50 French False Friends (Faux Amis) That English Speakers Should Know

Have you ever seen a French word that looks exactly like an English word, only to discover that it means something completely different?

These words are called faux amis, or false friends. They look familiar because they resemble English words, but their meanings can be different. Some are especially confusing because they have more than one meaning in French, or because their meanings overlap with English in certain situations.

Learning to recognize French false friends can help you avoid misunderstandings and choose the right word when speaking or writing.

Below is a list of 50 French false friends, along with their meanings and the English words you should use instead.

You might also want to check out my list of 300 true French-English cognates. These are words that look similar in both languages and have the same meaning.

This blog post is available as a convenient PDF in my private French Grammar Library.

---

50 French False Friends – Faux Amis

French word	What it means in French	English word it resembles	Correct French translation of the English word
Actuel	Current, present	Actual	Réel
Actuellement	Currently, at present	Actually	En fait, en réalité
Agenda	Diary, planner, calendar	Agenda	Ordre du jour
Assister	To attend	To assist, help	Aider
Attendre	To wait	To attend	Assister
Avertissement	Warning	Advertisement	Publicité
Balance	Scales, weighing scale	Balance	Équilibre
Blessé	Injured, wounded	Blessed	Béni
Bra	Arm	Bra	Soutien-gorge
Caméra	Movie camera, video camera	Camera	Appareil photo
Cave	Cellar	Cave	Grotte
Car	Coach, bus; also “because” as a conjunction	Car	Voiture
Caution	Security deposit, guarantee, or guarantor	Caution	Prudence
Chair	Flesh	Chair	Chaise
Coin	Corner	Coin	Pièce
Collège	Middle school	College, university	Université, fac
Commander	To order, place an order	To command	Ordonner
Confus	Confused; sometimes embarrassed or apologetic	Confused	Perplexe, désorienté
Contrôler	To check, inspect, or monitor	To control	Maîtriser, diriger
Correspondance	Connection between trains or other forms of transport; also written correspondence	Correspondence	Correspondance
Course	Race; shopping or errands	Course (class)	Cours
Crier	To shout, scream	To cry	Pleurer
Déception	Disappointment	Deception	Tromperie
Délicat	Delicate, sensitive, tricky	Delicate	Fragile, sensible (depending on context)
Demander	To ask	To demand	Exiger
Entrée	Entrance; starter or first course in a meal	Entrée (main course in American English)	Plat principal
Éventuellement	Possibly, perhaps	Eventually	Finalement
Fabrique	Factory, manufacturing workshop	Fabric	Tissu
Fournitures	Supplies	Furniture	Meubles
Graduation	Marking or scale division on a measuring instrument	Graduation ceremony	Remise des diplômes
Information(s)	Information, details, news or announcements depending on context	Information	Renseignements (when asking for specific information)
Journée	Day, the course of a day	Journey	Voyage
Librairie	Bookstore	Library	Bibliothèque
Location	Rental, hiring	Location	Endroit, emplacement
Magasin	Store, shop	Magazine	Magazine
Monnaie	Change, coins, money returned after a purchase	Money	Argent
Pain	Bread	Pain	Douleur
Préservatif	Condom	Preservative	Conservateur
Prétendre	To claim, assert	To pretend	Faire semblant
Prévenir	To warn, inform in advance	To prevent	Empêcher
Prune	Plum	Prune	Pruneau
Raisin	Grape	Raisin	Raisin sec
Réaliser	To achieve, accomplish, carry out; sometimes to realize in certain contexts	To realize (understand)	Se rendre compte
Recette	Recipe; revenue or income	Receipt	Reçu, ticket de caisse
Rester	To stay, remain	To rest	Se reposer
Sale	Dirty	Sale	Vente, soldes
Sensible	Sensitive	Sensible	Raisonnable
Supporter	To tolerate, put up with; also to support in some contexts	To support	Soutenir
Sympathique	Nice, friendly, pleasant	Sympathetic	Compatissant
Tissu	Fabric, cloth	Tissue	Mouchoir

---

A Few French False Friends Worth Remembering

Some false friends are particularly common in everyday French. Here are a few examples to help you remember how to use them.

Actuellement vs. Actually

The French word actuellement means currently or at present. It does not mean actually.

• J’habite actuellement en France. – I currently live in France.
• En fait, je ne suis pas d’accord. – Actually, I don’t agree.

Attendre vs. Attend

Attendre means to wait. If you want to say that you are attending a class or event, use assister à.

• J’attends le bus. – I’m waiting for the bus.
• J’assiste à une réunion. – I’m attending a meeting.

Librairie vs. Library

A librairie is a bookstore. A library is a bibliothèque.

• Je vais à la librairie pour acheter un livre. – I’m going to the bookstore to buy a book.
• Je vais à la bibliothèque pour emprunter un livre. – I’m going to the library to borrow a book.

Demander vs. Demand

Demander means to ask. The French verb exiger is closer to the English verb “to demand.”

• Je voudrais demander un renseignement. – I’d like to ask for some information.
• Il exige une réponse. – He demands an answer.

Éventuellement vs. Eventually

Éventuellement means possibly or perhaps. To express the idea of eventually, use finalement or another expression depending on the context.

• On pourrait éventuellement partir demain. – We could possibly leave tomorrow.
• Finalement, ils sont arrivés. – Eventually, they arrived.

Sensible vs. Sensible

The French adjective sensible means sensitive. The English adjective “sensible” is usually translated as raisonnable.

• Elle est très sensible. – She is very sensitive.
• C’est une décision raisonnable. – That’s a sensible decision.

---

True Cognates and False Friends in French

Not every French word that looks like an English word is a false friend. Many words have the same spelling and meaning in both languages. These are called true cognates.

For example:

• important – important
• possible – possible
• restaurant – restaurant
• animal – animal
• information – information

The key is to learn which familiar-looking words can be trusted and which ones need a closer look.

For more examples, take a look at my list of 300 true French-English cognates.

---

Keep Learning French Vocabulary

False friends are a normal part of learning another language. The best way to remember them is to learn each word in context, rather than relying only on how it looks.

When you come across a familiar-looking French word, take a moment to check its meaning. You may discover that it isn’t quite what you expected!