English/French False Friends – Part 1
What do we call False Friends and why are they important to know?
English/French False friends are two words from English and French languages which are similar in form but do not have the same meaning. In case you wish to learn more about False Friends, you can get more information about them on Wikipedia or on Cambridge Dictionary. In fact, they can be easily confused. And, unfortunately, there are no specific rules to know them. The only way to avoid confusion when it comes to False Friends is to have their list available to you and learn them. Nevertheless, not only should you learn but you should also practise lest you might forget. Therefore, we recommend to entrust your translation services with a professional translator or a translation agency. If you want to learn more about the importance or translation agencies from, just click here to have access to one of our blogs in this regard.
After making some research on the following sites including Wordreference, Larousse, Anglais Facile, and Anglissisme, we have decided to share with you a hundred plus English / French False Friends. However, they are not to be all included in a single blog lest the blog might be too long. That’s why, there will be four articles in this respect. This is the first of them and it contains twenty (20) English / French false friends.
From now on, don’t you ever confuse again the following:
Group 1: English words starting with A
- To Achieve = Accomplir/Réaliser
Achever = To finish/To complete
- Ability = Aptitude
Habileté = Skill
- To abuse = Insulter
Abuser = To take advantage
- To accomodate = Héberger/loger
Accommoder = To prepare/Adapt
- Actually = En réalité/En fait
Actuellement = Currently/Presently/At present/At the moment
- Affluence = Richesse
Affluence = Rush
- Agenda = Ordre du jour
Agenda = Diary/Datebook/Calendar (sur ordinateur)
- To attend = Participer/Prendre part à/Assister à
Attendre = Wait
Group 2: English Words starting with B
- A Balance = Un solde/Un équilibre
Une balance = A scale/A libra (horoscope)
- To Balance = Equilibrer
Balancer = To swing/To rock
- Bio = Biographie
Bio = Organic
- Blouse = Chemisier
Blouse = Overalls/lab coat
- Bribe = Pot-de-vin
Bribe = Scrap
Group 3: English Words starting with C
- Camera = Appareil photo
Caméra = Video camera
- Caution = Prudence
Caution = Guarantee
- Car = Voiture
Car = Bus
- Cave = Grotte
Cave = Cellar
- Character = Personnage
Caractère = Nature/Personality
- Chair = Chaise/Président (d’une séance, d’une institution, d’un comité, etc)
Chair = Flesh
- To charge = Facturer/ Faire payer
Charger = To load
Sources: https://www.anglaisfacile.com/; https://www.anglissime.com/; https://www.wordreference.com/; https://www.larousse.fr/
We hope you liked this blog. Whether you did or not, do not hesitate to leave us your comments. Moreover, you can contact LMS for more details on its online training and other remote language services on + 229 97 47 63 25 (Whatsapp) or via email at info@lmsgroupafrica.com. In addition, an audio for the right pronunciation of the words is available on request via whatsapp (+ 229 97 47 63 25).
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