False Friends (Spanish to English) Practice

1.  I’m so glad I changed jobs.  My actual job is so much better than my previous one.
current/present

2.   I really need to organize my desktop.  I’m going to create a carpet and put all of
these Excel documents in it. folder/file

3.   Robb asked a police to give him directions. policewomen/policeman/ the police

4.   Kids these days are really poorly educated.  They don’t have any manners and don’t
respect adults. impolite/rude/behared

5.   The song sounds really good, but the letters are really vulgar and don’t make much
sense. lyrics

6.   I don’t know why you get so offended by his jokes.  You’re so sensible. sensitive

7.   How many idioms do you speak? languages

8.   She has to redact a three-page essay about Napoleon Bonaparte. write

9.   Karen has a good relation with her supervisor. relationship

10.  Look at this prescription.  I can’t read my doctor’s letter at all. handwritting

11.  My doctor told me I need to eat more protein and carbohydrates, and less grass.
fat

12.  Some of the students claimed to the principal because they didn’t like their
teacher. complained

13.  My mother tries not to buy things from companies that explode their employees.
exploit

14.  She was really sick, so she didn’t assist the conference. attend

15.  The nurse introduced the needle into the patient’s arm. inserted

16.  I like working at Walmart, but attending customers can be really difficult.

17.  Please don’t say vulgar things.  This is a familiar restaurant and there are a lot of
kids here. family

18.  In general, college was fun for Mary Beth, but 9th grade was a little difficult. high
school
19.  Do you need a spoon so you can remove your coffee? stir

20.  Miguel was scared of getting married because he knew it was such a big
compromise. commitment

21.  It’s a beautiful apartment on the 4th plant with a view of Central Park. floor

22.  I used to work in a fabric manufacturing cars, but then it closed. plant, factory

23.  I never listen to his histories because they are always boring. stories

24.  All of these flies are molesting me. annoying, bothering

25.  When doctors make mistakes, sometimes people demand them for a lot of money.
to sue

26.  The lecture on the entrance exam to get into college was really challenging.  There
were so many difficult words and really long sentences. reading, listening…

27.  We had a reunion at work today, but a lot of people missed it. meeting

28.  I don’t really want to read the whole article.  Can you resume what it was about so
I have a general idea? sumarise, sum up

29.  The climate is absolutely beautiful today. weather

30.  He doesn’t want the car anymore, so he is going to sell it to one of his parents —
either his cousin or his uncle. relatives

31.  That store has a great politic for returns.  I returned some shirts and they gave me
my money back without asking any questions. policy

32.  In college, I started out studying Economics, but I didn’t like my career, so I
changed it to engineering. degree, major

33.  What a nice guy.  He’s so much fun to be around, and very sympathetic. nice

34.  Melanie has been going to the gym a lot ultimately. recently, lately

35.  They are trying to realize some changes so that the company can be more
competitive. implement

36.  Mike says that he could never be an actor because he would be scared to look out
and see everyone in the public. audience

37.  Many scientifics are looking for cures to terrible diseases. scientist

38.  My memory is terrible.  I can’t even record what I had for breakfast this morning.
remember
39.  Sarah and James told us that the service was horrible at that store.  They kept
looking for a store associate, but there was no one there to attend them. help

40.  Oops.  I think I cooked this pasta for too long.  The texture is horrible.  It’s very
bland. soft

41.  It’s not a great library.  Most of the books are really expensive. bookstore,
bookshop

42.  When people get older, sane eating and regular exercise becomes even more
important. healthy

43.  We got Jamie a big helium globe that says “Happy Birthday.” balloon

44.  I can’t believe he said something that offensive on television.  He’s going to have
to retire the statement and tell everyone that he didn’t mean it. to take back, retract

45.  My kindergarten professor taught me how to count to 10 in Spanish. teacher

46.  I was so excited to see the movie, but it was horrible.  It was such a deception.
dissapointment

47.  I can’t believe he lives in that old, disgusting place.  It’s completely inhabitable.
uninhabitable

48.  Do you know if this recipient is okay to put gasoline in? container, bucket

49.  If John comes to work late one more time, he is going to be fired.  Management
doesn’t support people arriving late all the time. stand