Faux Amis - French English False Cognates Letter E

Faux Amis - French English False Cognates Letter E One of the great things about learning French or English is that many words have the same roots in the Romance languages and English. However, there are also a great many faux amis, or false cognates, which look similar but have different meanings. This is one of the biggest pitfalls for students of French. There are also semi-false cognates: words that can only sometimes be translated by the similar word in the other language.This alphabetical list (newest additions) includes hundreds of French-English false cognates, with explanations of what each word means and how it can be correctly translated into the other language. To avoid confusion due to the fact that some of the words are identical in the two languages, the French word is followed by (F) and the English word is followed by (E).à ©ducation (F) vs education (E)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ãƒ ©ducation (F) usually refers to education at home: upbringing, manners.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  education (E) is a general term for formal learning instruction, enseignement.à ©ligible (F) vs eligible (E)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ãƒ ©ligible (F) means eligible only for membership or an elected office.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  eligible (E) is a much more general term: à ©ligible or admissible. To be eligible avoir droit , remplir/satisfaire les conditions requises pour.à ©mail (F) vs email (E)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ãƒ ©mail (F) refers to enamel.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  email (E) is often translated as un email, but the accepted French term is un courriel (learn more).embarras (F) vs embarrass (E)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  embarras (F) indicates trouble or confusion as well as embarrassment.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  embarrass (E) is a verb: embarrasser, gà ªner.embrasser (F) vs embrace (E)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  embrasser (F) means to kiss, or can be used formally to mean to espouse.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  embrace (E) means à ©treindre or enlacer.à ©mergence (F) vs emergency (E)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ãƒ ©mergence (F) is the equivalent of the English words emergence or source.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  emergency (E) is un cas urgent or un imprà ©vu.employer (F) vs employer (E)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  employer (F) is a verb - to use, employ.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  employer (E) is a noun - un patron, un employeur.enchantà © (F) vs enchanted (E)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  enchantà © (F) means enchanted or delighted, and is most commonly used upon meeting someone, the way Its nice to meet you is used in English.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  enchanted (E) enchantà ©, but the English word is much less common than the French.enfant (F) vs Infant (E)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  enfant (F) means child.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Infant (E) refers to un nouveau-nà © or un bà ©bà ©.engagement (F) vs Engagement (E)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  engagement (F) has many meanings: commitment, promise, agreement; (finance) investing, liabilities; (negotiations) opening, start; (sports) kick-off; (contest) entry. It never means a marital engagement.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  engagement (E) usually indicates ones engagement to be married: les fianà §ailles. It can also refer to un rendez-vous or une obligation.engrosser (F) vs engross (E)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  engrosser (F) is a familiar verb meaning to knock up, get someone pregnant.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  engross (E) means absorber, captiver.enthousiaste (F) vs enthusiast (E)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  enthousiaste (F) can be a noun - enthusiast, or an adjective - enthusiastic.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  enthusia st (E) is only a noun - enthousiaste.entrà ©e (F) vs entrà ©e (E)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  entrà ©e (F) is another word for hors-doeuvre; an appetizer.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  entrà ©e (E) refers to the main course of a meal: le plat principal. envie (F) vs envy (E)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  envie (F) Avoir envie de means to want or to feel like something: Je nai pas envie de travailler - I dont want to work (feel like working). The verb envier, however, does mean to envy.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  envy (E) means to be jealous or desirous of something belonging to another. The French verb is envier: I envy Johns courage - Jenvie le courage Jean. escroc (F) vs escrow (E)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  escroc (F) refers to a crook or swindler.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  escrow (E) means un dà ©pà ´t fiduciaire or conditionnel.à ©tiquette (F) vs etiquette (E)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ãƒ ©tiquette (F) is a semi-false cognate. In addition to etiquette or protocole, it can be a sticker or label.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  etiquette (E) can mean à ©tiquette, convenances, or protocole.à ©ventuel (F) vs eventual (E)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ãƒ ©ventuel (F) means possible: le rà ©sultat à ©ventuel - the possible outcome.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  eventual (E) describes something that will happen at some unspecified point in the future; it can be translated by a relative clause like qui sensuit or qui a rà ©sultà © or by an adverb like finalement.à ©ventuellement (F) vs eventually (E)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ãƒ ©ventuellement (F) means possibly, if need be, or even: Vous pouvez à ©ventuellement prendre ma voiture - You can even take my car / You can take my car if need be.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  eventually (E) indicates that an action will occur at a later time; it can be translated by finalement, la longue, or tà ´t ou tard : I will eventually do it - Je le ferai finalement / tà ´t ou tard. à ©vidence (F) vs evidence (E)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ãƒ ©vidence (F) refers to obviousness, an obvious fact, or prominence.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  evidence (E) means le tà ©moignage or la preuve.à ©vident (F) vs evident (E)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ãƒ ©vident (F) usually means evident or obvious, and there is a familiar expression that always catches me: ce nest pas à ©vident - its not that simple.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  evident (E) means à ©vident or manifeste.à ©vincer (F) vs evince (E)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ãƒ ©vincer (F) means to oust, supplant, or evict.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  evince (E) manifester or faire preuve de.exceptionnel (F) vs exceptional (E)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  exceptionnel (F) can mean either exceptional or special in the sense of out-of-the-ordinary, unexpected.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  exceptional (E) means exceptionnel.expà ©rience (F) vs experience (E)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  expà ©rience (F) is a semi-false cognate, because it means both experience and experiment: Jai fait une expà ©rien ce - I did an experiment. Jai eu une expà ©rience intà ©ressante - I had an interesting experience.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  experience (E) can be a noun or verb refering to something that happened. Only the noun translates into expà ©rience : Experience shows that ... - Lexpà ©rience dà ©montre que... He experienced some difficulties - Il a rencontrà © des difficultà ©s.expà ©rimenter (F) vs experiment (E)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  expà ©rimenter (F) is a semi-false cognate. It is equivalent to the English verb, but also has the added sense of to test an apparatus.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  experiment (E) as a verb means to test hypotheses or ways of doing things. As a noun, it is equivalent to the French word expà ©rience (see above).exploitation (F) vs exploitation (E)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  exploitation (F) can mean either usage or exploitation.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  exploitation (E) is translated by exploitation, but it always has a negative connotation in English, unlike the French which can simply refer to usage.exposition (F) vs exposition (E)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  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.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Exposition (E) un commentaire, un exposà ©, or une interprà ©tation. extra (F) vs extra (E)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  extra (F) is an adjective that means first-rate or terrific. Un extra is a catering assistant or a treat.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  extra (E) the adjective means supplà ©mentaire. As an adverb, it might be translated by plus, trà ¨s, or even un supplà ©ment (e.g., to pay extra - payer un supplà ©ment). As a noun meaning perk, its equivalent to un -cà ´tà ©. extras as in extra options are en option or gà ¢teries, extra fees are frais supplà ©mentaires. An acting extra is un figurant and extra time in sports is prolongation(s).