Portuguese False Friends: 30 Words That Will Trick English Speakers

Portuguese and English share many words with Latin roots. Most of the time, this is helpful. "Hospital" means hospital. "Problema" means problem. But some words look almost identical to their English counterparts and mean something completely different. These are false friends (falsos amigos), and they will catch you off guard if you are not prepared.

Here are 30 of the most common and most embarrassing ones, ranked from the ones you will encounter daily to the more occasional traps.

The classics (you will see these constantly)

1. Puxe - Looks like "push." Actually means pull. Every English speaker walks into this one, literally. You see "PUXE" on a door and push it. The word for push is "empurre."
2. Constipado - Looks like "constipated." Actually means having a cold. Telling a pharmacist "Estou constipado" will get you cold medicine, not a laxative. The Portuguese word for constipated is "obstipado."
3. Pretender - Looks like "pretend." Actually means to intend or to plan. "Pretendo ir amanhã" means "I intend to go tomorrow," not "I am pretending to go tomorrow." To pretend is "fingir."
4. Assistir - Looks like "assist." Actually means to watch or attend. "Vou assistir ao jogo" means "I am going to watch the game." To assist is "ajudar."
5. Esquisito - Looks like "exquisite." Actually means strange or weird. Calling someone's cooking "esquisito" is not a compliment. The Portuguese word for exquisite is "requintado."

At the restaurant and shops

6. Entrada - Looks like "entrée" (main course in American English). Actually means entrance or starter/appetizer. In a Portuguese restaurant, "entradas" are the appetizers that come before the main course.
7. Preservativo - Looks like "preservative." Actually means condom. Do not ask if food has "preservativos" unless you want a very confused waiter. The word for food preservative is "conservante."
8. Propina - Looks like "propane." Actually means tuition fee. University students talk about paying "propinas." Nothing to do with gas.
9. Receita - Looks like "receipt." Actually means recipe or prescription. A cooking "receita" is a recipe. A medical "receita" is a prescription. A receipt is "recibo."
10. Balcão - Looks like "balcony." Can mean balcony, but in daily use, it usually means counter (as in a shop counter or bar counter). "Ao balcão" means "at the counter."

In daily conversation

11. Exquisito - Same as esquisito above; just a spelling variation you may see. Still means strange, not exquisite.
12. Sensível - Looks like "sensible." Actually means sensitive. "Ela é muito sensível" means "She is very sensitive." The Portuguese word for sensible is "sensato."
13. Atual - Looks like "actual." Actually means current or present. "O governo atual" means "the current government." The Portuguese word for actual is "real" or "verdadeiro."
14. Eventualmente - Looks like "eventually." Actually means possibly or perhaps. "Eventualmente vou" means "Perhaps I will go," not "I will eventually go." Eventually is "finalmente" or "por fim."
15. Particular - Looks like "particular." Can overlap in meaning, but in Portuguese it often means private. "Escola particular" means "private school." "Aulas particulares" means "private lessons."
16. Parente - Looks like "parent." Actually means relative (any family member). Your parents are "pais" in Portuguese.
17. Resumo - Looks like "resume." Actually means summary. A resume (CV) is "currículo" in Portuguese.
18. Fabrica - Looks like "fabric." Actually means factory. The Portuguese word for fabric is "tecido."

More subtle traps

19. Compromisso - Looks like "compromise." Actually means appointment or commitment. "Tenho um compromisso" means "I have an appointment." A compromise is "acordo" or "meio-termo."
20. Notícia - Looks like "notice." Actually means news. "Boas notícias" means "good news." A notice is "aviso."
21. Pasta - Looks like "pasta" (the food). Actually means folder or briefcase. Pasta (food) is "massa" in Portuguese.
22. Sucesso - Looks like "success." This one actually does mean success. But "suceder" (the verb) means "to happen," not "to succeed." "O que sucedeu?" means "What happened?"
23. Desgraça - Looks like "disgrace." Actually means misfortune or disaster. Much stronger than the English "disgrace." "Que desgraça!" means "What a disaster!"
24. Apologia - Looks like "apology." Actually means praise or defense of something. "Fazer apologia" means to advocate for or promote something. An apology is "desculpa."
25. Educação - Looks like "education." It can mean education, but it also means manners or politeness. "Ele não tem educação" means "He has no manners," not "He has no education."

The sneaky ones

26. Novela - Looks like "novel." Actually means soap opera. A novel (book) is "romance" in Portuguese. Yes, "romance" means novel, not romance.
27. Romance - Looks like "romance." Actually means novel (the book genre). Romantic love is "amor" or "caso amoroso."
28. Talheres - Looks a bit like "tailors." Actually means cutlery (knives, forks, spoons). A tailor is "alfaiate."
29. Jornal - Looks like "journal." Actually means newspaper. A personal journal or diary is "diário."
30. Livraria - Looks like "library." Actually means bookshop. A library is "biblioteca." This one catches everyone at least once.

How to avoid false friend mistakes

The best way to learn the real meaning of these words is to see them used in context. When you read "puxe" on a door in a story, or encounter a character who is "constipado" and reaches for tissues, the correct meaning sticks in your memory. That is why learning Portuguese through stories is so effective for vocabulary like this. Context prevents confusion.

You can also bookmark this list and review it before your next trip to Portugal. And if you want to master the basics before worrying about false friends, start with our guide to Portuguese greetings and food vocabulary.