Faux Amis Flashcards
F: Abandon
a noun that means abandonment, desertion, neglect, or giving up. It can also mean abandon, especially with a verb: danser avec abandon - to dance with abandon. Abandonner = to abandon.
Abandon (E) = abandon
Habileté
refers to a skill, cleverness, a talent, or a skillful move.
Ability (E) is a similar but weaker term, translatable by une aptitude, une capacité, or une compétence.
Abuser / s’abuser
means to exploit, abuse, take advantage of, deceive, or mislead. S’abuser means to be mistaken or to delude oneself.
Abuse (E) can be translated by abuser, injurier, insulter, or maltraiter.
accidenté
an adjective: hilly, undulating, or damaged - or a noun: casualty, injured person. Accidenter means to injure or damage.
Accidental (E) means accidentel (bad) or fortuit (good).
Achèvement
completion/culmination of something
Achievement has the more positive sense of attaining something that was sought after: exploit réussite, accomplissement
Achever
usually means to finish, end, complete, reach. It can also be more figurative: to finish off, destroy, kill.
Achieve (E) = accomplir, réaliser, atteindre.
Acompte
refers to a deposit, down payment, or installment.
Account (E) = un compte.
F: Action
can mean action as well as act or a share of stock.
Action (E) = action or effet.
Actually (E)
en fait or à vrai dire.
Adepte
a noun: follower or enthusiast.
Adept (E) is an adjective: compétent or expert.
Adresse (F)
a mailing, email, or spoken address or to deftness, skill, or dexterity.
Address (E) = une adresse or un discours.
Affluence (F)
e.g: ‘il y avait une affluence attendant
à la porte’
A crowd of people
e.g. there were crowds waiting at the door
Agenda (F)
A datebook
Agenda (E) = l’ordre du jour or le programme
Agonie (F)
refers to death pangs or mortal agony.
Agony (E) means severe physical or mental pain, but not necessarily just this side of death: angoisse, supplice.
Agrément (F)
charm, attractiveness, or pleasantness.
Agreement (E) = accord or harmonie.
Allée (F)
a generic term for any sort of road or path: lane, path, avenue, driveway, etc.
It can also refer to an aisle.
Alley (E) = une ruelle.
Allure (F)
normally refers to speed or pace: rouler à toute allure - to drive at full speed. It can also refer to an appearance or look. Allures refers to behavior or ways.
Allure (E) indicates charm or attrait.
Altérer (F)
can mean alter, but it nearly always has a negative connotation: distort, falsify, tamper with, spoil, debase.
Alter (E) = changer, modifier, transformer,
Apologie (F)
three different meanings. The original meaning of defense or plea is related to the judiciary meaning of vindication or justification. The current and most common meaning is praise.
Apology (E) = les excuses.
Are (F)
an area of one hundred square meters.
Argument (F)
Only refers to a mathematical or philosophical argument
Assistance (F)
Primary meaning is audience
Assumer (F)
only means to assume in the sense of taking on responsibility or assuming control. It also means to hold a job or fulfill a role.
Assume (E) is a semi-false cognate. In addition to assumer, it can also mean supposer or présumer.
Audience (F)
semi-false cognate. In addition to the meaning of the English word, it can signify: Votre audience, s’il vous plaît - Your attention, please. Ce projet a une large audience - This project has a lot of attention. Donner audience à quelqu’un - To meet with / listen to someone. Une audience publique - A public meeting.
Audience (E) is a group of spectators or listeners.
Dalle (F)
A paving stone. Dale (E) = une vallée or un vallon
Décade (F)
A period of ten days (!) (E) = une décennie
Déception (F)
A disappointment or let-down. Deception (E) = une tromperie or duperie
Défiler (F)
Les visiteurs défilaient devant le musée
To march past: the visiters marched past the museum.
I can mean to unthread (a needle). (Je dois défiler l’aiguille) I need to unthread the needle
Un Délai (F)
A time limit or deadline: dans un délai de 15 jours - within two weeks. Délayer (F) means to water down or thin, as in cooking or mixing paint.
Delay (E) has a slightly negative connotation - it indicates that the time was unexpected and is usually translated by retard : They arrived with an hour’s delay - Ils sont arrivés avec une heure de retard.
Démenti (F)
Denial or refutation
Demented (E) can be dément, en démence, fou, or insensé
Dérogation (F)
a special dispensation or exemption.
Derogation (E) refers to une atteinte or une réduction.
Dérogatoire (F)
means dispensatory or exceptional (being an exception).
Derogatory (E) = désobligeant, dénigrant, péjoratif.
Détail (F)
Can also refer to retail
Devise (F)
Currency or a slogan/motto
Devise (E) is a verb: imaginer, concevoir
Dispenser (F)
to exempt or excuse
Dispense (E) can be translated by distribuer or offrir
Dot (F)
A dowry
Dot (E) is un point or un pois
Draguer
To flirt (coll.) Drag (E) means traîner or tirer
Éducation (F)
usually refers to education at home: upbringing, manners. Education (E) is a general term for formal learning = instruction, enseignement
émail (F)
technically refers to enamel
embarras (F)
trouble or confusion as well as embarrassment.
embarrass (E) is a verb: embarrasser, gêner.
Embrace (E)
étreindre or enlacer
émergence
equivalent of the English words emergence or source.
emergency (E) is un cas urgent or un imprévu.
Infant (E)
un nouveau-né or un bébé
engagement (F)
Never means a marital engagement
engrosser
(coll.) to knock up/get someone pregnant
éventuel (F)
possible, not eventual
évidence (F)
obviousness, an obvious fact, or prominence
evidence (E) means le témoignage or la preuve
ce n’est pas évident
it’s not that simple
évincer (F)
to oust, supplant or evict
evince (E) = manifester or faire preuve de
expérience
can be translated as experiment
expérimenter (F)
can also mean to test
un extra (F)
a catering assistant or a treat
extra (E)
supplémentaireàAs a noun meaning “perk,” it’s equivalent to un à-côté. extras as in “extra options” are en option or gâteries, “extra fees” are frais supplémentaires. An acting extra is un figurant and extra time in sports is prolongation(s).
idéologie
usually used in a pejorative sense: ideology or philosophy based on sophomoric or illogical arguments
ignorer
ignorant or unaware (less pejorative)
ignore (E) = ne tenir aucun compte de, ne pas relever, ne pas prêter attention à
Une implantation (F)
introduction or setting up of a new method or industry, a settlement or a companyès presence in country/region. Can also have medical sense
important (F)
Much broader meaning - can also mean large, considerable, substantial
imposition (F)
taxation (les impôts - taxes). In religion, l’imposition des mains = the laying on of hands.
imposition (E) has two distinct meanings. The imposition of something, such as a regulation, is la mise en place. In the sense of a burden, imposition can’t be translated by a noun. The sentence needs to be rewritten using a verb like abuser or déranger to get the sense of imposition across.
inconvenient (E)
inopportun, importun, gênant, peu pratique, malcommode.
inconsistant (F)
general poor consistency (flimsy, weak, colorless, runny or watery)
infect (F)
adj: revolting, obnoxious
to infect: infecter, contaminer
inhabité
uninhabited
inhabited (E) means habité :/
insolation (F)
sunstroke or sunshine
instance (F)
authority, official proceedings or insistence.
intégral (F)
complete, unabridged, or total. integral (E) means intégrant or constituant
intoxiqué (F)
poisoned
(E) = ivre
isolation (F)
insulation
isolation (E) = isolement or quarantine
inviter
can also mean to treat
