False Cognates: English vs. Portuguese

Diving into the labyrinth of languages can sometimes feel like being an intrepid explorer in the wilds of linguistics, especially when you stumble upon the tricky terrain of false cognates. Imagine confidently striding into a conversation, armed with what you believe are your trusty linguistic companions, only to find out they’re actually wolves in sheep’s clothing, ready to turn your well-intentioned phrase into a comical misstep. This is the world of false cognates, where words that look like long-lost twins across languages turn out to have taken wildly different paths in life.

Don’t Get Fooled

At a dinner party in Portugal, you’re eager to compliment the host on the intricate decorations and the overall ambiance. Wanting to express how impressed you are, you decide to use what you think is the perfect Portuguese word, exclaiming, “Este jantar está muito esquisito!” You expect smiles and nods of appreciation. Instead, there’s a brief, puzzled silence followed by a burst of laughter.

Why?

Because instead of saying the dinner is “exquisite,” you’ve just announced that the dinner is “weird” or “strange.” Far from the sophisticated compliment you intended, your comment turns into a humorous icebreaker, making you the life of the party for reasons you hadn’t anticipated.

A List of False Cognates

And so, with a mix of curiosity and caution, we venture into “The List of False Cognates.” Brace yourself for a tour of linguistic landmines that promise to be as entertaining as they are enlightening. Whether it’s accidentally claiming to be pregnant with a “preservativo” (which, spoiler alert, does not mean preservative in Portuguese) or marveling at the “fabric” of society (only to realize you’ve been talking about a factory), we’ve got you covered.

Let’s dive in and uncover the hilariously misleading world of false cognates between English and Portuguese, ensuring your next linguistic expedition is a tad more navigable—and a lot more accurate.

English	Portuguese	Meaning in English	Meaning in Portuguese
Actually	Atualmente	In fact	Currently
Assist	Assistir	To help	To watch
Balcony	Balcão	Outside viewing platform	Counter
Costume	Costume	Disguise or outfit	Custom, habit
Data	Data	Information	Date
Design	Designar	To create a plan	To designate, appoint
Educated	Educado	Having received education	Polite
Enroll	Enrolar	To sign up	To wind up, to roll up
Exit	Êxito	Way out	Success
Exquisite	Esquisito	Beautiful, delicate	Weird, strange
Expert	Esperto	Specialist	Clever, smart
Fabric	Fábrica	Cloth material	Factory, plant
Grip	Gripe	To hold tightly	Flu, cold
Injury	Injúria	Physical harm	Insult
Legend	Legenda	Traditional story	Subtitle
Library	Livraria	Place to borrow books	Bookstore
Lunch	Lanche	Midday meal	Snack
Novel	Novela	Fictional book	Soap opera
Parents	Parentes	Mother and father	Relatives
Particular	Particular	Specific, detailed	Private, personal
Preservative	Preservativo	Food additive	Condom
Push	Puxe	To apply force away	Pull (to apply force towards)
Pull	Pular	To apply force towards	Jump
Record	Recordar	To capture information	To remember, recall
Refrigerant	Refrigerante	Cooling substance	Soda, soft drink
Resume	Resumir	To continue after a pause	To summarize
Stranger	Estrangeiro	Unknown person	Foreigner
Tax	Taxa	Government levy	Rate, fee

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