Sandy Wood
Brain Game: Papa!
by Sandy Wood - October 2, 2009 - 7:30 AM

THE ANSWER:

They are “false Spanish-English cognates”: words that are spelled the same in both languages, but mean different things. In English, for instance, “papa” means “father.” But in Spanish, “papa” can mean either “Pope” or “potato.”

English word = Spanish meaning

arena = sand
cargo = charge
mayor = main
once = eleven
pan = bread
sensible = sensitive
tuna = a type of cactus

Do you know any others (comparing English to Spanish or other languages)? Feel free to share them in the comments by clicking below. Thanks, and have a great weekend!

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