English and French share a lot of vocabulary because of their long intertwined history. After the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, thousands of French words entered English, which is why so many English and French words look similar.
But beware — not all similar-looking words mean the same thing! These misleading pairs are called false friends (faux amis in French). They can easily cause confusion or embarrassing mistakes if you assume they mean the same thing.
Here are 20 of the most common English-French false friends, their real meanings, and examples to help you remember them.
1. Actuellement vs. Actually
- French: actuellement → “currently” or “at the moment”
- English: actually → “in fact” or “really”
Example: - Je travaille actuellement à Paris. → “I’m currently working in Paris.”
2. Assister vs. Assist
- French: assister à → “to attend”
- English: assist → “to help”
Example: - J’ai assisté à la conférence. → “I attended the conference.”
3. Collège vs. College
- French: collège → “middle school” (ages 11–15)
- English: college → “higher education” (post-secondary)
Example: - Ma sœur est au collège. → “My sister is in middle school.”
4. Déception vs. Deception
- French: déception → “disappointment”
- English: deception → “trick” or “fraud”
Example: - C’était une grande déception. → “It was a big disappointment.”
5. Monnaie vs. Money
- French: monnaie → “change” (coins)
- English: money → all forms of currency
Example: - Avez-vous de la monnaie? → “Do you have any change?”
6. Librairie vs. Library
- French: librairie → “bookstore”
- English: library → “place where you borrow books”
Example: - J’ai acheté ce roman à la librairie. → “I bought this novel at the bookstore.”
7. Préservatif vs. Preservative
- French: préservatif → “condom”
- English: preservative → “additive that preserves food”
Example: - Il est important d’utiliser un préservatif. → “It’s important to use a condom.”
8. Location vs. Location
- French: location → “rental”
- English: location → “place”
Example: - La location de voiture est chère. → “The car rental is expensive.”
9. Journée vs. Journey
- French: journée → “day” (duration, not a trip)
- English: journey → “trip” or “travel”
Example: - Bonne journée ! → “Have a nice day!”
10. Collège vs. Colleague
- French: collègue → “coworker”
- English: college → unrelated, meaning “higher education”
Example: - Mon collègue parle anglais. → “My coworker speaks English.”
11. Blouse vs. Blouse
- French: blouse → “lab coat”
- English: blouse → “women’s shirt”
Example: - Les médecins portent une blouse blanche. → “Doctors wear a white lab coat.”
12. Attendre vs. Attend
- French: attendre → “to wait”
- English: attend → “to be present”
Example: - Je t’attends à la gare. → “I’m waiting for you at the station.”
13. Sensible vs. Sensible
- French: sensible → “sensitive”
- English: sensible → “reasonable” or “practical”
Example: - Elle est très sensible aux critiques. → “She’s very sensitive to criticism.”
14. Ancien vs. Ancient
- French: ancien → can mean “former” or “old” depending on placement
- English: ancient → “extremely old”
Example: - Mon ancien professeur → “My former teacher” (not “ancient teacher”!)
15. Pain vs. Pain
- French: pain → “bread”
- English: pain → “physical or emotional suffering”
Example: - J’adore l’odeur du pain frais. → “I love the smell of fresh bread.”
16. Acteul vs. Actual
- French: actuel → “current”
- English: actual → “real”
Example: - Le problème actuel est grave. → “The current problem is serious.”
17. Brasserie vs. Brewery
- French: brasserie → “casual restaurant”
- English: brewery → “place where beer is made”
Example: - Déjeunons dans cette brasserie. → “Let’s have lunch at this casual restaurant.”
18. Compréhensif vs. Comprehensive
- French: compréhensif → “understanding” (of people)
- English: comprehensive → “complete” or “detailed”
Example: - Mon patron est très compréhensif. → “My boss is very understanding.”
19. Démander vs. Demand
- French: demander → “to ask”
- English: demand → “insist strongly”
Example: - Je vais demander de l’aide. → “I’m going to ask for help.”
20. Grave vs. Grave
- French: grave → “serious” or “severe”
- English: grave → “tomb” or “burial site”
Example: - C’est une erreur grave. → “It’s a serious mistake.”
Why Learning False Friends Matters
False friends are especially tricky between English and French because of how similar they look. Knowing them will:
- Help you avoid embarrassing mistakes.
- Improve reading comprehension.
- Make your conversations clearer and more natural.