False Friends

Actual in Spanish means "current" or "present," not "real." Use it to describe something that pertains to the present time. For "real" in the sense of genuine, choose a different word like real or auténtico depending on context.

Asistir means "to attend," not "to assist." Use it for going to events, classes, or meetings. For helping someone, use ayudar. This distinction matters in situations like asking for help versus confirming attendance.

Date can mislead because datar means "to date from" and cita is "appointment" or "date" as a meeting. For a calendar date, use fecha. For romantic or business meetings, use cita. Choose the word that fits whether you mean a time, an appointment, or an origin.

Librería is a bookstore, not a library. The place to borrow books is biblioteca. This false friend trips up travelers who ask for a librería when they want to find or borrow books for free.

Éxito means "success," not "exit." The word for exit is salida. Confusing these can lead to funny signs or directions. Use éxito for achieving goals and salida for leaving a place.

Fábrica is a factory, not fabric. The material is tejido or tela. Use fábrica when talking about a place that makes goods, and tela when referring to cloth. Mixing them changes meaning from material to manufacturing site.

Atender means "to attend to" or "to assist," not "to attend" an event. For going to an event use asistir. Use atender for serving customers, helping someone, or paying attention to a need. This difference affects service and scheduling contexts.

Ayuda is help and ayudar is to help; asistir is not to help but to attend. Remember to use ayudar when asking for assistance and asistir when referring to attendance. Confusing these changes whether you get assistance or simply show up.

False friends trick learners with familiar forms that hide different meanings. Pay close attention to context and double-check each word's translation. Practicing sentences and asking native speakers can quickly turn these pitfalls into reliable vocabulary.