Falsos amigos are pairs of words that look or sound similar in English and Spanish but mean something different. Misreading them leads to awkward, sometimes hilarious mistakes. This page covers the most common traps.
embarazada vs. embarrassed
Perhaps the most famous false friend. Embarazada means pregnant, not embarrassed.
Mi hermana está embarazada.
My sister is pregnant.
To say you are embarrassed, use tener vergüenza or dar vergüenza.
constipado vs. constipated
Estar constipado means to have a cold or a stuffy nose, not to be constipated.
For the English meaning, use estar estreñido.
Está estreñido hace dos días.
He's been constipated for two days.
éxito vs. exit
Éxito means success. The word for exit is salida.
¿Dónde está la salida?
Where's the exit?
carpeta vs. carpet
Carpeta is a folder or binder. A carpet is alfombra.
Guardé los documentos en la carpeta.
I put the documents in the folder.
La alfombra está sucia.
The carpet is dirty.
sensible vs. sensible
Sensible means sensitive, not sensible. The word for the English sensible is sensato or prudente.
Es una persona muy sensible.
He's a very sensitive person.
Fue una decisión sensata.
It was a sensible decision.
introducir vs. introduce
Introducir means to insert an object, like a coin into a machine. To introduce a person, use presentar.
Introduzca la tarjeta en la máquina.
Insert the card into the machine.
Te presento a mi hermano.
Let me introduce you to my brother.
realizar vs. realize
Realizar means to carry out or to accomplish. The mental act of realizing uses darse cuenta. See dar expressions.
Realizamos el proyecto en tres meses.
We completed the project in three months.
Me di cuenta de que me había equivocado.
I realized I'd made a mistake.
actualmente vs. actually
Actualmente means currently or nowadays, not actually. For actually, use en realidad or de hecho.
Actualmente vivo en Lima.
I currently live in Lima.
En realidad, no me gusta el café.
Actually, I don't like coffee.
asistir vs. assist
Asistir means to attend. For to assist, use ayudar.
Asistí a la conferencia.
I attended the conference.
¿Me puedes ayudar con esto?
Can you assist me with this?
More common traps
| Spanish | Real meaning | Looks like |
|---|---|---|
| largo | long | large (which is grande) |
| éxito | success | exit |
| librería | bookstore | library (which is biblioteca) |
| ropa | clothing | rope (which is cuerda) |
| sopa | soup | soap (which is jabón) |
| molestar | to bother | molest (strong word) |
| éxito | success | exit |
| pariente | relative | parent (which is padre/madre) |
| fábrica | factory | fabric (which is tela) |
Mi hermano trabaja en una fábrica de autos.
My brother works at a car factory.
Toda mi ropa está sucia.
All my clothes are dirty.
Related Topics
- Spanish-English CognatesA1 — Patterns that turn English words into Spanish ones, and vice versa.
- Common Proverbs and SayingsC2 — Classic refranes every Spanish speaker knows, with their meanings in context.
- Polite ExpressionsA1 — Please, thank you, excuse me, and softer phrasings for polite requests.