False friends: English and Portuguese

30 English words that look like Portuguese words but mean something else — the traps Portuguese speakers fall into most often.

English and Portuguese share thousands of words that come from Latin, directly or through French, and most of them really do mean the same thing: hospital, natural, possible. That is exactly why the exceptions are dangerous — a word that looks Portuguese feels safe, so nobody checks it.

Each word below has its real meaning in Portuguese, the Portuguese word it gets confused with, and how to say that word in English.

Test yourself ↓

Words that don't mean what they seem

actually A2

Means: na verdade
Not: atualmente → nowadays, currently

Actually means na verdade (in fact, really), not «atualmente» (which is currently or nowadays in English).

Actually, I don't like coffee.

push A1

Means: empurrar
Not: puxar → pull

Push means empurrar (to move something away from you), not «puxar» (which is pull in English).

Push the door to open it.

pretend A2

Means: fingir
Not: pretender → intend, plan

Pretend means fingir (to act as if something is true), not «pretender» (which is intend or plan in English).

He pretended not to see me.

library A1

Means: biblioteca
Not: livraria → bookstore

Library means biblioteca, a place where you borrow books, not «livraria» (which is bookstore in English).

I study at the library every Friday.

college A1

Means: faculdade
Not: colégio → school, high school

College means faculdade (study after high school), not «colégio» (which is school or high school in English).

She goes to college in Boston.

parent A1

Means: pai ou mãe
Not: parente → relative

Parent means pai or mãe (your mother or father), not «parente» (which is relative in English).

My parents live in a small town.

eventually A2

Means: por fim, no fim das contas
Not: eventualmente → occasionally, sometimes

Eventually means por fim (in the end, after a long time), not «eventualmente» (which is occasionally or sometimes in English).

Eventually, we found the right house.

exquisite B2

Means: requintado, belíssimo
Not: esquisito → weird, strange

Exquisite means requintado (very beautiful and finely made), not «esquisito» (which is weird or strange in English).

She wore an exquisite silk dress.

ingenious C1

Means: engenhoso, genial
Not: ingênuo → naive

Ingenious means engenhoso (very clever and inventive), not «ingênuo» (which is naive in English).

That is an ingenious way to save space.

sensible B1

Means: sensato
Not: sensível → sensitive

Sensible means sensato (showing good judgment), not «sensível» (which is sensitive in English).

It is sensible to wear a coat today.

sympathetic B2

Means: compreensivo, solidário
Not: simpático → nice, friendly

Sympathetic means compreensivo (understanding how someone feels), not «simpático» (which is nice or friendly in English).

He was very sympathetic when I lost my job.

expert A2

Means: especialista
Not: esperto → clever, smart

Expert means especialista (a person who knows a subject very well), not «esperto» (which is clever or smart in English).

She is an expert on old maps.

educated A2

Means: instruído, com boa formação
Not: educado → polite

Educated means instruído (having studied a lot), not «educado» (which is polite in English).

He is a well-educated young man.

preservative B2

Means: conservante
Not: preservativo → condom

Preservative means conservante (a substance that keeps food fresh), not «preservativo» (which is condom in English).

This jam has no preservatives.

prejudice B1

Means: preconceito
Not: prejuízo → loss, damage

Prejudice means preconceito (an unfair opinion about a group of people), not «prejuízo» (which is loss or damage in English).

Prejudice against foreigners still exists.

injury A2

Means: lesão, ferimento
Not: injúria → insult

Injury means lesão or ferimento (damage to the body), not «injúria» (which is insult in English).

He missed the game because of an injury.

fabric B2

Means: tecido
Not: fábrica → factory

Fabric means tecido (cloth for clothes), not «fábrica» (which is factory in English).

This fabric is soft and light.

lecture B1

Means: aula expositiva, palestra
Not: leitura → reading

Lecture means palestra or aula expositiva (a long talk that teaches), not «leitura» (which is reading in English).

The lecture lasted two hours.

notice B1

Means: perceber, reparar
Not: notícia → news

Notice means perceber or reparar (to see or become aware of something), not «notícia» (which is news in English).

Did you notice the new sign?

novel B1

Means: romance
Not: novela → soap opera

Novel means romance (a long story in a book), not «novela» (which is soap opera in English).

I am reading a novel about the sea.

costume A2

Means: fantasia, traje
Not: costume → habit, custom

Costume means fantasia (special clothes to look like someone else), not «costume» (which is habit or custom in English).

She made a costume for the party.

comprehensive B2

Means: abrangente, completo
Not: compreensivo → understanding

Comprehensive means abrangente (covering everything), not «compreensivo» (which is understanding in English).

The report gives a comprehensive view.

magazine A1

Means: revista
Not: magazine → department store

Magazine means revista, not «magazine» in the Brazilian sense (which is department store in English).

I bought a magazine at the airport.

terrific B1

Means: ótimo, excelente
Not: terrível → terrible

Terrific means ótimo (very good, wonderful), not «terrível» (which is terrible or awful in English).

You did a terrific job today.

data B1

Means: dados
Not: data → date

Data means dados (facts and information), not «data» (which is date in English).

We need more data first.

Words that only sometimes match

These share one meaning with the look-alike, but usually mean something else — see the example.

realize B1 sometimes

Means: perceber, dar-se conta
Not: realizar → carry out, hold

Realize usually means perceber, dar-se conta (to suddenly understand), not «realizar» (which is hold or carry out in English); only “realize a dream” overlaps.

I realized I forgot my keys.

attend B1 sometimes

Means: comparecer, frequentar
Not: atender → answer, serve

Attend means comparecer or frequentar (to go to a class or event), not «atender» (which is answer or serve in English); only “attend to” comes close.

Did you attend the meeting yesterday?

assist B1 sometimes

Means: ajudar
Not: assistir → watch

Assist means ajudar (to help), not «assistir» (which is watch in English, as in watching a film).

Can I assist you with your bags?

support B1 sometimes

Means: apoiar
Not: suportar → stand, put up with

Support usually means apoiar (to help or back someone), not «suportar» (which is stand or put up with in English); only “hold up a weight” overlaps.

My family supports my plan.

ordinary B1 sometimes

Means: comum, normal
Not: ordinário → cheap, vulgar

Ordinary means comum (normal, not special), not «ordinário» in its everyday sense (which is cheap or vulgar in English).

It was just an ordinary day.

Test yourself: which translation is right?

10 words from this page. One of the options is the trap — the look-alike word.

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Questions

What are false friends?

False friends (in Portuguese «falsos cognatos» or «falsos amigos») are words in two languages that look or sound alike but have different meanings, like English «library» (biblioteca) and Portuguese «livraria» (bookstore).

Why do English and Portuguese have so many false friends?

Both languages took a large part of their vocabulary from Latin, directly or through French. Over centuries the meanings drifted apart in each language, while the spelling stayed similar.

How do I stop mixing them up?

Learn each word with an example sentence rather than as a one-word translation, and check familiar-looking words too. Practising the tricky ones a few days apart helps the right meaning stick.

Levels (A1–C2) and translations come from the WordStudy dictionary. Spotted a mistake? Write to words.study.project@gmail.com.