False friends: English and Vietnamese

20 English words that look like words already used in Vietnamese but mean something else — the traps Vietnamese speakers fall into most often.

English and Vietnamese are unrelated, so these look-alikes don't come from a shared ancestor. Most are loanwords: older ones came into Vietnamese through French (ca nô, cà vạt, com-pa, ba-ga), newer ones straight from English (offline, sale, nick, ship). The French ones brought their French meanings, which often differ from the English word, and the English ones took on a meaning of their own in Vietnamese: «offline» became an in-person meetup, «sale» a salesperson. Some pairs are pure coincidence: Vietnamese «pin» (battery) comes from French «pile», not from English «pin».

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

Test yourself ↓

Words that don't mean what they seem

photo A1

Means: ảnh, bức ảnh
Not: photo → photocopy

Photo means a picture taken with a camera, not «photo» (which is a photocopy in English).

Can I take a photo of you?

pin B1

Means: ghim, đinh ghim
Not: pin → battery

Pin means a small thin sharp piece of metal for holding things together, not «pin» (which is a battery in English).

She used a pin to hold the paper on the board.

vest A2

Means: áo ba lỗ (Anh), áo gi-lê (Mỹ)
Not: vest → suit jacket, blazer

Vest is a sleeveless undershirt (UK) or a waistcoat (US), not «vest» (which is a suit jacket or blazer in English).

In winter I wear a vest under my shirt.

gum B1

Means: kẹo cao su; nướu
Not: gôm → eraser

Gum is chewing gum, or the pink flesh around your teeth, not «gôm» (which is an eraser in English, or a rubber in British English).

Please don't chew gum in class.

canoe B1

Means: xuồng, thuyền chèo tay
Not: ca nô → motorboat, speedboat

Canoe means a small narrow boat you move with a paddle, not «ca nô» (which is a motorboat or speedboat in English).

We crossed the quiet lake in a canoe.

baggage B1

Means: hành lý
Not: ba-ga → luggage rack

Baggage means the bags and suitcases you take on a trip, not «ba-ga» (which is a luggage rack on a bike or motorbike in English).

Your baggage is on the belt.

blouse A2

Means: áo kiểu nữ
Not: blouse → lab coat, white coat

Blouse is a light shirt for women, not «áo blouse» (which is a lab coat or white coat in English).

She wore a white blouse and black trousers.

nick A2

Means: vết xước nhỏ
Not: nick → account, username

Nick means a small cut or mark on a surface, not «nick» (which is an account or username in English).

There is a small nick on the table.

cravat C2

Means: khăn lụa quấn cổ kiểu cổ điển
Not: cà vạt → necktie, tie

Cravat means a wide cloth tied around the neck in an old-fashioned style, not «cà vạt» (which is a tie or necktie in English).

He tied a silk cravat around his neck.

Words that only sometimes match

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

ship A1 sometimes

Means: tàu thủy
Not: ship → deliver, send

Ship is mainly a big boat that goes on the sea; as a verb it means to send goods. For bringing food or parcels to your door (Vietnamese «ship»), English usually says deliver.

The ship leaves the port at six.

hot A1 sometimes

Means: nóng
Not: hot → popular, famous

Hot means very warm or spicy; English also says «a hot topic» for something trending. But about a person hot means sexually attractive, not «hot» in the Vietnamese sense of famous or trending (which is popular or famous in English).

Be careful, the soup is very hot.

sale A2 sometimes

Means: giảm giá; việc bán
Not: sale → salesperson

Sale means selling something or a time when prices are lower, not «sale» (which is a salesperson in English). To say you «làm sale», say «I work in sales».

The sale starts on Friday.

cream A1 sometimes

Means: kem tươi (từ sữa)
Not: kem → ice cream

Cream means the thick white liquid from milk (or a skin cream), not «kem» as a dessert (which is ice cream in English).

I like a little cream in my coffee.

offline B1 sometimes

Means: không có mạng, ngoại tuyến
Not: offline → in-person meetup

Offline means not connected to the internet, not «offline» as a noun (which is an in-person meetup or get-together in English).

The app still works offline.

meeting A2 sometimes

Means: cuộc họp
Not: mít tinh → rally, demonstration

Meeting is an ordinary get-together to talk, like a work meeting, not «mít tinh» (which is a rally in English).

We have a meeting at nine tomorrow.

salon B1 sometimes

Means: tiệm làm tóc, tiệm làm đẹp
Not: salon → sofa set, car showroom

Salon is a hair or beauty shop, just like «salon tóc». But «bộ salon» is a sofa set or living-room set in English, and «salon ô tô» is a car showroom.

She works at a hair salon in the city.

nail B1 sometimes

Means: móng tay; cái đinh
Not: nail → manicure, nail salon

Nail means the hard part at the end of a finger (or a metal pin), not «nail» as a service (which is a manicure in English: get your nails done).

I cut my nails every Sunday.

carton B1 sometimes

Means: hộp giấy (đựng sữa, nước ép, trứng)
Not: các-tông, thùng carton → cardboard, cardboard box

Carton means a small card box for milk, juice or eggs, not «thùng carton» (which is a cardboard box in English; the material «các-tông» is cardboard).

Can you buy a carton of milk, please?

form A2 sometimes

Means: mẫu đơn, hình dạng
Not: form → fit, cut (of clothes)

Form means a paper you fill in, or a shape, not «form» of clothes (which is fit or cut in English).

Please fill in this form.

compass B1 sometimes

Means: la bàn
Not: com-pa → pair of compasses (for drawing circles)

Compass usually means a device that shows north; «com-pa» for drawing circles is also a compass, or a pair of compasses.

We used a compass to find north.

Test yourself: which translation is right?

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

Practise these words in WordStudy

Add the words you missed and the app will repeat them in cards, quizzes and spelling until they stick.

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Questions

What are false friends between English and Vietnamese?

They are English words that look or sound like words Vietnamese already uses, but have a different meaning in English. For example, English «photo» is a picture taken with a camera, while the Vietnamese «đi photo» means to photocopy, which English says as «photocopy».

Why does Vietnamese have so many of them?

Many everyday words came into Vietnamese through French, such as «ca nô», «cà vạt» and «com-pa», and kept their French meanings, which often differ from the English word. Words borrowed from English more recently, such as «sale» and «offline», took on new meanings in Vietnamese, so they no longer match the English original.

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.