What Are False Friends?
False friends are words in different languages that look or sound similar but have different meanings. As a language learner myself, I often face these examples and find them quite deceptive because they can easily lead to misunderstandings.
Language learners often assume that a word in their target language means the same thing as it does in their native tongue and end up conveying a different meaning.
I will never forget the day I wanted to cook lasagna for my host family in Panama: I was listing the ingredients to buy and said I needed burro (butter). But “burro” in Spanish means “donkey” – “butter” is “mantequilla” – and everyone thought I needed Donkey meat!
False friends exist in many language pairs, but Italian and English have quite a few, often due to their shared Latin roots. Knowing these false friends is crucial for avoiding embarrassing mistakes and improving fluency in Italian.
Cognates vs False Friends
Both cognates and false friends share from the same linguistic history, but they differ significantly in how they are used:
- Cognates are words that look similar in two languages and have the same meaning, which makes it helpful for language learners. For example, tavolo (table), forchetta (fork), and piatto (plate).
- False friends, as I mentioned, are words that look similar but have different meanings. These words can lead to confusion if their actual meaning is not recognized, and that’s why I will provide you with a list of the most common ones!
Italian False Friends
Annoiare vs To Annoy
Annoiare means “to bore”, not “to annoy”. To describe someone or something as annoying, use irritare or dare fastidio.
Il film mi annoia.
The movie is boring me.
Attualmente vs Actually
Attualmente means “currently”, not “actually”. To say actually, use in realtà or veramente.
Attualmente lavoro a Milano.
I currently work in Milan.
Camera vs Camera
In Italian, camera means “room”, not “photographic camera”. The word for camera in Italian is macchina fotografica.
Ho prenotato una camera in hotel.
I’ve booked a room in a hotel.
Casuale vs Casual
Casuale means “random”, not “casual”. If you want to say something is casual, use informale.
È stata una scelta casuale.
It was a random choice.
Confrontare vs To Confront
Confrontare means “to compare”, not “to confront”. If you want to confront someone, use affrontare.
Confrontiamo i prezzi dei due prodotti.
Let’s compare the prices of the two products.
Educato/a vs Educated
Educato means “polite”, not “educated”. If you want to describe someone as educated, use istruito or colto.
Mio figlio è molto educato con gli anziani.
My son is very polite with the elderly.
Eventualmente vs Eventually
Eventualmente means “possibly” or “if necessary”, not “eventually”. For eventually, use alla fine.
Eventualmente ti farò sapere.
If necessary, I’ll let you know.
Fabbrica vs Fabric
Fabbrica means “factory”, not “fabric”. If you’re looking for fabric, ask for tessuto.
La fabbrica produce automobili.
The factory produces cars.
Fattoria vs Factory
Fattoria means “farm”, not “factory”. For a factory, you should use fabbrica.
Visitiamo una fattoria domani.
We’re visiting a farm tomorrow.
Grosso/a vs Gross
Grosso means “large” or “big”, not “disgusting”. If you want to say something is gross, use schifoso.
Questo pesce è davvero grosso.
This fish is really big.
Libreria vs Library
Libreria means “bookstore”, not “library”. If you’re looking for a place to borrow books, you’ll need to go to the biblioteca, not the libreria.
Vado in libreria a comprare un libro.
I’m going to the bookstore to buy a book.
Morbido/a vs Morbid
Morbido means “soft”, not “morbid”. If you want to describe something morbid, use morboso.
Questo cuscino è molto morbido.
This pillow is very soft.
Parenti vs Parents
Parenti means “relatives”, not “parents”. To refer to your parents, use genitori.
I miei parenti vivono in Italia.
My relatives live in Italy.
Preservativo vs Preservative
Preservativo means “condom”, not “preservative”. To refer to food without preservatives, say senza conservanti.
Mi raccomando, usate sempre il preservativo.
Be sure you always use a condom.
Pretendere vs To Pretend
Pretendere means “to demand” or “expect”, not to pretend. To say “pretend” in Italian, use fingere.
Pretende di passare l’esame senza studiare.
He expects to pass the exam without studying.
Sensibile vs Sensible
Sensibile means “sensitive”, not “sensible”. If you want to describe someone as sensible, use ragionevole or sensato.
Lei è una persona molto sensibile.
She is a very sensitive person.
