Actually, I'm not sympathetic! 12 false friends that embarrass Poles abroad

A confused young woman in a straw hat and sunglasses shrugging behind a suitcase, holding tickets and a passport

Some English words look exactly like Polish words. Easy, right? Not always. These are false friends - words that look familiar but mean something completely different. Use them the Polish way, and you might get a strange look... or a very red face. 😳

Here are 12 false friends that have embarrassed many Poles abroad. Read them now, and they won't embarrass you!

Where do they come from? Most of them are old relatives. Polish and English both borrowed thousands of words from Latin, Greek and French, and then each language took the word in its own direction. The spelling stayed similar, but the meaning drifted apart. That is why you can't trust a word just because it looks familiar.

🗣️ At work and at school

actually - means "in fact, really", NOT aktualnie.
Actually, I'm not from Warsaw - I'm from Kraków.
Want to say aktualnie? Use currently or at the moment: I'm currently working in Gdańsk.

eventually - means "in the end, after a long time", NOT ewentualnie.
We waited for two hours, but eventually the bus came.
Ewentualnie is possibly or alternatively.

college - a school or university, NOT your kolega.
My sister goes to college in Leeds.
Your kolega is a friend or a colleague.

a pension - money you get when you retire (emerytura), NOT your pensja.
My grandpa lives on a small pension.
Your monthly pay is a salary. "My pension is too low" from a 30-year-old will make people very confused!

😊 People

sympathetic - feeling sorry for someone who has a problem (współczujący), NOT sympatyczny.
When my cat died, my boss was very sympathetic.
A sympatyczny person is nice or friendly.

ordinary - normal, typical (zwyczajny), NOT ordynarny!
It was just an ordinary Monday.
Careful: "he's very ordinary" means he's boring, not rude. Ordynarny is vulgar or rude.

a lunatic - a crazy person, NOT lunatyk.
He drives like a lunatic!
Someone who walks in their sleep is a sleepwalker.

🛒 Shopping and food

a receipt - the piece of paper you get after paying (paragon), NOT recepta.
Keep the receipt in case you want to return it.
And a recipe? That's how to cook something (przepis). Recepta from the doctor is a prescription.

a chef - a professional cook, NOT your szef.
The chef came out of the kitchen to say hello.
Your szef is your boss.

a preservative - a chemical that keeps food fresh (konserwant). And here comes the most famous false friend of all. Imagine a Polish tourist in a British supermarket asking: "Excuse me, do you have any jam without... prezerwatywa?" 😅 Prezerwatywa in English is a condom. Read the label in peace: No artificial preservatives.

fabric - material for clothes (tkanina), NOT fabryka.
This shirt is made of a soft fabric.
Fabryka is a factory.

a caravan - a small house on wheels for holidays (przyczepa kempingowa). Don't confuse it with karawan - that's a hearse, the car for funerals. "We spent our holiday in a caravan" sounds lovely. In a karawan... not so much. ⚰️

⚡ Bonus round: 10 more in one line

a closet is a cupboard for clothes (szafa). A klozet is a toilet. "I hid the present in the closet" is a good idea. In the toilet - less so.
a dress is sukienka. Your dres is a tracksuit. "My husband wore a dress to the gym" will get attention.
pasta is makaron. Pasta do zębów is toothpaste. Don't brush your teeth with spaghetti.
smoking is palenie. The elegant smoking is a tuxedo. "No smoking" on a door is not about the dress code.
a baton is a stick: for a police officer, a conductor or a relay runner. A baton to eat is a chocolate bar.
confident means sure of yourself (pewny siebie). A konfident is an informer. "You look very confident today" is a compliment!
a lecture is wykład. A school lektura is a set book or simply reading.
a magazine is a colorful weekly or monthly to read (czasopismo). A magazyn is a warehouse.
a hazard is a danger (zagrożenie): Ice on the road is a hazard. The Polish hazard is gambling.
genial means friendly and cheerful (serdeczny). Genialny is brilliant. A genial teacher is nice. A brilliant teacher is... also nice, we hope.

🔊 Say it right

Three of these words are also traps for your tongue. In receipt the letter P is silent: say "ri-SEET". Recipe has three syllables: "RE-si-pee", not "re-saip". And chef starts with a soft "sh", like in French: "shef".

🕵️ Spot the mistakes

Marek has just moved to England and wrote to his English friend. He used seven false friends the Polish way. Can you find them all and correct them?

Hi Tom! Great news: actually I work in a big fabric near Leeds. My chef is very sympathetic - he smiles all the time. The pension is not great, but eventually I can ask for more next year. Oh, and I bought new shoes yesterday, but they are too small and I lost the recipe. Can I return them without it? Marek

Show answers

actually → currently (or: at the moment)
fabric → factory
chef → boss
sympathetic → nice (or: friendly)
pension → salary (or: pay)
eventually → possibly (or: maybe)
recipe → receipt

Quick quiz

Choose the right word.

I'm (actually / currently) living in Wrocław - I moved here last year.
Can I have the (receipt / recipe) for this cake? It's delicious!
My new boss is really (sympathetic / nice) - she always smiles.
After three hours of searching, we (eventually / possibly) found the hotel.
I earn a good (pension / salary), but London is expensive.
Hang your coat in the (closet / toilet), please.
She speaks English well and feels (confident / genial) before the interview.
The company keeps its products in a big (magazine / warehouse).