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    Spanish False Friends Practice

    Pick the right word for each sentence or type it, then listen to the whole sentence. Below, a worksheet with an answer key you can do on paper or print.

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    How do you say it in Spanish?

    What you need to know

    • A false friend looks like an English word but means something else: embarazada is pregnant, not embarrassed, and largo is long, not large.
    • Some come in pairs, so learn them together: embarrassed is avergonzado; a car repair shop is el taller, and an office is la oficina.
    • Not every look-alike is a trap. Oficina really is an office. When in doubt, check the word in a full sentence before you use it.

    Spanish Without Borders · Spanish False Friends Practice · spanishwithoutborders.com/exercises/false-friends/

    False friends in Spanish: worksheet with answer key

    Do them on paper, in your head or printed out: answer first, then open each answer to check.

    Name: ______________________________ Date: ____/____/______

    What does it mean?

    Write the meaning in English.

    1. embarazada
      show answer

      pregnant · embarrassed is avergonzada

    2. largo
      show answer

      long · large is grande

    3. el taller
      show answer

      the workshop, the car repair shop

    4. un rato
      show answer

      a short while, a moment · a mouse is un ratón

    5. la oficina
      show answer

      the office · a true friend

    Fill in the right word

    Watch out for the false friend.

    1. Llevé la moto al ______. (repair shop)
      show answer

      taller

    2. Me encanta este pastel, ¡está ______! (delicious)
      show answer

      exquisito

    3. ¡Qué vergüenza! Estoy muy ______. (embarrassed)
      show answer

      avergonzada

    4. Espérame un ______, ya vuelvo. (a little while)
      show answer

      rato

    True or false?

    1. Embarazada means embarrassed.
      show answer

      False · it means pregnant

    2. Largo means large.
      show answer

      False · largo is long; large is grande

    3. Oficina means office.
      show answer

      True

    4. Exquisito is a compliment for food.
      show answer

      True · it means delicious

    Answer key

    1. pregnant
    2. long
    3. the workshop, the car repair shop
    4. a short while, a moment
    5. the office
    6. taller
    7. exquisito
    8. avergonzada
    9. rato
    10. False
    11. False
    12. True
    13. True

    False friends in Spanish: common questions

    What are false friends in Spanish?

    Words that look like English but mean something else. Embarazada is pregnant, largo is long and el taller is a workshop. They are also called false cognates.

    Are false friends and false cognates the same thing?

    For learners, yes. Strictly speaking, a false cognate is a look-alike with a different origin, but most teachers and textbooks use both names for any word that looks familiar and means something else. In Spanish they are falsos amigos.

    Does actualmente mean actually?

    No. Actualmente means currently or nowadays: Actualmente vivo en Bogotá. For "actually," say en realidad or de hecho: En realidad, no me gusta.

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