Comparison of Italian and Spanish
False Friends
A 'false friend' (falso amico or falso amigo) is a
word in one language that looks like a word in another language,
but has a different meaning. Here are some common false friends:
- Italian barato means cheated; Spanish barato
means cheap.
- Italian burro means butter; Spanish burro means
donkey.
- Italian guardare means to look (at);
Spanish guardar means to keep or to guard.
- Italian officina means workshop; Spanish oficina
means office.
- Italian parare means to adorn or to shield;
Spanish parar means to stop.
- Italian pesca usually means peach, although it can
(if pronounced with a closed 'e') mean fishing. Spanish pesca
always has the latter meaning.
- Italian pronto means ready; Spanish pronto means
soon.
- Italian salire means to go up; Spanish salir means
to go out or to depart.
- Italian sembrare means to seem; Spanish sembrar means
to sow (seed).
- Italian subire means to undergo or to endure; Spanish
subir means to raise or to go up.
- Italian tenere means to hold or to take; Spanish
tener usually means to have.
- Italian topo means mouse; Spanish topo
means mole.
- Italian tra means between or among;
Spanish tras means after or beyond.
To make life even more complicated, the Italian word deluso and the
Spanish word decepcionado do not mean deluded or deceived
respectively. In fact, they both mean disappointed!
Last updated September 2011 by Adam N. Letchford.