Do you know these 'false friends'? If you like travelling, you probably speak English from time to time. Whether you are more or less comfortable in English, it is a good language to get around in most parts of the world. But it can be useful to be aware of so-called 'false friends' - words that sound similar to English but actually mean something else. Do you know these twelve?
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1. delicate
No, it's not good at all if you say the food abroad was "delicate". Delicate doesn't mean delicate ... but fragile.
2. costume
Were you going to say you're wearing a costume at the wedding? Okay, but be prepared for everyone to expect you to wear a costume.
3rd Semester
Holidays are nice! In English, where it means term, it feels a bit more ordinary.
4. blanket
It sounds like you are talking about a form to be filled in, but this is not the case. A "form" in English is simply a blanket.
5. tips
It is fine to give tips sometimes, but if you speak English, it is good to know that there is now a risk that someone will expect to be tipped (although tip can sometimes be used for tips as well).
6. chips
We call those flat crispy things you eat in front of the TV chips, but when the English say "chips" ... they mean French fries.
7. fabric
When your new British friend wants to show you some nice fabric, it's good to know that she's not going to take you to some boring factory. Nope, it's all about fabrics now!
8. Glass
I have actually heard of a poor tourist office employee who was mistaken about this. She sent the poor tourists to an ice cream parlour when you wanted to go to a glass factory. Or what if it was the other way round? "Glass" in English is, after all, glass ...
9. VD
I don't really know when you could make a mistake on this, but if you make a mistake, it seems to be quite difficult. CEO in English is not a CEO at all, but a sexually transmitted disease (venereal disease).
10th Billion
While a "trillion" is a lot of money, it is not a trillion (thousand billion) but "only" a billion.
11th Trillion
Numbers are complicated! A "trillion" in English is the equivalent of a trillion in Swedish, i.e. a thousand billion. However, it is not the same as a Swedish trillion (a one followed by 18 zeros).
12. 17th century
Now you really want to believe that this means the 18th century, but unfortunately it's not that funny. 17th century corresponds to the 17th century in Swedish. I have been taught that you should think that you are in in the 17th century. It doesn't help much, I have to say, but you just have to accept it. Fake friends or not, this is the way it is!
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Anna / Boihusbil says:
Good reminders! I think I've used tips several times, even though I know it's a tip. But it kind of comes so naturally when you ask for recommendations 😀.
03 November 2018 - 7:40
Helena says:
Haha, agree! Can be ok to use tip about tips too sometimes though 😉 .
03 November 2018 - 11:25
Johnny Friskilä says:
I know that I have made mistakes with fabrics and factories. When I moved to Sweden, I also had difficulty with the word "holiday". In Norway it means the same as in English and not as in Swedish. Otherwise, I remember a relative of mine who once asked for a "cognac on the house" instead of a "cognac of the house" - it didn't work out, so to speak.
03 November 2018 - 8:05
Helena says:
Interesting that holidays are the same in Norwegian and English, I didn't know that!
03 November 2018 - 11:25
Ruth in Virginia says:
Hahaha, "cognac on the house" would be nice. 🙂
03 November 2018 - 16:41
anita says:
Oh yes, the potato thing... I've tried to sort out the concepts now that I run a restaurant. But it is difficult when dealing with different nationalities. Chips - French fries. I usually say fried potatoes directly translated from Greek. Apparently the English mean more like pieces of potato, a bit bigger and actually home-made as we have. The Swedes nowadays just say pommes. A baked potato for the Swedes is just that, a baked potato. But it is apparently called jacket potato while oven potatoes are called baked potatoes. Potatoes made in oven I usually say... to avoid misunderstandings but apparently it is not called that. The Greek is actually easier because there it is simply potatoes fried, potatoes oven and potatoes boiled. no misunderstandings.
03 November 2018 - 9:08
Helena says:
Oh help, how complicated! Phew! It seems that you have found a way to communicate at least 😉.
03 November 2018 - 11:26
Maria's Memoirs says:
I often say fries when I'm having chips, because I -think- it's something all English speakers understand...?
03 November 2018 - 15:12
Henny says:
I was a bit confused when my American family talked about holidays in the context of hockey. Otherwise, it was the ice cream that caused problems when I initially wanted to offer the children something good. Luckily they liked Frozen youghurt better?
By the way, thanks for all the great tips on activities in Stockholm. They will come in handy when it's time for a holiday in the capital.
03 November 2018 - 9:18
Helena says:
Haha, I understand that the holiday thing could seem odd 😉 Glad you appreciated our tips!
03 November 2018 - 15:12
4000mil says:
Yes, you can keep track of them, even if your tongue can sometimes slip at the speed of different expressions. I have the hardest time with the centuries. I always have to stop and think "What's next?"?
03 November 2018 - 9:26
Helena says:
I also think the centuries are difficult! I know in theory, but it doesn't come naturally.
03 November 2018 - 15:14
Veiken says:
I had probably missed the CEO and fabric. Otherwise, I knew. Language is not easy! 😉
03 November 2018 - 9:34
Helena says:
It is certainly not easy. There are many pitfalls!
03 November 2018 - 15:14
åsa/nalta norrland says:
😀 Thanks for the morning's laughter 😀 I have also read the post about spelling and yes, I am one of those who can easily misspell....
Have a nice Saturday 🙂
03 November 2018 - 9:48
Helena says:
I fully understand that not everyone has an easy time spelling. I see some typical errors over and over again and couldn't resist putting together a little post about it 😉.
03 November 2018 - 15:19
JoY says:
I told him about the golf competition prize I had received, I didn't know the English word and pulled a "Blanket" but in fact I had received a plaque?
On the golf course we said Bra after a good shot, which is bra in English?
There is a lot of fun with languages
03 November 2018 - 12:08
Helena says:
Haha, it's really not always easy. And sometimes it's a lot of fun when things go wrong 😉.
03 November 2018 - 15:20
Emma, sun like sun? says:
In fact, if I have understood correctly, it is only in Swedish that holiday means law, leave. In the rest of the world where the word is used, it means term. It comes from the Latin semestris and means six months. Most working people probably dream of a six-month holiday - in the Swedish sense ...
I was aware of these fake friends but I lost track of the numbers. I know it doesn't match but what is what ... Well, you can't grasp everything.
Languages are really fun!
03 November 2018 - 12:55
Helena says:
Haha, six months of holiday would be something! 🙂 I didn't know that about the Latin, but it sounds like we Swedes have misunderstood a bit 😉.
03 November 2018 - 15:21
Ditte says:
Languages are fun and here I knew all of them except number 11, trillion. I had forgotten that one.
03 November 2018 - 13:12
Helena says:
It is quite rare to talk about trillions and trillions 😉.
03 November 2018 - 15:22
Britt-Marie Lundgren says:
Even if you are familiar with these examples, I am convinced that it has gone wrong many times because we are only average in English and almost 50 years old school German.
However, the main thing is to be able to make yourself understood and communicate with other people. The important thing is to dare...
We understand those who make tentative attempts in Swedish with the wrong inflectional forms and meanings.
03 November 2018 - 13:39
Helena says:
Sure, it's easy to get things wrong sometimes! And I completely agree with you, the most important thing is to dare to talk and to make yourself understood!
03 November 2018 - 15:23
BP says:
Hahaha! I probably knew most of the words, but I never learnt the 17th century. My Swedish husband always laughs when I'm like 100 years wrong.
I claim to have dyscalculia, so I haven't even tried to learn about trillions and trillions;-)
03 November 2018 - 14:32
Helena says:
The centuries thing IS difficult. Even though I know, I find it tricky ...
03 November 2018 - 15:23
Allan Ekberg says:
It is difficult for the author too. Thinking about the 18th century is completely wrong. It has not happened yet and it is very far into the future.
Another example: half past eleven is not six o'clock but half an hour into the twelfth hour. Allan E
08 November 2018 - 12:22
Helena says:
Haha oh, yes absolutely true! There it went too fast. Thanks for paying attention Allan! Good and interesting example with the clock!
09 November 2018 - 7:27
Deciree says:
Think how many differences a word can have 🙂 Hope all is well with you? Hugs from us in the North 🙂
03 November 2018 - 15:30
Helena says:
Isn't that right? Yes, indeed! We are busy, but everything is fine. Hope to see you at some point! Hugs
04 November 2018 - 8:37
Mr Steve says:
I studied English during my first years in Uppsala and have felt quite comfortable with the language ever since. However, I have probably been wrong at some point.
I sometimes have to stop and think about centuries, but then I am helped by my interest in football, for example. Commentators in football always say that the match is in the next minute. For example: When 16 minutes have passed, they say that the match is in the 17th minute. However, this is probably a way of thinking that only helps those interested in football.
I'm not at the billion and trillion level, but I guess that's where I'd be wrong if I ended up there. Who cares in that situation.
03 November 2018 - 15:54
Helena says:
Exactly the same here. I feel comfortable in English, but of course I still make mistakes sometimes. Fun and interesting comparison with sports minutes!
04 November 2018 - 8:38
Maria / Magnolia Magis says:
Ha ha ha it was fun! Then you can do as known when he ordered pizza without :"union" .
If you're in Italy, don't say fika out loud...it means something completely different! Female part... I embarrassed the daughter when I visited and we were in town and it was time for tea and cake: "Look! Fika!" I said loud and clear at an outdoor café....Then my daughter liked her mum less. Well, she is used to it.
03 November 2018 - 16:56
Helena says:
Haha, I think I also heard that with union at some point. Such things can be quite fun 😉 And ok good tip, I did not know about the coffee 🙂 .
04 November 2018 - 8:40
Lennart says:
Thanks for the tips!
03 November 2018 - 17:15
Patrik says:
What a fun text! Got my own idea of something to write about the English language thanks to this 🙂 .
The word "tip" actually also means tip in Swedish. Meaning that you tip someone about something. So it means both 😀
03 November 2018 - 18:48
Helena says:
Great if we could inspire further posts about English! 🙂 You're right about the tip, although I've seen situations and translations that have become strange. Thanks, I'll soften and correct the text a bit!
04 November 2018 - 8:49
Annika says:
Please add that rapa is not called rape (but burp). ?
03 November 2018 - 19:29
Helena says:
Haha, NOT good if you make mistakes there! 😉
04 November 2018 - 8:49
Frederick says:
I miss one word: Eventually, which means eventually, not possibly as we Swedes like to think.
04 November 2018 - 8:50
Helena says:
Yes, it's also a good word that would really fit on the list!
09 November 2018 - 7:28
Lena in Wales says:
Living in Wales and using English as my daily language, I know these words but have heard many people get them wrong.
Glad you brought this up. I have a post waiting to be posted with similar words.
Wishing you a nice Sunday!
04 November 2018 - 9:43
Helena says:
But what fun! I look forward to reading that post! 🙂
09 November 2018 - 7:28
Gun says:
When introducing myself to an English speaker, I usually add
But I'm not shooting?
Once when I was driving with my daughter's American mother-in-law in Florida.
she said that probably 8 out of 10 cars have guns, so you have to be very careful if a situation arises. We sat in silence for a while and I said "you have a gun in your car too".
04 November 2018 - 9:46
Helena says:
Haha, I've never thought about what your name means in English! It will be a bit special 😉 .
09 November 2018 - 7:29
Bj says:
If you order a lot of pints in the pub and need help carrying, don't ask for a tray!
04 November 2018 - 17:47
Helena says:
Haha, there are many things that can go wrong! 😉
09 November 2018 - 7:30
Lena - good for the soul says:
Hehe, yes it can get a little crazy sometimes!
Hug Lena
08 November 2018 - 5:56
Helena says:
Haha, indeed 😉
09 November 2018 - 7:30