I read somewhere that cognates make up around 30% of a text in an English-Portuguese text and I guess the opposite is also true. That would be all good and beautiful if the false cognates weren’t around. Yes, those misleading words that get us thinking one thing when in fact they mean something else.
As I care a lot about you, my dear reader, here’s a list of common English-Portuguese false cognates so that you get your words right!
assess = avaliar || acesso = access
advise = aconselhar || avisar = warn
anthem = hino || antena = aerial, antenna
army = exército || arma = gun, weapon
assist = ajudar || assistir = to watch (TV)
chute = corredeira || chute = kick
cigar = charuto || cigarro = cigarette
collar = colarinho, gola || colar = necklace; to glue
college = universidade, faculdade || colégio = school
compass = bússola || compasso = compasses
conceit = convencimento || conceito = concept
data = dados, fatos, identificação || data = date
deception = fraude, trapaça || decepção = disappointment
educated = instruído, culto || educado = polite
eventually = finalmente, por fim || eventualmente = occasionally
exit = saída || êxito = success
expert = perito, especialista || esperto = smart
gratuity = gorjeta || gratuito = gratuitous, free
guitar = violão || guitarra = electric guitar
hazard = risco, dano, mal, perigo || azar = mischance, jinx
hospice = abrigo para viajantes || hospício = bedlam, madhouse
intimate = íntimo(s), sugerir, insinuar (v) || intimar = to summon, to cite
large = grande || largo = broad, wide
lecture = conferência || leitura = reading
library = biblioteca || livraria = bookstore
notice = observar, notar || notícia = news
parents = pais || pais = relatives
particular = determinado, específico || particular, privado = private
physician = médico clínico || físico = physicist
policy = diplomacia, política || polícia = police
pretend = fingir || pretender = intend
proper = adequado || próprio = own
push = empurrar || puxar = pull
quote = citar || cota = share, quota
realize = perceber, dar-se conta || realizar = accomplish, achieve
respite = trégua/ repouso || respeito = respect
resume = recomeçar, retomar || resumir = sum up, summarize
retire = aposentar-se || retirar = remove
rim = borda, beira (de copo, xícara) || rim = kidney
sap = seiva || sapo = toad
sensible = sensato, ajuizado || sensível = sensitive
terrific = excelente || terrível = terrible
traduce = caluniar, difamar, criticar || traduzir = translate
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Comments:
Eduardo Trindade:
Hi Adir, of course I agree with the fact that false cognates can mislead students and, for this reason, they should learn them as soon as possible when learning English.
But it’s important to say that the proportion of English-Portuguese true cognates is way bigger than that of false cognates.
Several researches about the theme state there are around 1600 cognates, and only around 200 false cognates between the two languages.
So, I do believe the common latin root can help Portuguese speakers learn faster and understand more, as long as they also learn the false cognates.
Nice post!
Cheers!
Paul:
Looking in the dictionary I noticed the Portuguese word for male relative is parente and female relative is parenta but the plural word relatives is parentela and is feminine!
Margaret Nahmias:
It doesn’t matter how many false cognates there are between languages, they can still confuse students.
Pais dosent exist in English so I am not seeing how it is a cognate at all.
David:
Margaret, the confusion about pais is just a typo, as explained below.
Adir, the line ” parents = pais || pais = relatives” contains a mistake, it should be ” parents = pais || parentes = relatives”.
Gina Ferreira:
Compass is compasso if you are talking about a drawing tool that has a point on one side and a pen on the other side. It makes perfect circles.
Joao bento:
My congratulations for the blog. I loved it very much. Besides, I would like to add something. I have noticed that the translation for relatives you have repeated saying pais instead of parentes. To sum up. Parents = pais and Parentes=relatives.
Thank you.