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