You false cognates are words from different languages that, despite presenting similar spellings and/or pronunciations, have distinct meanings.
They are the exact opposite of cognates, words with the same root and therefore have spelling similarities and the same meaning in different languages.
Now that you've read the explanations, check out the lists provided throughout the content and learn everything you need to know about cognates and false cognates.
See below for some examples of cognates:
| English | Portuguese |
|---|---|
| accident | accident |
| comic | comic |
| creation | creation |
| different | different |
| economy | economy |
| example | example |
| future | future |
| garage | garage |
| important | important |
| minute | minute |
| offensive | offensive |
| positive | positive |
| television | television |
the english word cigar, for example, means "cigar". However, it is usually mistranslated as "cigarro", a Portuguese word which actually, in English, is translated as cigarette. despite cigar and "cigarette" have the same root, their respective meanings are different.
Many other translation errors occur due to similarities between spellings and/or pronunciations of these types of words and for this reason, false cognates are also called
fake friends (false friends, in English).List of false cognates
Look at the table below and see examples of most common false cognates between English and Portuguese:
| English | meaning in Portuguese | Portuguese | meaning in english |
|---|---|---|---|
| actually | actually | at the moment | now a days |
| adept | specialist | adept | fan |
| anthem | anthem | antenna | antenna |
| by the way | pseudonym; surname | by the way | indeed; in fact |
| I'm making out | accumulate | crumple | dent; knead (mass) |
| appointment | appointment by appointment | note | note |
| apology | apology | apology | eulogy |
| argument | discussion | argument | reasoning |
| I'm watching | help | to attend | (meeting) to attend, (TV, cinema) to watch |
| I'm attending | watch, participate | to meet | to answer |
| audience | audience | court hearing | court appearance |
| balcony | balcony | counter | counter |
| arms | braces (teeth) | arms | arms |
| cigar | cigar | cigarette | cigarette |
| collar | collar, collar, collar | necklace | necklace |
| college | college | school | school |
| comprehensive | embracing | understanding | understanding |
| confidant | trusting | confident | confidant |
| convict | condemned | convinced | Convinced |
| custom | fantasy | custom | habit |
| date | Dice | date | gives you |
| deception | act of cheating; fraud | disappointment | disappointment |
| I'm in | crumple | tooth | tooth |
| I give you back | transfer; to delegate | give back | to return; to give back |
| diversion | Detour | fun | fun |
| I'm rolling | enlist, subscribe | curl | to roll |
| eventually | finally; Lastly | eventually | possibly |
| exit | exit | success | success |
| exiting | exciting | exciting (sexual context) | sexy |
| exquisite | sophisticated | weird | strange |
| fabric | fabric | factory | factory |
| to grip | firmly grasp | the flu | flu |
| idiom | idiomatic expression | language | language |
| ingenuity | creativity | naivety | naivety |
| inhabitable | habitable | uninhabitable | uninhabitable |
| injury | injury | injury | insult |
| I understand | to intend | to understand | I understand |
| jar | Bowl | jar | jug |
| journal | specialty magazine | newspaper | newspaper (paper) |
| lace | income | link | ribbon |
| lecture | lecture | reading | reading |
| legend | legend | subtitle | subtitles |
| library | library | book store | bookstore |
| location | localization | location | lease |
| lunch | lunch | lunch | snack |
| magazine | magazine | magazine | department store |
| major | Mayor | bigger | bigger |
| motel | roadside hotel | motel | love motel |
| to notice | notice | news | news |
| novel | novel (literary) | soap opera (TV) | soap opera |
| office | desk | official | official |
| parents | parents (father and mother) | relatives | relatives |
| folder | pasta (noodles, lasagna) | folder | folder |
| physician | doctor | physicist | physicist |
| policy | politics; guideline | police | police |
| prejudice | preconception | prejudice | damage, loss |
| condom | preservative (food) | condom | condom |
| to pull | pull | to jump | to jump |
| to push | push | pull | to pull |
| perform | notice, notice, notice | accomplish | to carry out, to put into practice |
| requirement | requirement | application | request; application |
| resume | resume | abstract | summary |
| retired | retiree | withdrawn | removed |
| retribution | punishment; retaliation | retribution | remuneration (salary); reward |
| scholar | intellectual; erudite | school | school (adjective) |
| sensible | sensible | sensitive | sensitive |
| silicone | silicon | silicone | silicone |
Phrases with most common false cognates
| English > Portuguese |
|---|
|
- He arrived after lunch. (He arrived after lunch.) lunch means "lunch", not "snack". |
|
- I attended the meeting today morning. (I attended a meeting this morning.) Attended it means "attended", not "answered". |
|
- She is at the library. (She is in the library.) Library it means "library" and not "bookstore". |
|
- actually, I think you are right. (Actually, I think you're right.) actually it means "actually" and not "nowadays". |
|
- She was the container of the Oscar. (She received the Oscar.) container is the person who receives something and not the "container". |
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- They tried to obtain money by deception. (They tried to get money illegally.) deception means "unlawfully"; "by fraud" and not "deception". |
|
- She intended to be happy. (She pretended to be happy.) intended it means "pretended" and not "intended". |
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- We were invited to a custom party. (We were invited to a costume party.) Custom it means "fantasy" and not "custom". |
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- This is the worst major our state has ever had. (This is the worst mayor our state has ever had.) mayor means "mayor" and not "major". |
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- The teacher used to argue with the students. (The teacher used to argue with the students.) Argue it means "discussing" and not "arguing". |
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- This encyclopedia is very comprehensive. (This encyclopedia is very comprehensive.) comprehensive it means "comprehensive" and not "comprehensive". |
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- My father has a very exquisite taste in literature. (My father has a very exquisite taste in literature.) exquisite it means "exquisite" and not "weird". |
|
- My brother is an expert in design. (My brother is an expert in design.) Expert means "expert" and not "smart". |
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- We go to college together. (We go to college together.) college it means "college" and not "college". |
|
- The teacher gave us a list of idioms. (The teacher gave us a list of idioms.) Idioms means "idioms" and not "languages". |
|
I will arrange a birthday party for my dad. (I'm going to organize a birthday party for my dad.) arrange means "arrange" and not "arrange". |
| Portuguese > English |
|---|
|
- He's calmer at the moment. (He’s calmer nowadays.) "Currently" in English, it is said now a days, and not actually. actually means “in fact”. |
|
- He meets The telephone! (Answer the phone!) In the context of the sentence above, "answers" is translated as answer. Attendance means "to watch", "to participate". |
|
- We saw the movie without subtitle. (We watched the movie without subtitles.) "Caption", in English, it is said subtitles. The word legend means "legend". |
|
- My neighbor works in a factory. (My neighbor works in a factory.) "Factory" in English means factory. The word fabric means "fabric". |
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- Let's spend Christmas with my relatives. (We will spend Christmas with my relatives.) "Relatives", in English, it is said relatives. The word parents means "parents" (father and mother). |
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- My grandma loves to watch soap operas Mexican. (My grandma loves to watch Mexican soap operas.) "Novels", in English, it is said soap operas. The word novel means "novel" (literary). |
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- My aunt was always mine confident. (My aunt has always been my confidant.) "Confidant" in English means confidant. The word confidant means "confident". |
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- They leave the school at 5 pm. (They leave school at 5 p.m.) "College" in English means school. The word college means "college". |
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- A antenna from the radio broke. (The antenna of the radio broke.) "Antenna" in English means antenna. The word anthem means "hymn". |
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- I'm not much adept of chocolate. (I am not really a chocolate fan.) "Adept" in English means fan. The word adept means "expert". |
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- O argument of the defendant did not convince the judge. (The defendant's reasoning did not convince the judge.) "Argument", in English, it is said reasoning. The word argument means "discussion". |
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- The artist's exhibition was a great success. (The artist's exhibit was a great success.) "Success" in English means success. The word exit means "output". |
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- The boy was pulling a cart. (The boy was pulling a toy car.) "Pulling", in English, it is said pulling. The word pushing means "pushing". |
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- The seller placed the products on top of the counter. (The salesman put the products on the counter.) "Balcão" in English means counter. The word balcony means "balcony". |
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- My father gave me one necklace gift box. (My father gave me a necklace as a birthday gift.) "Paste" in English means necklace. The word collar means "collar"; "collar"; "collar". |
|
- My brother gave me great News. (My brother gave me great news.) "News", in English, it is said news. The word notice means "notice". |
Video
Watch the video below and learn more about false cognates.
Exercises
Now that you've learned about cognate false words, test your knowledge with the exercises below.
1. (UFRR/2016) Read the following passage and answer the question:
Roraima is an interesting mountain located in the Guyana Highlands. The peak actually shares the border with Venezuela, Brazil, and Guyana, but the mountain is almost always shares the Venezuela side. The Brazil and Guyana sides are much more difficult. The mountain's highest point is Maverick Rock which is at and on the Venezuela side.
Mark the alternative which contains a FALSE COGNATE:
a) mountain
b) interesting
c) point
d) actually
Alternative d) actually
The word actually is considered a false cognate because its spelling is similar to the word at the moment. However, actually means actually, which in no way resembles the meaning of at the moment.
See the meaning of the other alternatives:
The) mountain = mountain
B) interesting = interesting
ç) point = point
2. (IFGO/2012) About the sentence “help build more facilities adapted for disabled people”, it is correct to affirm that:
a) the words “help” and “facilities” are false cognates.
b) the prefix “di-” in the word “disabled” expresses the idea of two.
c) the word “adapted” is a cognate.
d) the word “disabled” refers to “facilities”.
e) the word “build” is the subject of the sentence.
Alternative c) the word “adapted” is a cognate.
The word adaptable is a cognate because in addition to having the spelling similar to the word adapted, has exactly this meaning when translated into Portuguese.
See why the other alternatives are not correct:
a) the words “help” and “facilities” are false cognates. - Help means help and facilities means installations.
The word facilities can be considered a false cognate because its spelling looks like the word facilities, but its meaning has nothing to do with the English word.
However, help it is not similar to any spelling in the Portuguese language and, therefore, the alternative is invalidated because help it is not a false cognate.
b) the prefix “di-” in the word “disabled” expresses the idea of two. - The word prefix disabled é -dis and does not indicate the idea of double; of two, but of the absence of something.
When we say someone is able to do something, we mean that this person can do something.
A person disabled is someone who cannot do something because of a disability.
It may have to do, for example, with an absence of the ability to walk.
d) the word “disabled” refers to “facilities”. - The word disabled does not refer to the word facilities (facilities), but yes to the word people (people).
Disabled people = people with disabilities.
e) the word “build” is the subject of the sentence. - The word build it is not the subject of the sentence, but the main verb.
3. (PUC-Campinas/2011)
The old browser and the Internet browser
In his 50s, Ramiro didn't suspect that one day he would surrender to the computer. The year was 1989 and he swore that nothing new would replace his old Olivetti. But the inevitable came: he ended up discovering Word, e-mail, the internet... and goodbye, typewriter.
But his great discovery was the searcher. (...)
(Valdomiro Carrão, unprecedented)
"he ended up discovering Word", corresponds, in English, to:
a) he finished discovering Word.
b) he ended to discover Word.
c) he eventually found out Word.
d) he eventually discovered Word.
e) he finished to find out Word.
Alternative d) he eventually discovered Word.
In the word sentence "he ended up discovering Word" the verb to finish it has the sense of having as an outcome.
The verbs finished and ended also mean to end, but with the sense of finish, finish, put an end and for that reason they are not suitable for translating the sentence of the utterance.
Thus, the alternatives The), B) and and) are discarded.
Then there are the options ç) and d). Both use the adverb eventually, which means Lastly, finally.
the phrasal verb found out and the verb discovered, used respectively in the alternatives d) and and), can be translated as found.
However, the verb found out, Simple Past (simple past) of find out, is used in the sense of meet/find something.
The verb discovered, Simple Past (simple past) of discover, in turn, is more used in the sense of make a discovery.
Therefore, the alternative d) is the correct one.
4. (UFAC/2007) All words in each group are false cognates; EXCEPT one:
a) demand - cynic - amass - custom
b) cigar - audience - major - library
c) abstract – romance – parents – faculty
d) intend – tax – gratuity – dissert
e) factory – dream – knowledge – release
Alternative e) factory – dream – knowledge – release
False cognates are words from different languages that have similar spellings and different meanings.
The statement states that all words in each group are false cognates, except for one.
In alternatives a), b), c) and d) all words are similar to words in the Portuguese language, but have totally different meanings.
The only alternative that presents words that are not false cognates is the letter and). Note that the words are not spelled similar to English words.
factory = factory; dream =dream; knowledge = knowledge; release = launch.