False friends are words in two languages that look or sound similar but have different meanings. They often come from shared roots or coincidental similarity, so they feel “obvious” and trick your brain into choosing the wrong meaning. Learning them is about building a new habit: pause when a word looks familiar and confirm meaning through context.

False friends mislead because your brain uses pattern-matching: similar spelling suggests similar meaning. This creates fast but risky reading and listening, especially with international vocabulary. They also cause speaking errors when you “translate by appearance” instead of meaning, which can change the message or make it sound strange.

Some false friends are complete mismatches, where the familiar-looking word points to a totally different idea. These are high-risk because context may still allow a wrong interpretation. Treat them as separate vocabulary items, not as variations of the same word.

Word/Phrase	🇨🇳 中文 单词/短语	Definition	🇨🇳 中文 定义	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
actual	⚠️ 实际	real and existing	✅ 真实且存在的	The actual problem is smaller than we thought.	📝 实际的问题比我们想的要小。
eventually	⚠️ 最终	finally after some time	✅ 经过一段时间后终于	Eventually, they agreed to help.	📝 最终，他们同意提供帮助。
sympathy	⚠️ 同情	feeling sorry for someone	✅ 同情某人	I have sympathy for her situation.	📝 我同情她的处境。
library	⚠️ 图书馆	place to borrow books	✅ 借阅图书的地方	The library closes at 6.	📝 图书馆六点关门。

Other false friends overlap a little: one meaning is similar, but the most common meaning is different. These cause subtler errors, like choosing the wrong tone or implying something unintended. When you learn them, memorize the most frequent English meaning first, then learn secondary meanings as separate entries.

Word/Phrase	🇨🇳 中文 单词/短语	Definition	🇨🇳 中文 定义	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
sensible	⚠️ 明智的	reasonable and practical	✅ 合理且务实	That’s a sensible plan.	📝 那是一个明智的计划。
confident	⚠️ 自信的	sure and certain	✅ 确定且肯定	I’m confident it will work.	📝 我有信心它会奏效。
assist	⚠️ 帮助	help	✅ 帮助	A nurse assisted the doctor.	📝 一名护士协助了医生。
chef	⚠️ 厨师	professional cook	✅ 专业厨师	The chef prepared a special menu.	📝 厨师准备了一份特别菜单。

Some false friends are “almost right” but differ in formality, politeness, or social meaning. Using them can make you sound too formal, too casual, or unintentionally rude. Focus on who you are speaking to and whether the word is neutral, formal, or informal in modern English.

Word/Phrase	🇨🇳 中文 单词/短语	Definition	🇨🇳 中文 定义	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
complaint	⚠️ 抱怨	expression of dissatisfaction	✅ 不满的表达	I want to make a complaint about my order.	📝 我想就我的订单提出抱怨。
formal	⚠️ 正式的	official or serious in style	✅ 风格正式或严肃	The email was very formal.	📝 那封邮件非常正式。
pretend	⚠️ 假装的	act as if something is true	✅ 好像某事是真的	He pretended to be asleep.	📝 他假装睡着了。
lecture	⚠️ 讲座	long serious talk or university class	✅ 长时间的严肃谈话或大学课程	She gave a lecture on climate policy.	📝 她做了一场关于气候政策的讲座。

False friends also appear when a familiar-looking word belongs to a different word class in English than you expect. The meaning may be close, but the grammar changes: noun vs verb, adjective vs adverb, or countable vs uncountable. Learning the “shape” of the word in English helps you avoid unnatural sentences.

Rule	🇨🇳 中文 规则	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
Learn the part of speech with the word	📌 与词一起学习词性	Advice is a noun: I need advice. Advise is a verb: Please advise me.	📝 Advice is a noun: I need advice. Advise is a verb: Please advise me.
Check countability for nouns that feel the same	📌 检查看起来相同名词的可数性	Information is uncountable: Some information, not an information.	📝 信息是不可数的：Some information，而不是一个 information。
Watch adjective vs adverb forms	📌 注意形容词与副词形式	He spoke clearly. The instructions are clear.	📝 He spoke clearly. The instructions are clear.
Learn the verb pattern after the word	📌 学习该词后的动词搭配	Suggest + noun or -ing: She suggested a break. She suggested taking a break.	📝 Suggest + 名词或 -ing: She suggested a break. She suggested taking a break.

The safest way to handle false friends is to verify meaning using context clues. Look for the topic, nearby verbs, and what is logically possible in the situation. If a “familiar” meaning makes the sentence odd, assume it’s a false friend and search for the English meaning that fits the context.

Rule	🇨🇳 中文 规则	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
Check the surrounding topic words	🔎 检查周围的主题词	In a university text, lecture likely means a class or academic talk.	📝 在大学文本中，lecture 可能表示课程或学术讲座。
Test logic and real-world plausibility	🔎 测试逻辑与现实可行性	If I “assist” a movie, it sounds wrong. I watch a movie, not assist it.	📝 如果我把“assist”用于电影，这听起来就不对。我看一部电影，而不是 assist 它。
Identify what the verb needs as an object	🔎 确认动词需要的宾语	You make a complaint, but you do not complaint something.	📝 你会提出抱怨，但你不会对某事提出 complaint。
Compare with a simpler synonym you know	🔎 与你所知道的更简单的同义词比较	Sensible often equals reasonable, not sensitive.	📝 sensible 往往等于 reasonable，而不是 sensitive。

When you are unsure, choose high-frequency, clear English words instead of the risky similar-looking one. This keeps your message accurate and natural even if your vocabulary is still growing. Later, you can learn the precise word once you confirm its meaning and usage.

Word/Phrase	🇨🇳 中文 单词/短语	Definition	🇨🇳 中文 定义	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
help	🛟 帮助	safe alternative to assist	✅ 替代 assist 的安全词	Can you help me with this?	📝 你能帮我这个吗？
finish	🛟 完成	safe alternative to eventually in many learner sentences	✅ 在许多学习者句子中，最终的安全替代词	We finished the project yesterday.	📝 我们昨天完成了这个项目。
real	🛟 真实	safe alternative to actual when you mean true	✅ 当你表示真实时，actual 的安全替代词	Is this story real?	📝 这个故事是真的吗？
book place	🛟 书籍地点	temporary substitute for library if you forget the word	✅ 如果你忘记词汇时，作为对 library 的临时替代	Let’s meet at the book place near campus.	📝 让我们在校园附近的 book place 见面。

Treat false friends as a personal list that depends on your first language and what you read or study. Add words when you misunderstand them or hesitate, and record the correct English meaning plus a short context. Review the list regularly so the correct meaning becomes automatic.

Rule	🇨🇳 中文 规则	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
Write the English meaning first, not a translation	🗂️ 先写英文含义，而非翻译	sensible = reasonable and practical	📝 sensible = reasonable and practical
Save one typical collocation or pattern	🗂️ 保存一个典型的搭配或模式	make a complaint, give a lecture, feel sympathy	📝 make a complaint, give a lecture, feel sympathy
Group by topic to strengthen memory	🗂️ 按主题分组以加强记忆	University words: lecture, library, professor	📝 University words: lecture, library, professor
Note what it is not to avoid relapse	🗂️ 记下它不是哪方面以避免回退	eventually is not possibly or maybe	📝 eventually is not possibly or maybe

False friends never fully disappear, even for advanced learners, because new vocabulary keeps appearing. The goal is not to memorize every pair but to develop a reliable checking habit and a growing “high-risk” awareness. Over time you will recognize the common traps immediately and use context to protect meaning.