Verbs that look similar between English-Spanish
I’ve joted down below a list of verbs in Spanish that resemble verbs in English, even though they can mean a totally different thing. When I'm translating, sometimes these can really throw me off!
I wonder if anyone can help me out with other quite common examples?
(I’ve also included in brackets the English verb that it resembles, along with this latter’s translation. In the case where the verb has multiple meanings, with only one of the less common meanings corresponding to what it appears to be in English from the Spanish, I have marked it in bold.)
embarazar == to make pregnant (to embarrass == avergonzar)
firmar == to sign (use firm == firme as an adjective or adverb, or to harden == endurecer)
remitir == to send, refer (to remind == recordar)
recordar == to remember, remind (to record == grabar, anotar)
atracar == to dock, bring alongside, mug someone (to attract == atraer)
jurar == to swear (to judge == juzgar)
asistir (a) == to attend (to assist == ayudar)
advertir == to warn (to advertise == anunciar)
escalar == to climb (to escalate == intensificar)
barrer == to sweep (to bar == obstruir)
evitar == to avoid (to evince, show, demonstrate == evidenciar)
hundir == to sink, destroy (to hunt = cazar, to hound == acosar)
devolver == to return (to devolve (as in the opposite to evolve) == recaer)
1 Answer
There are lots of lists of false cognates, which include many parts of speech in addition to verbs. Here is a good reference:
