False friends: English and Turkish

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

Turkish has taken many words from French and Italian, and English took much of its vocabulary from Latin and French. So the two languages share plenty of look-alikes — and many of them do match, like «problem», «doktor» or «televizyon». That is exactly why the exceptions are dangerous: a word that looks Turkish feels safe, so nobody checks it.

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

Test yourself ↓

Words that don't mean what they seem

actual B1

Means: gerçek
Not: aktüel → current, topical

Actual means real or true, not «aktüel» (which is current or topical in English).

The actual price was higher than the price on the sign.

pasta A1

Means: makarna
Not: pasta → cake

Pasta means noodles such as spaghetti or penne, not «pasta» (which is cake in English).

We had pasta for dinner last night.

preservative B2

Means: koruyucu madde
Not: prezervatif → condom

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

This jam has no preservatives.

sympathetic B2

Means: anlayışlı, merhametli
Not: sempatik → likeable, nice

Sympathetic means kind and understanding about someone's problems, not «sempatik» (which is likeable or nice in English).

My teacher was sympathetic when I missed the exam.

agenda B2

Means: gündem, toplantı maddeleri
Not: ajanda → planner, diary

An agenda is a list of things to discuss or do, for example at a meeting, not «ajanda» (which is a planner or diary in English).

The first item on the agenda is money.

closet A2

Means: dolap
Not: klozet → toilet bowl

Closet means a cupboard or small room for clothes, not «klozet» (which is a toilet bowl in English).

She hung her coat in the closet.

grip B1

Means: tutuş, sıkı tutma
Not: grip → flu

Grip means to hold something tightly, or a firm hold, not «grip» (which is the flu in English).

He lost his grip and fell.

magazine A1

Means: dergi
Not: magazin → gossip, celebrity news

A magazine is a thin printed publication with articles and pictures, not «magazin» (which is celebrity news or gossip in English).

I read a magazine on the train.

petrol A2

Means: benzin
Not: petrol → crude oil

Petrol is British English for the fuel you put in a car (gas in the US), not «petrol» (which is crude oil, or just oil, in English).

We stopped to buy petrol.

sympathy B1

Means: üzüntüye ortak olma, acıma
Not: sempati → liking, attraction

Sympathy means feeling sorry for someone who is sad or hurt, not «sempati» (which is liking someone in English).

She sent a card to show her sympathy.

fabric B2

Means: kumaş
Not: fabrika → factory

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

This fabric is soft and warm.

pension B1

Means: emekli maaşı
Not: pansiyon → guesthouse

A pension is money paid to people who have stopped working, not «pansiyon» (which is a guesthouse or B&B in English).

My grandfather lives on his pension.

patron B2

Means: destekçi, müşteri
Not: patron → boss

A patron is a regular customer of a restaurant or shop, or a supporter of an organisation, not «patron» (which is a boss or employer in English).

The restaurant thanks its patrons for coming.

kayak B1

Means: kano
Not: kayak → skiing

A kayak is a narrow boat you paddle, not «kayak» (which is skiing in English); go kayaking means paddling, not skiing.

We went kayaking on the river.

conserve B2

Means: korumak, tasarruf etmek
Not: konserve → canned food

To conserve means to use something carefully so it lasts, or to protect nature, not «konserve» (which is canned food in English).

We must conserve water in summer.

casket B1

Means: tabut; küçük kutu
Not: kasket → flat cap

Casket means a coffin (or a small box for valuables), not «kasket» (which is a flat cap in English).

The casket was covered with white flowers.

jest C1

Means: şaka, espri
Not: jest → gesture, kind act

Jest means a joke (a rather old-fashioned word), not «jest» (which is a gesture or kind act in English).

He only said it in jest, so don't be upset.

rant C1

Means: atıp tutmak, söylenmek
Not: rant → unearned profit, windfall

Rant means to talk loudly and angrily for a long time, not «rant» (which is unearned profit in English).

He started to rant about the traffic again.

Words that only sometimes match

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

college A1 sometimes

Means: üniversite, yüksekokul
Not: kolej → private school

College usually means a school you go to after high school, not «kolej» (which is a private school in English).

My sister goes to college in Boston.

control B1 sometimes

Means: yönetmek, hâkim olmak
Not: kontrol (etmek) → to check

Control usually means to make something do what you want, not «kontrol etmek» (which is to check in English), except in phrases like passport control.

He could not control his anger.

etiquette B2 sometimes

Means: görgü kuralları
Not: etiket → label, tag

Etiquette means the rules of polite behaviour, not «etiket» in the sense of a tag on a product (that is a label or tag in English).

Good table etiquette is important in many countries.

market A1 sometimes

Means: pazar, piyasa
Not: market → supermarket, grocery store

A market is usually a place with stalls where people buy and sell, or the economic market, not «market» (which is a supermarket or grocery store in English).

We buy fresh fruit at the market on Saturdays.

parcel B1 sometimes

Means: paket, koli
Not: parsel → plot of land

Parcel usually means a package sent by post, not «parsel» (a plot of land), although «a parcel of land» also exists in English.

A parcel for you arrived this morning.

faculty B2 sometimes

Means: öğretim kadrosu, yetenek
Not: fakülte → faculty (UK), school (US)

Faculty usually means the teachers of a school or a natural ability; only in British English does it also mean «fakülte», a part of a university (in the US that is a school).

The faculty meets every Monday.

apartment A1 sometimes

Means: daire
Not: apartman → apartment building

An apartment is one flat inside a building, not «apartman» (which is an apartment building in English).

We live in a small apartment on the third floor.

condition B1 sometimes

Means: durum, rahatsızlık
Not: kondisyon → fitness

Condition means the state something is in, or an illness (a heart condition), not «kondisyon» (which is fitness in English).

My grandmother has a heart condition.

chef A2 sometimes

Means: aşçı
Not: şef → boss, manager

A chef is a professional cook in a restaurant, not «şef» in the sense of your boss at work (that is boss or manager in English).

The chef cooked fish for us.

passage B1 sometimes

Means: geçit, koridor; metin parçası
Not: pasaj → shopping arcade

Passage means a narrow corridor or a short part of a text, not «pasaj» in the sense of a shopping arcade (which is an arcade in English).

A narrow passage led to the garden.

campaign B1 sometimes

Means: kampanya, seferberlik
Not: kampanya → sale, special offer

Campaign means an organised effort toward a goal (an election or advertising campaign), not «kampanya» in the sense of a shop discount (which is a sale or special offer in English).

The campaign to save the park lasted two years.

salon B1 sometimes

Means: kuaför, güzellik salonu
Not: salon → living room, hall

A salon is usually a place where you get your hair or beauty done, not «salon» in the sense of a living room or hall (that is a living room or hall in English).

I had my hair cut at the salon.

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 in English and Turkish?

False friends (in Turkish «yanlış arkadaşlar») are words in two languages that look or sound alike but have different meanings, like English «magazine» (dergi) and Turkish «magazin» (celebrity news).

Why do English and Turkish have so many false friends?

Turkish borrowed many words from French and Italian, while English took a large part of its vocabulary from Latin, directly or through French. The spelling stayed similar, but the meanings drifted apart in each language.

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.