50 False Friends English-Portuguese (PDF doc)

Because English and Portuguese share Latin roots, many words are common between the two languages. These words, besides having the same origin, often have the same etymology, a similar pronunciation, and the same meaning. As such, it is easy to guess their correct translation and use them in conversation.

However, other words are confusing. False friends, also known as false cognates, are words that seem and sound similar but have different meanings in English and Portuguese. Mistake one of these terms, and you might be misunderstood or even offend someone.

False Friends – The Most Commonly Confused Words in Portuguese

Consider one sample sentence: “The senior girls play badminton on the school’s court.” Its translation in European Portuguese is “As raparigas mais velhas jogam badminton no campo da escola.” Contrarily, you would use Senhor to refer to someone who demands regard, like a leading political scholar or community leader.

Another example is the term Senior in English, which refers to someone older or more experienced. A similar word learners often think of in Portuguese is Senhor. But Senhor is a pronoun used to show respect for a male individual, similar to Mister or Sir.

How to Remember False Friends

There are a few different techniques you can apply to learn false cognates. For example, you should always consider context to avoid confusing words that are false friends. Here are two examples you might easily apply in your learning.

Make a Dictionary

For example, you can write your own personal list of false friends. When you are learning vocabulary or practicing it, you will come across many such terms. You can write the English words followed by their translation and correct meaning in Portuguese. Most ESL learners also like to include the correct English usage to avoid bad translations.

You can even use illustrations in your own list to improve it. For example, Push in English means to exert force away, whereas Puxar in Portuguese means ‘to pull’. You can make a simple drawing of a door to help you understand the difference.

Speak with Natives

Interacting with native speakers, making mistakes, and getting corrected is one of the best ways to learn. Imagine you want to say, “I love eating pasta!” In Portuguese, you will also find the word Pasta, but it means Folder. A native would immediately find it weird and call you out on it. Thus, by interacting with a native speaker, you will naturally learn to decide which words you can use and which will not make sense.

Read more!

Reading is a great way to learn false friends. Starting with easier reads and picking topics you like will help you learn words and remember them. You can also try translating texts or parts of the articles and books you read. This way, you will not only learn new words, but also understand the relationships between similar words and how to use them.

10 False Friends Between English and Portuguese

When you see the similarities between two words, you might assume they have the same meaning. But that is not the best approach. Remember that you would not assume idiom meaning by translating literally. Much the same way, you need to learn about false cognates through their meaning. Here is a list of ten words, but you can find more examples in the video and PDF below.

1. Actual (ENG) – Atual (PT) – means Current

2. Actually (ENG) – Atualmente (PT) – means Currently

3. Assist (ENG) – Assistir (PT) – means To watch

4. Library (ENG) – Livraria (PT) – means Bookstore

5. Sensible (ENG) – Sensível (PT) – means Sensitive

6. Eventually (ENG) – Eventualmente (PT) – means Occasionally

7. Fabric (ENG) – Fábrica (PT) – means Factory

8. Sympathetic (ENG) – Simpático (PT) – means Nice or Friendly

9. Deception (ENG) – Deceção (PT) – means Disappointment

10. Pretend (ENG) – Pretender (PT) – means To intend

Watch the Video and Get the PDF

In this video, I want to help you avoid some embarrassing moments that many other language learners face. We will look at the most common false friends/cognates between English and European Portuguese. Words that you would assume mean the same as in your mother tongue, but mean something completely different.

PDF with list of False Friends – https://portuguesewithcarla.com/50ff/
___

Links:
500 Common Words in 3 minutes – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4rdtjUtSSI
Letter “O” in Portuguese – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxjDC6yt_3c
Pronouncing the “R” sound – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_xaE9jOaL8

Ready to become fluent in European Portuguese?

For the last decade, we’ve been working on putting together the best possible European Portuguese course. After much research, feedback from our students, and a number of iterations, we think we’ve got it! 😉

As a base, we used scientifically proven techniques to help with master pronunciation, phrase construction, oral understanding, grammar, and all the necessary bits to get you to fluency. At the same time, having learned foreign languages ourselves, we know the process needs to be engaging, varied, and enjoyable. The whole thing is presented as an adventure. It’s a course like no other, trust us!

Learn more about The Journey and start your free trial here.