# Longest false "bilingual" word **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 4, 2022, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-false-bilingual-word/957168 "2022-01-04T00:00:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2022, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-false-bilingual-word/957168/101 "2022-01-05T18:40:34Z")
True story: I studied German in school but am no way fluent. I did visit Germany once. First day there, on a bus on the autobahn out in the country, I noticed an exit to Ausfahrt. Must be a small town, since it’s not visible from the highway. Then a couple more and I started to wonder how many exits does this small town have. Somewhere around the 4th or 5th exit the light suddenly dawned on me. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2022, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-false-bilingual-word/957168/102 "2022-01-05T18:43:58Z")
Heh. There’s also the story of the guy asking who owned all the luxurious buildings in a historic city. “Kannichtverstehen” must be a very wealthy man. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2022, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-false-bilingual-word/957168/103 "2022-01-05T18:54:16Z")
> [@Cervaise](#): > > In my part of Europe, it’s common to see French-language announcements, posters, etc. for family and child-friendly events that state “animations” will be included. > > The first time I saw this, I was mildly perplexed. I interpreted it to mean there would be a screen off to the side displaying cartoons, giving parents somewhere to stash a bored child. The problem was, the event was a classic-auto show. It seemed a little odd to set up something like that at such an event, and stranger still that it would warrant prominent mention on the poster. > > Turns out, when you see “animations” in this context, it refers broadly to interactive children’s activities — puppet shows and kid-friendly theatrical presentations, costumed characters walking around, hands-on participatory demonstrations by experts, maybe a clown making balloon animals. It does not mean there will be a TV cart or a projector showing cartoons. The German word Animation has the same meaning as in French. It’s mostly used for the kind of entertainment and recreational activities that are provided in many holiday resorts: music and dance shows, kid’s entertainment, games and sports. The people who are responsible for those activities are called Animateure. ---
**Author:** ![Schnitte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/schnitte/32/9033_2.png) [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2022, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-false-bilingual-word/957168/104 "2022-01-05T21:15:46Z")
[That story has literary status](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kannitverstan) (and an ending with a moral). ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2022, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-false-bilingual-word/957168/105 "2022-01-05T21:18:00Z")
I probably read it in a high school German textbook then. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![hibernicus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hibernicus/32/2802_2.png) [@hibernicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hibernicus)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2022, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-false-bilingual-word/957168/106 "2022-01-05T22:04:36Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > Pretty sure that’s the longest so far. However, Finnish and Estonian are closely related languages, so there’s the possibility those words are related. They are not. A little checking on [Wiktionary](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/hallitus) tells me that hallitus (Estonian) ultimately derives from Finnic word _hall_ meaning grey (which appears to be an early borrowing from Proto-Balto-Slavic); hallitus (Finnish) derives from a Germanic root meaning “hold” and is in fact cognate with the English word “hold”. So while both words owe their origins to borrowings from Indo-European languages into Finnic languages, they are completely unrelated. Intriguingly, the modern Finnish word “halli” means “grey seal”, whose generic name is “halichoerus”. I guess this is just a coincidence. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2022, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-false-bilingual-word/957168/107 "2022-01-05T23:40:33Z")
> [@Andy\_L](#): > > Heh. There’s also the story of the guy asking who owned all the luxurious buildings in a historic city. “Kannichtverstehen” must be a very wealthy man. Reminds me of [Ireland’s worst driver.](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/7899171.stm) ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2022, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-false-bilingual-word/957168/108 "2022-01-06T00:14:57Z")
That’s great ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2022, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-false-bilingual-word/957168/109 "2022-01-06T01:30:04Z")
I’ve gone through the topic and collected all those contributions that answer the OP. All but one are between English and some other language. I skipped those that looked like they were related, as well as those from languages that don’t use the Latin alphabet. Except for the Chinese one, because that has an official Romanization. [Contributor’s names are in square brackets.] _comes_ (Latin) “companion” [UDS1] _blinder_ (Welsh) “tiredness” [Dr.Drake] _brood_ (Dutch) “bread” [I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I] _comment_ (French) “how” [hogarth] _grill_ (Welsh) “chirping” [Dr.Drake] _kitten_ (German) “to cement” [DPRK] _looming_ (Estonian) “creation” [Chad\_Sudan] _march_ (Welsh) “horse” [Dr.Drake] _piping_ (Chinese) “a criticism” [Mijin] _plant_ (Welsh) “children” [Dr.Drake] _romper_ (Spanish) “to break” [Kimble] _saber_ (Spanish) “to know”, “knowledge” [hibericus] _semen_ (Indonesian) “cement” [CairoCarol] _union_ (Welsh) “straight” [Dr.Drake] The one that doesn’t have English as one of the two languages is the winner so far: _hallitus_ (Finnish) “government” (Estonian) “mold” [Chassic\_Sense] [confirmed by hibericus] And I wasn’t 100% certain about this one. I’d be surprised if they aren’t related but would like confirmation. _pretend_ (portuguese) “intend” [HMS\_Irruncible] BTW, I’m impressed at both the wide selection of languages represented in the list as well as the number of contributors. Kudos to everyone. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2022, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-false-bilingual-word/957168/110 "2022-01-06T02:13:09Z")
Forgot about these. I looked through the Quora thread, but only found a couple that met my requirements: _bomber_ (Catalan) “firefighter” _burro_ (Spanish) “donkey” (Italian) “butter” ---
**Author:** ![Pseudonym](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pseudonym/32/9895_2.png) [@Pseudonym](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pseudonym)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2022, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-false-bilingual-word/957168/111 "2022-01-06T02:43:10Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > Kudos = Finnish for biological tissue or a weave ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2022, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-false-bilingual-word/957168/112 "2022-01-06T04:15:53Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > The German word Animation has the same meaning as in French. It’s mostly used for the kind of entertainment and recreational activities that are provided in many holiday resorts: music and dance shows, kid’s entertainment, games and sports. The people who are responsible for those activities are called Animateure. Yeah, when I was in French immersion, the _animateurs_ were the facilitators of group activities. An _animateur_ can also be the host of a party or a TV show. Basically, someone who ‘brings life to’ a social gathering. It’s interesting to see the different ways a word went; in English the corresponding word, animator, is someone who makes pictures move. Though there is an older sense of ‘full of life’, as in an animated conversation. ---
**Author:** ![Tabco](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tabco/32/7644_2.png) [@Tabco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tabco)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2022, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-false-bilingual-word/957168/113 "2022-01-06T04:50:58Z")
One of the possible conjugations of the Spanish verb _lavar_ (“to wash”) is _lava_. ---
**Author:** ![smithsb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smithsb/32/12107_2.png) [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2022, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-false-bilingual-word/957168/114 "2022-01-06T04:58:07Z")
Another English = American is Bonnet. “In your Easter bonnet” refers to headwear in both “languages”. Bonnet is also the hood of a car; in English but not American. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2022, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-false-bilingual-word/957168/115 "2022-01-06T05:08:16Z")
> [@Tabco](#): > > This reminds me of when I was taking Spanish in high school. We learned that the Spanish word _librería_ was not “library” but instead “bookstore” and according to the teacher this was a mistake even native Spanish speakers frequently make. > > The Spanish word for library is _biblioteca_ , as it happens Same in French. « Libraire » is the bookstore, « bibliothèque » is the library. ---
**Author:** ![gkster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gkster/32/14107_2.png) [@gkster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gkster)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2022, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-false-bilingual-word/957168/116 "2022-01-06T05:25:00Z")
4 more, none of them long: “chico” = in Spanish, small, young boy / in Tagalog, a fruit, [Manilkara zapota - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manilkara_zapota) “leer” = in Spanish, infinitive verb, meaning “to read” “meter” = in Spanish, infinitive verb, meaning “to put”, not related to the metric system “mango” = in Spanish, handle, not related to the fruit “Mango” is the only word in this list of “false friends” that fits the specs in the OP: [Falsos amigos - Spanish False Friends - Lawless Spanish Vocabulary](https://www.lawlessspanish.com/vocabulary/falsos-amigos/) And does German “wetter” count, or is it related to its English meaning, “weather”? ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2022, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-false-bilingual-word/957168/117 "2022-01-06T12:58:25Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > Same in French. « Libraire » is the bookstore, « bibliothèque » is the library. librairie > [@gkster](#): > > And does German “wetter” count, or is it related to its English meaning, “weather”? It seems like it counts, as one (you mean Wetter?) has to do with blowing, and the other with water. “wetter” as in wett, wetten, wettmachen appears to be yet another word. ---
**Author:** ![Schnitte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/schnitte/32/9033_2.png) [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2022, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-false-bilingual-word/957168/118 "2022-01-06T13:38:35Z")
I suppose gkster’s question was whether the English comparative “wetter” was cognate to German “Wetter”, not German words such as “wettmachen” and “Wette”. I understand that it isn’t; German “Wetter” goes back, as you say, to a root that means “to blow” (as does English “weather”; I suppose “wind” and “Wind” in German have the same root). But the English adjective “wet” has a different root; it’s cognate to “water” (and German “Wasser”). “Wettmachen” and “Wette” have yet another etymology. ---
**Author:** ![gkster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gkster/32/14107_2.png) [@gkster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gkster)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2022, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-false-bilingual-word/957168/119 "2022-01-06T15:25:43Z")
> [@DPRK](#): > > It seems like it counts, as one (you mean Wetter?) has to do with blowing, and the other with water. “wetter” as in wett, wetten, wettmachen appears to be yet another word. Yes I did mean Wetter, forgot to capitalize the noun. And @Schnitte answered very thoroughly too. ---
**Author:** ![Tusculan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecd19e/32.png) [@Tusculan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tusculan)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2022, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-false-bilingual-word/957168/120 "2022-01-06T15:42:54Z")
A few Dutch ones. _leer_ means ‘empty’ in German, and ‘leather’ in Dutch. _lover_ is in Dutch an old-fashioned word for foliage. _rooster_, as mentioned above, may in Dutch mean toaster, but also grating, schedule. _worst_ in Dutch means sausage. _brand_ in Dutch means fire Well-known false friends between German and Dutch: ‘Meer’ (sea) in German is ‘zee’ in Dutch ‘See’ (lake) in German is ‘meer’ in Dutch. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-false-bilingual-word/957168.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-false-bilingual-word/957168.md?page=7)