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Obvious ... But Wrong

By Gerald Erichsen, About.com

  • Sano: Someone who is sane is en su juicio or "in his right mind."
  • Sensible: Usually means sensitive or capable of feeling. A sensible person or idea can be referred to as sensato or razonable.
  • Sensiblemente: Usually means "perceptibly" or "appreciably," sometimes "painfully." A good synonym for "sensibly" is sesudamente.
  • Sopa: Soup, not soap. Soap is jabón.
  • Suceso: Merely an event or happening, sometimes a crime. A success is un éxito.
  • Tuna: Order this at a desert restaurant and you'll get edible cactus. A tuna is also a college musical glee club. The fish is atún.
A final note: Especially in the United States, Spanish doesn't exist in a vacuum. In the United States, you may hear some speakers, especially those who frequently speak Spanglish, use some of these false cognates when speaking Spanish. A few of these usages may be creeping into the language elsewhere, although they would still be considered substandard.
Gerald Erichsen
Guide since 1998

Gerald Erichsen
Spanish Language Guide

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