French False Cognates Flashcards

This deck presents many of the most common English-to-French mistranslations.

1
Q

Translate to French:

to assist

A

aider à

Note: The French word assister à means “to attend.”

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Translate to French:

to bless

A

bénir

Note: The French word blesser means “to injure, to hurt.”

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Translate to French:

to cry

A

pleurer

Note: The French word crier means “to scream, to yell.”

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Translate to French:

to demand

A

commander

Note: The French word demander means “to ask.”

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Translate to French:

to hate

A

haïr, détester

Note: The French word hâter means “to hurry.”

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Translate to French:

to resume

A

reprendre

Note: The French word résumer means “to summarize.” Also note that if you want to say that you are resuming something after a long period of time, you could also use the verb recommencer.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Translate to French:

actual, true

A

vrai

Note: The French word actuel means “current.”

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Translate to French:

actually, in fact

A

en fait

Note: The French word actuellement means “currently, presently.”

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Translate to French:

a cave

A

une grotte

Note: The French word une cave means “a cellar.”

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Translate to French:

a chair

A

une chaise

Note: The French word la chair means “flesh.”

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Translate to French:

eventually

A

finalement

Note: The French word éventuellement means “possibly.”

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Translate to French:

a lecture

A

un cours magistral

Note: The French word la lecture means “reading.”

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Translate to French:

a library

A

une bibliothèque

Note: The French word une librairie means “a bookshop.”

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Translate to French:

money

A

l’argent

Note: The French word la monnaie means “change.”

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Translate to French:

a process

A

un processus

Note: The French word un procès means “a trial.”

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Translate to French:

to pretend

A

faire semblant

Note: The French word prétendre means “to claim.”

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

Translate to French:

sensible, reasonable

A

raisonnable

Note: The French word sensible means “sensitive.”

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

Translate to French:

a tissue

A

un mouchoir

Note: The French word le tissu means “fabric.”

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

Translate to French:

an advertisement

A

une publicité, une pub

Note: The French word une avertissement means “a warning.”

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

Translate to French:

the entrée

A

le plat principal

Note: The French word une entrée means “an appetizer.”

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

Translate to French:

a figure, a shape

A

une forme

Note: The French word la figure means “the face.”

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

Translate to French:

a glass

A

un verre

Note: The French word la glace means “ice.”

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

Translate to French:

the location

A

l’emplacement

Note: The French word une location means “a rental (property).”

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

Translate to French:

a patron (a customer)

A

un client

Note: The French word un patron means “a boss.”

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

Translate to French:

Caution! OR to caution, to warn

A

Attention! OU prévenir

Note: The French word une caution means “a guarantee.”

26
Q

Translate to French:

four

A

quatre

Note: The French word un four means “an oven.”

27
Q

Translate to French:

humor

A

l’humour

Note: The French word l’humeur means “the mood.”

28
Q

Translate to French:

pain

A

la douleur

Note: The French word le pain means “bread.”

29
Q

Translate to French:

a grape

A

un raisin

Note: The French word un raisin sec means “a raisin.”

30
Q

Translate to French:

a hazard

A

un danger

Note: The French word le hasard means “luck, chance.”

31
Q

Translate to French:

medicine (the field); medicine

A

la médecine; les médicaments

Note: The French word un médecin means “a doctor.”

32
Q

Translate to French:

to license, to authorize

A

autoriser

Note: The French word licencier means “to fire, to dismiss.”

33
Q

Translate to French:

to pass (an exam)

A

réussir à (un examen)

Note: The French word passer (un examen) means “to take (an exam).”

34
Q

Translate to French:

to realize

A

se rendre compte

Note: The French word réaliser means “to carry out, to achieve.”

35
Q

Translate to French:

to rest

A

se reposer

Note: The French word rester means “to remain, to stay.”

36
Q

Translate to French:

deception

A

la tromperie

Note: The French word la déception means “disappointment.”

37
Q

Translate to French:

sympathetic

A

compatissant

Note: The French word sympathique means “nice, agreeable.”

38
Q

Translate to French:

an affair

A

une liaison

Note: The French word les affaires means “business.”

39
Q

Translate to French:

the audience

A

les spectateurs

Note: The French word une audience means “a hearing.”

40
Q

Translate to French:

a bachelor

A

un célibataire

Note: The French word un bachelier means “a high school graduate.”

41
Q

Translate to French:

a casserole

A

un ragoût

Note: The French word une casserole means “a saucepan.”

42
Q

Translate to French:

a college, a university

A

une université

Note: The French word un collège means “a middle school, a junior high school.”

43
Q

Translate to French:

a degree, a diploma

A

un diplôme

Note: The French word un degré means “a degree (the unit of measurement).”

44
Q

Translate to French:

to injure

A

blesser

Note: The French word injurier means “to insult.”

45
Q

Translate to French:

a stage, a step

A

une étape

Note: The French word un stage means “an internship.”

46
Q

Translate to French:

the stage

A

la scène

Note: The French word un stage means “an internship.”

47
Q

Translate to French:

a place

A

un endroit

Note: The French word une place means “a public square, a plaza.”

48
Q

Translate to French:

offensive, insulting

A

injurieux

Note: The French word offensif means “aggressive.”

49
Q

Translate to French:

an issue, a topic

A

un sujet

Note: The French word l’issue means “the exit.”

50
Q

Translate to French:

engaged

A

fiancé

Note: The French word engagé means “committed, involved.” Like in English, the French word fiancé can also be used as a noun.

51
Q

Translate to French:

a character

A

un personnage

Note: The French word le caractère means “character, personality.”

52
Q

Translate to French:

an argument, a dispute

A

une dispute

Note: The French word un argument means “a reason, a line of reasoning.”

53
Q

Translate to French:

to quit

A

démissioner, abandonner

Note: The French word quitter means “to leave.”

54
Q

Translate to French:

to introduce

A

présenter

Note: The French word introduire means “to insert.”

55
Q

Translate to French:

secular

A

laïque

Note: The French word séculaire means “centuries-old.”

56
Q

Translate to French:

to support

A

soutenir

Note: The French word supporter means “to put up with.”

57
Q

Translate to French:

isolation

A

l’isolement

Note: The French word l’isolation means “insulation.”

58
Q

Translate to French:

chance, risk

A

le risque

Note: The French word la chance means “luck.”

59
Q

Translate to French:

a decade

A

une décennie

Note: The French word une décade means “a period of ten days.”

60
Q

Translate to French:

a surname, a family name

A

un nom de famille

Note: The French word un surnom means “a nickname.”