Falsos amigos médicos: evita confusiones
False friends in medical Spanish: pick the correct word in context to avoid dangerous confusions.
Dannis
Falsos amigos médicos: evita confusiones (A2‑B1). For English speakers: short, clear and useful.
En España, constipado = resfriado/catarro. "Estoy constipado" = I have a cold. For "constipated" say: "estoy estreñido" (in Russian: насморк vs запор).
También se oye: "tengo un constipado de aúpa" (a really bad cold).
embarazada = pregnant. "Está embarazada". For "embarrassed": "estoy avergonzado/a" (in Russian: беременна vs смущён/стыдно).
intoxicado/a = (food) poisoned. "Estoy intoxicado por comida". For "drunk": "estoy borracho/a". (in Russian: отравился едой vs пьян).
Frases útiles: Tengo catarro. Estoy estreñido. Me da vergüenza. Ella está embarazada. (A2‑B1)
Comprehension check:
Después de comer marisco en mal estado, Pedro está ____.
intoxicado
borracho
avergonzado
In Spain, intoxicado = poisoned (usually by food), while borracho = drunk. A common mistake is to confuse it with English "intoxicated."
Think: this is about food, not alcohol.
¿Qué significa en España: "Estoy constipado"?
Tengo catarro
Estoy estreñido
Estoy borracho
Constipado in Spain = a cold/runny nose (catarro). For constipation say: estreñido.
It’s about a runny nose, not the intestines.
Completa la pareja correcta: embarazada = ____, avergonzado/a = ____.
pregnant / embarrassed
embarrassed / pregnant
drunk / poisoned
Embarazada = pregnant; avergonzado/a = embarrassed/ashamed. This is one of the most famous false friends.
Remember: embarazada is about pregnancy.
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