You loved my personal nemesis: travailler. I kept cheerfully telling people, “J’adore travailler” when I meant voyager. They nodded with the polite horror reserved for someone who vacations at Excel World. (For the record: voyager = to travel; travailler = to work. The universe is cruel, but consistent.)
Here are a few other impostors that tripped me, plus three stories I now tell so you don’t have to live them.
The rogues’ gallery (a curated greatest hits)
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actuellement = currently (≠ actually)
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librairie = bookshop (≠ library → bibliothèque)
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blessé = injured (≠ blessed → béni)
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préservatif = condom (≠ preservative)
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sensible = sensitive (≠ sensible → raisonnable)
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déception = disappointment (≠ deception → tromperie)
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attendre = to wait (≠ to attend → assister (à))
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monnaie = change/coins (≠ money → argent)
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journée = day (duration) (≠ journey → voyage) (Rayburn Tours)
Three mini-disasters (you’re welcome)
1) The Bus Stop Performance Review
Me to a friendly retiree at Rotonde: « Je viens en France pour travailler ! »
Her, impressed: « Bravo, vous êtes courageux ! »
Me, double-downing: « Oui, je travaille partout—à Nice, à Arles… »
Cue 30 seconds of silence as she imagines me bringing a stapler to the Pont du Gard.
Fix I learned: Before I say travailler, I picture a laptop; before voyager, a suitcase. Quick brain-emoji flashcards.
2) The Jam That Needed… What Now?
At the marché, I asked if a confiture had « des préservatifs ». The vendor blinked. I blinked. We both reconsidered life choices.
What I meant: conservateurs (preservatives).
What I said: prophylactics for your apricot spread.
Fix: When in doubt, swap the risky word for a description: « Y a-t-il des additifs pour conserver ? »
3) Lost in the Stacks (But Not Those Stacks)
I marched into a librairie hunting for the card catalog. The bookseller kindly explained I had—in fact—found a shop, not a library. I bought a notebook out of shame and used it to list more faux amis.
Fix: Say it out loud with a pair: librairie → buy, bibliothèque → borrow. The B-B alliteration saves me every time.
How to break the habit (fast, friendly, level-by-level)
Quick global tactics
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Make a “Trap Words” list. Star the ones above and add your personal villains. Glance at it before conversations. (Teachers call these “false cognates.”) (French with Agnes)
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Build paired mini-phrases. Not just the word—use it in a sentence you actually say in Aix.
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« J’attends le bus. » vs. « J’assiste à un cours. »
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Paraphrase on purpose. If your brain reaches for a risky twin, rephrase: “est-ce que je peux payer avec la petite monnaie ?” instead of gambling with monnaie/argent.
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The 3-second pause. Before a “looks-English” word, inhale and think: Is this a trap? If yes, pick the safe synonym.
A1 starters
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Stick to the safe pairs you’ll use daily: librairie/bibliothèque, attendre/assister, monnaie/argent.
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Drill with real-life lines: buying bread, asking directions, bus tickets. Keep them short and repeatable.
A2 builders
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Add “near-miss” verbs: réaliser (to realize a project = carry out), not “to realize” (that’s se rendre compte).
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Do a 5-minute “faux-ami audit” after class: which ones popped up today?
B1 confidence
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Watch or read French news and screenshot faux-amis in the wild. Make a two-column note with your correction.
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Practice “repair lines”: « Je voulais dire… », « Pardon, je me suis trompé(e). »
B2 finesse
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Learn collocations: une profonde déception vs la tromperie commerciale*. Context kills confusion.
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Teach one faux ami to a friend—if you can explain it, you own it.
Advanced / near-native
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Track register. Sensible = sensitive in psych talk; raisonnable = sensible in everyday advice. Choose by context.
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Spot “semi-false friends” (similar but not identical) and enjoy the nuance. (French with Agnes)
Want more lists & explainer guides?
A few solid roundups if you like reference charts: Alliance Française articles and learner blogs with hefty lists; plus a playful A-to-Z for nerding out. (Alliance Francaise Melbourne)
Tiny toolbox (print me!)
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I mean “actually”: say en fait (not actuellement).
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I need small change: ask for la monnaie (coins), not l’argent.
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I’m waiting / I’m attending: j’attends / j’assiste à…
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Shop vs. Library: librairie (buy) / bibliothèque (borrow).
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Blessed vs. Injured: béni / blessé.
Your turn — on papote !
What’s the funniest faux ami you’ve met in Aix (or Marseille)? Did a déception break your heart when you expected… deception? Add your story, your favorite fix, or your best “repair line” in the comments so new arrivals don’t ask for préservatifs at the fromagerie. 🧀
Level prompts:
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A1: Write 3 sentences that use attendre, monnaie, librairie.
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A2: Share a time you fixed yourself mid-sentence: « Je voulais dire… »
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B1: Post two collocations with déception or tromperie.
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B2+: Teach us one semi-false friend and a native-sounding workaround.
(P.S. If you see me at the bus stop “working” my way to Cassis, feel free to correct me. I’m still rehabbing from travailler.)