Frustrating False Friends Quiz | Spanish

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. The words "pan" and "pan" look the same in Spanish and English. Which of the following is a synonym of the word "pan" in Spanish?

Answer: Bread

Although the Spanish word "pan" does look like the perfect companion to the English word "pot", "pan" actually means "bread" or "roll" in Spanish. One way to say "pan" meaning the kitchen tool in Spanish is "olla". "Saucer" can be said "platito" or "platico" in Spanish, and "cracker" would most often be "galleta".

Interestingly enough, the word "pan" can also be used in Spanish to represent the sound of someone pounding on a drum.

2. The Spanish word "f�brica" means the same as the English word "fabric". True or False?

Answer: False

In Spanish, "f�brica" means "factory". The most common Spanish word for "fabric" or "cloth" is "tela".

3. The words "actual" and "actual" look the same in Spanish and English. Which of the following is a synonym of the word "actual" in Spanish?

Answer: Current

This is one of the hardest words to use correctly in both languages. In Spanish, "actual" refers to the current moment in time. It does not mean what is real or factual. So the word "actualmente" in Spanish does not mean "actually", it means "currently", "now" or "at present".

As for the other English words given in this question, "real" can be said as "real" or "verdadero" in Spanish, "reliable" is most often rendered "confiable" in Spanish, and "factual" can be expressed as "ver�dico".

4. The words "pie" and "pie" look the same in Spanish and English. Which of the following is a synonym of the Spanish word "pie"?

Answer: Foot

Although the word "pie" looks like it should have something to do with food, it really does mean "foot" in Spanish. "Torte" could be called "torta" or "pastel" in some dialects of Spanish. "Hand" is translated as "mano" in Spanish. Finally, "pizza" is "pizza" in Spanish, English and Italian!

5. The words "nudo" and "nude" look almost the same in Spanish and English. Which of the following is a synonym of the word "nudo" in Spanish?

Answer: Knot

Though "nudo" looks like "nude" it really means "knot". It can be used literally or figuratively, in expressions like "tie a knot" ("amarrar un nudo") or a "knot in one's throat" ("nudo en la garganta"). The other words listed in English can be rendered as "desnudo", which is really how you say "nude" in Spanish.

6. The words "eventual" and "eventual" really do mean the same thing in Spanish and English. True or False?

Answer: False

These are difficult words to use in both languages because they are close in terms of the contexts they are used in, but they mean different things. In English, something that is "eventual" will come to pass, we just don't know when. In Spanish, something that is "eventual" happens by chance or luck, and is not a sure thing at all.

When someone says something will happen "eventually" in English, they mean it will happen, sooner or later. When someone says something may happen "eventualmente" in Spanish, they mean it may or may not happen, depending on luck and happenstance.

7. The words "pretender" and "pretend" look almost the same in Spanish and English. Which of the following is a synonym of the verb "pretender" in Spanish?

Answer: Intend

The word "pretender" looks like what you do when you simulate or give the impression of doing something, but in Spanish, it really means "try" or "intend" to do something. "Simulate" would be "simular", "pretend" would be "fingir", "attend" would be "asistir" (which is another false friend) and "taste" in the sense of "try something by tasting it" would be "probar".

8. The words "idioma" and "idiom" look almost the same in Spanish and English. Which of the following is a synonym of the word "idioma" in Spanish?

Answer: Language

The word "language" in English can be rendered "lenguaje" or "idioma" in Spanish. The other words would be "proverbio", "expresi�n" or "haik�", which are all "real" and not "false" friends!

9. The words "bruto" and "brute" look almost the same in Spanish and English. Which of the following is a synonym of the word "bruto" in Spanish?

Answer: Stupid

This one is another that trips up learners of Spanish. "Bruto" means "unintelligent" or "stupid" in Spanish. The words "unadulterated" and "pure" in Spanish would be rendered "puro". "Intelligent" is "inteligente". Though the expression "brute force" is rendered "fuerza bruta" in Spanish, a "thug" or a "brute" would be "ladr�n" or "abusivo" in Spanish.

The word "bruto" on its own always indicates a lack of intelligence, and not strength.

10. The English word "red" and the Spanish word "red" both refer to colors, but they refer to different colors. True or False?

Answer: False

The color "red" is "rojo" in Spanish. The word "red" in Spanish translates to "net" or "network" in English, and it has nothing to do with colors at all.

Source: Author shuehorn

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor stedman before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

Frustrating False Friends Trivia Quiz

Spanish isn't easy as easy as it looks. Some words look like their English counterparts, but others look like English words that don't mean the same thing at all. These are Frustrating False Friends! See how many you recognize!

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