False friends: don't be fooled by appearances

[bitheerani319]

When we speak English and we can't find the word we're looking for, we often say something that sounds similar to our native language. Sometimes it works, and it's great that instead of going blank and stopping speaking English, we try to produce something that at least resembles it. Even when the word isn't exactly right, we may be able to make ourselves understood, and that's great.


But sometimes we choose a word that means something radically different . Sometimes it's a harmless mistake that's resolved by context, but other times, it can prevent communication altogether. Here's a list of canada phone number list that sound very similar to other words in Spanish, but don't mean the same thing. We call them " false friends . " How many of these traps do you fall into?

False friends: Don't be confused!
Current
Actual does not mean "of the present time," but rather "real" or "in fact."
Example : We thought there would be about 20 people, but the actual number was higher.
If you want to talk about current events, use “right now”, “currently” or “nowadays”.

Career

Career: This is not used to talk about your studies, only about your professional career.
Example : She made her career in the theatre.
The university degree is called a "degree."

Casualty

It seems like a "coincidence", but no, it means "casualty" or "victim".
Example : The battle ended with few casualties.
If you're going to say something happened by chance, you might as well say "by chance."

Annoying

It means "to sexually harass or assault," or simply "to assault," depending on the context.
Example : The man had previously been arrested several times for molesting young boys.
If someone is bothering you, be careful! Using the wrong word could cause a big mess. Instead, say “bother,” “annoy,” or “upset.”


Embarrassed

Nothing to do with babies, this just means "embarrassed."
Example : I was so embarrassed when I tripped and fell over in front of everyone.
In English, "pregnant" is "embarazada".