False Cognates are Faux Amis Who May Not Be Welcome

False Cognates are Faux Amis Who May Not Be Welcome In English and Romance languages like French, many words have the same roots, they look identical or very similar, and they share the same meaning. Thats a wonderful convenience to the student of either language. However, there are also a great many faux amis (false friends), that are  false cognates.  These are words that look identical or similar in both languages, but they have completely different meanings- a  pitfall for English-speaking students of French. A Pitfall for Students There are also semi-false cognates: words that sometimes, but not always, share the same meaning as the similar-looking word in another language.  Semi-false cognates are words that don’t look exactly the same, but they’re similar enough to cause confusion.   The  list of French-English false cognates below includes both false cognates and semi-false cognates, and the meaning of each word. To avoid confusion, weve added (F) for French and (E) for English to the titles. There are hundreds of false cognates between French and English. Here are few to get you started. Faux Amis and Semi-Faux Amis Ancien  (F)  vs. ancient (E)Ancien (F)  commonly means former, as in lancien maire  (the former mayor), although it can also mean ancient as in English  in certain contexts that discuss, for instance, very old civilizations. Attendre  (F)  vs. attend (E)Attendre means to wait for and its in one of the most common French phrases:  Je t’attends  (Im waiting for you). The English attend, of course, though similar in appearance means to take part in or to go to some event, such as a meeting or a concert. Bra  (F)  vs. bra  (E) The French bra  (F) is a limb on the human body and the opposite of jambe (leg). A bra (E) in English is, of course, a female undergarment, but the French call this garment, appropriately, a support (un soutien-gorge). Brasserie (F)  vs. brassiere (E)A French brasserie is an institution in France, a place, much like the British pub, where youd find a bar that serves meals, or a brewery. No connection to the female undergarment in the English word brassiere, of which bra  is the abbreviated form. Blessà © (F) vs. Blessed (E)If someone is blessà ©Ã‚  in France, they are wounded, emotionally or physically. This is far from the English blessed, which can apply to a religious sacrament or just great luck. Bouton (F) vs. button  (E)Bouton does  mean button in French, as it does in English, but  a French  bouton  can also refer to that bane of the teenage years: a  pimple.   Confection (F) vs. confection (E)La confection (F) refers to the making or preparing of clothing, a device, a meal, and more. It can also refer to the clothing industry. An English  confection  (E) is a class of food thats sweet, something thats made in a bakery or candy shop. Exposition (F) vs. exposition (E)Une exposition (F) can refer to an exposition of facts, as well as to an exhibition or show, the aspect of a building, or exposure to heat or radiation.  An English exposition is a commentary or or an essay developing a point of view. Grand  (F) vs. grand (E)Grand is a very, very common French word for big, but there are times it refers to something or someone great, such as un grand homme  or a grand-pà ¨re.  When it describes a person’s physical appearance, it means tall. Grand in English commonly refers to a special human being, thing, or place of notable achievement. Implantation (F) vs. implantation (E)Une implantation  is the introduction or setting up of a new method or industry, a settlement, or a companys presence in a country or region. Medically, the French terms means implantation (of an organ or embryo). An English implantation is an implantation only in the sense of an introduction or setting up or in the medical sense. Justesse (F) vs justice (E)French justesse  is all about exactness, accuracy, correctness, soundness, and the like. If something is juste, it is corect. The English justice  refers to what we expect when the rule of law prevails: justice. Librairie  (F) vs. Library (E)These two terms are  often confused, and  they are true  faux amis. Books are involved in both, but  une librairie  is where you go to purchase a book: a bookshop or newsstand. Your local library is  une bibliothà ¨que in France,  or these days  it may be part of  a  mà ©diathà ¨que.  The English library is, of course, where you borrow books. Location  (F) vs. location  (E)  There are miles between these two meanings.  A French location  is a rental, and youll often see ads for  Ã¢â‚¬Å"les meilleures locations  de vacances,† meaning â€Å"the best holiday rentals.†Ã‚  Location is the physical spot where something like a building lives, you know: location, location, location, which can be important in finding a French location. Monnaie  (F) vs. money (E)Monnaie  for the French is the loose change jingling in your pocket or weighing down your handbag. People at the checkout who say they have no  monnaie  dont have the right change. English money is all of it, both change and bills. Vicieux (F) vs. vicious (E)The French term  vicieux (F) gives us pause because its what you call someone perverted, depraved, or nasty. In English, the vicious person is brutal, but not quite so nasty as a  vicieux in French.