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Meaning of false friend | Babel Free

Noun CEFR B2
ˌfɒls ˈfɹɛnd

Definitions

  1. A word in a language that bears a deceptive resemblance to a word in another language but in fact has a different meaning.
  2. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see false, friend.

Equivalents

العربية شِبْه نَظِير
Català fals amic
Deutsch falscher Freund Übersetzungsfalle
Ελληνικά ψευδόφιλος
Esperanto falsa amiko
Español falso amigo heterosemántico
Suomi riskisana
Français faux-ami
Galego falso amigo
Italiano falso amico
日本語 偽りの友 空似言葉
한국어 거짓 친구
Nederlands valse vriend
Polski fałszywy przyjaciel
Português falso amigo heterossemântico
Русский ло́жный друг

Examples

“A word and its false friend may well be etymologically related: in such cases semantic shifts have made them drift apart.”

CEFR level

B2
Upper Intermediate
This word is part of the CEFR B2 vocabulary — upper intermediate level.
See all B2 English words →

See also

false fruit false galena false gavial false grip false harmonic false hellebore

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