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See false cognate, false friend, list of words, list of reference tables
| Non-English word | Which resembles English | But actually means | |
|---|---|---|---|
| abbé (French) | abbey | priest or abbot | |
| accuser (French) | accuse | acknowledge (accuser réception = acknowledge receipt), although it can also mean "accuse" in other cases | |
| actual (Romanian) actual (Spanish) | actual | current | |
| adepte (French) | adept (proficient) | follower | |
| administré (French) | administered | citizen (as seen from an elected official; old-fashioned) user of a public administration (old-fashioned) | |
| ado (French) | ado (fuss) | short for adolescent | |
| advertencia (Spanish) avertissement (French) | advertisement | warning | |
| affluent (French) afluente (Spanish) | affluent (wealthy) | tributary (of a river) [effluent] | |
| After (German) | after | anus | |
| agencé (French) | agency | laid out or arranged | |
| agent (French) agente (Spanish) | agent | officer, police officer, agent | |
| ail (French) | ail (sicken) | garlic | |
| aimer (French) | to aim | to love or to like | |
| aire (French) | air | area (mathematics) | |
| alerte (French) | alert | agile, alert | |
| also (German) | also | thus | |
| allure (French) | allure (the power to attract) | speed, bearing; allure | |
| alto (French) | alto (singer) | viola, alto (singer) | |
| alto (Italian and Spanish) | alto (singer) | high; in Spanish it can also mean "stop!" (imperative) | |
| an (latin) | an, or perhaps on when read | or | |
| ananas (French, Finnish, Italian, Romanian and Serbian) Ananas (German) | bananas | pineapple | |
| ancien (French) | ancient | can mean very old but often means just former, ex- | |
| ânon (French) | anon (short for anonymous) | baby donkey | |
| anser (Latin) | answer | goose | |
| apologie (French) | apology | praise, vindication | |
| appoint (French) | appoint | (extra) contribution or help | |
| apuntar (Spanish) | appoint | (to) aim; (to) note down; (to) button up | |
| arc (French and Romanian) | arc, ark | bow (weapon), arc | |
| arme (French) arma (Spanish) | arm (body part) | weapon | |
| as (Polish, Serbian and French) | ass | ace | |
| ask (Swedish) | ask | small box; ash (tree) | |
| aß (German) | ass | ate | |
| assortie (French) | assorted | matched, matching | |
| assister (French)
asistir (Spanish) | assist | attend | |
| atendi (Esperanto) | attend | to wait for; to expect | |
| bald (German) | bald | soon | |
| barn (Swedish) | barn | child, children | |
| beg (Manx) | big | little | |
| bekommen (German) | become | obtain, receive, get (compare English "come by") (Note: There is a joke to this in German: a German comes into a British restaurant and waits half an hour for his food. Finally, he asks the waiter:"When shall I become my steak?" "I should hope never, sir." | |
| beraten (German) | berate | advise, discuss | |
| bilion (Romanian, Serbian) bilione (Italian) | billion | American 'trillion' (1012 or million million). The American English billion is in fact a false friend in German, Italian, Spanish and Swedish and means "Milliarde" (109 or thousand million) Formerly did not apply to British English or where English was taught as a foreign language, but this is changing - see billion. | |
| blesser (French) | (to) bless | (to) injure | |
| bloc (Spanish) | block | note pad | |
| bond (French) | bond | leap, bound | |
| brand (Swedish) Brand (German) | brand | fire | |
| bras (French) | bra(ssiere)s | arm (the body part) | |
| brat (брат) (Russian, Serbian) brat (Polish) | brat | brother | |
| brav (German) bravo/a (Italian) | brave | well-behaved | |
| brushing (French) | to brush | a blow-dry (hairdresser's) | |
| brutaal (Dutch) | brutal | bold | |
| calzón / calzones (Spanish), calzone / calzoni (Italian), caleçon (French) | calzone | underwear (of course calzone comes from Italian, but in that language the main use of the word is for underwear) | |
| canto (Latin, Italian and Spanish) | canto | I sing | |
| car (French) | car | bus or coach; because | |
| Car (German) | car | charter bus, motor coach | |
| car (Romanian) | car | I carry | |
| carácter (Spanish) | character | temperament; can also mean "character" in the typographic meaning | |
| casino (Italian) | casino | brothel | |
| casualmente (Spanish) | casually | fortuitously | |
| chair (French) | chair | flesh | |
| chance (French) | chance | luck | |
| chat (French) | chat (conversation) | cat | |
| chef (French) | chef | boss (in French, occasionally means "cook" or "head cook") | |
| coin (French) | coin | corner | |
| compromiso (Spanish) | compromise | promise | |
| constipado (Spanish) | constipated | someone who has a cold | |
| corne (French) | corn | horn | |
| crayon (French) creion (Romanian) | crayon | pencil (a wax crayon is crayon de cire in French) | |
| culte (French) | cult | worship (as in lieu de culte = house of worship). In Spanish it can also mean "educated". | |
| culo (Spanish) | cool | butt | |
| demandar (Spanish) | to demand | to sue | |
| demander (French) domandare (Italian) | to demand | to ask or request | |
| die (German) | (to) die | the [feminine and plural article; example: die Ehefrau (the wife), die Häuser (the houses)] | |
| dick (German) | dick (slang for the penis or a detective) also short for Richard, e.g. in idiom "every Tom, Dick and Harry" | fat (adjective only), thick | |
| diverse (Swedish and German) | diverse | various | |
| diverso (Italian) | diverse | different | |
| dag (דג) (Hebrew) | dog | fish | |
| Dom (German) | dome | cathedral | |
| dom (Serbian) | dome | home | |
| dungo (Esperanto) | dung | employment | |
| egg (Swedish) | egg | edge of a cutting tool, such as knife edge | |
| ego (Latin) | ego | I | |
| empirer (French) | empire | to become worse | |
| europé (Swedish) | Europe | European person
| |
| angajat (Romanian) engagerad (Swedish) | engaged | considered or involved in something in Swedish; involved or employed in Romanian | |
| embarazada (Spanish) | embarrassed | pregnant | |
| entrée (French) | entrée, main dish | entrance, entry, or appetizer | |
| etichetă (Romanian) etichetta (Italian) | etiquette | label (can also mean etiquette in French, Spanish or Serbian, but is mostly used as label) | |
| eventual (Romanian) eventualmente (Spanish and Italian)
| eventually | maybe, perhaps, possibly | |
| éxito (Spanish) | exit | success | |
| fabbrica (Italian) fabrică (Romanian) | fabric | factory (compare 'fabricate') Possible origin due to large Victorian factories producing woven fabric. | |
| facilidad (Spanish) facilité (French) | facility | ease | |
| Fahrt (German) Vaart (Dutch) | fart | German: journey; speed; trip, excursion, voyage Dutch: similar, but only used for ships | |
| familiär (German) | familiar | familial | |
| familiya (фамилия) (Russian) | family | surname | |
| far (French) | far | far, a kind of dessert from Brittany | |
| far (Swedish) | far | father | |
| fart (Swedish) | fart | speed | |
| fart (Polish) | fart | luck | |
| fast (German) | fast | nearly, almost | |
| fast (Swedish) | fast | firm, steady (compare "steadfast") | |
| fat (Swedish) | fat | (dinner) plate | |
| fat (發) (Cantonese) | fat | to exhibit; to distribute; prosperity (used in conjunction with 財, as in gong hei fat choi) | |
| fattoria (Italian) | factory | farm | |
| file (French) | file | line; queue (in computing) | |
| final (Romanian) | finally (as in "at last") | at the end (as in "finish") | |
| flint (Swedish) | flint | bald head | |
| foresto (Esperanto) | forest | absence | |
| fort (French) forte (Italian) | fort | strong (but can also mean fort) | |
| garder (French) | guard | to keep, e.g., gardez froid=keep cool [of food, etc.] | |
| Gift (German) Gif (Dutch) | gift | poison | |
| gift (Swedish) | gift | married, poison | |
| glass (Swedish) | glass | icecream | |
| Glut (German) | glut | heat; glow; embers | |
| greippi (Finnish) | grape | grapefruit | |
| gren (Swedish) | green | branch | |
| grippe (French) | grip (hold) or gripe (complaint) | influenza | |
| groin (French) | groin | snout | |
| grosería (Spanish) | grocery | profanity, bad word | |
| gimnaziu (Romanian) | gym(nasium) | high(er) school, grammar school (see Secondary education) | |
| Handy (German) | handy | mobile phone, cell phone ("Handy" is not really German, it is artificial (pseudo-English) from English and German "hand", but most Germans think that the word is English). It's a pseudo-anglicism. | |
| he (היא) (Hebrew) | he | she | |
| herb (German) | herb | harsh | |
| Hose (German) | hose | (pair of) trousers/pants | |
| hot (Swedish) | hot | threat | |
| huta (Polish) | hut | steel works | |
| i (Latin) | I | go! (imperative) | |
| is (Norwegian) | is | ice cream | |
| is (Latin) | is | you go | |
| is (Swedish | is | ice | |
| Island (Swedish and German) Islande (French) | island | Iceland | |
| it (Latin) | it | he/she/it goes | |
| caution (French) Kaution (German) | caution | deposit, bail | |
| kabinet (кабинет) (Russian) | cabinet | office | |
| kedr (Кедр) (Russian) | cedar | Siberian Pine | |
| kid (Swedish) | kid | fawn | |
| killa (Swedish) | kill, killer | tickle, scratch | |
| Kind (German) | kind | child | |
| kind (Swedish) | kind | cheek | |
| Kinn (German) | kin | chin | |
| kontroll (Swedish) kontrollieren (German) | control | check, examine | |
| korn (Swedish) | corn | barley | |
| Kraft (German) kraft (Swedish) | craft | power, strength | |
| kreatur (Swedish) | creature | cattle | |
| Kritik (German) | critic | criticism, review | |
| kropp (Swedish) | crop | body, mathematical field | |
| Last (German) last (Swedish) | last | load, burden | |
| lime (French) | lime | file (the tool) | |
| Limo (German) | limo | soft drink | |
| limpa (Swedish) | limp | loaf (bread), carton of cigarette packages | |
| List (German) list (Swedish) | list | cunning, artfulness, ruse | |
| list (лист) (Russian) | list | leaf | |
| lump (Swedish) | lump | discarded fabric, slang for mandatory military service | |
| magasin (French)
magazin (магазин) (Russian) | magazine | store | |
| main (French) | main | hand | |
| mama (Georgian) | mother | father | |
| me (Finnish and Estonian) | me | we | |
| me (麼) (Mandarin) | me | interrogative marker | |
| me (Sumerian) | me | (divine) aura | |
| merci (|French) | mercy | thank you | |
| mille (French) Mille (German (slang)) | million, mile | thousand, mile | |
| miséricorde (French) misericordia (Italian) | misery | mercy, forgiveness | |
| Mist (German) | mist | manure, droppings | |
| miting (Serbian) | meeting | political demonstration | |
| Mode (German) mode (Swedish) | mode | fashion, haute couture | |
| monnaie (French) | money | change (returned from a purchase); currency | |
| Mörder (German) | murder | murderer | |
| nai (ναι) (Greek) | nay, no | yes | |
| Not (German) | not | need | |
| Novelle (German) novell (Swedish) | novel | short story | |
| on (Polish) on (Serbian) | on | he | |
| once (Spanish) | once | eleven | |
| or (French) | or | gold, now (introducing second proposition of a syllogism) | |
| ours (French) | ours | a bear | |
| pain (French) | pain | bread | |
| patetic (Romanian) pathétique (French) | pathetic | emotional (in French, can also mean pathetic) | |
| pathetisch (German) | pathetic | solemn, lofty | |
| pavimento (Italian) | pavement | floor | |
| pétulant (French) | petulant | playful | |
| pingouin (French) | penguin | auk | |
| pom (Romanian) | Pommie, Pom | Fruit bearing tree | |
| pomm (Estonian) | Pommie, Pom | bomb | |
| pomme (French) | Pommie, Pom (see Alternate words for British) | apple | |
| pregnant (Romanian, Swedish) prägnant (German) | pregnant | short but informative; remarkable, prominent | |
| prezervativ (Romanian) Präservativ (German) | preservative | condom | |
| propaganda (Spanish) | propaganda | advertising | |
| prospect (Romanian) Prospekt (German) | prospect | brochure, leaflet, prospectus | |
| prospekt (Swedish) | prospect | prospectus, document or brochure detailing an offer (usually from a travel agent) | |
| prospekt (Russian) | prospect | avenue | |
| proces (Romanian) | process | trial (at court)/(in Swedish and German mainly used to denote process but also means trial) | |
| queue (French) | queue | tail | |
| Rat (German) | rat | advice; council; councilor (U.S.), councillor (Br.) | |
| rat (Serbian) | rat | war | |
| Rest (German) rest (Swedish) | rest | remainder | |
| rest (Estonian) | rest | crate, grid | |
| restar (Spanish) | (to) rest | to subtract | |
| rester (French) restare (Italian) | (to) rest | to stay; to remain | |
| resumen (Spanish) résumé (French) | resume | summary | |
| roman (French, Romanian, Serbian and Swedish) Roman (German) | Roman | novel | |
| saikou (Japanese) | psycho | the best | |
| sale (French) | sale | dirty | |
| sale (Italian) | sale | salt | |
| sale (Estonian) | sale | slender | |
| sale (Spanish) | sale | goes out | |
| salivit (Latin) | salivate | he/she/it jumped | |
| salvaje (Spanish) | salvage | savage | |
| secte (French) Sekte (German) | sect | cult | |
| Seite (German) | site | page | |
| Sekt (German) | sect | champagne, sparkling wine | |
| Sensation (German) | sensation | blowoff, scorcher | |
| sensibel (German) | sensible | sensitive | |
| she (舌) (Mandarin) | she | tongue | |
| Sinn (German) | sin | sense, mind, meaning, acceptance, aesthesia, signification, tenor, appreciation | |
| sin (Serbian) | sin | son | |
| sin (Swedish) | sin | "your own" | |
| Smoking (German) | smoking | dinner jacket (Br.), tuxedo (U.S.); but not smoking jacket | |
| son (Spanish) | son | (they) are; song | |
| son (French) | son | sound; bran; his/her (masculine thing possessed)
| |
| soy (Spanish) | soya, soybean | (I) am | |
| stark (German and Swedish) | stark | strong | |
| step (Chumash) | step | flea | |
| stor (Swedish) | store | big, large | |
| stout (Dutch) | stout | naughty | |
| strafen (German) | strafe | punish | |
| sum (Latin) | sum | I am | |
| simpatic (Romanian) simpatico (Italian) | sympathetic | likeable, friendly | |
| Tag (German) | tag | day | |
| teknologi (Swedish) | technology | technology as a discipline | |
| to (Polish) to (Serbian) | to (in writing) | that | |
| trombone (French) | trombone | trombone, or paperclip | |
| tu (Polish) tu (Serbian) | to (in reading) | there | |
| t'oi (台) (Hakka) | toy | tower | |
| Unterstand (German) | (to) understand | shelter; dugout; bunker | |
| vi (Serbian) | we (in reading) | you | |
| wanken (German) | (to) wank | to sway; to succumb; to fall | |
| war (German) | war | was | |
| was (German) | was | what? | |
| Webseite (German) | web site | web page | |
| wer (German) | where | who | |
| will (German) vill (Swedish) | will | I/he/she/it wants | |
| vink (Swedish) | wink | hint, wave (salutation) | |
| winken (German) | wink | to wave | |
| wo (German) | who, woe | where | |
| vrist (Swedish) | wrist | ankle | |
| you (有) (Mandarin) | you | to have |
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