Now let's look at some false friends in Spanish.
Posted: Wed Feb 12, 2025 10:45 am
First: "Die art" does not translate to "the art". Die art, in German, means the way, the manner. And art, in French, groups together things that man likes to look at or listen to. For example, a painting, a sculpture or a symphony of classical music. In German, we would say "die kunst".
Second: "Die folie" does not translate to "madness." Die folie is a leaf. And madness is the fact of being crazy, it is the fact of having a derangement of the mind. In German, we would say "die verrücktheit."
Third, a very famous false friend: "das gymnasium" does not translate as "the gymnasium". Das gymnasium means middle school. So it's the place where children go to study from the sixth to the ninth grade. They enter at the age of 11. And the gymnasium is a place where certain sports are practiced, notably basketball or handball. And in German, we would say "die turnhalle".
Fourth: "Hier" does not translate to "yesterday." "Hier" in German means "here," while "hier" in French means the day before. Day before: Hier. Of course, in German, we say "gestern."
The first one is the funniest: "constipado" does not taiwan whatsapp number data translate to "constipated." Constipado means "cold," and "constipated" has a completely different meaning, it means not being able to have a bowel movement. In Spanish, we would say "estreñido." It's not the same thing.
Second false friend: "discutir" does not translate to "discuss". "Discutir" means to debate, to argue, while "discuss" means to talk with someone, we would say "conversar".
Third: "contestar" does not translate to "contest." "Contestar" means "to respond." Contestar means to contradict someone, to question what someone said. In Spanish, it would be "objetar."
Fourth: “demandar” does not translate to “demand.” “Demandar” means to sue. “Demandar” has several meanings, but it means to ask a question or express something you want. In Spanish, we would say “pedir.”
I apologize to our Spanish or Argentinian friends who hear that my accent is not the right one, is not correct. I have never studied this language.
Let's look at some false friends between Italian and French.
First: "la gara" does not translate to "the station". La gara is the competition, while la gare is the place where the trains arrive, it is the place where the trains stop. In Italian, we would say "la stazione".
Second: "il gatto" does not translate to "the cake." Il gatto is the cat, while cake is a pastry, it's a dessert, it's something sweet that you eat. In Italian, we would say "il dolce" or "la torta." And it seems to me that this confusion, this false friend, also exists in Spanish and Portuguese, languages in which it seems to me that "gato" also means cat.
Third, "morbido" does not mean "morbid." Morbido means soft, mellow. Morbid means relating to illness or death. In Italian, we would say "morboso."
Fourth, "la bugia" does not translate to "the candle." La bugia is a lie, whereas a candle is a small object that we light, especially for our birthday, we light candles that we blow out. In Italian, we would say "la candela."
Second: "Die folie" does not translate to "madness." Die folie is a leaf. And madness is the fact of being crazy, it is the fact of having a derangement of the mind. In German, we would say "die verrücktheit."
Third, a very famous false friend: "das gymnasium" does not translate as "the gymnasium". Das gymnasium means middle school. So it's the place where children go to study from the sixth to the ninth grade. They enter at the age of 11. And the gymnasium is a place where certain sports are practiced, notably basketball or handball. And in German, we would say "die turnhalle".
Fourth: "Hier" does not translate to "yesterday." "Hier" in German means "here," while "hier" in French means the day before. Day before: Hier. Of course, in German, we say "gestern."
The first one is the funniest: "constipado" does not taiwan whatsapp number data translate to "constipated." Constipado means "cold," and "constipated" has a completely different meaning, it means not being able to have a bowel movement. In Spanish, we would say "estreñido." It's not the same thing.
Second false friend: "discutir" does not translate to "discuss". "Discutir" means to debate, to argue, while "discuss" means to talk with someone, we would say "conversar".
Third: "contestar" does not translate to "contest." "Contestar" means "to respond." Contestar means to contradict someone, to question what someone said. In Spanish, it would be "objetar."
Fourth: “demandar” does not translate to “demand.” “Demandar” means to sue. “Demandar” has several meanings, but it means to ask a question or express something you want. In Spanish, we would say “pedir.”
I apologize to our Spanish or Argentinian friends who hear that my accent is not the right one, is not correct. I have never studied this language.
Let's look at some false friends between Italian and French.
First: "la gara" does not translate to "the station". La gara is the competition, while la gare is the place where the trains arrive, it is the place where the trains stop. In Italian, we would say "la stazione".
Second: "il gatto" does not translate to "the cake." Il gatto is the cat, while cake is a pastry, it's a dessert, it's something sweet that you eat. In Italian, we would say "il dolce" or "la torta." And it seems to me that this confusion, this false friend, also exists in Spanish and Portuguese, languages in which it seems to me that "gato" also means cat.
Third, "morbido" does not mean "morbid." Morbido means soft, mellow. Morbid means relating to illness or death. In Italian, we would say "morboso."
Fourth, "la bugia" does not translate to "the candle." La bugia is a lie, whereas a candle is a small object that we light, especially for our birthday, we light candles that we blow out. In Italian, we would say "la candela."