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False friends

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1. False friends

In English there are certain words that are written in the same way or similarly to others in other languages, but their meaning is very different.

Karajan was an exceptional conductor.

This dress was made with silk fabric.

There are many false friends in English, but we will show some of the most common ones:

False friends	MEANING	Examples
Actually	In reality / as a matter of fact	I wasn't actually there.
Agenda	Programme / schedule	What is the next item on the agenda?
Argument	Quarrel / row / dispute	They had another argument because of money.
Large	Big	We need a large room to fit our guests.
Library	You read and borrow books	I often take books from the library.
Idiom	Expression	"An arm and a leg" is an idiom that means "very expensive".
Notice	Sign / advertisement / warning	The notice says that the lift is out of order.
Sensible	Wise / reasonable	That was a sensible decision.
Parent	Mother or father	She is a single parent.
Terrific	Great / awesome	That's terrific!
Sympathetic	Caring / supporting	Whenever you need a sympathetic ear, call me.
Be embarrassed	Ashamed / uncomfortable	I'm embarrassed to sing in front of people.

The real words we would use in English instead of the false friend:

ENGLISH	MEANING	Examples
At present / currently	Now / at the moment	At present, he is performing in a theatre.
Diary	Personal organizer	I've put down the visit to the dentist in my diary.
Plot	Story	Did you like the plot of the film?
Long	Opposite of short	There is a long queue waiting for the shopping centre to open.
Bookshop	You buy books	I bought this book in a bookshop in London.
Language	Communication system	Latin was once the official language in a large part of Europe.
News	Information	I've got a bit of news to tell you.
Sensitive	Easily affected	Sensitive people can easily be hurt.
Relative	Member of your family	All the relatives on my mother's side live in Australia.
Terrifying	Frightening	The fancy dress you are wearing is terrifying.
Friendly / nice	Outgoing / likeable	Your neighbour isn’t very friendly, is he?
Be pregnant	Expecting a baby	When did you know you were pregnant?

False friends are English words that are written the same way or similarly to Swords in other languages, but do not have the same meaning.

SympatheticCaring / supporting