“You Want to Eat… Dust?” Navigating the Treacherous Waters of Spanish-Portuguese False Friends

Picture this: you’re in a charming seaside restaurant in Lisbon, your Spanish skills polished and ready. You confidently scan the menu and, wanting to try a local specialty, you order the polvo. The waiter gives you a slightly confused look but nods. You’re expecting a plate of delicious, tender octopus. Instead, you’ve just asked for a plate of dust. Oops.

Welcome to the wild and often hilarious world of “false friends” (or falsos amigos in Spanish, falsos cognatos in Portuguese). These are words that look or sound identical, or very similar, in two languages but have completely different meanings. For Spanish and Portuguese speakers, who can often understand a great deal of each other’s language, these linguistic traps are everywhere. They are a testament to the two languages’ shared ancestry from Vulgar Latin, like siblings who grew up together but developed their own unique personalities and quirks.

Learning to spot these false friends is not just about avoiding embarrassment; it’s a fascinating dive into the evolution of language. So, let’s save you from ordering dust for dinner and explore some of the most common false friends between these two beautiful Iberian languages.

The Culinary Minefield: Don’t Judge a Dish by its Name

The restaurant is a classic setting for a false friend faux pas. Given that food is so central to both Spanish and Portuguese culture, it’s a good place to start.

• Polvo

  This is the classic example we started with. It’s a perfect illustration of how different these words can be.

  🇪🇸 In Spanish, polvo means “dust” or “powder.”
  Limpia el polvo de la estantería, por favor. (Clean the dust from the shelf, please.)

  🇵🇹 In Portuguese, polvo means “octopus.”
  O polvo à lagareiro é uma delícia. (The roasted octopus is delicious.)

• Exquisito / Esquisito

  You think you’re complimenting the chef, but you might be insulting them.

  🇪🇸 In Spanish, exquisito is a high compliment, meaning “exquisite” or “delicious.”
  ¡Este postre está exquisito! (This dessert is exquisite!)

  🇵🇹 In Portuguese, esquisito means “weird” or “strange.”
  Achei o comportamento dele muito esquisito. (I found his behavior very weird.) To say something is delicious, you’d use delicioso or requintado.

• Salsa

  A simple request that can lead to a very different garnish.

  🇪🇸 In Spanish, salsa is a general term for “sauce.”
  ¿Me puedes pasar la salsa de tomate? (Can you pass me the tomato sauce?)

  🇵🇹 In Portuguese, salsa specifically means “parsley.” For sauce, you’d use the word molho.
  Pique um pouco de salsa para decorar o prato. (Chop some parsley to garnish the dish.)

The “Danger Zone”: High-Stakes and Highly Embarrassing Mix-ups

Some false friends are funny. Others can land you in truly awkward situations. Memorize these to save yourself a world of blushing.

• Embarazada / Embaraçada

  This is arguably the most famous and most important false friend to learn. Mixing these up can lead to some serious misunderstandings.

  🇪🇸 In Spanish, embarazada means “pregnant.”
  Mi hermana está embarazada de cinco meses. (My sister is five months pregnant.)

  🇵🇹 In Portuguese, embaraçada means “embarrassed” or “awkward.” The word for pregnant is grávida.
  Fiquei toda embaraçada quando caí na rua. (I was so embarrassed when I fell in the street.)

• Apellido / Apelido

  When filling out a form or introducing yourself, this one is crucial.

  🇪🇸 In Spanish, apellido means “surname” or “last name.”
  Mi apellido es García. (My surname is Garcia.)

  🇵🇹 In Portuguese, apelido means “nickname.” The word for surname is sobrenome (in Brazil) or apelido de família (in Portugal).
  O nome dele é Roberto, mas o seu apelido é Beto. (His name is Roberto, but his nickname is Beto.)

• Borracha

  One is a state of being, the other is a common desk item.

  🇪🇸 In Spanish, borracha means “drunk” (for a female). The masculine is borracho.
  Ella estaba un poco borracha después de la fiesta. (She was a little drunk after the party.)

  🇵🇹 In Portuguese, borracha means “rubber” or “eraser.” The word for drunk is bêbada.
  Preciso de uma borracha para apagar este erro. (I need an eraser to erase this mistake.)

Navigating Everyday Life

Even outside of restaurants and formal introductions, false friends are lurking around every corner.

• Rato

  Are you talking about a brief moment in time or a furry rodent?

  🇪🇸 In Spanish, rato means “a short while” or “a moment.”
  Espera un rato, ya casi termino. (Wait a little while, I’m almost done.)

  🇵🇹 In Portuguese, rato means “rat” or “mouse.” For a short while, you’d say um bocado, um momento, or um instante.
  Acho que vi um rato na cozinha! (I think I saw a mouse in the kitchen!)

• Oficina

  Where you work might be very different depending on the language.

  🇪🇸 In Spanish, oficina is an “office”, where you’d find desks and computers.
  Trabajo en una oficina en el centro de la ciudad. (I work in an office in the city center.)

  🇵🇹 In Portuguese, oficina is a “workshop” or a mechanic’s “garage.” The word for an office is escritório.
  Levei o carro à oficina para consertar o motor. (I took the car to the garage to fix the engine.)

• Largo / Largo

  A simple descriptive word that describes a different dimension entirely.

  🇪🇸 In Spanish, largo means “long.”
  El río es muy largo. (The river is very long.)

  🇵🇹 In Portuguese, largo means “wide.” The word for long is comprido or longo.
  Esta rua é muito larga. (This street is very wide.)

Embrace the Journey

This list is just the tip of the iceberg. There are dozens, if not hundreds, more of these tricky words: vaso (drinking glass / flower pot), pronto (soon / ready), pegar (to hit or glue / to grab or take), cena (dinner / scene), and so on.

But don’t let this discourage you! Seeing these differences isn’t a sign of incompatibility. Instead, it’s a beautiful reminder of how living languages breathe, shift, and evolve. The best approach for any language learner is curiosity and a good sense of humor. So laugh at the mistakes, learn from them, and the next time you’re in Portugal, you’ll know exactly how to order that delicious polvo—and not a side of pó (the actual word for dust).