Les faux-amis are words from distinct languages that share a striking resemblance in form but carry different meanings. This is why they are called 50 French false friends – faux amis.
By familiarizing yourself with these false cognates, you can prevent future confusion and in some cases possible embarrassment!
You might also want to check out a list of over 300 true French-English cognates!
Download: This blog post is available as a convenient PDF in my private French Grammar Library.
50 French False Friends – Faux Amis
| 🇫🇷 Actuel 🇫🇷 | 🚫 ✅ Current ✅ | 🇺🇸 Actual 🇺🇸 🇫🇷 Réel 🇫🇷 |
| 🇫🇷 Actuellement 🇫🇷 | 🚫 ✅ Currently ✅ | 🇺🇸 Actually 🇺🇸 🇫🇷 En fait, En réalité 🇫🇷 |
| 🇫🇷 Agenda 🇫🇷 | 🚫 ✅ Study planner ✅ | 🇺🇸 Agenda 🇺🇸 🇫🇷 Programme 🇫🇷 |
| 🇫🇷 Assister 🇫🇷 | 🚫 ✅ To attend ✅ | 🇺🇸 To help 🇺🇸 🇫🇷 Aider 🇫🇷 |
| 🇫🇷 Attendre 🇫🇷 | 🚫 ✅ To wait ✅ | 🇺🇸 To attend 🇺🇸 🇫🇷 Assister 🇫🇷 |
| 🇫🇷 Avertissement 🇫🇷 | 🚫 ✅ Warning ✅ | 🇺🇸 Advertisement 🇺🇸 🇫🇷 Publicité 🇫🇷 |
| 🇫🇷 Balance 🇫🇷 | 🚫 ✅ Scale (weight) ✅ | 🇺🇸 To balance 🇺🇸 🇫🇷 Tenir en équilibre 🇫🇷 |
| 🇫🇷 Blessé 🇫🇷 | 🚫 ✅ Injured ✅ | 🇺🇸 Blessed 🇺🇸 🇫🇷 Béni 🇫🇷 (religion) 🇫🇷 Bienheureux 🇫🇷 (personne) |
| 🇫🇷 Bra 🇫🇷 | 🚫 ✅ Arm ✅ | 🇺🇸 Bra 🇺🇸 🇫🇷 Soutien-gorge 🇫🇷 |
| 🇫🇷 Brave 🇫🇷 | 🚫 ✅ Kind ✅ ✅ Good-natured ✅ | 🇺🇸 Brave 🇺🇸 🇫🇷 Courageux 🇫🇷 |
| 🇫🇷 Caméra 🇫🇷 | 🚫 ✅ Movie camera ✅ | 🇺🇸 Camera 🇺🇸 🇫🇷 Appareil photo 🇫🇷 |
| 🇫🇷 Cave 🇫🇷 | 🚫 ✅ Cellar ✅ | 🇺🇸 Cave 🇺🇸 🇫🇷 Grotte 🇫🇷 |
| 🇫🇷 Car 🇫🇷 | 🚫 ✅ Coach / Bus ✅ | 🇺🇸 Car 🇺🇸 🇫🇷 Voiture 🇫🇷 |
| 🇫🇷 Caution 🇫🇷 | 🚫 ✅ Financial guarantee ✅ | 🇺🇸 Caution 🇺🇸 🇫🇷 Prudence 🇫🇷 |
| 🇫🇷 Chair 🇫🇷 | 🚫 ✅ Flesh ✅ | 🇺🇸 Chair 🇺🇸 🇫🇷 Chaise 🇫🇷 |
| 🇫🇷 Coin 🇫🇷 | 🚫 ✅ Corner ✅ | 🇺🇸 Coin 🇺🇸 🇫🇷 Pièce 🇫🇷 |
| 🇫🇷 Collège 🇫🇷 | 🚫 ✅ Middle school ✅ | 🇺🇸 College – Uni 🇺🇸 🇫🇷 Université, Fac 🇫🇷 |
| 🇫🇷 Commander 🇫🇷 | 🚫 ✅ Place an order ✅ | 🇺🇸 To command 🇺🇸 🇫🇷 Ordonner 🇫🇷 |
| 🇫🇷 Confus 🇫🇷 | 🚫 ✅ Embarrassed ✅ | 🇺🇸 Confused 🇺🇸 🇫🇷 Perdu, Désorienté 🇫🇷 |
| 🇫🇷 Contrôler 🇫🇷 | 🚫 ✅ Check, inspect ✅ | 🇺🇸 To control 🇺🇸 🇫🇷 Manipuler (sth) 🇫🇷 🇫🇷 Maîtriser (sth/sb) 🇫🇷 |
| 🇫🇷 Correspondance 🇫🇷 (transport) | 🚫 ✅ Connection ✅ | 🇺🇸 Correspondence 🇺🇸 (communication) 🇫🇷 Correspondance 🇫🇷 (has more than one meaning in French) |
| 🇫🇷 Course 🇫🇷 | 🚫 ✅ Race ✅ | 🇺🇸 Course 🇺🇸 (school) 🇫🇷 Cours 🇫🇷 |
| 🇫🇷 Crier 🇫🇷 | 🚫 ✅ To scream ✅ | 🇺🇸 To cry 🇺🇸 🇫🇷 Pleurer 🇫🇷 |
| 🇫🇷 Déception 🇫🇷 | 🚫 ✅ Disappointment ✅ | 🇺🇸 Deception 🇺🇸 🇫🇷 Tromperie 🇫🇷 |
| 🇫🇷 Délicat 🇫🇷 | 🚫 ✅ Sensitive ✅ | 🇺🇸 Delicate 🇺🇸 🇫🇷 Fragile, Sensible 🇫🇷 (can also be délicat in certain contexts) |
| 🇫🇷 Demander 🇫🇷 | 🚫 ✅ To ask ✅ | 🇺🇸 To demand 🇺🇸 🇫🇷 Exiger 🇫🇷 |
| 🇫🇷 Entrée 🇫🇷 (food) | 🚫 ✅ First course ✅ | 🇺🇸 Main course 🇺🇸 🇫🇷 Plat principal 🇫🇷 |
| 🇫🇷 Éventuellement 🇫🇷 | 🚫 ✅ Possibly ✅ | 🇺🇸 Eventually 🇺🇸 🇫🇷 Finalement 🇫🇷 |
| 🇫🇷 Fabrique 🇫🇷 | 🚫 ✅ Factory ✅ | 🇺🇸 Fabric 🇺🇸 🇫🇷 Tissu 🇫🇷 |
| 🇫🇷 Fournitures 🇫🇷 | 🚫 ✅ Supplies ✅ | 🇺🇸 Furniture 🇺🇸 🇫🇷 Meubles 🇫🇷 |
| 🇫🇷 Graduation 🇫🇷 | 🚫 ✅ Measurement ✅ | 🇺🇸 Graduation 🇺🇸 (ceremony) 🇫🇷 Remise des diplômes 🇫🇷 |
| 🇫🇷 Information(s) 🇫🇷 | 🚫 ✅ News ✅ | 🇺🇸 Information 🇺🇸 🇫🇷 Renseignements 🇫🇷 |
| 🇫🇷 Journée 🇫🇷 | 🚫 ✅ Day ✅ | 🇺🇸 Journey 🇺🇸 🇫🇷 Voyage 🇫🇷 |
| 🇫🇷 Librairie 🇫🇷 | 🚫 ✅ Bookstore ✅ | 🇺🇸 Library 🇺🇸 🇫🇷 Bibliothèque 🇫🇷 |
| 🇫🇷 Location 🇫🇷 | 🚫 ✅ Rental ✅ | 🇺🇸 Location 🇺🇸 🇫🇷 Endroit 🇫🇷 |
| 🇫🇷 Magasin 🇫🇷 | 🚫 ✅ Store ✅ | 🇺🇸 Magazine 🇺🇸 🇫🇷 Magazine 🇫🇷 |
| 🇫🇷 Monnaie 🇫🇷 | 🚫 ✅ Money returned ✅ | 🇺🇸 Money 🇺🇸 🇫🇷 Argent 🇫🇷 |
| 🇫🇷 Pain 🇫🇷 | 🚫 ✅ Bread ✅ | 🇺🇸 Pain 🇺🇸 🇫🇷 Douleur 🇫🇷 |
| 🇫🇷 Préservatif 🇫🇷 | 🚫 ✅ Condom ✅ | 🇺🇸 Preservative 🇺🇸 🇫🇷 Conservateur 🇫🇷 |
| 🇫🇷 Prétendre 🇫🇷 | 🚫 ✅ To claim ✅ | 🇺🇸 To pretend 🇺🇸 🇫🇷 Faire semblant 🇫🇷 |
| 🇫🇷 Prune 🇫🇷 | 🚫 ✅ Plum ✅ | 🇺🇸 Prune 🇺🇸 🇫🇷 Pruneau 🇫🇷 |
| 🇫🇷 Raisin 🇫🇷 | 🚫 ✅ Grape ✅ | 🇺🇸 Raisin 🇺🇸 🇫🇷 Raisin sec 🇫🇷 |
| 🇫🇷 Réaliser 🇫🇷 | 🚫 ✅ To achieve ✅ | 🇺🇸 To realize 🇺🇸 🇫🇷 Se rendre compte 🇫🇷 |
| 🇫🇷 Recette 🇫🇷 | 🚫 ✅ Recipe ✅ | 🇺🇸 Receipt 🇺🇸 🇫🇷 Reçu 🇫🇷 🇫🇷 Ticket de caisse 🇫🇷 |
| 🇫🇷 Rester 🇫🇷 | 🚫 ✅ To remain ✅ | 🇺🇸 To rest 🇺🇸 🇫🇷 Se reposer 🇫🇷 |
| 🇫🇷 Sale 🇫🇷 | 🚫 ✅ Dirty ✅ | 🇺🇸 Sale 🇺🇸 🇫🇷 Vente 🇫🇷 (transaction) 🇫🇷 Soldes 🇫🇷 (prix réduit) |
| 🇫🇷 Sensible 🇫🇷 | 🚫 ✅ Sensitive ✅ | 🇺🇸 Sensible 🇺🇸 🇫🇷 Raisonnable 🇫🇷 |
| 🇫🇷 Supporter 🇫🇷 | 🚫 ✅ To tolerate ✅ | 🇺🇸 To support 🇺🇸 🇫🇷 Soutenir 🇫🇷 |
| 🇫🇷 Sympathique 🇫🇷 | 🚫 ✅ Nice ✅ | 🇺🇸 Sympathetic 🇺🇸 🇫🇷 Compatissant 🇫🇷 |
| 🇫🇷 Tissu 🇫🇷 | 🚫 ✅ Fabric ✅ | 🇺🇸 Tissue 🇺🇸 🇫🇷 Mouchoir 🇫🇷 |
