This deep dive covers The Core False Friends List — AQA GCSE Priority within The false friends bank for GCSE French. Revise The false friends bank in Reading and Translation into English for GCSE French with 10 exam-style questions and 20 flashcards. This topic shows up very often in GCSE exams, so students should be able to explain it clearly, not just recognise the term. It is section 2 of 4 in this topic. Use this deep dive to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
📋 The Core False Friends List — AQA GCSE Priority
| French word | Looks like… | Actually means | Correct French for the English word |
|---|---|---|---|
| actuellement | actually | currently / at present | en fait / à vrai dire |
| assister à | to assist | to attend | aider |
| la cave | cave | cellar / basement | la grotte / la caverne |
| le collège | college | secondary school (ages 11–15) | l'université |
| le conducteur | conductor (music) | driver | le chef d'orchestre |
| la déception | deception | disappointment | la tromperie |
| demander | to demand | to ask for / to request | exiger |
| éventuellement | eventually | possibly / perhaps | finalement / à la fin |
| formidable | formidable (scary/daunting) | wonderful / great | redoutable / impressionnant |
| le hasard | hazard | chance / coincidence | le danger / le risque |
| ignorer | to ignore | to not know / to be unaware of | faire semblant de ne pas voir |
| large | large (big) | wide / broad | grand(e) |
| la lecture | lecture | reading (the activity) | la conférence / le cours magistral |
| la librairie | library | bookshop | la bibliothèque |
| le médecin | medicine (the subject) | doctor | la médecine |
| la monnaie | money | coins / change / currency | l'argent |
| la prune | prune (dried) | plum (fresh fruit) | le pruneau |
| rester | to rest | to stay / to remain | se reposer |
| sensible | sensible | sensitive / emotional | raisonnable |
| le stage | stage (theatre) | work placement / internship / training course | la scène |
| sympathique | sympathetic (feeling sorry for someone) | friendly / nice / likeable | compatissant(e) |
Elle a trouvé un stage dans une entreprise formidable — les collègues étaient très sympathiques.
She found a work placement in a wonderful company — the colleagues were very friendly.
- stage = work placement (not a theatre stage). formidable = wonderful (not scary). sympathiques = friendly (not sympathetic). Three false friends in one sentence — exactly the kind of compression AQA uses.
Actuellement, il travaille comme conducteur de bus, mais il veut devenir médecin.
Currently, he works as a bus driver, but he wants to become a doctor.
- actuellement = currently (NOT actually). conducteur = driver (NOT a music conductor). médecin = doctor (NOT medicine the subject).
⭐ The Golden Rule for False Friends
If a French word looks exactly like an English word — pause before translating it. Check whether the English meaning makes sense in context. If it seems too easy or the sentence feels odd, it is almost certainly a false friend. Always look for the contextual fit first.
Practice questions for The false friends bank
What does the French word 'actuellement' mean in English?
A student translates 'la librairie' as 'the library'. What is the correct translation?