False friends: English and Russian

30 English words that look like Russian words but mean something else — the classic «ложные друзья переводчика».

Russian borrowed many words from Latin, Greek, French and English itself, so plenty of English words look familiar to a Russian speaker. Most of them do mean the same thing; the ones below don't.

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

Test yourself ↓

Words that don't mean what they seem

magazine A1

Means: журнал
Not: магазин → shop, store

A magazine is «журнал», not «магазин» (which is a shop or store in English).

I bought a magazine at the airport.

actually A2

Means: на самом деле
Not: актуально → current, relevant

Actually means «на самом деле», «вообще-то», not «актуально» (which is relevant or topical in English).

Actually, I don't like coffee.

accurate B1

Means: точный
Not: аккуратный → neat, tidy, careful

Accurate means «точный» (exactly right), not «аккуратный» (which is neat, tidy or careful in English).

The map is very accurate.

sympathetic B2

Means: сочувствующий
Not: симпатичный → nice, good-looking

Sympathetic means «сочувствующий», understanding how someone feels, not «симпатичный» (which is nice or good-looking in English).

My teacher was very sympathetic when I was ill.

sympathy B1

Means: сочувствие
Not: симпатия → liking, attraction

Sympathy means «сочувствие», feeling sorry for someone, not «симпатия» (which is liking or attraction in English).

She sent me a card to show her sympathy.

personal A2

Means: личный
Not: персонал → staff, personnel

Personal means «личный», not «персонал» (which is staff or personnel in English).

This is a personal question.

smoking A2

Means: курение
Not: смокинг → tuxedo, dinner jacket

Smoking means «курение», not «смокинг» (which is a tuxedo or dinner jacket in English).

Smoking is not allowed here.

insult B1

Means: оскорбление
Not: инсульт → stroke

An insult is «оскорбление», not «инсульт» (which is a stroke in English).

He said it as an insult.

pretend A2

Means: притворяться
Not: претендовать → claim, aspire to

Pretend means «притворяться», to act as if something is true, not «претендовать» (which is to claim in English).

He pretended to be asleep.

fabric B2

Means: ткань
Not: фабрика → factory

Fabric means «ткань» (cloth), not «фабрика» (which is a factory in English).

I need some fabric for a dress.

preservative B2

Means: консервант
Not: презерватив → condom

A preservative is «консервант», a substance that keeps food fresh, not «презерватив» (which is a condom in English).

This jam has no artificial preservatives.

anecdote C1

Means: история из жизни
Not: анекдот → joke

An anecdote is «история из жизни», a short story about a real event, not «анекдот» (which is a joke in English).

He told an anecdote about his first job.

data B1

Means: данные
Not: дата → date

Data means «данные», information, not «дата» (which is a date in English).

We collect data from many sources.

decade B1

Means: десятилетие
Not: декада → ten days

A decade is «десятилетие», ten years, not «декада» (which is a ten-day period in English).

He lived in Spain for a decade.

complexion B2

Means: цвет лица
Not: комплекция → build, physique

Complexion means «цвет лица», the look of the skin on your face, not «комплекция» (which is build or physique in English).

She has a clear, healthy complexion.

obligation B1

Means: обязанность
Not: облигация → bond

An obligation is «обязанность», something you must do, not «облигация» (which is a bond in English).

You have no obligation to buy anything.

novel B1

Means: роман
Not: новелла → short story, novella

A novel is «роман», a long book, not «новелла» (which is a short story or novella in English).

I am reading a novel about a detective.

prospect B1

Means: перспектива
Not: проспект → avenue

A prospect is «перспектива», a chance of something in the future, not «проспект» (which is an avenue in English).

The prospect of a new job excited her.

chef A2

Means: шеф-повар
Not: шеф → boss

A chef is «повар», usually in a restaurant, not «шеф» (which is a boss in English).

The chef cooks in a small restaurant.

gymnasium B1

Means: спортзал
Not: гимназия → grammar school, secondary school

A gymnasium (or gym) is «спортзал», not «гимназия» (which is a grammar school or secondary school in English).

We play basketball in the school gymnasium.

pathetic B2

Means: жалкий
Not: патетический → passionate, full of pathos

Pathetic means «жалкий», causing pity or contempt, not «патетический» (which is passionate or full of pathos in English).

His excuse was pathetic.

biscuit A1

Means: печенье
Not: бисквит → sponge cake

A biscuit (in British English) is «печенье», not «бисквит» (which is a sponge cake in English).

I had tea and a biscuit.

fraction B1

Means: доля, дробь
Not: фракция → faction, parliamentary group

A fraction is «дробь» or «небольшая доля», not «фракция» (which is a faction or parliamentary group in English).

He did it in a fraction of a second.

expertise B1

Means: опыт, знания
Not: экспертиза → examination, assessment

Expertise means «опыт и знания специалиста», not «экспертиза» (which is an examination or assessment in English).

She has a lot of expertise in finance.

Words that only sometimes match

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

intelligent A2 sometimes

Means: умный
Not: интеллигентный → cultured, well-mannered

Intelligent means «умный», quick to learn and understand, not «интеллигентный» (which is cultured or well-mannered in English).

She is very intelligent and learns fast.

familiar A2 sometimes

Means: знакомый
Not: фамильярный → overfamiliar, too casual

Familiar usually means «знакомый», well known to you; only in too familiar does it mean «фамильярный» (which is otherwise overfamiliar in English).

Your face looks familiar.

resume B2 sometimes

Means: возобновить
Not: резюме → CV, summary

Resume is most often a verb, «возобновить», to start again; the CV document «резюме» is spelled résumé in the US and called a CV in the UK, and «резюме» as a short summary is a summary.

The meeting will resume after lunch.

concrete B1 sometimes

Means: бетон
Not: конкретный → specific

Concrete often means «бетон»; it can also mean «конкретный» (concrete evidence, concrete plans), but in everyday speech «конкретный» is usually specific.

The road is made of concrete.

replica B2 sometimes

Means: точная копия
Not: реплика → remark, line

A replica is «точная копия»; Russian «реплика» means that too, but its usual sense, a short line in a conversation, is a remark or line in English.

The museum sells a replica of the ancient vase.

artist A1 sometimes

Means: художник
Not: артист → performer, actor

An artist is usually «художник», someone who paints or draws; «артист» is usually a performer in English, though a singer can be a recording artist.

My brother is an artist and paints portraits.

Test yourself: which translation is right?

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Questions

What are false friends in Russian and English?

In Russian they are called «ложные друзья переводчика»: words that look or sound like a Russian word but mean something else, like English «magazine» (журнал) and Russian «магазин» (shop).

Why are there so many?

Both languages borrowed heavily from Latin, Greek and French. The words kept a similar shape, but their meanings developed separately in each language.

How do I stop mixing them up?

Learn each word with an example sentence, not as a one-word pair, and check familiar-looking words too. Repeating 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.