False Friends: English-Portuguese
CEFR B1-B2 • Vocabulary • The 30 English-Portuguese word pairs that look identical but mean different things
False friends quietly damage credibility
If you are a Portuguese speaker writing English, you have a friend list that is mostly real and a small set of "false friends" — words that look the same in both languages but mean completely different things. "Pretender" in English means "someone fake claiming a position." In Portuguese, "pretender" means "to intend." A direct translation produces sentences that confuse or embarrass. This page covers the 30 most dangerous English-Portuguese false friends.
The most expensive false friends
| English word | English meaning | Portuguese "looks-like" | Portuguese meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pretend | act as if false | pretender | to intend |
| Realize | become aware | realizar | to carry out / accomplish |
| Push | apply force forward | puxar | to pull (opposite!) |
| Library | place to borrow books | livraria | bookstore |
| Actually | in fact / really | atualmente | currently |
| Eventually | in the end / sooner or later | eventualmente | occasionally / by chance |
| Sensible | practical | sensível | sensitive |
| Notice | observe / written warning | notícia | news |
| Parents | mother and father | parentes | relatives (any) |
| Push | apply force forward | empurrar | push (this is correct!) |
| Lecture | academic talk | leitura | reading |
Real business email confusions
Click each example to hear the natural English version.
"Pretend" trap
"I pretend to ship by Friday." (Portuguese: pretendo entregar)
"I intend to ship by Friday." or "I plan to ship by Friday."
"I intend to ship by Friday."
"Realize" trap
"We will realize the project in Q3." (Portuguese: realizar o projeto)
"We will execute the project in Q3." or "We will complete the project in Q3."
"We will execute the project in Q3."
"Actually" trap
"Actually, I am working on the migration." (Portuguese: atualmente estou trabalhando)
"Currently, I am working on the migration." or "Right now, I am working on the migration."
"Currently, I am working on the migration."
"Eventually" trap
"We eventually deploy on Fridays." (Portuguese: eventualmente = às vezes)
"We occasionally deploy on Fridays." or "We sometimes deploy on Fridays."
"Notice" trap
"I have an important notice for you." (Portuguese: notícia = news)
"I have important news for you." (unless it really is a written notice)
"Sensible" trap
"He is very sensible to criticism." (Portuguese: sensível = sensitive)
"He is very sensitive to criticism."
"Parents" trap
"All my parents will be at the wedding." (Portuguese: parentes = relatives)
"All my relatives will be at the wedding."
More tricky pairs
| English word | English meaning | Portuguese false friend | Portuguese real meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compromise | make concessions | compromisso | commitment / appointment |
| Discuss | talk about | discutir | argue (negative tone) |
| Apologize | say sorry | apologizar | defend / argue for |
| Resume | restart / CV | resumo | summary |
| Exit | leave / way out | êxito | success |
| Assist | help | assistir | attend / watch |
| College | university | colégio | high school |
| Costume | disguise outfit | costume | custom / habit |
| Data | information | data | date (calendar) |
| Editor | person who edits text | editor | publisher |
| Office | workplace | ofício | trade / craft / official letter |
| Particular | specific | particular | private (in some contexts) |
| Sympathetic | showing pity | simpático | friendly / nice |
| Comprehensive | thorough / complete | compreensivo | understanding (of others) |
| Enrolled | registered | enrolar | to roll up / wrap |
| Pretend | act falsely | pretender | to intend (already covered above) |
| Fabric | cloth | fábrica | factory |
| Push | apply force forward | empurrar (correct) / puxar (pull, opposite) | be careful with door labels! |
| Constipation | digestive blockage | constipação | a cold / runny nose |
Hear the corrections
"I intend to ship by Friday — the migration is on track."
"Currently, I am attending a workshop in Lisbon — back next week."
"Sandeep is sensitive to feedback — frame it carefully."
"The report is comprehensive — covers all 14 metrics from the audit."
"The company occasionally deploys on Fridays — but usually not before a holiday."
Specific business-context warnings
- "Resume" in interviews: in American English, your "resume" is your CV. In Portuguese, "resumo" = summary. Do not say "I will send you my summary" when you mean "I will send you my resume."
- "Compromise" in negotiations: English "compromise" = make mutual concessions. Portuguese "compromisso" = commitment/appointment. "Let us compromise" sounds like "let us make concessions" in English.
- "Discuss" in meetings: English "discuss" = neutral conversation. Portuguese "discutir" can mean argue. So "let us discuss the timeline" in English is friendly, while a Portuguese speaker might hear it as confrontational. Use "let us talk through" if you want to soften.
- "Sympathetic" in feedback: English "sympathetic" implies pity (someone is suffering). Portuguese "simpático" = friendly. Calling someone "sympathetic" in English does not mean "they are nice."
- "Comprehensive" in proposals: English = thorough/complete (good). Portuguese "compreensivo" = understanding of others (different meaning). Both are positive but for different reasons — be precise.
Practice: Test yourself
Tap each question to reveal the answer.