Décevoir vs Deceive
Décevoir means to disappoint: Il va te décevoir
- He's going to disappoint you.
To deceive means to deliberately
trick or lead someone astray: I didn't mean to deceive you
- Je n'avais pas l'intention de te tromper.
Défaut
vs Default
Défaut
is a flaw, fault, drawback, or lack.
Default is un défaut
in judiciary proceedings. To default = manquer à ses engagements
or prendre une valeur par défaut.
Défi
vs Defy
Défi
is a noun: defiance or challenge.
Defy is the verb défier
or braver.
Défiler vs Defile
Défiler means to march past: les visiteurs défilaient
devant le musée - the visitors marched past the museum and
it can mean to unthread (a needle): Je dois défiler
l'aiguille - I need to unthread the needle.
To defile is to dirty or deface
something or to ruin someone's name: It's wrong to defile a great
man - C'est mal de profaner un grand homme.
Délai/Délayer
vs Delay
Délai is a time limit or deadline: dans un délai
de 15 jours - within two weeks. Délayer
means to water down or thin down, as in cooking or mixing paint.
Delay has a slightly negative connotation
- it indicates that the time was unexpected and is usually translated
by "retard" : They arrived with an hour's delay - Ils
sont arrivés avec une heure de retard.
Demander vs Demand
Demander means to ask for: Il m'a demandé de chercher
son pull - He asked me to look for his sweater. However, the French
noun demande does correspond to
the English noun demand.
(to) Demand is usually translated
by exiger: He demanded that I look for his sweater - Il a exigé
que je cherche son pull.
Détail
vs Detail
Détail
is a semi-false cognate. In addition to detail, it can refer
to retail.
Detail means détail
or renseignements.
Dire vs Dire
Dire means
to say or to tell.
Dire is an adjective which means
affreux, terrible, or extrême.
Divers
vs Divers
Divers
means diverse, varied, or several.
Divers is the plural of diver -
plongeur.
Douche vs Douche
une Douche
is a shower, while Douche refers
to a method of cleaning a body cavity with air or water: lavage interne.
Draguer
vs Drag
Draguer
informally means to flirt. Formally, it means to fish with
a dragnet or to dredge.
Drag means traîner
or tirer.
Émergence
vs Emergency
Émergence is
the equivalent of the English words emergence or source.
Emergency is un cas
urgent or un imprévu.
Engagement
vs Engagement
Engagement
is any agreement, commitment, promise, or obligation.
Engagement usually refers to les
fiançailles.
Entrée vs Entrée
Entrée is another word for hors-d'oeuvre; an appetizer.
Entrée refers to the main
course of a meal: le plat principal.
Envie vs
Envy
Avoir
envie de means to want
or to feel like something: Je n'ai pas envie de travailler -
I don't want to work (feel like working). The verb envier, however, does mean to envy.
Envy means to be jealous or desirous
of something belonging to another. The French verb is envier: I envy
John's courage - J'envie le courage à Jean.
Étiquette
vs Etiquette
Étiquette
is a semi-false cognate. In addition to etiquette or protocole,
it can be a sticker or label.
Etiquette can mean étiquette,
convenances, or protocole.
Éventuel vs Eventual
Éventuel means possible: le résultat
éventuel - the possible outcome.
Eventual describes something that
will happen at some unspecified point in the future; it can be translated
by a relative clause like qui s'ensuit or qui a résulté
or by an adverb like finalement.
Éventuellement
vs Eventually
Éventuellement means possibly, if need be, or even: Vous pouvez
éventuellement prendre ma voiture - You can even take my
car / You can take my car if need be.
Eventually indicates that an action
will occur at a later time; it can be translated by finalement, à
la longue, or tôt ou tard : I will eventually do it - Je
le ferai finalement / tôt ou tard.
Évidence
vs Evidence
Évidence is
a semi-false cognate. In addition to evidence or the facts,
it can mean obviousness, an obvious fact, or prominence.
Evidence means évidence,
témoignage, or preuve.
Évident vs Evident
Évident
usually means evident or obvious, but there is a familiar
expression that always catches me: ce n'est pas évident - it's
not that simple.
Evident means évident
or manifeste.
Expérience
vs Experience
Expérience is a semi-false cognate, because it means both experience
and experiment: J'ai fait une expérience - I did an experiment.
J'ai eu une expérience intéressante - I had an
interesting experience.
Experience can be a noun or verb
refering to something that happened. Only the noun translates into expérience
: Experience shows that ... - L'expérience démontre
que... He experienced some difficulties - Il a rencontré
des difficultés.
Expérimenter
vs Experiment
Expérimenter is a semi-false cognate. It is equivalent to the
English verb, but also has the added sense of to test an apparatus.
Experiment as a verb means to test hypotheses or ways of
doing things. As a noun, it is equivalent to the French word expérience
(see above).
Fabrique
vs Fabric
Fabrique
is a factory. De bonne fabrique
means good workmanship.
Fabric is equivalent to tissu
or étoffe. When speaking figuratively, e.g., the fabric
of society, the French word is structure.
Facilité
vs Facility
Facilité means
ease, easiness, ability, or aptitude.
Facility is a semi-false cognate.
It usually refers to a structure that serves a particular function,
although it can mean easiness, aptitude, etc.
Façon vs Fashion
Façon means way, as in voilà la façon
dont il procède - this is the way he does it. It can
be translated by fashion when it is synonymous with way or
manner, as in à ma façon - in my fashion or my
way.
Fashion is a style or custom, usually
in clothing: mode or vogue. For all of you apple pie
eaters out there, now you know that à la mode really
means in fashion.
Fastidieux vs Fastidious
Fastidieux means tedious, tiresome, or boring
Fastidious means attentive to detail
or exacting: minutieux, méticuleux, tatillon.
Fendre
vs Fend
Fendre
means to split or to chop.
Fend is se débrouiller,
to fend off means parer or détourner.
Figure vs
Figure
Figure
is a semi-false cognate. It is the French word for face,
but can also refer to an illustrated or mathematical figure.
Figure refers to numbers chiffres
as well as to the form of a person's body: forme, silhouette.
File/Filer
vs File
File
is a line or queue. Filer
means to spin (e.g., cotton or thread) or to prolong.
File can refer to une lime (as well as the verb
limer), un dossier, or un classeur (and the verb
classer).
Film
vs Film
Film
refers to a movie.
Film can mean un film
as well as la pellicule.
Finalement
vs Finally
Finalement
means eventually or in the end.
Finally is enfin or
en dernier lieu.
Fond
vs Fond
Fond
is a noun: bottom or back.
Fond is an adjective: to be
fond of - aimer beaucoup, avoir de l'affection pour.
Format
vs Format
Format
means size.
Format as a noun refers to
présentation; as a verb it means formater or mettre
en forme.
Formidable
vs Formidable
Formidable is an interesting word, because it means "great"
or "terrific"; almost the opposite of the English. Ce film
est formidable ! - This is a great movie!
Formidable means dreadful or fearsome:
The opposition is formidable - L'opposition est redoutable/effrayant.
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