It's Important to Know Your 'False Friends' in English and French

 

People learning a second language might have heard of the expression “false friend.” This term is used to describe words in different languages that look alike, but have different meanings.

Last month, we looked at examples of false friends in two languages, English and Spanish. Today we will tell you about another language -- French -- that has a lot of false friends, the French words faux amis, in English.

A history of faux amis

You may be surprised to learn that English gets 30 to 45 percent of its words from French. The reason goes back to the year 1066, when Norman forces invaded what is now Britain. The Normans were from northern France and spoke¹ French. During the Norman occupation, French became the language of England’s rulers and wealthy class. This lasted for more than 300 years. Other people in England continued to speak English during this period.

Over time, the two languages combined and shared words. Some researchers believe that about 10,000 French words eventually entered the English language.

However, although English took many French words, their meanings have not always stayed the same. Sometimes the differences in meanings can be very important, and lead to funny or strange situations if the words are use the wrong way.

Take, for example, the French word collège. In English, college can often be used in place of the word university, or sometimes as a school within a university. However, in French, collège actually means “middle school,” or the level of schooling² for students in grades five or six through eight.

The meanings of chat, journée, joli

There are many other similar words in the two languages with completely different meanings.

In English, the word chat is a verb which means “to talk casually³;” but in French, the word chat is the word for an animal: a cat.

If an English speaker says someone is jolly, that means they are cheerful or friendly. But in French, jolie means someone is good-looking or pleasant to look at. In any case, both are nice things to say to someone .

Also in English, to go on a journey usually means “a long trip of some kind.” But in French, a journée is simply the word for a full day. So, when you hear French-speakers say, “Bonne journée,” they are telling you to have a good day – not a good trip!

Demanding or demander

In English, the verb “demand” is something you say when you have a strong need for something. It is usually an impolite way to ask for something. However, in French, the word demander is a better way “to ask” for something. The speaker is showing more consideration of the other person’s feelings.

Native English speakers are often afraid to use demander when speaking French as they worry that it may sound impolite. But worry not!

Demander can also mean “to wonder” in French, if you put the word me in front of it. So, for example, the expression “Je me demande quand le film commence” means, “I wonder when the movie begins.”

He eventually will finally arrive

Sometimes French and English words can have almost the same meaning, but with small differences. In English, if your friends will eventually arrive, that means they are not expected to arrive right now, but at some time in the future. In French, the word eventuellement means that they will possibly arrive, but their arrival is not guaranteed.

However, if you wanted to say in French that your friend will not arrive any time soon, but at some time in the future, you would use the word finalement.

This can be confusing because the English word finally means that something will happen after a long period of waiting. It can also mean the last step in a process. The two words are similar, but with a very small difference in meaning.

Underwear⁴ or arms? The French words preservatif, bras, exciter

Some false friends are important to know because you can accidentally say strange things if you use the words the wrong way.

For example, in English, the word preservative⁵ is a chemical added to food to keep it fresh. But in French, a préservatif is a condom.

As you can imagine, mixing up the meanings could lead to awkward⁶ exchanges or laughs for language learners.

Another example is the word bra. In English, a bra is a piece of women’s underwear. But in French, bras simply means an “arm.”

The French verb exciter or the adjective excité ?can cause problems for English speakers. Their meanings are the same as the English verb “to excite” and the adjective “excited.” However, one needs to be careful with when using this word. While French speakers may use exciter to say that someone becomes excited about something, often in French, exciter is actually used to mean “sexually excited.”

In some cases, it might be safer to think of different words to use if you don't want to risk creating an awkward situation.

It’s not too terribly bad: “Pas terrible”

Sometimes in French, the difference is not the definition of the word, but its use. The expression pas terrible in French means “not terrible.” In English, when one says something is “not terrible,” we mean that it is not too bad. However, in French, although pas terrible literally⁸ means “not so bad,” it can often mean that something is really bad.

So if you ask a friend if they liked the food you prepared for them, and they say it’s “not terrible,” in English, that would mean it’s not so bad. But if a French friend says that it was pas terrible, then you know you better improve your cooking skills.

There are many more false friends in French, but these are some of the most common ones. However, if you speak French, and are planning on traveling to an English–speaking country, it might be a good idea to study these before you go!

I’m Phil Dierking.

And I'm Alice Bryant.

Words in This Story

awkward - adj. not graceful⁹?

casually - adj. done without much thought, effort, or concern?

condom - n. a thin rubber covering that a man wears on his penis during sex in order to prevent a woman from becoming pregnant¹⁰ or to prevent the spread of diseases?

confuse - v. to make (someone) uncertain or unable to understand something?

grade - n. a level of study that is completed by a student during one year?

impolite - adj. not polite?

literal⁷ - adj. involving the ordinary or usual meaning of a word

1 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

2 schooling   

n.教育；正规学校教育

参考例句：

• A child's access to schooling varies greatly from area to area.孩子获得学校教育的机会因地区不同而大相径庭。
• Backward children need a special kind of schooling.天赋差的孩子需要特殊的教育。

3 casually   

adv.漠不关心地，无动于衷地，不负责任地

参考例句：

• She remarked casually that she was changing her job.她当时漫不经心地说要换工作。
• I casually mentioned that I might be interested in working abroad.我不经意地提到我可能会对出国工作感兴趣。

4 underwear   

n.衫衣，内衣，贴身衣

参考例句：

• He had removed his underwear.他已脱去了内衣。
• They left off their woollen underwear when the weather got warm.天气转暖的时候，他们不再穿羊毛内衣。

5 preservative   

n.防腐剂；防腐料；保护料；预防药

参考例句：

• New timber should be treated with a preservative.新采的圆木应进行防腐处理。
• Salt is a common food preservative.盐是一种常用的食物防腐剂。

6 awkward   

adj.笨拙的，尴尬的，使用不便的，难处理的

参考例句：

• John is so shy and awkward that everyone notices him.约翰如此害羞狼狈，以至于大家都注意到了他。
• I was the only man among the guests and felt rather awkward.作为客人中的唯一男性，我有些窘迫。

7 literal   

adj.照字面的，原义的，逐字的

参考例句：

• This word should not be taken in its literal sense.这个词不能按本义去理解。
• He made a literal interpretation.他逐字解释。

8 literally   

adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实

参考例句：

• He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
• Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。

9 graceful   

adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的

参考例句：

• His movements on the parallel bars were very graceful.他的双杠动作可帅了!
• The ballet dancer is so graceful.芭蕾舞演员的姿态是如此的优美。

10 pregnant   

adj.怀孕的，怀胎的

参考例句：

• She is a pregnant woman.她是一名孕妇。
• She is pregnant with her first child.她怀了第一胎。