Common False Friends that cause confusion in Business
di Tom RoperAs we have seen in a previous article, the English language is full of confusing and misleading terms, which can be both strikingly similar to their Italian counterparts whilst at the same time being completely different. We have seen 8 previous examples that show common False Friends that can be misunderstood. Let’s take a look at another few examples and put them into some context:
Test = esame, verifica. Testo = Text
“Have you prepared for the big test tomorrow?”
“There is a lot of text to be read and understood which will help explain this issue”
Stamp = francobollo, timbra. Stampa = Press, print, printing
“Can you put the company stamp on the bottom of this page please”
“The press have a story about our company and it isn’t good news”
Rumour = pettegolezzo, voce diffusa. Rumore = Noise, sound
“There is a rumour that our competitor is about to try to take our client”
“What was that sound?” “Oh, don’t worry, it’s just the windowcleaner!”
Record = nota, documento, disco, vinile. Ricordo = Memory, recollection
“Do we have any official record of our client history from 10 years ago?”
“I have a memory of our first meeting and it didn’t go very well”
Pretend = fare finta, fingere. Pretendere = to Expect, to Demand, to Insist, to Presume
“I think someone is pretending to be a customer, it’s just a prank call!”
“You can’t expect everyone to understand all the details, you need to explain it better”
Magazine = periodico, rivista. Magazzino = Warehouse
“Finally, our company is featured in this week’s magazine on page 2”
“Do we have any of this product in our warehouse?”
Lecture = lezione. Lettura = Reading
“Although the lecture was interesting, it was far too long and many students were bored”
“We are honoured to have a reading from our esteemed guest of his new book”
Eventually = finalmente, prima o poi. Eventualmente = Possibly, if need be
“After finishing all these projects we will eventually be able to start the new phase”
“If need be, we can move the factory closer to the customer base ”
Factory = fabbrica. Fattoria = Farm
“Production in the factory is at an all time low, we will have to make a change”
“The farm is proving to be a key resource, both for livestock and for crops”
So there we have it, another few examples of the more confusingly similar false friends we come across and how we can use them in context. If you have encountered any others please get in touch and we will include them in further articles. So if you saw this text, I’m sure it made for some interesting reading and eventually you can put them to good use!
