French and English share thousands of words, which is a big help. But some words that look the same have drifted apart. These are faux amis, false friends.
The ones you'll meet first
| French | Means | Not | For that, say |
|---|---|---|---|
| librairie | bookshop | library | bibliothèque |
| actuellement | currently | actually | en fait |
| attendre | to wait | to attend | assister à |
| sensible | sensitive | sensible | raisonnable |
| rester | to stay | to rest | se reposer |
| éventuellement | possibly | eventually | finalement |
| blesser | to injure | to bless | bénir |
A helpful pattern
Many faux amis aren't random. Attendre and attend both come from Latin attendere, “to stretch toward.” French kept the sense of waiting for something; English kept the sense of being present at it. Knowing that the words are related can make the difference easier to remember.
Don't worry too much
Most look-alike words are true friends: important, table, restaurant, possible, question. Trust them, and keep this short list for the ones that aren't.
Try it: Actuellement, j'attends le car pour aller à la bibliothèque. (“Right now, I'm waiting for the coach to go to the library.”)