French false friends
A false friend looks like an English word and means something else. Actuellement means "currently" (actually is en fait). A librairie is a bookshop (a library is a bibliothèque). Éventuellement means "possibly", sensible means "sensitive", and blesser means to hurt someone, not to bless them.
French and English share thousands of words, and most of them are honest: une table is a table. These are the ones that aren't. They feel safe, so you use them without thinking, and the sentence comes out wrong.
The ones you'll actually trip on
| French | Means | Not | For that, say |
|---|---|---|---|
| actuellement | currently | actually | en fait |
| éventuellement | possibly, maybe | eventually | finalement |
| une librairie | a bookshop | a library | une bibliothèque |
| sensible | sensitive | sensible | raisonnable |
| attendre | to wait for | to attend | assister à |
| blesser | to hurt, to injure | to bless | bénir |
| rester | to stay | to rest | se reposer |
| une déception | a disappointment | a deception | une tromperie |
Actuellement is the big one. Je travaille actuellement à Lyon means "I'm currently working in Lyon", not "actually". When you want "actually", say en fait: en fait, je travaille à Lyon.
Éventuellement means "possibly", or "if you want". On peut éventuellement se voir demain is "we could maybe meet tomorrow". For "in the end", say finalement. One exception: in Quebec, éventuellement does mean "eventually".
Everyday nouns
| French | Means | Not | For that, say |
|---|---|---|---|
| un coin | a corner | a coin | une pièce |
| la monnaie | change, currency | money | l'argent |
| une location | a rental | a location | un emplacement |
| un raisin | a grape | a raisin | un raisin sec |
| une journée | a day | a journey | un voyage |
| la chair | flesh | a chair | une chaise |
Vous avez de la monnaie? is "do you have change?", what you'll hear at a market stall. And location de voitures on a sign is car rental: une location is anything you rent.
One that's half right
Assister à means to attend: assister à un cours is to attend a class, and assister à un accident is to witness one. Assister quelqu'un can mean to assist them, but it's formal. To help, say aider.
A few others are worse than wrong: they're rude. Préservatif is a condom, baiser isn't "to kiss" anymore, and je suis chaud doesn't mean you're warm. Those are on the embarrassing French words page.
Questions
What does actuellement mean in French?
Currently, at the moment. It doesn't mean "actually": for that, say en fait.
What's the difference between librairie and bibliothèque?
A librairie is a bookshop, where you buy books. A bibliothèque is a library, where you borrow them. Bibliothèque is also a bookcase.
Does éventuellement mean eventually?
Not in France: it means "possibly" or "maybe". "Eventually" is finalement. In Quebec French, éventuellement can mean "eventually".
What does blesser mean?
To hurt or injure someone, in body or feelings: il s'est blessé is "he hurt himself". To bless is bénir.
Sources
- actuellement. Wiktionary.
- éventuellement. Wiktionary.
- librairie. Wiktionary.
- assister. Wiktionary.
- monnaie. Wiktionary.
Keep going
- French words that will get you laughed atBaiser doesn't mean kiss anymore, préservatif isn't a preservative, and je suis chaud isn't "I'm hot". The French mistakes that make people laugh, and what to say instead.
- French verb conjugationsFrench verb conjugations for the most common verbs: présent, passé composé, imparfait, futur, conditionnel, subjonctif and impératif, with the irregular forms and how to say them. Free, no sign-up.
- Numbers in FrenchFrench numbers from 0 to a million, explained: why 70 is soixante-dix and 80 is quatre-vingts, when to write et and s, septante and nonante in Belgium and Switzerland, plus dates, time, prices, phone numbers and ordinals. Free, no sign-up.