According to Wikipedia, this term is a shortened form of the expression “false friends of the translator” (faux amis du traducteur): words in two languages which look or sound similar, but differ significantly in meaning. Here is my ever-growing list:
French word | meaning | comment |
---|---|---|
résumer vt | to summarize | not “to resume” |
décevoir vt | to disappoint | not “to deceive” |
réaliser vt | to carry out, produce, achieve | not “to realize” in a mental sense |
ignorer vt | to be unaware of | not “to ignore” |
délivrer vt | to set free, to issue, award, hand over | not “to deliver” |
déception nf | disappointment | not “deception” |
librairie nf | bookstore | not “library” |
éventuel adj | possible | not “eventual” |
éventuellement adv | possibly | not “eventually” |
actuel adj | current, present | not “actual” |
actuellement adv | currently, presently | not “actually” |