French False Friends (Faux Amis): 50 Words That Will Trick You on the Exam

False friends --- faux amis --- are words that look like English words but mean something completely different. They are designed traps on TEF/TCF exams, especially in the Listening and Reading sections. One false friend can make you choose the wrong answer with absolute confidence.

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Part 1: The Most Dangerous False Friends

These are the ones most likely to appear on exams:

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Part 2: More Tricky False Friends

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Part 3: False Friends in Context (Listening Traps)

Dialogue 1:

"J'ai assiste a la conference hier."

• Wrong interpretation: "I assisted at the conference."
• Correct: "I attended the conference."

Dialogue 2:

"Elle attend le bus depuis vingt minutes."

• Wrong interpretation: "She attends the bus."
• Correct: "She has been waiting for the bus for twenty minutes."

Dialogue 3:

"Il va passer son examen demain."

• Wrong interpretation: "He will pass his exam."
• Correct: "He will take his exam tomorrow."

Dialogue 4:

"Actuellement, je travaille a Paris."

• Wrong interpretation: "Actually, I work in Paris."
• Correct: "Currently, I work in Paris."

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Part 4: Body and Health False Friends

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Part 5: Academic and Professional False Friends

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Part 6: Food False Friends

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Part 7: Exam Strategy for Avoiding False Friends

1. In Listening: When you hear a word that sounds English, STOP and question your assumption. The examiner chose that word deliberately.
2. In Reading: If a sentence "makes sense" with the English meaning, re-read it with the French meaning. The French meaning is almost always the intended one.
3. In Writing: Double-check any word you're using because it "feels right" from English. Use a French-French definition in your head.

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Part 8: Practice Exercise

What do these sentences REALLY mean?

1. "Je suis tres sensible au froid." (Sensible = sensitive, NOT sensible)
2. "Son discours etait tres long." (Discours = speech, NOT discourse)
3. "Elle a realise son reve." (Realiser = to achieve/fulfill, NOT to realize)
4. "C'est une experience formidable." (Experience = experience, AND formidable = wonderful)
5. "Il faut preserver l'environnement." (Preserver = to protect --- this one IS the same!)

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Conclusion

False friends are the most efficient traps on TEF/TCF exams. They exploit your English instincts. The solution is systematic: learn the list, practice in context, and always question words that look too familiar. The 50 words in this guide cover the vast majority of faux amis that appear on French proficiency exams.