In our previous article, we introduced several German words that look or sound like English but have very different meanings.
This time, we will focus on Italian words that resemble English but carry completely different meanings.

　

1. Camera (Italian)

Meaning: room, bedroom
Common misunderstanding: camera (photographic device)

Camera singola means a single room.
If a tourist says Vorrei una camera con bagno, it means “I’d like a room with a bathroom,”
not “a camera with a bathroom.”

　

2. Magazine (French / Italian)

Meaning: warehouse, large store
Common misunderstanding: magazine (publication)

French magasin and Italian magazzino refer to a store or warehouse,
which is very different from the English magazine meaning a publication.
For example, grand magasin means “department store.”

　

3. Agenda (Italian / French / German)

Meaning: planner, schedule book
Common misunderstanding: secret political agenda?

In English, agenda often has a more abstract or political meaning,
but in French, Italian, and German it refers to a schedule book or planner.

Example:
J’ai noté ça dans mon agenda.
→ “I wrote that down in my planner.”

　

4. Chef (Italian: capo) and English ‘chief’ Confusion

Meaning: leader, boss
Common misunderstanding: mafia capo or informal leader, not necessarily an official ‘chief executive’

Examples:
capo squadra (team leader), capo mafia (mafia boss)
While similar to the English word chief, capo can carry informal or even negative connotations, so use with caution.

　

5. Control (Italian: controllo / French: contrôle / German: Kontrolle)

Meaning: inspection, check, supervision
Common misunderstanding: the English verb “to control” implying active domination or power

Examples:
contrôle de sécurité → security check
polizeiliche Kontrolle → police inspection
fare un controllo medico → have a medical checkup

This differs from the English sense of “to control someone.”

　

6. Pretend = Prétendre = Pretendere?? (English / French / Italian)

These similar-looking words have very different meanings.

Language	Word	Actual Meaning	Common Misunderstanding
English	pretend	to act as if something is true	(correct meaning)
French	prétendre	to claim or assert	mistaken as “to pretend”
Italian	pretendere	to demand or expect	mistaken as “to pretend”

　

Example Sentences

He pretended to be asleep.
→ “He acted as if he was asleep.”

Il prétend être innocent.
→ “He claims he is innocent.”
(faire semblant is the phrase for “to pretend.”)

Pretendo una spiegazione.
→ “I demand an explanation.”
(fingere means “to pretend.”)

　

Conclusion

These are classic examples of “false friends.”
They look and sound familiar but have completely different meanings when you look closer.

Ironically, the better you know English, the easier it is to be tricked.

That’s why the phrase:
Looks English. Sounds English. Not English.
rings so true.

　

　

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