Words that look similar in English and French but have different meanings are called ‘faux amis’ (false friends).
They can trip you up if you use them thinking they mean the same in the two languages and can lead to embarrassing situations and misunderstandings.
For example, the French word ‘éventuellement’ looks like it would mean ‘eventually’ – but in fact it means ‘possibly’. The French word for ‘eventually’ is ‘finalement’.
‘Raisin’ in French doesn’t mean a raisin – it actually means a grape. The French word for a raisin is actually ‘raisin sec’.
And if French visitors see a sign in an English pub car park saying ‘Patrons only’ – no it doesn’t mean ‘only for the bosses’ (the word for a boss in French being patron).
So when learning a language, it’s helpful to be aware of false friends or faux amis to avoid making embarrassing mistakes. Although it doesn’t seem too important, knowing these false friends, as well as idioms, can help you sound much more fluent in the language.
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