False friends (faux amis) are words that look or sound the same in French and English but mean something completely different. They’re responsible for some of the most embarrassing mistakes French speakers make in English.
Some are merely confusing. Others can change the entire meaning of what you’re trying to say — sometimes in very awkward ways. Here are 50 you need to know.
The Dangerous Ones (Beware!)
| French Word | What you think it means | What it actually means in English | What to say instead |
|---|---|---|---|
| excité | excited | sexually aroused | Use “excited” carefully — it’s fine in English, but “Je suis excité” is a direct translation trap. In English, “I’m excited” is perfectly normal and appropriate. |
| préservatif | preservative | condom | preservative (food additive) |
| bras | arm | bra (underwear) | arm |
| douche | shower | an insulting word for an unpleasant person | shower |
| coin | corner | a metal disc used as money | corner |
| entrée | starter/appetizer | main course (in American English) | starter (UK) / appetizer (US) |
| blessé | injured | blessed (religiously fortunate) | injured / hurt |
The Professional Ones (Career-Relevant)
| French | You think | It means in English | Say instead |
|---|---|---|---|
| actuellement | actually | currently/at the moment | currently / at the moment |
| actually (EN) | — | in fact / to be honest | — |
| assister (à) | to assist | to attend (a meeting/event) | to attend |
| to assist (EN) | — | to help | — |
| résumer | to summarize (✓) | also: to resume = to restart | to summarize |
| to resume (EN) | — | to restart / to continue | — |
| un résumé | a summary | a CV (in American English) | a summary |
| formation | training/education | formation (military arrangement) | training / education |
| stage | internship | stage (theater/platform) | internship / training course |
| société | company/business | society (community/culture) | company / firm |
| demander | to ask | to demand (to insist forcefully) | to ask / to request |
| agenda | diary/planner | agenda (list of topics for a meeting) | diary / planner / schedule |
| regarder | to look at | to regard (to consider/think about) | to look at / to watch |
| attendre | to wait | to attend (to be present at) | to wait |
| supplier | to beg | to supply (to provide goods) | to beg / to plead |
The Everyday Ones
| French | You think | English meaning | Say instead |
|---|---|---|---|
| sympathique | sympathetic | nice / friendly / likable | nice / friendly |
| sympathetic (EN) | — | feeling compassion for someone | — |
| sensible | sensitive | sensible (practical/reasonable) | sensitive |
| raisin | grape | raisin (dried grape) | grape |
| librairie | bookshop | library (lending institution) | bookshop / bookstore |
| library (EN) | — | bibliothèque | — |
| monnaie | money | change (coins given back) | money |
| change (EN) | — | to modify / coins returned | — |
| journée | day | journey (a trip) | day |
| journey (EN) | — | un voyage / un trajet | — |
| magazine | TV show | magazine (printed publication) | TV show / program |
| figure | face | figure (shape/number/person) | face |
| location | rental | location (place/position) | rental |
| caméra | camera (✓ video) | camera (photo + video) | — |
| photo | photograph (✓) | — | — |
| chance | luck | chance (opportunity/possibility) | luck |
| habit | clothes | habit (regular behavior) | clothes / outfit |
| chair | flesh | chair (furniture to sit on) | flesh / skin |
| coin | corner | coin (money) | corner |
| patron | boss | patron (supporter/regular customer) | boss / manager |
| travail | work | travail (painful labor, archaic) | work |
| conducteur | driver | conductor (orchestra/bus) | driver |
| abuser | to take advantage | to abuse (to mistreat) | to take advantage / to exaggerate |
| décevoir | to disappoint | to deceive (to trick/lie to) | to disappoint |
| ignorer | to not know | to ignore (to deliberately not pay attention) | to not know / to be unaware |
| prune | plum | prune (dried plum) | plum |
| éventuellement | possibly | eventually (in the end/finally) | possibly / perhaps |
| eventually (EN) | — | finalement / à terme | — |
How to Avoid Faux Amis Mistakes
- When in doubt, look it up. If a word looks like a French word, be suspicious.
- Learn words in context, not as isolated translations. “He attended the meeting” vs “He assisted at the meeting” — the difference matters.
- Practice with someone who speaks both languages. A teacher who understands French can catch these errors instantly.
- Keep a personal list. Every time you discover a new faux ami, write it down with an example sentence.
Want to catch your faux amis in real time?
In our live sessions, our AI chatbox detects false friend errors as you speak and suggests corrections instantly. It’s like having a bilingual safety net.
Related: 10 English Mistakes French Speakers Make | English Pronunciation: 8 Sounds French Speakers Get Wrong