Cactus Language Blog

Attenzione! 10 Italian False Friends

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

Not all Italian words mean what you think they do…

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 falsi amici, 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 Italian, 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 Italian is etymologia. Or example, that becomes esempio.

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 Italian, 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. Bravo: Sounds like ‘brave’…actually means ‘good’ or ‘clever’. Brave would be ‘corragioso’.

2. Camera: Sounds like ‘camera’…actually means ‘room’. A camera would be ‘una macchina fotografica’.

2. Peperoni: Sounds like ‘peperoni’, as in the spicy sausage that we put on pizza…but it is actually the plural of peperone, meaning ‘pepper’. Peperoni (as we know it) would be ’salame piccante’.

3. Morbido: Sounds like ‘morbid’…actually means ’soft’. Morbid would be ‘morboso’.

4. Attualmente: Sounds like ‘actually’…actually means the ‘currently’. Actually would be ‘in realtà’.

5. Fattoria: Sounds like ‘factory’…actually means ‘farm’. A factory would be ‘una fabbrica’.

6. Libreria: Sounds like ‘library’…actually means ‘bookshop’. A library would be ‘una biblioteca’.

7. Parente: Sounds like ‘parent’…actually means ‘relation’. A parent would be ‘genitore’ (masc).

8. Noioso: Sounds like ‘noisy’…actually means ‘boring’. Noisy would be ‘rumoroso’.

9. Sensibile: Sounds like ’sensible’…actually means ’sensitive’. Sensible would be ’sensato’ or ‘appropriato’.

10. Educato: Sounds like ‘educated’…actually means ‘polite’. Educated would be ‘istruito’ or ‘colto’.

In bocca al lupo!

Tags:false friends, Italian