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Vocabulario · Gratis, sin cuenta

Falsos amigos en inglés

Cuarenta y una palabras inglesas que un hispanohablante usa con total seguridad para decir algo que no dicen. Cada una con la frase que dirías tú y la que deberías decir, una debajo de la otra.

Se abre el diálogo de impresión de tu navegador — elige «Guardar como PDF».

41 palabras

Un falso amigo no es una palabra que no te sepas: es una palabra de la que estás seguro. Por eso sobreviven años de estudio. La frase te sale fluida, la gramática está bien y el significado está mal — y como nadie te interrumpe para corregirte, sigues diciéndola.

Están ordenados por lo que te cuesta equivocarte, no por nivel. Los primeros cambian lo que entiende la otra persona; los últimos solo hacen que suenes a traducción. Empieza por arriba.

Los que hay que saber sí o sí

Aquí equivocarte no es un fallo de estilo: cambia lo que la otra persona entiende, y en algunos casos te deja en una situación incómoda delante de gente.

  • embarrassed

    Parece embarazada

    Significa:
    avergonzado
    Tú querías decir:
    pregnant

    My sister is embarrassed — the baby arrives in June.

    My sister is pregnant — the baby arrives in June.

  • constipated

    Parece constipado

    Significa:
    estreñido
    Tú querías decir:
    to have a cold

    I can't come to the office, I'm constipated.

    I can't come to the office, I've got a cold.

  • molest

    Parece molestar

    Significa:
    abusar sexualmente de alguien
    Tú querías decir:
    to bother / to disturb

    Sorry to molest you, do you have a minute?

    Sorry to bother you, do you have a minute?

  • preservative

    Parece preservativo

    Significa:
    conservante (de alimentos)
    Tú querías decir:
    condom

    The pharmacy sells preservatives.

    The pharmacy sells condoms.

  • actually

    Parece actualmente

    Significa:
    en realidad, de hecho
    Tú querías decir:
    currently / at the moment

    Actually I'm working at a startup in Madrid.

    I'm currently working at a startup in Madrid.

  • realize

    Parece realizar

    Significa:
    darse cuenta
    Tú querías decir:
    to carry out / to do

    We realized the migration last weekend.

    We carried out the migration last weekend.

  • assist

    Parece asistir (a un sitio)

    Significa:
    ayudar
    Tú querías decir:
    to attend

    Forty people assisted the conference.

    Forty people attended the conference.

  • sensible

    Parece sensible

    Significa:
    sensato, con criterio
    Tú querías decir:
    sensitive

    Don't shout at him, he's very sensible.

    Don't shout at him, he's very sensitive.

  • sympathetic

    Parece simpático

    Significa:
    comprensivo, que se compadece
    Tú querías decir:
    nice / friendly / likeable

    Our new manager is really sympathetic, everyone likes her.

    Our new manager is really nice, everyone likes her.

  • library

    Parece librería

    Significa:
    biblioteca
    Tú querías decir:
    bookshop / bookstore

    I bought this novel at the library.

    I bought this novel at the bookshop.

  • success

    Parece suceso

    Significa:
    éxito
    Tú querías decir:
    event / incident

    The police are investigating the success.

    The police are investigating the incident.

  • exit

    Parece éxito

    Significa:
    salida
    Tú querías decir:
    success

    The launch was a huge exit.

    The launch was a huge success.

  • parents

    Parece parientes

    Significa:
    padres (madre y padre)
    Tú querías decir:
    relatives

    All my parents came to the wedding — about forty people.

    All my relatives came to the wedding — about forty people.

  • college

    Parece colegio

    Significa:
    universidad (o instituto superior)
    Tú querías decir:
    school

    My eight-year-old starts college in September.

    My eight-year-old starts school in September.

Los que te delatan a diario

Nadie te va a malinterpretar del todo, pero cada uno de estos suena a traducción literal — y es exactamente lo que separa a alguien que habla inglés de alguien que lo traduce.

  • support

    Parece soportar

    Significa:
    apoyar, respaldar
    Tú querías decir:
    to put up with / to stand

    I can't support this noise any longer.

    I can't put up with this noise any longer.

  • large

    Parece largo

    Significa:
    grande
    Tú querías decir:
    long

    It was a large meeting — almost three hours.

    It was a long meeting — almost three hours.

  • eventually

    Parece eventualmente

    Significa:
    finalmente, con el tiempo
    Tú querías decir:
    possibly / if necessary

    Eventually we could hire someone, but only if sales grow.

    We could possibly hire someone, but only if sales grow.

  • argument

    Parece argumento (de una película)

    Significa:
    discusión, pelea (o razonamiento)
    Tú querías decir:
    plot / storyline

    The argument of the film was hard to follow.

    The plot of the film was hard to follow.

  • discussion

    Parece discusión (pelea)

    Significa:
    conversación, debate tranquilo
    Tú querías decir:
    argument / row

    They had a discussion and she left in tears.

    They had an argument and she left in tears.

  • advise

    Parece avisar

    Significa:
    aconsejar
    Tú querías decir:
    to warn / to let someone know

    Please advise me when the delivery arrives.

    Please let me know when the delivery arrives.

  • pretend

    Parece pretender

    Significa:
    fingir, aparentar
    Tú querías decir:
    to intend / to aim to

    With this campaign we pretend to reach new customers.

    With this campaign we aim to reach new customers.

  • quit

    Parece quitar

    Significa:
    dejar (un trabajo, un hábito), renunciar
    Tú querías decir:
    to remove / to take off

    Quit your coat, it's warm inside.

    Take your coat off, it's warm inside.

  • record

    Parece recordar

    Significa:
    grabar, registrar
    Tú querías decir:
    to remember / to remind

    I don't record his name.

    I don't remember his name.

  • remove

    Parece remover

    Significa:
    quitar, retirar
    Tú querías decir:
    to stir

    Remove the sauce for two minutes.

    Stir the sauce for two minutes.

  • resume

    Parece resumir

    Significa:
    reanudar, retomar
    Tú querías decir:
    to summarise

    Could you resume the report in one paragraph?

    Could you summarise the report in one paragraph?

  • topic

    Parece tópico

    Significa:
    tema
    Tú querías decir:
    cliché

    Saying Spain is all sun and beaches is a topic.

    Saying Spain is all sun and beaches is a cliché.

  • lecture

    Parece lectura

    Significa:
    conferencia, clase magistral
    Tú querías decir:
    reading

    The lecture of this book took me a month.

    Reading this book took me a month.

  • notice

    Parece noticia

    Significa:
    aviso; darse cuenta de algo
    Tú querías decir:
    news / a news story

    Did you see the notice about the strike on TV?

    Did you see the news about the strike on TV?

  • carpet

    Parece carpeta

    Significa:
    alfombra, moqueta
    Tú querías decir:
    folder

    I saved the invoices in a carpet on my desktop.

    I saved the invoices in a folder on my desktop.

  • rope

    Parece ropa

    Significa:
    cuerda
    Tú querías decir:
    clothes

    I need to wash my rope this weekend.

    I need to wash my clothes this weekend.

  • fabric

    Parece fábrica

    Significa:
    tela, tejido
    Tú querías decir:
    factory

    He works in a car fabric near Valencia.

    He works in a car factory near Valencia.

Los que sobreviven hasta el C1

Sobreviven porque casi funcionan. Los usas bien el noventa por ciento de las veces y el diez por ciento restante nadie te corrige.

  • compromise

    Parece compromiso (obligación)

    Significa:
    acuerdo en el que ambas partes ceden
    Tú querías decir:
    commitment / obligation

    I can't make it — I have a compromise on Friday.

    I can't make it — I have a commitment on Friday.

  • deception

    Parece decepción

    Significa:
    engaño
    Tú querías decir:
    disappointment

    The result was a real deception for the team.

    The result was a real disappointment for the team.

  • disgust

    Parece disgusto

    Significa:
    asco, repugnancia
    Tú querías decir:
    annoyance / upset

    She took a big disgust when she heard the news.

    She was very upset when she heard the news.

  • familiar

    Parece familiar (pariente)

    Significa:
    conocido, que resulta reconocible
    Tú querías decir:
    relative / family member

    I'm staying with a familiar in Dublin.

    I'm staying with a relative in Dublin.

  • conductor

    Parece conductor (de coche)

    Significa:
    director de orquesta; revisor de tren
    Tú querías decir:
    driver

    The bus conductor missed the turning.

    The bus driver missed the turning.

  • intoxicated

    Parece intoxicado

    Significa:
    ebrio, borracho
    Tú querías decir:
    to have food poisoning

    Half the guests were intoxicated by the seafood.

    Half the guests got food poisoning from the seafood.

  • ultimately

    Parece últimamente

    Significa:
    en última instancia, a fin de cuentas
    Tú querías decir:
    lately / recently

    Ultimately I've been sleeping badly.

    Lately I've been sleeping badly.

  • idiom

    Parece idioma

    Significa:
    modismo, expresión hecha
    Tú querías decir:
    language

    How many idioms do you speak?

    How many languages do you speak?

  • estate

    Parece estado

    Significa:
    finca, propiedad; patrimonio
    Tú querías decir:
    state

    The estate should pay for public healthcare.

    The state should pay for public healthcare.

  • advertisement

    Parece advertencia

    Significa:
    anuncio publicitario
    Tú querías decir:
    warning

    There's an advertisement on the bottle about the dosage.

    There's a warning on the bottle about the dosage.

DE LO QUE LEES A LO QUE DICES

Reconocerlos es la mitad. La otra mitad es no decirlos.

Leer esta lista te avisa. Lo que hace que no se te escapen es usarlas hablando y que alguien te corrija en el momento — que es exactamente lo que hace Fluvia.

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