There are many words in English that native Portuguese (and sometimes Spanish) speakers may think they recognize, only to be completely misunderstood.
These are known as “false cognates” or linguistically “false friends”. They may sound pretty close to familiar words, but these false cognates mean completely different things in English. Here are a few examples:
1) Costume (English) X Costume (Portuguese).
In English, a “costume” is an outfit or clothing that someone would wear to play a character in a movie or play, or for a party or special event. For example, “I’m wearing a Carmen Miranda costume for Halloween this year,” or “The actress wore a beautiful costume for her role in the movie.” The best translation for the Portuguese “costume” is CUSTOM or TRADITION in English.
2) Actually X atualmente
In English, the word “actually” means “in truth” or “as a fact”. For example, “I thought that it would take three hours to travel there, but it actually took five hours!” “Atualmente” means “currently” in English. For example, “I am CURRENTLY working on my master’s degree.”
3) Educated X educado
In Portuguese, “educado” has to do with good manners and not necessarily with formal education. In English, “educated” has everything to do with schooling, and nothing to do with manners. For example, “He was educated at Harvard.” If you want to refer to someone’s good manners in English, you should use the word “POLITE”. For example, “He is very POLITE and would never use bad language.”
4) Enroll X enrolar
To “enroll” means to sign up or register for a course or school. For example, “She enrolled in the Algebra class” or “He will enroll in the university classes this semester.” If you are trying to say “enrolar” in English, you need to use “WIND UP” or “ROLL UP”. For example, “Please ROLL UP the maps when you are done with them” or “Do you mind WINDING UP the cord?”
5) Cord X corda
When it comes to the last example above, don’t be fooled by the word “cord”. While it can mean something long and used for tying things, a “cord” usually means an insulated cable used for carrying electricity. For example, “She pulled on the telephone cord.” When trying to say “corda” in English, the best translation is ROPE or STRING.
6) Fabric X fábrica
These two words could not be more different in meaning. “Fabric” in English has nothing to do with building things. “Fabric” is a noncount word that means the type of material that clothes are made of. For example, “She bought some fabric to make her own dress,” or “That fabric will make a lovely shirt.” If you are trying to say “fábrica”, you probably mean “FACTORY”.
These are just some of the “false cognates” or “false friends” that native Portuguese speakers will come across. Be careful next time you use them!