Everybody makes these mistakes. I made mine with English (one day in class someone mentioned ICE in the US news and I, very confident, answered: “Ice? Ah, hielo?”. My brain grabbed the first meaning it found). That’s how language learning works: your brain picks the familiar meaning. The trick is knowing where the traps are.
The 15 false friends you need to know
| Spanish | Really means | For the English meaning, say |
|---|---|---|
| embarazada | pregnant | embarrassed → me da vergüenza / qué vergüenza |
| constipado | having a cold | constipated → estreñido |
| excitado | sexually aroused | excited → emocionado / ilusionado |
| preservativo | condom | preservatives → conservantes |
| actual | current, present | actual → real |
| realizar | to carry out | to realise → darse cuenta |
| sensible | sensitive | sensible → sensato |
| librería | bookshop | library → biblioteca |
| carpeta | folder | carpet → alfombra / moqueta |
| éxito | success | exit → salida |
| asistir | to attend | to assist → ayudar |
| pretender | to intend, to aim | to pretend → fingir |
| molestar | to bother | (no sexual meaning in Spanish) |
| introducir | to insert | to introduce someone → presentar |
| recordar | to remember | to record → grabar |
The 3 that cause the biggest laughs
Estoy embarazada
A guy saying “estoy muy embarazado” in a meeting is a story the whole office will tell for years. Say “¡Qué vergüenza!” or “Me da mucha vergüenza.”
Estoy constipado
In Spain it means you have a cold. So “Estoy constipado, no puedo ir” is a perfectly normal excuse. If you have the other problem, keep it to yourself or say estreñido.
Estoy excitado
Excited about the trip? “¡Qué ilusión!” or “Estoy emocionada.” Never excitada, unless that’s really what you mean.
More embarrassing traps: estoy caliente and other mistakes to avoid. And the words you do want to know: Spanish swear words.
Mistakes are part of speaking
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What does embarazada mean in Spanish?
Pregnant. To say you’re embarrassed, say “me da vergüenza” or “qué vergüenza”.
What does constipado mean in Spain?
It means having a cold. Constipated is “estreñido”.
How do you say “I’m excited” in Spanish?
“Estoy emocionado/a” or “¡Qué ilusión!”. Avoid “excitado”, which has a sexual meaning.
What are false friends in Spanish?
Words that look like English words but have a different meaning, like actual (current) or librería (bookshop).
What does preservativo mean?
Condom. Food preservatives are “conservantes”.
— Monica Bernabe Perez
$20 symbolic price · 30 minutes · with Mónica
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