False Friends

salida

Not 'éxito' (ES) — that means 'success'

en realidad, de hecho

Not 'actualmente' (ES) / 'atualmente' (PT) — that means 'currently'

real, verdadero

Not 'actual' (ES) / 'atual' (PT) — that means 'current'

avergonzado

Not 'embarazada' (ES) — that means 'pregnant'

biblioteca

Not 'librería' (ES) — that means 'bookstore'

darse cuenta

Not 'realizar' (ES/PT) — that means 'to carry out / accomplish'

realizar, llevar a cabo

This is what 'realizar' really means — not 'to realize' (darse cuenta)

estreñido

Not 'constipado' (ES/PT) — that means 'to have a cold'

estar resfriado / constipado

This is what 'constipado' really means — not 'constipated'

presentar

Not 'introducir' (ES) / 'introduzir' (PT) — that means 'to insert / bring in'

introducir, insertar

This is what 'introducir/introduzir' means — not 'to introduce a person'

sensato, prudente

Not 'sensible' (ES/PT) — that means 'sensitive' in English

sensible

This is what 'sensible/sensível' really means — not the English word 'sensible' (sensato)

tela, tejido

Not 'fábrica' (ES/PT) — that means 'factory'

fábrica

This is what 'fábrica' means — not 'fabric' (tela/tecido)

asistir a

Not 'atender' (ES/PT) — that means 'to help/serve someone' or 'to answer (the phone)'

atender

This is what 'atender' means — not 'to attend an event' (asistir a)

fingir

Not 'pretender' (ES/PT) — that means 'to intend'

pretender

This is what 'pretender' really means — not 'to pretend' (fingir)

padre / madre

Not 'pariente' (ES) / 'parente' (PT) — that means 'relative'

pariente, familiar

This is what 'pariente/parente' means — not 'parent' (padre, pai)

novela

In Portuguese, 'novela' means 'soap opera', not this — the book is 'romance'

telenovela

This is what 'novela' means in Portuguese — not 'novel' (the book)

fecha

In Portuguese, 'data' means exactly this — don't confuse it with the English word 'data' (información)

datos

Not 'data' in Portuguese — that means 'date' (the calendar day)

alfombra

Not 'carpeta' (ES) — that means 'folder'

carpeta

This is what 'carpeta' (ES) means — not 'carpet' (alfombra)

hablar de, tratar (un tema)

In Spanish, 'discutir' usually implies arguing, not a calm discussion

discutir, pelearse

This is closer to what 'discutir' really means — a disagreement, not a calm talk

grande

Not 'largo' (ES: long) / 'largo' (PT: wide) — a different word

largo

This is what 'largo' means in Spanish — not 'large' (grande)

conferencia, clase magistral

Not 'lectura' (ES) / 'leitura' (PT) — that means 'reading'

lectura

This is what 'lectura/leitura' means — not 'lecture' (a talk or class)

cuerda, soga

Not 'ropa' (ES) / 'roupa' (PT) — that means 'clothes'

ropa

This is what 'ropa/roupa' means — not 'rope' (cuerda/corda)

jarrón

Careful: in Spanish 'vaso' means 'drinking glass', not this (though in Portuguese 'vaso' really is a vase)

vaso

This is what Spanish 'vaso' means — not 'vase' (jarrón)

engaño

Not 'decepción' (ES) / 'decepção' (PT) — that means 'disappointment'

decepción

This is what 'decepción/decepção' means — not 'deception' (engaño/engano)

modismo, expresión idiomática

Not 'idioma' (ES/PT) — that means 'language'

idioma, lengua

This is what 'idioma' means — not 'idiom' (modismo)

mil millones

Traditionally, Spanish 'billón' means a trillion (10¹²) — not this!

concurso, competencia

Not 'contestar' (ES) — that means 'to answer/reply'

contestar, responder

This is what 'contestar' means in Spanish — not 'to contest' (competir, impugnar)

finalmente, en última instancia

Not 'últimamente' (ES) / 'ultimamente' (PT) — that means 'lately/recently'

últimamente

This is what 'últimamente/ultimamente' means — not 'ultimately' (finalmente)