Polvo
Meaning: Actually means 'octopus'. For powder, say pó.
Language: Portuguese
Looks like: powder
Category: Food & Body
Origin: From Latin polypus, via Greek polypous, 'many-footed' — no relation to Spanish polvo, 'dust' (Latin pulvis). Portuguese for powder is pó.
More false friends — Food & Body
- Sopa — Actually means 'soup'. Soap is jabón.
- Fame — Actually means 'hunger'. Ho fame = I'm hungry. For fame (renown), say fama.
- Vaso — Actually means 'a drinking glass'. A vase (for flowers) is un jarrón or florero.
- Beer — Actually means 'bear'. The drink you order is een bier.
- Slagroom — Actually means 'whipped cream'.
- Frokost — Actually means 'breakfast'. In Danish the same word means 'lunch' — so a cross-border inv…
More Portuguese false friends
- Jornal — Actually means 'newspaper'. For a personal journal (diary), say diário.
- Pasta — Actually means 'folder' or 'briefcase'. Pasta (the food) is massa.
- Puxe — Actually means 'pull' — the imperative of puxar. The door sign telling you to push says e…
- Esquisito — Actually means 'strange', 'weird' or 'odd'. For exquisite, say requintado.
- Livraria — Actually means 'bookshop'. A library is uma biblioteca.
- Costume — Actually means 'custom' or 'habit'. Como de costume = as usual. An outfit is um traje or…
From our proverbs
- Haste makes waste — Rushing leads to mistakes and wasted effort.
- Don't cry over spilled milk — Don't worry about things that have already happened.
- Strike while the iron is hot — Act quickly when the opportunity presents itself.