False friends and fine word choice: actual, embarazada, sensible, éxito

False friends (falsos amigos) are words that look like English words but mean something else. At C2 they are the most common reason a fluent English speaker still sounds foreign, or says something embarrassing.

The classics

• La situación actual del mercado es preocupante.The current state of the market is worrying.
• En realidad, nunca he estado en Lisboa.Actually, I've never been to Lisbon.
• Mi hermana está embarazada de cinco meses.My sister is five months pregnant.
• Me dio mucha vergüenza equivocarme delante de todos.I was really embarrassed to make a mistake in front of everyone.
• Es una persona muy sensible y le afectan las críticas.She's a very sensitive person and criticism affects her.
• Lo más sensato es esperar a mañana.The sensible thing is to wait until tomorrow.
• La obra fue un éxito rotundo.The play was a resounding success.
• Pretendo terminar la tesis antes del verano.I intend to finish my thesis before the summer.
• Estoy constipado desde el lunes.I've had a cold since Monday.
• No soporto el ruido de las motos.I can't stand the noise of motorbikes.
• Por fin me di cuenta de que tenía razón.I finally realised she was right.

Partial false friends

Some words overlap with English in one meaning but not another:

• discutir is both to argue and to discuss; context decides.
• ignorar traditionally means not to know; to ignore someone is no hacer caso. The DLE now also records the English-style meaning, but careful writers still prefer no hacer caso.
• compromiso is a commitment or an engagement; a compromise is usually un acuerdo or una solución intermedia.
• aplicar is to apply a rule or a cream; to apply for a job is solicitar un puesto.

For word formation that creates more look-alikes (-ción, -dad), see Word formation: nouns from verbs and adjectives (-ción, -miento, -dad).

Latin America

The same traps apply, with regional twists. Resfriado or resfrío is more usual than constipado. In Mexico and Central America me da pena means I'm embarrassed, while in Spain it means I feel sorry or it makes me sad. Carpeta is a folder everywhere, but in parts of South America it can also mean a table runner.

Common mistakes

• Estoy muy embarazada for I'm very embarrassed: say Me da mucha vergüenza or Estoy muy avergonzado.
• Actualmente, no estoy de acuerdo for Actually, I don't agree: say En realidad or De hecho.
• Es una decisión muy sensible for sensible: say sensata or razonable.
• Realicé que era tarde: realizar means to carry out; say Me di cuenta de que era tarde.
• Telling the doctor Estoy constipado when you mean constipation: that is estreñido.