I’ve come across many false friends while learning Italian. They can be convincing, cruel little tricksters. And no, I’m not talking about the fantastic people I’ve met along the way.
So, what exactly is a false friend?
• False friend: an Italian word that looks deceivingly similar to an English word, yet has a completely different meaning.
1. Facciamo una foto! Ho una camera!
This sentence may look innocent enough - however, CAMERA actually means ROOM. Yikes, what started out as a friendly request turned awkward pretty quickly.
What was said - Let’s take a pic! I have a room!
What should have been said - Facciamo una foto! Ho una macchina fotografica. (camera)
These days you’d likely say “Facciamo una foto! Ecco il mio cellulare” (here is my cell phone)
2. Preferisco il mio cibo senza preservativo.
If you casually drop this sentence while dining with your amici italiani you’re sure to see some red faces. PRESERVATIVO is the Italian word for CONDOM. I don’t know about you but I think it goes without saying, we all prefer our food without condoms.
What should have been said - Preferisco il mio cibo senza conservanti. (preservatives)
3. Vado al supermercato, ho bisogno di comprare un botto di roba.
At first glance you may thing your friend is telling you they need to buy some robes, and you’re thinking, “What, for your dad??” However, ROBA is a way to say STUFF. And botto - it literally translates to bang. Yes, Italians say “a bang of stuff” way cooler than “a bunch of stuff”
4. Ogni sera scrivo sul mio giornale.
Is it just me or does everyone love writing in their journals... just me? I thought so. However, GIORNALE means NEWSPAPER. Even I find it strange for someone to write in their newspaper every evening. Stranger still - having a newspaper...
What should have been said - Ogni sera scrivo sul mio diario.
5. Dovresti sentire questa coperta, è così morbida!
Though you may be concerned your friend is telling you to feel a morbid blanket, they’re saying quite the opposite as MORBIDO actually means SOFT. So, feel away, the blanket won’t steal your soul.
Ci sono molti altri falsi amici! There are many other false friends! Let me know if you’d like to see more!
dailybridgerton
andulkaphoto
snowghoul
germansingergirl
prguitarman
baratheonpilled
