Faux Amis

[Dwayne Roberts]

The following is a list I've made of French words that resemble English ones but in reality are different. I'm not interested in words (such as "poison" and "six" and "fiancé") that are the same in both languages. Would you care to add to this list?

 

as

assist

attend

bless

bras

but

cave

chair

chat

choir

chose

comment

figure

fin

four

irons

laid

lit

main

met

on

or

ours

pain

pays

pour

sale

sang

seize

smoking

son

sort

store

tape

tire

ton

tour

[Ed la mouette]

True. In French, we can say "je supporte Manchester United mais je ne supporte pas leurs supporters (I support M.U. but i can't stand their supporters).

That makes me think of another faux-ami : stand.

[Dwayne Roberts]

Very interesting !

So, as I understand you, one would not say, C'est un plaisir pour moi supporter cet hôpital d'enfants.

 

[Ed la mouette]

Right. It would be : C'est un plaisir pour moi d'aider cet hôpital pour enfants.

[Dwayne Roberts]

rue

 

Ce verbe anglais est un peu rare - du moins aux États-Unis.  Je crois que les Britanniques utilisent ce mot plus facilement.  Sa signification est similaire à regreter.  On pourrait dire, par exemple, "I rue the day (that) I met you" - un sentiment malheureux.

[Dwayne Roberts]

I was very tempted to add the word

 

pendant

 

to this list, but I will refrain for now.

En anglais, je crois qu'on se serve ce mot exclusivement pour une type de collier.

In French, it usually means during or while, but I think it may also mean a kind of necklace, as it does in English.  Ai-je raison ?

 

[Ed la mouette]

I don't think you're right. We say pendentif, for a necklace with a little suspended thing to it.

[Dwayne Roberts]

Excellent !

[lauris]

I think we can add the verb to assume :

in french, you can't use it to express the idea of supposition. "Assumer" only means to take upon yourself as in "J'assume les conséquences de mes actes".

[Dwayne Roberts]

Very good to know !  Merci !

[Dwayne Roberts]

sent

 

[Dwayne Roberts]

dire

 

C'est un adjectif en anglais : terrible, provoquant la peur, désespérée.

If the price of wheat were to fall, there would be dire consequences.

 

[Dwayne Roberts]

parties