10 'False Friends' for English-Speaking Italian Learners

As I've mentioned in previous blogs, I'm starting to build up an elementary vocabulary in Italian.

As you do that, you run into these things called "false friends."

What are false friends?

False friends are words in two languages that look or sound similar but have different meanings. These can be tricky for us, because the words appear familiar, but they can lead to some serious confusion if we misuse them.

With that in mind, I looked up 10 of the most common Italian false friends for English speakers.

They are:

• Attualmente – Does not mean "actually." It means "currently" or "at the moment."
• Pretendere – Does not mean "to pretend." It means "to demand" or "to expect."
• Fattoria – Does not mean "factory." It means "farm."
• Sensible – Does not mean "sensible" in English. It means "sensitive."
• Libreria – Does not mean "library." It means "bookstore."
• Educato – Does not mean "educated." It means "polite" or "well-mannered."
• Eventualmente – Does not mean "eventually." It means "possibly" or "if necessary."
• Conveniente – Does not mean "convenient." It means "affordable" or "a good deal."
• Sensibile – Does not mean "sensible." It means "sensitive."
• Rumore – Does not mean "rumor." It means "noise."

Now we know! Keep an eye out for these 😄