False Word Friends and Accents

People here are fascinated by the various American accents. All they ever want to ask me about is how is a Texas accent is different from a New York accent and can I tell where someone is from just by listening to them (the answer is sometimes). And they regale me with stories of the Americans they've met from different states and their different accents, although the truth is that they can't really tell the difference. They can't even tell if I'm American or British.

One day, one of my local friends turned to me in earnest and asked "Please tell me, what exactly is a "dog"?!" I stared at him for a few seconds, trying to comprend exactly what he was asking, because I knew he knew what a dog was. I finally realized he was asking about a hot dog, and wanted to know why it was a "specialty" in the US.

There are thousands of words that are the same or almost the same between English and French, but among those thousands there are a few that don't mean the same thing at all that can trip us up. I've compiled a list of words that are the same in both English and French but have really different meanings and that can cause lots of problems in translation. Enjoy.

reste = to stay somewhere (as in I have rested in Tours for 6 weeks)
relaxe = to rest
passe un examen = take the test (reussi un examen = pass the test)
supporte = tolerate (you can't say my parents support me because really you're saying my parents tolerate me).
marche = functions (like "my cell phone ne marche pas ici")
double = to pass someone on the highway
licencie = to lay someone off
versatile = fickle (a very negative connatation)
comedien = a dramatic actor
comique = a comedian
vague = a wave (the noun)
but = a goal
college = middle school
costume = a man's (or woman's) suit
brassiere = bra
bra = arm
arme = gun
blesse = to hurt someone
hâte = (the verb) to hurry
hâte = (the noun) haste


You can't use "sur" (which means "on") in the same sense as English. For the French, if you say you are "sur" something, it means you're physically on top of the object. This can cause problems for English speakers who want to say "I'm on the phone" (awkward if you're trying to talk to someone) or "I'm on the train" (highly dangerous!) or especially "I'm on the airplane" (suicidal).


Another interesting fact is that any word in French that has the carot sign on top of the letter means there used to be an "s" in that word in the French language long ago. Like hôpital = hospital, or forêt = forest. Makes a lot of sense, actually.



This can't possibly mean the same thing.


This costume only costs 129 euros.