📖LearnModule 14 · Lesson 21 of 30Proficient User · CEFR C2, continuedUnit 5 · La nuance
Les faux amis
Module 14 of the free French course (CEFR C2, continued), lesson 21 of 30: The dangerous false friends are the ones that almost work. On this page: 8 words with their genders and respellings, the rule, a watch-out line and the audio — the study notes behind the workbook's lesson 21.
The words
French
English
Say it
éventuellement
possibly
ay-vah(n)-tew-ehl-MAH(n)
sensible
sensitive
sah(n)-SEEBL
ignorer
to be unaware of
ee-nyoh-RAY
assister à
to attend
ah-sees-tay AH
le faux ami dangereux
the dangerous false friend
luh foh zah-mee dah(n)-zhuh-RUH
presque juste
almost right
prehsk ZHEWST
la dispute
the argument (quarrel)
lah dees-PEWT
mal traduit
mistranslated
mahl trah-DWEE
Respellings follow the course’s say-it key; the stressed syllable is in capitals. Print this lesson’s flashcards (PDF) — the words on the front, the English and respelling on the back.
Hear the words
Each word is read twice — say it back in the gap. Computer-generated voice; credits on the course page.
La règle · The rule
The dangerous false friends are the ones that almost work. Actuellement is currently. Éventuellement is possibly. Sensible is sensitive. Ignorer is to be unaware of. Assister à is to attend.
Et aussi · And also
Demander is to ask, not to demand — which is exiger. A French email saying je vous demande de is politer than its English twin looks, and translating it as demand has started arguments.
Attention · Watch out
actuellement is currently (actually is en fait); éventuellement is possibly (eventually is finalement); assister à is to attend; ignorer is not to know. demander is to ask, never to demand — that is exiger.
Do it now — on paper
Say all 8 words aloud twice from the respelling, then once from the French spelling alone — begin with éventuellement.
Copy every word with its accents on paper; then cover the English column and write each meaning back from the French.
Write two sentences of your own that get the watch-out line right, then the two practice pages of workbook lesson 21 in Module 14 are the written half of this page.
This free course is the reading half. The writing half — write-in lessons, daily practice pages with built-in review, self-checks and a full answer key — is the companion workbook series, The French Ladder: one workbook per module, fifteen in all, released band by band with the Basic band (Modules 1–5) first.
Keep these words
Turn this lesson’s words into flashcards, then space your reviews — the two habits the research behind our study guides backs hardest.