You know French and English, so these traps are especially relevant to you.
| Spanish | Means | Not! | Translation of the trap |
|---|---|---|---|
| embarazada | pregnant | embarrassed | avergonzado/a |
| constipado | having a cold | constipated | estreñido |
| éxito | success | exit | salida |
| actual / actualmente | current / currently (fr. actuel) | actual / actually | real / en realidad |
| carpeta | folder | carpet | alfombra |
| librería | bookshop (fr. librairie) | library | biblioteca |
| largo | long | large (fr. large = wide) | grande / ancho |
| suceso | event (often crime news) | success | éxito |
| molestar | to bother | to molest | abusar de |
| recordar | to remember; to remind | to record | grabar |
| realizar | to carry out | to realise | darse cuenta |
| sensible | sensitive | sensible | sensato |
| asistir | to attend (fr. assister à) | to assist | ayudar |
| contestar | to answer | to contest (fr. contester) | impugnar, protestar |
| salir | to go out | (fr. salir = to dirty) | ensuciar |
| la tasa | rate, fee | (fr. la tasse = cup) | la taza |
| quitar | to remove | (fr. quitter = to leave) | dejar, irse de |
| el vaso | glass (for drinking) | vase (fr. vase) | el jarrón |
| la firma | signature | firm | la empresa |
| pretender | to try, to aim | to pretend | fingir |
| la discusión | argument (fight) or discussion | always "discussion" | debate for neutral discussion |
| el pariente | relative (any) | parent | padre / madre |
| en absoluto | not at all | absolutely | totalmente |
| la fábrica | factory | fabric | la tela |
| la ropa | clothes | rope | la cuerda |
Truco · Tip
Many French–Spanish pairs are true friends with regular sound changes: -tion → -ción (nation → nación), -té → -dad (liberté → libertad, société → sociedad), -eux → -oso (curieux → curioso, nerveux → nervioso, généreux → generoso), -ique → -ico (politique → político), -iste → -ista (optimiste → optimista). Use them, but check in a dictionary when unsure.