Spanish false friends vocabulary

46 words at level B2, with English translations and example sentences. Spain's words come first, with Latin American alternatives where they differ.

Spanish	English	Example
actual	current, present (false friend: not "actual")	La situación actual es complicada. The current situation is complicated.
actualmente	currently, at present (not "actually")	Actualmente vive en Valencia. She currently lives in Valencia.
embarazada	pregnant (not "embarrassed": avergonzado)	Mi hermana está embarazada de cinco meses. My sister is five months pregnant.
avergonzado / avergonzada	embarrassed, ashamed (LatAm also: apenado / apenada)	Me sentí muy avergonzado. I felt very embarrassed.
el éxito	success; hit (not "exit": la salida)	La obra fue un éxito. The play was a success.
la salida	exit, way out; departure	¿Dónde está la salida? Where's the exit?
sensible	sensitive (false friend: not "sensible")	Tengo la piel muy sensible. I have very sensitive skin.
sensato / sensata	sensible	Es una decisión sensata. It's a sensible decision.
constipado / constipada	(having) a cold, stuffed up (Spain) (false friend: not "constipated")	Estoy constipado, no puedo respirar. I've got a cold, I can't breathe.
estreñido / estreñida	constipated	El bebé está estreñido. The baby is constipated.
la carpeta	folder (false friend: not "carpet": la alfombra)	Guarda los papeles en esta carpeta. Keep the papers in this folder.
la alfombra	rug, carpet	Hay una alfombra en el salón. There's a rug in the living room.
la librería	bookshop (not "library": la biblioteca)	Compré el libro en una librería pequeña. I bought the book in a small bookshop.
la biblioteca	library (not "bookshop")	Estudio en la biblioteca. I study in the library.
realizar	to carry out, to do; to fulfil (false friend: "to realise" = darse cuenta de)	Realizaron un estudio. They carried out a study.
darse cuenta de	to realise, to notice	No me di cuenta de la hora. I didn't realise what time it was.
asistir a	to attend (false friend: "to assist" = ayudar)	Asistí a la conferencia. I attended the lecture.
atender	to attend to, to serve; to see (a patient) (irreg.: atiendo)	¿Ya le atienden? Are you being served?
la decepción	disappointment (not "deception")	Fue una gran decepción. It was a big disappointment.
el engaño	deception, trick, fraud	Todo era un engaño. It was all a trick.
molestar	to bother, to disturb, to annoy (false friend: not "molest": abusar de)	¿Te molesta la música? Does the music bother you?
la molestia	bother, trouble, inconvenience; discomfort	Perdone la molestia. Sorry to bother you.
la ropa	clothes, clothing (false friend: not "rope": la cuerda)	Tengo que lavar la ropa. I have to wash my clothes.
la cuerda	rope; string; dar cuerda = to wind up	Átalo con una cuerda. Tie it with a rope.
el/la pariente	relative, relation (false friend: not "parent": el padre, la madre)	Vienen unos parientes de Argentina. Some relatives are coming from Argentina.
los padres	parents	Mis padres viven en Murcia. My parents live in Murcia.
la fábrica	factory (false friend: not "fabric": la tela)	Trabaja en una fábrica de coches. He works in a car factory.
la tela	cloth, fabric	Es una tela muy suave. It's a very soft fabric.
el colegio	school (primary, and some secondary) (false friend: not "college": la universidad)	Los niños van al colegio a las nueve. The children go to school at nine.
la facultad	faculty (university); ability	Nos vemos en la facultad. See you at uni.
la carrera	(university) degree; race; career	Estudia la carrera de Medicina. She's doing a degree in medicine.
la conferencia	lecture, talk; conference	Dio una conferencia sobre arte. She gave a talk on art.
la lectura	reading (false friend: not "lecture": la conferencia)	La lectura es mi pasatiempo favorito. Reading is my favourite pastime.
el suceso	event, incident; la sección de sucesos = crime news (false friend: "success" = el éxito)	Ha sido un suceso trágico. It was a tragic incident.
eventualmente	possibly, if need be; occasionally (false friend: "eventually" = al final, finalmente)	Eventualmente trabaja los sábados. Occasionally she works on Saturdays.
al final	in the end; at the end	Al final decidimos quedarnos. In the end we decided to stay.
el compromiso	commitment; engagement (prior arrangement; to marry) (careful: "a compromise" is usually un acuerdo, una solución intermedia)	Tiene un compromiso con la empresa. He has a commitment to the company.
introducir	to insert; to introduce (a thing, a topic; a person: presentar) (irreg.: introduzco, introduje)	Introduzca la tarjeta. Insert your card.
presentar	to introduce; to present; to submit	Te presento a mi hermano. Let me introduce my brother.
excitado / excitada	(sexually) aroused; overexcited, worked up (false friend: "excited" = emocionado)	El perro se pone muy excitado cuando oye el timbre. The dog gets really worked up when it hears the doorbell.
emocionado / emocionada	excited; moved	Estoy muy emocionada con el viaje. I'm really excited about the trip.
el preservativo	condom (false friend: "preservative" = el conservante)	Venden preservativos en la farmacia. They sell condoms at the chemist's.
el conservante	preservative	Este pan no lleva conservantes. This bread has no preservatives.
la sopa	soup (not "soap": el jabón)	De primero hay sopa. There's soup for the first course.
el jabón	soap	Lávate las manos con jabón. Wash your hands with soap.
contestar	to answer, to reply (false friend: "to contest" = impugnar, disputar)	No contesta al teléfono. She's not answering the phone.

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