Faux Amis Flashcards

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1
Q

F: Abandon

A

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

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2
Q

Habileté

A

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.

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3
Q

Abuser / s’abuser

A

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.

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4
Q

accidenté

A

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).

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5
Q

Achèvement

A

completion/culmination of something

Achievement has the more positive sense of attaining something that was sought after: exploit réussite, accomplissement

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6
Q

Achever

A

usually means to finish, end, complete, reach. It can also be more figurative: to finish off, destroy, kill.
Achieve (E) = accomplir, réaliser, atteindre.

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7
Q

Acompte

A

refers to a deposit, down payment, or installment.

Account (E) = un compte.

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8
Q

F: Action

A

can mean action as well as act or a share of stock.

Action (E) = action or effet.

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9
Q

Actually (E)

A

en fait or à vrai dire.

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10
Q

Adepte

A

a noun: follower or enthusiast.

Adept (E) is an adjective: compétent or expert.

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11
Q

Adresse (F)

A

a mailing, email, or spoken address or to deftness, skill, or dexterity.
Address (E) = une adresse or un discours.

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12
Q

Affluence (F)
e.g: ‘il y avait une affluence attendant
à la porte’

A

A crowd of people

e.g. there were crowds waiting at the door

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13
Q

Agenda (F)

A

A datebook

Agenda (E) = l’ordre du jour or le programme

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14
Q

Agonie (F)

A

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.

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15
Q

Agrément (F)

A

charm, attractiveness, or pleasantness.

Agreement (E) = accord or harmonie.

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16
Q

Allée (F)

A

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.

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17
Q

Allure (F)

A

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.

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18
Q

Altérer (F)

A

can mean alter, but it nearly always has a negative connotation: distort, falsify, tamper with, spoil, debase.
Alter (E) = changer, modifier, transformer,

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19
Q

Apologie (F)

A

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.

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20
Q

Are (F)

A

an area of one hundred square meters.

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21
Q

Argument (F)

A

Only refers to a mathematical or philosophical argument

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22
Q

Assistance (F)

A

Primary meaning is audience

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23
Q

Assumer (F)

A

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.

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24
Q

Audience (F)

A

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.

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25
Q

Dalle (F)

A

A paving stone. Dale (E) = une vallée or un vallon

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26
Q

Décade (F)

A

A period of ten days (!) (E) = une décennie

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27
Q

Déception (F)

A

A disappointment or let-down. Deception (E) = une tromperie or duperie

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28
Q

Défiler (F)

Les visiteurs défilaient devant le musée

A

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

29
Q

Un Délai (F)

A

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.

30
Q

Démenti (F)

A

Denial or refutation

Demented (E) can be dément, en démence, fou, or insensé

31
Q

Dérogation (F)

A

a special dispensation or exemption.

Derogation (E) refers to une atteinte or une réduction.

32
Q

Dérogatoire (F)

A

means dispensatory or exceptional (being an exception).

Derogatory (E) = désobligeant, dénigrant, péjoratif.

33
Q

Détail (F)

A

Can also refer to retail

34
Q

Devise (F)

A

Currency or a slogan/motto

Devise (E) is a verb: imaginer, concevoir

35
Q

Dispenser (F)

A

to exempt or excuse

Dispense (E) can be translated by distribuer or offrir

36
Q

Dot (F)

A

A dowry

Dot (E) is un point or un pois

37
Q

Draguer

A

To flirt (coll.) Drag (E) means traîner or tirer

38
Q

Éducation (F)

A

usually refers to education at home: upbringing, manners. Education (E) is a general term for formal learning = instruction, enseignement

39
Q

émail (F)

A

technically refers to enamel

40
Q

embarras (F)

A

trouble or confusion as well as embarrassment.

embarrass (E) is a verb: embarrasser, gêner.

41
Q

Embrace (E)

A

étreindre or enlacer

42
Q

émergence

A

equivalent of the English words emergence or source.

emergency (E) is un cas urgent or un imprévu.

43
Q

Infant (E)

A

un nouveau-né or un bébé

44
Q

engagement (F)

A

Never means a marital engagement

45
Q

engrosser

A

(coll.) to knock up/get someone pregnant

46
Q

éventuel (F)

A

possible, not eventual

47
Q

évidence (F)

A

obviousness, an obvious fact, or prominence

evidence (E) means le témoignage or la preuve

48
Q

ce n’est pas évident

A

it’s not that simple

49
Q

évincer (F)

A

to oust, supplant or evict

evince (E) = manifester or faire preuve de

50
Q

expérience

A

can be translated as experiment

51
Q

expérimenter (F)

A

can also mean to test

52
Q

un extra (F)

A

a catering assistant or a treat

53
Q

extra (E)

A

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).

54
Q

idéologie

A

usually used in a pejorative sense: ideology or philosophy based on sophomoric or illogical arguments

55
Q

ignorer

A

ignorant or unaware (less pejorative)

ignore (E) = ne tenir aucun compte de, ne pas relever, ne pas prêter attention à

56
Q

Une implantation (F)

A

introduction or setting up of a new method or industry, a settlement or a companyès presence in country/region. Can also have medical sense

57
Q

important (F)

A

Much broader meaning - can also mean large, considerable, substantial

58
Q

imposition (F)

A

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.

59
Q

inconvenient (E)

A

inopportun, importun, gênant, peu pratique, malcommode.

60
Q

inconsistant (F)

A

general poor consistency (flimsy, weak, colorless, runny or watery)

61
Q

infect (F)

A

adj: revolting, obnoxious

to infect: infecter, contaminer

62
Q

inhabité

A

uninhabited

inhabited (E) means habité :/

63
Q

insolation (F)

A

sunstroke or sunshine

64
Q

instance (F)

A

authority, official proceedings or insistence.

65
Q

intégral (F)

A

complete, unabridged, or total. integral (E) means intégrant or constituant

66
Q

intoxiqué (F)

A

poisoned

(E) = ivre

67
Q

isolation (F)

A

insulation

isolation (E) = isolement or quarantine

68
Q

inviter

A

can also mean to treat