====== False friends between French and English ======

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Here is a list of common false friends between French and English.    The list is simplified – some words have more than one meaning, and the words aren’t always perfect synonyms.  If you have any doubts, you can check a good dictionary.


^  ENGLISH vs. FRENCH  ^^^^

^   <color #eb0051>English</color>  ^  French  ^  French  ^  <color #eb0051>English</color>  ^

|  <color #eb0051>actually</color>  |  **=**  |  en fait  |  **≠**   |  actuellement  |  **=**   |  <color #eb0051>at the moment, currently</color>   |
|  <color #eb0051>an advertisement</color>  |  **=**  |  une publicité  |  **≠**  |  un avertissement  |  **=**  |  <color #eb0051>a warning</color>  |
|  <color #eb0051>an agenda</color>  |  **=**  |  un programme, un ordre du jour  |  **≠**  |  un agenda  |  **=**  |  <color #eb0051>diary</color>  |
|  <color #eb0051>to assist</color>  |  **=**  |  aider  |  **≠**  |  assister à  |  **=**  |  <color #eb0051>to attend</color>  |
|  <color #eb0051>to attend</color>  |  **=**  |  assister à  |  **≠**  |  attendre  |  **=**  |  <color #eb0051>to wait</color>  |
|  <color #eb0051>to achieve</color>  |  **=**  |  accomplir  |  **≠**  |  achever  |  **=**  |  <color #eb0051>to finish</color>  |
|  <color #eb0051>agreement</color>  |  **=**  |  accord  |  **≠**  |  un agrément  |  **=**  |  <color #eb0051>authorisation, approval</color>  |
|  <color #eb0051>a cave</color>  |  **=**  |  une grotte  |  **≠**  |  une cave  |  **=**  |  <color #eb0051>a cellar</color>  |
|  <color #eb0051>a chance</color>  |  **=**  |  une opportunité  |  **≠**  |  la chance  |  **=**  |  <color #eb0051>luck</color>  |
|  <color #eb0051>to charge</color>  |  **=**  |  faire payer  |  **≠**  |  charger  |  **=**  |  <color #eb0051>to load</color>  |
|  <color #eb0051>circulation</color>  |  **=**  |  circulation, diffusion, tirage  |  **≠**  |  circulation des véhicules  |  **=**  |  <color #eb0051>traffic</color>  |
|  <color #eb0051>a college</color>  |  **=**  |  université (US)  |  **≠**  |  un collège  |  **=**  |  <color #eb0051>a secondary school</color>  |
|  <color #eb0051>confident</color>  |  **=**  |  assuré  |  **≠**  |  un confident  |  **=**  |  <color #eb0051>a confidant(e)</color>  |
|  <color #eb0051>convenient</color>  |  **=**  |  pratique, commode  |  **≠**  |  convenir à  |  **=**  |  <color #eb0051>be suitable for</color>  |
|  <color #eb0051>to control</color>  |  **=**  |  gérer, diriger  |  **≠**  |  contrôler  |  **=**  |  <color #eb0051>to verify, check</color>  |
|  <color #eb0051>to demand</color>  |  **=**  |  exiger  |  **≠**  |  demander  |  **=**  |  <color #eb0051>to ask (for)</color>  |
|  <color #eb0051>to dispose of</color>  |  **=**  |  jeter  |  **≠**  |  disposer de  |  **=**  |  <color #eb0051>to have available</color>  |
|  <color #eb0051>dramatic</color>  |  **=**  |  spectaculaire  |  **≠**  |  dramatique  |  **=**  |  <color #eb0051>tragic, terrible </color>  |
|  <color #eb0051>to elaborate</color>  |  **=**  |  développer  |  **≠**  |  élaborer  |  **=**  |  <color #eb0051>to devise, produce, create</color>  |
|  <color #eb0051>effectively</color>  |  **=**  |  efficacement  |  **≠**  |  effectivement  |  **=**  |  <color #eb0051>actually, indeed</color>  |
|  <color #eb0051>eventually</color>  |  **=**  |  finalement  |  **≠**  |  éventuellement  |  **=**  |  <color #eb0051>possibly, potentially</color>  |
|  <color #eb0051>expertise</color>  |  **=**  |  compétence  |  **≠**  |  une expertise  |  **=**  |  <color #eb0051>an expert assessment</color>  |
|  <color #eb0051>fabric</color>  |  **=**  |  tissu  |  **≠**  |  fabrique  |  **=**  |  <color #eb0051>factory</color>  |
|  <color #eb0051>figure</color>  |  **=**  |  chiffre  |  **≠**  |  une figure  |  **=**  |  <color #eb0051>a face</color>  |
|  <color #eb0051>furniture</color>  |  **=**  |  meubles  |  **≠**  |  fournitures  |  **=**  |  <color #eb0051>(office) supplies</color>  |
|  <color #eb0051>genial</color>  |  **=**  |  aimable, sympathique  |  **≠**  |  génial  |  **=**  |  <color #eb0051>great, fantastic</color>  |
|  <color #eb0051>gentle</color>  |  **=**  |  doux, léger  |  **≠**  |  gentil  |  **=**  |  <color #eb0051>kind</color>  |
|  <color #eb0051>a hazard</color>  |  **=**  |  un danger  |  **≠**  |  le hasard  |  **=**  |  <color #eb0051>luck, fate</color>  |
|  <color #eb0051>important</color>  |  **=**  |  nécessaire, influent, principal  |  **≠**  |  important – grand, élevé  |  **=**  |  <color #eb0051>big, significant, considerable</color>  |
|  <color #eb0051>to introduce</color>  |  **=**  |  présenter  |  **≠**  |  introduire  |  **=**  |  <color #eb0051>to insert</color>  |
|  <color #eb0051>a journal</color>  |  **=**  |  une revue  |  **≠**  |  un journal  |  **=**  |  <color #eb0051>a newspaper</color>  |
|  <color #eb0051>a journey</color>  |  **=**  |  un voyage, un trajet  |  **≠**  |  une journée  |  **=**  |  <color #eb0051>a day</color>  |
|  <color #eb0051>a lecture</color>  |  **=**  |  une conférence  |  **≠**  |  lecture  |  **=**  |  <color #eb0051>reading</color>  |
|  <color #eb0051>a library</color>  |  **=**  |  une bibliothèque  |  **≠**  |  une librairie  |  **=**  |  <color #eb0051>a bookshop</color>  |
|  <color #eb0051>a location</color>  |  **=**  |  un endroit  |  **≠**  |  la location  |  **=**  |  <color #eb0051>rental</color>  |
|  <color #eb0051>a manisfestation</color>  |  **=**  |  un signe  |  **≠**  |  une manifestion  |  **=**  |  <color #eb0051>a demonstration, a protest</color>  |
|  <color #eb0051>medicine</color>  |  **=**  |  un médicament  |  **≠**  |  un médecin  |  **=**  |  <color #eb0051>a doctor</color>  |
|  <color #eb0051>a mess</color>  |  **=**  |  désordre  |  **≠**  |  une messe  |  **=**  |  <color #eb0051>a mass</color>  |
|  <color #eb0051>money</color>  |  **=**  |  l'argent  |  **≠**  |  la monnaie  |  **=**  |  <color #eb0051>change</color>  |
|  <color #eb0051>normally</color>  |  **=**  |  d'habitude, en général  |  **≠**  |  normalement  |  **=**  |  <color #eb0051>if all goes well; ‘should’ + verb</color>  |
|  <color #eb0051>an odour</color>  |  **=**  |  senteur désagréable  |  **≠**  |  odeur neutre  |  **=**  |  <color #eb0051>smell, fragrance</color>  |
|  <color #eb0051>parking</color>  |  **=**  |  le stationnement  |  **≠**  |  un parking  |  **=**  |  <color #eb0051>a car park, a parking lot</color>  |
|  <color #eb0051>perfume</color>  |  **=**  |  parfum artificiel  |  **≠**  |  parfum e.g. glace, vanille  |  **=**  |  <color #eb0051>flavour</color>  |
|  <color #eb0051>pork</color>  |  **=**  |  porc (viande)  |  **≠**  |  un cochon  |  **=**  |  <color #eb0051>a pig</color>  |
|  <color #eb0051>a preservative</color>  |  **=**  |  un conservateur  |  **≠**  |  un préservatif  |  **=**  |  <color #eb0051>a condom</color>  |
|  <color #eb0051>to pretend</color>  |  **=**  |  faire semblant  |  **≠**  |  prétendre  |  **=**  |  <color #eb0051>to claim</color>  |
|  <color #eb0051>to prevent</color>  |  **=**  |  empêcher  |  **≠**  |  prévenir  |  **=**  |  <color #eb0051>to warn</color>  |
|  <color #eb0051>a process</color>  |  **=**  |  un processus, un proceed, une procédure  |  **≠**  |  un procès  |  **=**  |  <color #eb0051>a trial</color>  |
|  <color #eb0051>proper</color>  |  **=**  |  correct  |  **≠**  |  propre  |  **=**  |  <color #eb0051>1. clean 2. own</color>  |
|  <color #eb0051>a prune</color>  |  **=**  |  un pruneau  |  **≠**  |  une prune  |  **=**  |  <color #eb0051>a plum</color>  |
|  <color #eb0051>quid pro quo</color>  |  **=**  |  un compromis  |  **≠**  |  un quiproquo  |  **=**  |  <color #eb0051>a mistake, a misunderstanding</color>  |
|  <color #eb0051>a raisin</color>  |  **=**  |  un raisin sec  |  **≠**  |  un raisin  |  **=**  |  <color #eb0051>a grape</color>  |
|  <color #eb0051>to range</color>  |  **=**  |  varier, aller  |  **≠**  |  ranger  |  **=**  |  <color #eb0051>to tidy, to clean up</color>  |
|  <color #eb0051>to realise</color>  |  **=**  |  se rendre compte de  |  **≠**  |  réaliser  |  **=**  |  <color #eb0051>to make, produce, carry out, fulfil</color>  |
|  <color #eb0051>to report</color>  |  **=**  |  rapporter  |  **≠**  |  reporter  |  **=**  |  <color #eb0051>to reschedule</color>  |
|  <color #eb0051>to rest</color>  |  **=**  |  se reposer  |  **≠**  |  rester  |  **=**  |  <color #eb0051>to stay</color>  |
|  <color #eb0051>to resume</color>  |  **=**  |  reprendre  |  **≠**  |  résumer  |  **=**  |  <color #eb0051>to summarise</color>  |
|  <color #eb0051>sensible</color>  |  **=**  |  raisonnable  |  **≠**  |  sensible  |  **=**  |  <color #eb0051>sensitive</color>  |
|  <color #eb0051>a souvenir</color>  |  **=**  |  un souvenir (object de vacances etc.)   |  **≠**  |  un souvenir (mémoire d’un événément)  |  **=**  |  <color #eb0051>a memory</color>  |
|  <color #eb0051>a stage</color>  |  **=**  |  une scène ou une étape  |  **≠**  |  un stage  |  **=**  |  <color #eb0051> a course, an internship etc.</color>  |
|  <color #eb0051>a stranger</color>  |  **=**  |  un inconnu  |  **≠**  |  un étranger  |  **=**  |  <color #eb0051> a foreigner (from another country)</color>  |
|  <color #eb0051>sympathetic</color>  |  **=**  |  compatissant  |  **≠**  |  sympathique  |  **=**  |  <color #eb0051>nice, pleasant, friendly</color>  |
|  <color #eb0051>a vacancy</color>  |  **=**  |  une place, une chambre libre, un poste vacant  |  **≠**  |  les vacances  |  **=**  |  <color #eb0051> a holiday, the holidays </color>  |