What are false friends? The complete beginner's guide to false friends in in Brazilian Portuguese

Introduction

False friends are one of the biggest surprises waiting for English speakers learning Brazilian Portuguese. These tricky words look familiar and seem like they should mean what you think they mean, but they actually mean something completely different. Understanding false friends will save you from confusion, embarrassment, and miscommunication as you learn Portuguese.

What are false friends

False friends are words in Portuguese that look or sound similar to English words but have different meanings. The technical term for these is "false cognates," but thinking of them as false friends is much simpler. They appear to be your friends because they look familiar, but they trick you by meaning something else entirely.

For example, the Portuguese word "exquisito" looks like the English word "exquisite," but it actually means "strange" or "weird" in Portuguese. If you compliment someone's cooking by calling it "exquisito," you're actually calling it strange, not exquisite.

This happens because Portuguese and English both borrowed words from Latin and other languages over centuries. Sometimes these borrowed words evolved to mean different things in each language, creating these false friends.

Why false friends exist between Portuguese and English

Portuguese and English share many root words from Latin because both languages were influenced by Latin over time. English borrowed many Latin words through French during the Norman invasion, while Portuguese evolved directly from Latin as a Romance language.

When languages borrow words from the same source, the words often start out meaning similar things. But over hundreds of years, the meanings can shift and change in different directions in each language. What once meant the same thing in both languages gradually becomes different.

Additionally, Portuguese borrowed some words from English, and English borrowed some from Portuguese, but these borrowed words sometimes took on new meanings in their new language homes.

Understanding this history helps you realize that false friends are not random tricks designed to confuse you. They are natural results of how languages grow and change over time.

How false friends can trip you up

False friends create problems in several ways. First, they give you false confidence. When you see a word that looks familiar, your brain automatically assumes it means what you think it means. You don't stop to question it the way you would with a completely unfamiliar word.

Second, false friends can lead to embarrassing mistakes. Using the wrong meaning can create awkward social situations or make you sound rude when you intended to be polite.

Third, false friends can cause confusion when you're reading or listening. You might think you understand a sentence, but you actually misunderstood it because of a false friend hidden inside.

Finally, false friends can slow down your learning. If you confidently use the wrong meaning over and over, it becomes a habit that's hard to break later.

The most common false friends you need to know

False friends with people and relationships

Parents vs Parentes The Portuguese word "parentes" looks like "parents" but actually means "relatives" or "family members." Your parents are your "pais" in Portuguese.

  • Wrong: "Meus parentes moram em São Paulo" thinking this means "My parents live in São Paulo"
  • Right: "Meus parentes moram em São Paulo" actually means "My relatives live in São Paulo"
  • To say "My parents live in São Paulo": "Meus pais moram em São Paulo"

Pretend vs Pretender The verb "pretender" doesn't mean "to pretend." It means "to intend" or "to plan to do something."

  • Wrong: Thinking "Ele pretende ser médico" means "He pretends to be a doctor"
  • Right: "Ele pretende ser médico" means "He intends to be a doctor" or "He plans to be a doctor"
  • To say "pretend" in Portuguese: "fingir"

False friends with feelings and emotions

Excited vs Excitado This is one of the most embarrassing false friends. In Portuguese, "excitado" has a sexual meaning and is not appropriate for general excitement.

  • Wrong: Saying "Estou excitado" when you mean you're excited about something
  • Right: "Estou excitado" can have sexual connotations
  • To say "I'm excited": "Estou animado" (for men) or "Estou animada" (for women)

Exquisite vs Exquisito As mentioned earlier, "exquisito" means "strange" or "weird," not "exquisite" or "beautiful."

  • Wrong: "Sua comida está exquisita" thinking you're complimenting the food
  • Right: "Sua comida está exquisita" means "Your food is strange/weird"
  • To say "exquisite": "requintado" or "primoroso"

False friends with time and events

Actually vs Atualmente "Atualmente" means "currently" or "nowadays," not "actually."

  • Wrong: Thinking "Atualmente, eu gosto de café" means "Actually, I like coffee"
  • Right: "Atualmente, eu gosto de café" means "Currently, I like coffee" or "Nowadays, I like coffee"
  • To say "actually": "na verdade" or "realmente"

Eventual vs Eventual In Portuguese, "eventual" means "possible" or "occasional," not something that will definitely happen in the future.

  • Wrong: Thinking "um problema eventual" means "an eventual problem" (something that will definitely occur)
  • Right: "um problema eventual" means "a possible problem" or "an occasional problem"
  • To say "eventual" (something that will happen): "futuro" or "que vai acontecer"

False friends with places and objects

Library vs Livraria "Livraria" means "bookstore," not "library." A library is "biblioteca."

  • Wrong: "Vou à livraria pegar um livro emprestado" thinking you're going to the library
  • Right: "Vou à livraria pegar um livro emprestado" doesn't make sense because you buy books at bookstores, not borrow them
  • To say "I'm going to the library": "Vou à biblioteca"

Office vs Oficina "Oficina" means "workshop" or "repair shop," not "office." An office is "escritório."

  • Wrong: "Trabalho numa oficina" thinking you work in an office
  • Right: "Trabalho numa oficina" means "I work in a workshop/repair shop"
  • To say "I work in an office": "Trabalho num escritório"

False friends with food and eating

Salt vs Salada "Salada" means "salad," not "salt." Salt is "sal."

  • Wrong: Asking for "salada" when you want salt for your food
  • Right: "Salada" is what you eat, "sal" is what you put on food to make it taste better
  • To ask for salt: "Pode passar o sal?"

Push vs Puxar "Puxar" means "to pull," which is the opposite of push. To push is "empurrar."

  • Wrong: Trying to "puxar" a door when you need to push it
  • Right: "Puxar" means pull toward you, "empurrar" means push away from you
  • Remember: Puxar = Pull (both start with P)

False friends with actions and activities

Realize vs Realizar "Realizar" means "to accomplish," "to carry out," or "to make happen," not "to realize" or "to understand."

  • Wrong: "Eu realizei que estava errado" thinking this means "I realized I was wrong"
  • Right: "Eu realizei que estava errado" doesn't make grammatical sense
  • To say "I realized": "Eu percebi" or "Eu me dei conta"
  • "Realizar" example: "Vou realizar meu sonho" (I'm going to accomplish my dream)

Assist vs Assistir "Assistir" means "to watch" or "to attend," not "to help" or "to assist."

  • Wrong: "Vou te assistir" thinking this means "I'm going to assist you"
  • Right: "Vou te assistir" means "I'm going to watch you"
  • To say "I'm going to help you": "Vou te ajudar"
  • "Assistir" example: "Vou assistir ao filme" (I'm going to watch the movie)

Partial false friends that are extra tricky

Some false friends are even trickier because they have one meaning that matches English and another meaning that doesn't. These partial false friends can fool you because sometimes your English guess is right, making you think you always understand the word correctly.

Novel vs Novela In Portuguese, "novela" can mean a soap opera (the main meaning) or a novel (less common). Most of the time when Brazilians say "novela," they mean a TV soap opera.

  • Sometimes right: "Li uma novela interessante" could mean "I read an interesting novel"
  • Usually wrong: "Assisti uma novela ontem" - you'd think this means "I watched a novel yesterday," but it means "I watched a soap opera yesterday"

College vs Colégio "Colégio" means "high school," not "college." College is "faculdade" or "universidade."

  • Wrong: "Estudo no colégio" thinking this means "I study in college"
  • Right: "Estudo no colégio" means "I study in high school"
  • To say "I study in college": "Estudo na faculdade"

Words that look like false friends but aren't

Not every similar-looking word is a false friend. Some words actually do mean what you think they mean. These true friends can help you build confidence, but you need to learn to tell the difference.

Natural means "natural" in both languages Animal means "animal" in both languages Hospital means "hospital" in both languages Hotel means "hotel" in both languages Banana means "banana" in both languages

The key is not to assume all similar words are either true friends or false friends. Each word needs to be learned individually.

How to identify potential false friends

When you encounter a new Portuguese word that looks similar to an English word, pause and ask yourself these questions:

Does this word make sense in the context? If a sentence seems confusing even though you think you know what all the words mean, one of them might be a false friend.

Is this word being used in a way that seems strange for the English meaning? For example, if someone says they're going to "assist" a movie, that should be a clue that "assistir" doesn't mean what you think.

Have you actually learned this word, or are you just guessing based on English? If you're guessing, look it up to be sure.

Are native speakers using this word differently than you expected? Pay attention to how Brazilians actually use words, not how you think they should use them.

Memory techniques for remembering correct meanings

Create strong associations with the correct meaning Instead of just trying to forget the English meaning, create a strong memory link to the Portuguese meaning. For "realizar," think "realize your dreams" - you accomplish or carry out your dreams.

Use the contrast method Deliberately practice the contrast between the false meaning and the real meaning. Say "Exquisito doesn't mean exquisite, it means strange" several times.

Make memorable sentences Create silly or memorable sentences using the correct meaning. "I realized that to realize my dream, I need to realizar my plan" helps you remember that "realizar" means accomplish.

Group false friends by category Learn related false friends together. Group all the emotion false friends, all the place false friends, etc. This helps you remember that there are patterns.

Practice in context Don't just memorize lists. Use these words in real sentences and conversations. The more you use the correct meaning, the stronger that memory becomes.

The importance of context clues

Context clues are your best defense against false friends. Even if you don't know a word is a false friend, the context of the sentence can help you figure out the real meaning.

If someone says "A comida estava exquisita," and they make a face like they didn't enjoy it, you can guess that "exquisita" doesn't mean something good like "exquisite."

If someone says "Vou assistir um filme," and they're clearly talking about watching a movie, you can figure out that "assistir" means "to watch," not "to help."

Pay attention to the whole situation, not just individual words. Body language, tone of voice, and the general topic of conversation all give you clues about what words really mean.

Common patterns in false friends

Many false friends follow patterns that can help you recognize them:

Words ending in -mente Many Portuguese adverbs ending in -mente look like English words but mean different things. "Atualmente" (currently) looks like "actually," but they're different.

Words with similar prefixes Words starting with "ex-" often have different meanings in Portuguese. "Exquisito" and "excitado" are both examples of this.

Action words (verbs) Many Portuguese verbs that look like English verbs have different meanings. "Realizar," "assistir," "pretender" all fall into this category.

Emotion and feeling words Be especially careful with words describing feelings and emotions. These often have false friends that can be embarrassing if used incorrectly.

Regional considerations in Brazilian Portuguese

Brazilian Portuguese has some regional variations, but the false friends covered in this guide are consistent across Brazil. However, keep in mind that:

Some words might have additional meanings in certain regions that aren't covered here. When in doubt, ask local speakers.

Informal speech might use words differently than formal speech, but the false friends in this guide apply to both.

Portuguese from Portugal sometimes has different meanings for words than Brazilian Portuguese, so if you're learning Brazilian Portuguese, focus on Brazilian usage.

Building confidence with false friends

Learning about false friends might feel overwhelming at first, but remember that awareness is your biggest advantage. Now that you know these words exist, you're much less likely to be tricked by them.

Start with the most common false friends listed in this guide. You don't need to memorize everything at once. Focus on the ones you're most likely to encounter in everyday conversation.

Practice using the correct meanings in real situations. The more you use these words correctly, the more natural they'll become.

Don't be afraid to ask for clarification. If you're not sure about a word, it's always better to ask than to guess and be wrong.

Remember that even advanced speakers sometimes get tricked by false friends. It's a normal part of language learning, not a sign that you're not good at Portuguese.

What to do when you encounter new potential false friends

As you continue learning Portuguese, you'll discover more words that look similar to English. Here's what to do:

Look up any word that looks familiar before assuming you know what it means. Online dictionaries and translation apps can help, but try to find example sentences, not just direct translations.

Ask native speakers how they use the word. Sometimes dictionary definitions don't capture how words are actually used in conversation.

Pay attention to context when you hear or read the word. How are native speakers actually using it?

Keep a list of false friends you discover. Review this list regularly to reinforce the correct meanings.

Practice using new words in sentences to make sure you understand them correctly.

Continuing your false friend education

This guide covers the most important false friends you'll encounter as a beginner, but there are more to discover as you advance in Portuguese. The principles you've learned here will help you identify and learn new false friends throughout your language journey.

Stay curious and questioning when you encounter familiar-looking words. The habit of double-checking meanings will serve you well.

Read Portuguese texts and pay attention to words you think you know. Sometimes you'll discover you were wrong about a word's meaning.

Practice conversations with native speakers and ask them to correct you when you use words incorrectly. Most Brazilians are happy to help you learn.

Remember that mastering false friends is a gradual process. Each time you encounter one and learn its correct meaning, you're building a stronger foundation in Portuguese. With awareness, practice, and patience, these tricky words will become just another part of your Portuguese vocabulary rather than obstacles to your communication.