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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.

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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