probability” to French, it depends upon the context.
- par hasard = by probability
- les probabilities = the likelihood
- laisser entre les mains de la probability = go away it to probability
| French | English | Typically Confused With |
| la stability | the dimensions | l’équilibre (stability) |
| chanter | to sing | le/la choriste (one who chants) |
| commander | to order | le commandant (the commander) |
| confus | embarrassed/distressed | désorienté/perdu (confused) |
| crier | to shout | pleurer (to cry) |
| un crayon | a pencil | un crayon gras (a wax crayon) |
| demander | to ask for | exiger (to demand) |
| embrasser | to kiss | prendre dans ses bras (to embrace) |
| engagé/engagée | dedicated | fiancé (engaged to be married) occupé (engaged/busy) |
| excité/excitée | aroused/wound up | surexcité/enthousiaste (excited) |
| le soccer | soccer/European soccer | le soccer américain (American gridiron soccer) |
| médecin | physician | le médicament (drugs) |
| la monnaie | change/forex | l’argent (cash) |
| passer un examen | to take a take a look at | réussir un examen (to go a take a look at) |
| une photographe | a photographer | une picture (a photograph) |
| une phrase | a sentence | une expression (a phrase) |
| les mother and father | kinfolk/mother and father | les mother and father additionally means mother and father |
| une prune | a plum | un pruneau (a prune/dried plum) |
| un raisin/une grappe de raisin | a grape/a bunch of grapes | un raisin sec (a raisin/dried grape) |
| une gown | a costume | un peignoir (a bathrobe) |
| une veste | a jacket | un gilet (a waistcoat) |
French cognates with a second that means:
Some French phrases are cognates to an English phrase, however they’ve separate, extra meanings as properly. To understand these phrases, you have to learn your entire phrase, sentence, or surrounding paragraph. See how the French phrase un parti can be utilized in quite a lot of methods.
- Un parti means a political get together, however not a celebration as in a social gathering, which might be une fête or une soirée.
- Une partie is a person or group in a authorized dispute.
- The previous participle of the verb partir (to go away) is parti/partie.
Il est parti à cinq heures et elle est partie dix minutes plus tard. = He left at 5 o’clock, and he or she left ten minutes later.
Discover the additional “e” on the finish when the topic is female, which follows French gender guidelines.
| French | English | Extra French Which means |
| assister | to help | to attend |
| gentil/gentille | light | form |
| ignorer | to disregard | to not know/to be unaware of |
| event | the event, as in probability or alternative | second-hand |
| quitter | to give up | to go away/to surrender |
| le tissu | muscle tissue | fabric/material |
An vital a part of how Rosetta Stone works is that you just study vocabulary inside participating contexts to verify the number of vocabulary and cognate meanings are clear. You’ll be able to apply quite a lot of French conversations in context with tutors and additional options within the Rosetta Stone App.
