Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Spanish vs English

False cognates (words that look alike in both languages, but mean something completely different) are always creating difficulties for us when we try to use them.  Here are a few examples:

invertir -  we think it means to invert while it really means "to invest"
compromiso - we think it means compromise while it really means "to commit"

So here's one that still gives us a start:


Molestar is an everyday word that simply means "to bother" in Spanish, however the English meaning is quite different. You have to be careful when you're a Spanish speaker & use this false cognate!!

2 comments:

  1. When in Costa Rica I used the word "floja". In the States meaning lazy in Spanish. In Costa Rica it's like offending someone if you say that. It's how I understood it. :)

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  2. Whatever you do, do NOT EVER use the word coger. 'Nuff said! ;-)

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