...and meaning

As stated in my previous post, 60% of French is also found in English. I mentioned that it is, however, not spelled or pronounced the same way. But it gets worse. Much of it doesn't mean the same thing, either. The French call these words "faux amis," which means false friends. Here are a few of them:

Demander- "to ask." It takes a long while for English speakers to adjust to "demanding" questions. A word for demand is "reclamer." They have no "clamer," so I'm guessing they stole it from English and failed to realize that the "re" is a predicate that is supposed to indicate a repeated action.

Accuser- According to my dictionary, this means to accuse. But in formal French it is appropriate to write "I accuse you of the good reception of your letter." In other words, "I got your letter."

Rentabilité- actually means "profitability." To rent something is "loyer." And a lawyer is an "avocate," which happens to be the exact same way they spell the name of the green fruit (vegetable?) that you use to make guacamole. You would think this would lead to many French lawyer jokes, but my teacher says they don't have any.

Fioul- pronounced identical to "fuel," is the gas that use in your house (LP). The gas for your car is "essence."

Location- is the act or process of renting. "Endroit", "piece", "part," and "lieu" are all French words that help express the idea of our english "location." My dictionary lists "emplacement" as the exact French equivalent.

Place- is your seat at the table, theatre, etc. It can't be used in the general sense. That would be the word "part" (quelque part= someplace)

Partie- is the French word for "part." The word for party is "fête."

Parti- pronounced the same way, is the past participle of the verb "to leave."

fier- pronounced more like fear than fire, it actually means "proud."

articulation- means articulation when you are speaking, but it also means "joint." As in, what you have where two bones come together.

occasion- is an opportunity or, where I see it most often, a sale. As in, "Occasions Chevy!!!!" except that they don't have any GM vehicles here. Some Fords, but no Chevy's.

chance- is luck. It's what you have when you win the "loto."

hazard- is chance. It's what evolution relies on.

And last but not least:

Célibataire means "not married." The French are at a literal loss for words to when they encounter someone who wants to be that way.