Not long ago, I wrote a post about preservatives.
It was the story of how I accidentally asked for “condoms” in the Masymas supermarket in Pego, when all I wanted to know was whether the bread contained preservatives.
Determined to never embarrass myself like that again, I compiled a list of 14 false friends and thought I had them locked in my brain.
Not so.
This week, I learned a new one: constipado.
A woman I met mentioned she was constipado – very matter-of-factly, as if she were telling me the time.
I nearly choked on my coffee. I mean, being constipated isn’t something you casually announce to a stranger, is it? In English, this is the sort of information you’d only share with a doctor, a partner, or – if you’re really close – a family member or friend.
But a stranger?
Dear me, no!
It turns out constipado means having a cold. It’s not an issue with, er, digestion. So while I was secretly horrified at the overshare, she was simply telling me she had a runny nose.
This got me thinking: how many more false friends are lurking in the Spanish language, waiting to trip me up? I did some searching and found some fantastic resources from Speakeasy BCN, a language school offering Spanish courses in Barcelona. It is one of the main things they teach to language students, especially native English speakers.
False friends are undoubtedly one of the trickiest aspects of learning Spanish – it’s easy to see why!
So, I’ve now expanded my list to 33 false friends in Spanish.
Here they are, so you can learn from my mistakes.
33 False Friends in Spanish
Here’s a list in alphabetical order:
- Asistir (to attend). If you mean “to assist” or “help,” use ayudar.
- Caliente (hot). Yes, it can mean “hot,” but in the wrong context, it means “horny.” If you’re feeling warm, say tengo calor!
- Carpeta (folder). Not a “carpet.” A carpet is alfombra.
- Casualidad (coincidence). It’s not “casualness” or a “casualty.” If something happens randomly, you can say es una casualidad.
- Chocar (to crash). This does not mean “to choke.” If you’re choking, say me estoy ahogando.
- Compromiso (commitment). It’s not “compromise.” If you’re talking about finding middle ground, use acuerdo.
- Constipado (having a cold). This does not mean “constipated.” If you have stomach issues, say estreñido/a.
- Delito (crime). It’s not “delight.” If you’re delighted, try encantado/a or me hace mucha ilusión.
- Embarazada (pregnant). It does not mean “embarrassed.” If you’re embarrassed, say avergonzado/a.
- Empresa (business). It doesn’t mean “to impress”. If you’d like say “I’m impressed” you can say me ha impresionado.
- Estimado (dear/respected). Common in letters, estimado is not “estimated.” If you’re talking about estimates, use aproximado.
- Estrecho (narrow). Not “stretchy.” If something is stretchy, say elástico/a.
- Éxito (success). Sounds like “exit” but means success. If you’re looking for the way out, say salida.
- Fábrica (factory). It doesn’t mean “fabric.” If you want fabric, ask for tela.
- Introducir (to insert). It doesn’t mean “to introduce” a person – use presentar for that.
- Largo (long). It does not mean “large.” If you need to describe something big, use grande.
- Lectura (reading material). It’s not “lecture.” If you attended a lecture, say conferencia.
- Librería (bookshop). Not a “library.” If you need to borrow books, go to a biblioteca.
- Molestar (to bother). This does not mean anything inappropriate! Molestar is a completely innocent way to say something is annoying.
- Nudo (knot). It does not mean “nude.” If you’re talking about nudity, use desnudo/a.
- Parada (bus stop/stoppage). It’s not “parade.” If you’re talking about a parade, say desfile.
- Pariente (relative). Not a “parent.” Parents are padres. This one is absolutely maddening!
- Preocupado (worried). Not “preoccupied.” If you’re absentminded or distracted, say distraído/a.
- Preservativos (condoms). A common mistake – preservativos are not “preservatives.” If you’re asking about food ingredients, use conservantes.
- Realizar (to carry out). This does not mean “to realise.” If you want to say you’ve realised something, use darse cuenta.
- Recordar (to remember). It doesn’t mean “to record.” If you want to record something, use grabar.
- Ropa (clothing). It does not mean “rope.” If you need a rope, ask for cuerda.
- Sano (healthy). It doesn’t mean “sane.” If you want to say someone is mentally sound, say cuerdo/a.
- Sensible (sensitive). Unlike in English, sensible means “sensible” or “practical.” To say “sensitive,” use sensible.
- Sida (AIDS). Not “cider.” If you want a cider, ask for sidra.
- Soportar (to endure). Not “to support.” If you want to say you support someone, use apoyar.
- Últimamente (lately). It doesn’t mean “ultimately.” If you want to say “in the end,” use al final.
- Vaso (glass/cup). This is not a “vase.” If you’re talking about a flower vase, say jarrón.
A Never-Ending List of False Friends
Spanish is filled with these sneaky little words that lull you into a false sense of understanding.
Until you use them in the wild and embarrass yourself, that is!
I’m sure I’ll be adding even more words to this list as I go along. But at least now, thanks to peeking into the resources from a Spanish school in Spain, I know that if someone says they’re constipado, I don’t need to offer them laxatives.
Have you ever fallen for one of these false friends? Or worse—used one in a deeply embarrassing way? Let me know, so I don’t feel so alone in my mistakes!
