Faux amis - H

One of the great things about learning French or English is that many words have the same roots in the Romance languages and English. However, there are also a great many faux amis, or false cognates, which look similar but have different meanings. This is one of the biggest pitfalls for students of French. There are also "semi-false cognates": words that can only sometimes be translated by the similar word in the other language.

This alphabetical list (newest additions) includes hundreds of French-English false cognates, with explanations of what each word means and how it can be correctly translated into the other language. To avoid confusion due to the fact that some of the words are identical in the two languages, the French word is followed by (F) and the English word is followed by (E).


Habileté (F) vs Ability (E)

     Habileté (F) refers to a skill, cleverness, a talent, or a skillful move.
     Ability (E) is a similar but weaker term, translatable by une aptitude, une capacité, or une compétence.


Habit (F) vs Habit (E)

     Habit (F) means one's dress or outfit; habits means clothes.
     Habit (E) refers to something a person does regularly, even to the point of addiction: habitude, coutume. It can also refer to a nun's outfit: habit de religieuse.


Haineux (F) vs Heinous (E)

     Haineux (F) is from haine - hatred. It means malevolent or full of hatred.
     Heinous (E) means atrocious/horrific: odieux, atroce, abominable.


Hasard (F) vs Hazard (E)

     Hasard (F) is a semi-false cognate. In addition to hazard, it can mean coincidence, chance (e.g., a chance meeting), or fate. Par hasard - by chance.
     Hazard (E) refers to un risque, danger, or péril.


Héroïne (F) vs Heroine (E)

     Héroïne (F) refers to a heroine as well as the drug heroin.
     Heroine (E) = héroïne.


Hisser (F) vs Hiss (E)

     Hisser (F) means to hoist, heave, haul up.
     Hiss (E) = siffler or chuinter.


Histoire (F) vs History (E)

     Histoire (F) can refer to history or just a story.
     History (E)  = history.


Homme (F) vs Home (E)

     Homme (F) is a man.
     Home (E) = maison, foyer, or chez-soi.


Humeur (F) vs Humor (E)

     Humeur (F) refers to mood or temperament.
     Humor (E) = humour or comique.