# French false friends

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Updated 2026-11-02 · By Jacob Pradels · HTML version: https://learnwithkin.com/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](https://learnwithkin.com/french/embarrassing-words).

## 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. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/actuellement
- éventuellement. Wiktionary. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%C3%A9ventuellement
- librairie. Wiktionary. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/librairie
- assister. Wiktionary. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/assister
- monnaie. Wiktionary. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/monnaie

## Related

- [French words that will get you laughed at](https://learnwithkin.com/french/embarrassing-words.md)
- [French verb conjugations](https://learnwithkin.com/french/conjugations.md)
- [Numbers in French](https://learnwithkin.com/french/numbers.md)

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