Cactus Language Blog

10 French False Friends to Watch Out For!

Posted by Sarah under Cactus Languages Abroad, French, Learning a language

A few French words that aren’t all they seem…

Learning a language is as much about stringing together a perfect sentence as it is about being able to laugh and pick yourself up when you make a mistake. False friends, or faux amis, are one such route to finding yourself in the latter situation - but what exactly are they, and how can you avoid them?

For an English speaker learning French, there are thousands of word that are essentially the same in both languages, with the same etymology (origin) and meaning; these are known as cognates. A good example is the very word etymology, whose equivalent in French is étymologie. Or example, that becomes exemple.

A false friend, however, is when you have a pairing of these cognates that lure you into thinking they mean the same thing, when they actually mean something very different. In written or spoken French, this can lead to a misunderstanding, embarrassment or, if you’re lucky, a good giggle…but by taking note of some of the most common false friends, as listed below, you can at least avoid the worst.

Good luck - and at the end of the day, remember we all make mistakes!

1. Actuellement: Sounds like ‘actually’…actually means ‘at the current time’. Actually would be ‘en fait’.

2. Préservatif: Sounds like ‘preservative’…actually means ”condom’. A preservative would be ‘un agent de conservation’.

3. Photographe: Sounds like ‘photograph’…actually means ‘photographer’ (masc or fem). A photo would be ‘une photo’ (abbreviation of photographie).

4. Achèvement: Sounds like ‘achievement…actually means the ‘completion’ of something. An achievement would be ‘une réussite’ or ‘un accomplissement’.

5. Caution: Sounds like ‘caution’…actually means a ‘deposit’, ‘guarantee’ or ‘bail, in financial terms. Caution would be ‘prudence’ or ‘avertissement’.

6. Déçevoir: Sounds like ‘to deceive’…actually means ‘to disappoint’. Deceive would be ‘tromper’ or ‘duper’.

7. Forcément: Sounds like ‘forcefully’…actually means ‘necessarily’ or ‘inevitably’. Forcefully would be ‘avec force’ or ‘avec puissance’.

8. Eventuellement: Sounds like ‘eventually’…actually means ‘possibly’. Eventually, in the sense of finally, would be ‘finalement’.

9. Forfait: Sounds like ‘forfeit’…actually means ‘pass’ (as in ski pass / forfait de ski) or an all-inclusive, package deal. A forfeit would be ‘une peine’ or ‘un gage’.

10. Réalisation: Sounds like ‘realisation’…actually means ‘completion’ or ‘accomplishment’. Realisation would be ‘prise de conscience’.

Tags:false friends, French