One of the great things about the French is that lots of words have the same roots, meaning that there are many likenesses between the languages e.g. accident, intelligence, situation.
That said, language learners must apply an amount of caution as there are examples of faux amis or false friends, which are words in a foreign language which resemble words in one’s own language but have a different meaning.
We’ve popped together our A to Z (or rather A to V) of the most common faux amis to ensure your language learners don’t get themselves into any sticky situations.
French word |
English meaning |
English resemblance |
French translation |
| actuel | current, present | actual | réel, exact |
| agenda | diary | agenda | ordre du jour (de réunion) |
| allure | pace, speed; appearance; style | allure | attrait, charme |
| avertissement | warning | advertisement | publicité |
| balance | scales (for weighing) | balance | équilibre |
| bribes | fragments | bribes | pots-de-vin |
| car | coach | car | voiture |
| cave | cellar | cave | grotte |
| chair | flesh | chair | chaise, fauteuil, siège |
| chance | luck | chance | hasard |
| coin | corner | coin | pièce (de monnaie) |
| déception | disappointment | deception | tromperie, duperie |
| demander | to ask for | demand | exiger |
| éventuellement | possibly, if necessary | eventually | finalement |
| fabrique | factory | fabric | tissu |
| formidable | great, terrific, fantastic | formidable | redoutable; impressionnant |
| gentil | kind, nice, likeable | gentle | doux |
| journée | day | journey | voyage |
| lecture | reading (matter) | lecture | cours magistral |
| librairie | bookshop | library | bibliothèque |
| monnaie | change (coins) | money | argent |
| patron | boss | patron | client |
| procès | trial | process | processus |
| prune | plum | prune | pruneau |
| prétendre | to claim | pretend | faire semblant |
| quitter | to leave | quit | arrêter, cesser |
| raisin | grape | raisin | raisin sec |
| rester | to stay | rest | se reposer |
| sensible | sensitive | sensible | sensible = raisonnable |
| stage | (training) course | stage | stade; (Theat) scène |
| sympathique | nice, pleasant | sympathetic | compatissant, compréhensif |
| tissu | fabric, material | tissue | mouchoir en papier |
| veste | jacket, coat US | vest | maillot de corps |
Source : http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/words/difficulties-in-french-false-friends-and-franglais
