David Seán | Program Director
Founder, Director of Studies, Lingua Habit.
False Friends
Common False Cognates in Business English
| English Verb | Sounds like Spanish | But means (English) | In Spanish (Literal) | Example Phrase |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodate | Acomodar (to fit/arrange) | To provide for someone's needs or requests | Adaptar, satisfacer | "We can accommodate your dietary restrictions." |
| Actually | Actualmente (currently) | In fact, really | De hecho, en realidad | "No, we're not finished, actually. We have one more presentation." |
| Assist | Asistir (to attend) | To help someone | Ayudar | "Can you assist me with this technical issue?" |
| Casual | Casual(idad )(coincidence) | Informal, relaxed | Informal | "I'll wear business casual to the meeting." |
| Career | Carrera (race/track) | Professional path | Trayectoria profesional | "She's had a successful career in marketing." |
| Cliente | Cliente (client/member) | Customer or Client (depends) | Cliente | "We value our loyal clients." |
| Compromise | Compromiso (obligation) | Agreement with concessions | Acuerdo con concesiones | "We reached a compromise on the contract terms." |
| Discreet | Discreto/a (prudent/careful) | Confidential, tactful | Discreto/a | "Please be discreet about this information." |
| Embarrassed | Embarazada (pregnant) | Ashamed, flustered | Avergonzado/a | "I was embarrassed when I tripped and fell." |
| Ensure | Asegurar (to secure) | To make sure something happens | Asegurar, garantizar | "We'll ensure your product arrives on time." |
| Eventually | Eventualmente (finally, ultimately) | At some future time | Finalmente, con el tiempo | "We'll discuss your proposal eventually." |
| Expedite | Expedir (to issue/send) | To speed up a process | Acelerar, agilizar | "Can you expedite this order for us?" |
| Implement | Implementar (to carry out) | To put a plan into action | Poner en práctica, implementar | "We're implementing a new marketing strategy." |
| Intend | Intentar (to try/attempt) | To have a plan or purpose | Tener la intención de, planear | "We intend to expand our operations next year." |
| List | Lista (clever) | A collection of items | Lista | "Please add this item to the list." |
| Minute | Minuto (minute) | Very small, insignificant | Minúsculo, insignificante | "The difference in price is minute (negligible)." |
| Presently | Presentemente (currently) | At this moment | Actualmente, en este momento | "Presently, we're unable to accept new clients." |
| Quote | Cotizar (to price) | A formal offer of a price | Presupuesto, oferta (tanto verbo, como nombre) | "Can you provide us with a quote for this service?" |
| Realize | Realizar (to carry out) | To understand | Darse cuenta de | "I finally realized what went wrong." |
| Vacate | Vacar (to empty) | To leave a position or place | Dejar (un) vacante, abandonar | "The CEO plans to vacate his position next year." |
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