False friends: English and Romanian

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

Romanian grew out of Latin and later took many words from French, and English borrowed heavily from Latin and French too. So the two languages share a lot of vocabulary, and much of it really does match: important, natural, possible. That is exactly why the exceptions are dangerous — a word that looks Romanian feels safe, so nobody checks it.

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

Test yourself ↓

Words that don't mean what they seem

library A1

Means: bibliotecă
Not: librărie → bookshop, bookstore

Library means a place where you borrow books (bibliotecă), not «librărie» (which is a bookshop or bookstore in English).

I borrowed two books from the library.

magazine A1

Means: revistă
Not: magazin → shop, store

Magazine means a thin printed publication with pictures and articles (revistă), not «magazin» (which is a shop or store in English).

I bought a magazine at the airport.

actual B1

Means: real, adevărat
Not: actual → current, present

Actual means real or true (real, adevărat), not «actual» (which is current or present in English).

What was the actual price of the ticket?

actually A2

Means: de fapt
Not: actualmente → currently, at the moment

Actually means in fact or really (de fapt), not «actualmente» (which is currently or at the moment in English).

I thought it was cheap, but actually it was expensive.

eventually A2

Means: în cele din urmă
Not: eventual → possibly, if necessary

Eventually means in the end, after a long time (în cele din urmă), not «eventual» (which is possibly or if necessary in English).

We got lost, but eventually we found the hotel.

sensible B1

Means: rezonabil, chibzuit
Not: sensibil → sensitive

Sensible means showing good judgment (rezonabil, chibzuit), not «sensibil» (which is sensitive in English).

It's sensible to wear a coat today.

pretend A2

Means: a se preface
Not: a pretinde → to claim, to demand

Pretend means to act as if something is true when it is not (a se preface), not «a pretinde» (which is to claim or to demand in English).

He pretended not to hear me.

sympathetic B2

Means: înțelegător
Not: simpatic → nice, likeable

Sympathetic means understanding and caring about someone's feelings (înțelegător), not «simpatic» (which is nice or likeable in English).

My boss was sympathetic when I was ill.

consistent B1

Means: consecvent, constant
Not: consistent → substantial, hearty

Consistent means always the same, not changing (consecvent, constant), not «consistent» (which is substantial or hearty in English).

She is a consistent student who studies every day.

fabric B2

Means: țesătură
Not: fabrică → factory

Fabric means cloth used to make clothes (țesătură), not «fabrică» (which is a factory in English).

This fabric is soft and easy to wash.

physician B1

Means: medic
Not: fizician → physicist

Physician means a doctor (medic), not «fizician» (which is a physicist in English).

The physician told me to rest for a week.

lecture B1

Means: prelegere, curs
Not: lectură → reading

Lecture means a long talk that teaches something (prelegere, curs), not «lectură» (which is reading in English).

The lecture about history lasted two hours.

deception C1

Means: înșelăciune
Not: decepție → disappointment

Deception means tricking someone (înșelăciune), not «decepție» (which is disappointment in English).

The deception was discovered after a few weeks.

preservative B2

Means: conservant
Not: prezervativ → condom

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

This jam has no artificial preservatives.

patron B2

Means: susținător, client
Not: patron → boss, employer

Patron means a supporter or a regular customer (susținător, client), not «patron» (which is boss or owner in English).

The restaurant thanked its regular patrons.

hazard B1

Means: pericol, risc
Not: hazard → chance, luck

Hazard means a danger or risk (pericol, risc), not «hazard» (which is chance or luck in English).

Old wires are a fire hazard.

transpire C1

Means: a se afla, a se dovedi
Not: a transpira → to sweat

Transpire means to become known or to happen (a se afla), not «a transpira» (which is to sweat in English).

It later transpired that he had lied.

resume B2

Means: a relua; CV
Not: a rezuma → to summarize

Resume means to start again after a pause (a relua) or, in American English, a CV, not «a rezuma» (which is to summarize in English).

We will resume the meeting after lunch.

evidence B1

Means: dovezi
Not: evidență → records, obviousness

Evidence means facts or proof that show something is true (dovezi), not «evidență» (which is records, or obviousness, in English).

Is there any evidence that this diet works?

Words that only sometimes match

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

assist B1 sometimes

Means: a ajuta
Not: a asista → to attend, to witness

Assist means to help (a ajuta). Romanian «a asista» can also mean to help, but usually it means to be present at something, which in English is attend or watch.

Can you assist me with these heavy bags?

nervous A2 sometimes

Means: emoționat, neliniștit
Not: nervos → angry, irritable

Nervous means worried or anxious before something (emoționat, neliniștit), not «nervos» in its usual sense (which is irritated or angry in English).

I feel nervous before every exam.

ordinary B1 sometimes

Means: obișnuit
Not: ordinar → vulgar, cheap

Ordinary means normal, not special (obișnuit), not «ordinar» in its usual sense (which is vulgar or cheap in English).

It was just an ordinary day at work.

camera A1 sometimes

Means: aparat foto
Not: cameră → room

Camera means a device for taking photos or filming (aparat foto), not «cameră» in the sense of a room (which is room in English).

I forgot my camera at the hotel.

audience A2 sometimes

Means: public, spectatori
Not: audiență → appointment, official meeting

Audience means the people watching or listening (public, spectatori). Romanian «audiență» with an official is usually an appointment or meeting in English.

The audience clapped for a long time.

agenda B2 sometimes

Means: ordine de zi
Not: agendă → diary, planner

Agenda means a list of things to discuss or do (ordine de zi), not «agendă» the notebook (which is a diary or planner in English).

What is on the agenda for tomorrow's meeting?

cabinet B1 sometimes

Means: dulap; guvern
Not: cabinet → doctor's office, study

Cabinet means a piece of furniture with doors, a cupboard (dulap), not «cabinet» in the sense of a doctor's office (which is doctor's office or study in English).

She keeps the plates in the kitchen cabinet.

pretentious C1 sometimes

Means: ostentativ, care vrea să pară important
Not: pretențios → demanding, fussy

Pretentious means trying to seem more important than you are (afectat, pretențios în sensul de emfatic), not «pretențios» in its usual sense (which is demanding or fussy in English).

His pretentious speech made everyone laugh.

sentence A2 sometimes

Means: propoziție
Not: sentință → verdict, judgment

Sentence usually means a group of words that expresses a full idea (propoziție). It can also be a punishment given by a court, close to «sentință» (verdict, judgment), but in everyday use it is the grammar word.

Write one sentence about your day.

faculty B2 sometimes

Means: corp profesoral; abilitate
Not: facultate → university, college

Faculty usually means the teachers of a university or a natural ability (corp profesoral, abilitate). When you say «merg la facultate», in English it is university or college; faculty appears only in names like Faculty of Law.

The faculty meets every Monday morning.

formidable B2 sometimes

Means: redutabil, impresionant
Not: formidabil → great, wonderful

Formidable means impressive and a little frightening (redutabil), not «formidabil» (which is great or wonderful in English).

She is a formidable opponent in chess.

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 Romanian «prieteni falși») are words in two languages that look or sound alike but have different meanings, like English «magazine» (revistă) and Romanian «magazin» (a shop).

Why do English and Romanian have false friends?

Both languages took part of their vocabulary from Latin, directly or through French. Over time 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.