Oblitérer vs Obliterate
Oblitérer is nearly always used to mean cancel, as in a stamp.
Cachet d'oblitération - postmark.
Obliterate means to do away with
or to wipe out. It can be translated by effacer - to erase or
to wear down or by rayer - to cross out.
Occupé
vs Occupied
Occupé is
from occuper - to occupy
in all senses of the word. It can also mean to employ or to keep busy:
Mon travail m'occupe beaucoup - My work keeps me very busy.
Occupied is the past participle
of occupy - occuper, habiter,
remplir.
Office
vs Office
Office
is a semi-false cognate. In addition to the meanings below, it can refer
to duties, church services or prayers, or a pantry.
Office can mean the physical
place where one works as well as the office or position that someone
holds.
Once
vs Once
Once =
ounce.
Once can mean une fois
or jadis.
Opportunité
vs Opportunity
Opportunité
refers to timeliness or appropriateness: Nous discutons de l'opportunité
d'aller à la plage - We're discussing the appropriateness
of going to the beach (under the circumstances).
Opportunity leans toward favorable
circumstances for a particular action or event. It's an opportunity
to improve your French - C'est une occasion de te perfectionner en
français.
Or vs Or
Or has two completely different meanings. It is the
word for gold: or fin - fine gold. It is also a conjunction used
to make a transition from one idea to another, meaning now or whereas:
J'attendais au pire, or il a attendu patiemment - I expected
the worst, whereas he waited patiently.
Or is simply a conjunction used
to denote an alternative; the French equivalent is ou : I need to
buy a pen or a pencil - Je dois acheter un stylo ou un crayon.
Organe vs
Organ
Organe
refers to the organs of the body and international organs.
Organ is also the musical instrument
orgue.
Ostensible vs Ostensible
Ostensible means obvious or conspicuous: Son indifférence
est ostensible - Her indifference is conspicuous.
Ostensible means apparent or supposed:
His ostensible reason was to help us - Sa raison prétendu
était de nous aider.
Ours
vs Ours
Un ours
is a bear.
Ours is the possessive pronoun
le nôtre.
Ouverture
vs Overture
Ouverture
is a semi-false congate. In addition to overture, it the French
word for opening
Overture means ouverture
or avance.
Pain vs Pain
Pain
is the French word for bread.
Pain is the English word for
douleur, peine, souffrance.
Pair vs Pair
Un pair
means a peer; as an adjective, pair
means even: le côté pair de la rue - the even-numbers
side of the street.
A pair is usually translated by
une paire : a pair of shoes - une
paire de chausseurs.
Pale vs Pale
Une pale
is an oar, paddle, or propeller blade.
Pale means light in color. When
referring to a person's complexion, it is translated by pâle.
But pale blue - bleu clair.
Parti/Partie
vs Party
Parti
can refer to several different things: a political party, an
option or course of action (prendre un parti - to make
a decision), or a match (as in he's a good match for you).
It is also the past participle of partir. Partie can mean a part (e.g.,
une partie du film - a part of the film), a field or subject,
a game (e.g., une partie de cartes - a game of cards),
or a party in a trial.
Party can also mean une fête,
soirée or réception; un correspondant (au téléphone),
or un groupe/une équipe.
Passer vs Pass
Passer is a semi-false cognate. It is normally translated
by to pass, except when talking about a test. Je vais passer un examen
cet après-midi - I'm going to take a test this afternoon.
Pass is translated by réussir
when talking about a test: I passed the test - J'ai réussi
à l'examen.
Patron vs Patron
Patron is an owner, boss, or employer.
Patron is a client, someone who
purchases from a store, restaurant, or other business: un client
or (for the theater only) un habitué.
Pays vs Pays
Pays refers
to a certain territory, usually a country, but can on occasion
refer to a village.
Pays is the third person singular
conjugation of the verb to pay: he pays me cash - il me paie en liquide.
Personne
vs Person
Personne
is a semi-false cognate. As a noun, it means person, but as a pronoun,
it can mean anyone or no one: Elle le connais mieux que personne - She
knows him better than anyone. Personne n'est ici - No one is
here.
Person refers to a human being.
Phrase
vs Phrase
Phrase
is a sentence.
Phrase refers to une expression
or locution.
Physicien
vs Physician
Physicien is a physicist, while physician
is a médicin.
Pie vs Pie
Pie refers
to a magpie.
Pie indicates une tarte or
une tourte.
Pièce
vs Piece
Pièce
is a semi-false cognate. It means piece only in the sense
of broken pieces. Otherwise, it indicates a room, sheet of
paper, or coin.
Piece is a part of something - un
morceau or une tranche.
Pinte
vs Pint
Pinte
means a quart (in Québec) and a bar or café
(in Switzerland). In standard French, it refers to an archaic unit of
measurement.
Pint is approximately un demi-litre.
Police vs Police
Police is a semi-false cognate. In addition to a law-enforcing
body, it can also mean policy (e.g., insurance) and font.
Police refers only to the law-enforcing
body. There are two different organizations in France: la police
- under the Ministry of the Interior and la gendarmerie - under
the Ministry of War.
Politique
vs Politics
Politique
can be the adjective political or a noun: un politique
= politician while une politique
= politics or a policy
Politics refers only to la
politique.
Pond
vs Pond
Pond is
from the verb pondre - to lay
(an egg).
Pond is un étang.
Pot vs Pot
Un Pot
can be a jar, earthenware pot, can, or carton. There is also a familiar
expression " Prendre un pot " - to have a drink.
A Pot is a cooking vessel: une
marmite or une casserole. Pot
is also a slang term for marijuana - marie-jeanne.
Pour vs Pour
Pour
is the French preposition for.
Pour is a verb which means verser
or pleuvoir à verse.
Prétendre
vs Pretend
Prétendre means to claim or assert: Il prétend
savoir jouer du piano - He claims to be able to play the piano.
Prétendu - alleged or supposed.
Pretend means to make believe or
to feign: She's pretending to be sick - Elle simule (or elle
feint) d'être malade.
Propre
vs Proper / Prop
Propre
can mean clean or own (as in ma propre voiture - my own
car).
Proper means convenable or
adéquat and a Prop
is un support or un étai.
Prune
vs Prune
Prune
refers to a plum.
Prune can be a noun - un pruneau or a verb -
tailler, élaguer.
Qualité vs Quality
Qualité is a semi-false cognate. It means both quality (e.g.,
of a product) and capacity or position: en sa qualité de maire
- in his capacity as mayor.
Quality refers to the characteristics
of things or people: the quality of life - la qualité de
la vie.
Quête vs Quest
Quête is a semi-false cognate. The main sense is a collection,
but it can also be used to refer to something like the quest for the
holy grail or a pursuit of the absolute.
Quest can also be used for
less noble pursuits: quest for a job - à la recherche d'un
emploi.
Quille vs Quill
Quille refers to a skittle, one of the pins used in the
British game of ninepins, as well as to the game itself. Quille
also means keel, as in the keel of a boat.
Quill is the shaft of a feather
tuyau de plume, a large wing or tail feather penne,
and the sharp spine found on porcupines piquant.
Quitter vs
Quit
Quitter is a semi-false cognate: it means both to leave
and to quit (ie, leave something for good).
Quit nearly always means to leave
something for good.
Raide
vs Raid
Raide
is the French adjective for stiff, taut, or steep.
Raid is the English noun for
un raid or une incursion.
Raisin vs
Raisin
Raisin
is the French word for grape.
Raisin is un raisin sec.
Rampant vs
Rampant
Rampant
is the French adjective for creeping or crawling: Le chat rampant
m'a dérangé - The creeping cat disturbed me.
Rampant means growing without limit:
Rampant vegetation covers the wall - La végétation
exubérante couvre le mur.
Rang
vs Rang
Rang
is a row, line, or rank. In Canadian French, it
can be a country road.
Rang is the past participle of ring
- sonner.
Râpe/Râper
vs Rape
Râpe
is a grater or grinder. Râper
means to grate, rasp, or grind.
Rape is the noun viol
or the verb violer.
Rater
vs Rate
Rater
means to misfire, miss, mess up, or fail.
Rate is the noun proportion
or taux or the verb évaluer or considérer.
Récipient
vs Recipient
Récipient is
a container or receptacle.
Recipient refers to la personne
qui reçoit, la déstinataire, or le bénéficiaire.
Refus vs
Refuse
Refus
means refusal or insubordination
Refuse (as a noun) refers to
garbage: détritus, ordures, déchets.
The verb Refuse is equivalent to
refuser in French.
Regard
vs Regard
Regard
can mean a glance, expression (on one's face), manhole,
or peephole.
Regard can mean attention,
considération, respect, or estime.
Rein
vs Rein
Rein
is a kidney.
Rein is une rêne
or une guide.
Remarquer
vs Remark
Remarquer
is a semi-false cognate. It can mean to notice or to remark.
Une remarque is a comment or remark.
Remark is both the noun and
the verb - remarque(r).
Replacer
vs Replace
Replacer
means to put something back in its place: to re-place it.
Replace means remplacer
or remettre.
Reporter
vs Report
Reporter means
to postpone or to take back.
Report as a verb means rapporter,
déclarer, or dénoncer. The noun refers to
un rapport or une rumeur.
Représentation
vs Representation
Représentation
is a semi-false cognate. In addition to the English meanings of
the word, it can also refer to theatrical performances.
Representation refers to a notation or a graphic, as well
as representation in government.
Responsable
vs Responsible
Responsable
is a semi-false cognate. In addition to an adjective, Responsable
is a noun meaning responsible party, official, representative,
or person in charge.
Responsible is equivalent to
its French cognate.
Rester vs
Rest
Rester
is a semi-false cognate. It usually means to stay or remain: Je suis
restée à la maison - I stayed at the house. When it
is used idiomatically, it is translated by rest: He refused to let
the matter rest - Il refusait d'en rester là.
The verb Rest in the sense of getting
some rest is translated by se reposer: Elle ne se repose jamais
- She never rests.
Résumer
vs Resume
Résumer
means to summarize.
Resume means to begin again: reprendre,
recommencer.
Revenu
vs Revenue
Revenu
is the equivalent of revenue or income, but it is also
the past participle of revenir - to come back.
Revenue means revenu
or rentes.
Revue vs
Revue
Revue is
a semi-false cognate. In addtion to revue,
it often means a magazine as well as review or inspection.
Revue is a revue or spectacle.
Route
vs Route
Route
is a semi-false cognate. It can refer to a maritime or trade route
or else to a road.
Route means itinéraire,
voie, or parcours.
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