Spanish-Portuguese False Friends to Keep an Eye Out For

Despite their shared Latin roots, Spanish and Portuguese aren’t perfect twins. Thousands of words appear similar, but some have diverged in meaning over time, becoming what linguists call “false friends.” These deceptive cognates look alike but carry different meanings.

Not all false friends are complete opposites though. Many retain shades of their original meaning and are used in distinct contexts.

Furthermore, a Portuguese word might have multiple meanings, with the less common one resembling (and misleadingly translating to) a dominant Spanish term. These, too, qualify as false friends.

Let’s explore some common examples of these tricky word pairs in Spanish and Portuguese.

Common Spanish-Portuguese False Friends

	Spanish	Portuguese
1	acordarse recall; remember	acordar wake up
2	barata cockroach; cheap	barata cheap
3	cadera hip	cadeira chair
4	cena dinner	cena scene
5	embarazada embarrassed; ashamed	embaraçada pregnant
6	escoba broom	escova brush
7	escritorio desk	escritório office
8	exquisito	esquisito
9	largo long	largo large
10	oficina office	oficina workshop
11	polvo dust	polvo octopus
12	propina tip	propina tuition fee (pt-pt); bribery (pt-br)*
13	rato a little while	rato mouse
14	rojo red	roxo purple
15	rubio blond	ruivo redhead, ginger
16	traer bring	trair betray

Mark complete Completed

Move beyond shallow apps

If apps got you started but you still struggle with real listening and building sentences naturally, Portuguesepedia helps you move forward with structured, level-based practice.

start free

No card required.

What learners say

I love the mix of formats. The listening pieces, lessons, short reads, and idioms cover different angles, so I don’t get stuck doing the same thing. It keeps me coming back.

~ Olivia ~

It doesn’t feel like studying in the boring sense. The tone is light, but the practice is solid, and I’ve noticed I can put sentences together more easily.

~ Giulia ~

Everything feels well put together. I’ll watch a lesson, read a quick explanation when I’m confused, and then do a few exercises. Everything I need is in one place and easy to find.

~ Liam ~

Portuguese used to feel messy, like I was putting in effort but not getting results. With Portuguesepedia, I can focus on what I actually need, and I’ve started noticing real improvement week by week.

~ Ebba ~

Portuguesepedia makes grammar feel manageable. The explanations are clear, short, and practical, and they help me understand what’s happening so I can use it in my own sentences.

~ Maria ~

I’d been trying to learn Portuguese for years, but I never felt confident using it. Textbooks were too much, and speaking classes made me freeze. With Portuguesepedia, things finally started to make sense.

~ Emely ~