French-English False Cognates - Faux amis
Liste alphabétique - V
Vacance vs Vacancy
Vacance is a semi-false cognate. In addition to vacancy, it can mean holiday or vacation.
Vacancy = une chambre à louer, un poste libre, or une vacance.
Vaisselle vs Vessel
Vaisselle means dishes or crockery: faire la vaisselle - to do the dishes.
Vessel is un vaisseau, navire, bâtiment, or récipient.
Vase vs Vase
Vase when masculine refers to a vase, but la vase = silt, mud, or sludge. (More dual-gender words)
Vase = un vase.
Vendre vs Vendor
Vendre means to sell.
Vendor is un marchand.
Vent vs Vent
Vent is the noun wind.
Vent can refer to any of the following: un orifice, un conduit, un tuyau, une cheminée, un trou, une fente.
Vérifier vs Verify
Vérifier can mean to verify as well as to check, audit, confirm, or prove.
Verify means vérifier or confirmer.
Versatile vs Versatile
Versatile means fickle, changeable, or inconsistent.
Versatile means aux talents variés or souple.
Vexé vs Vexed
Vexé means hurt, upset, or offended, while Vexed means angry - fâché.
Vie vs Vie
Vie is the French word for life: C'est la vie - That's life.
Vie means to struggle or fight: I struggled with him for the gun - J'ai lutté avec lui pour le pistolet.
Vilain vs Villain
Vilain means ugly, bad, or nasty.
Villain is un scélérat, un traître, or un bandit.
Volatil(e) and Volatile vs Volatile
Volatil(e) means volatile when referring to a chemical. It can also mean fleeting: une valeur volatile - a fleeting value. Une volatile is a bird or other winged creature.
Volatile can only be translated by volatil(e) in the chemistry lab. A volatile situation - une situation explosive. A volatile person - une personne versatile.
Voyage vs Voyage
Voyage is a journey or trip. Voyager means to travel.
Voyage is un voyage par mer.
Archives:
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
The free, twice-weekly About French Language newsletter keeps you informed about changes to this site, including new lessons, articles, and forum discussions. Subscribe today!
|
Disclaimer: The words that I have chosen to discuss are not explained in every possible context. There may be occasions where the French and English mean the same thing. I have chosen word pairs that are usually not related by anything other than spelling. For complete definitions and more extensive examples, please consult a dictionary.
