What are ‘faux-amis’ in French?
False Friends, or ‘faux amis’ in French, can occur between any two languages with historical or cultural ties. But what exactly are they? Does knowing them enhance our language mastery? And which ones are important to know between English and French? Read on to discover the answers!
Les faux-amis are words from different languages that look similar but have different meanings. This is why they are referred to as false friends in French.
1. Actuellement
Actuellement in english means ‘actual’. In French it means ‘currently/ now/ at the moment’
Example- She is now working in France.
‘Elle travaille actuellement en France’.
2. Journée
When we hear journée in english it usually means a journey. In french it means day/ daytime
Example- Have a good day
Bonne journée
It rained all day
Il a plu toute la journée
3. Joli(e)
Joli/Jolie in english is meant to be happy, but in french it defines being pretty/handsome/nice and lovely.
Example- You are a pretty girl
Tu es une jolie fille.
4. Éventuellement.
Éventuellement means eventually in english and in french it means possibly, maybe or potentially
Example- I’m afraid I’ll possibly be late.
Je crains d’être éventuellement en retard.
5. Magasin
Magasin in english means a magazine and in french it means a shop
Example- The shops open at 7 o’clock.
Les magasins ouvrent à 7h.
6. Rester
Rester means to rest in english and in french means to stay or to remain
Example- I stayed at home.
Je suis resté à la maison.
7. Une location
In english une location defines a place and in french it is meant rental
Example- la location de voitures (car rental)
8. Attendre
In English attendre means to attend and in french it means to wait for something or someone
Example- I wait for my sister every day at the same time.
J’attends ma sœur tous les jours à la même heure.
These similarities can often lead to confusion or misunderstandings for language learners or speakers who assume the words are equal due to their resemblance. Learning false friends may not be that main in mastering a language, but it is surely important aspect of language learning. The more you are exposed to the language, the less confusing it becomes. You will become more familiar with several common French expressions that actually translate to different words.
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