Kilo Lingo
Spanish grammar Part of Chapter 45

CEFR B1-B2

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Test yourself (17 questions)

Spanish False Friends (Part 2): molestar, soportar

By Michael McGettrick and Sergio Linares-HernandesUpdated 12 October 2026

The second set of false friends is mostly verbs, which makes them harder to catch: the sentence comes out grammatical and means something else.

Quick check

Three quick questions on what you have just read. The full practice is further down.

Pick the right one

0/3

Choose the word that says what the English means.

  1. No el ruido. (I can't stand)

  2. Te en tu decisión. (I support you)

  3. Voy a el concierto. (to record)

  • . - I don't want to be a bother.
  • . - I can't stand the noise.

False friends at a glance

the false friendthe word you wantedWhat do the colours mean?
SpanishMeansYou wanted
to botherto molest: abusar
to put up withto support:
to rememberto record:
to intendto pretend:
to serveto attend:
to argueto discuss:
schoolcollege:
relativeparents:
countrysidecamp:
funnygracious:
school subjectsignature:
latelyultimately:
not at allabsolutely:

Molestar: the one that sounds like a crime

the false friendWhat do the colours mean?

is to bother or disturb. It is an everyday, polite verb:

  • . - I don't want to be a bother.
  • ¿ ? - Do you mind if I open the window?
  • . - Stop bothering your sister.

It also works like , with the thing that bothers after the verb and the person bothered as the indirect object:

  • . - The noise bothers me.

Soportar, recordar, pretender, atender

the false friendthe word you wantedWhat do the colours mean?

Each of these is a real verb with a different job. Here is what each one does, and what you say instead:

VerbSpanishEnglish
.I can't stand the noise.
.I support you in your decision.
.He/she supports the family.
¿ ?Do you remember his/her name?
.I'm going to record the concert.
¿ ?What are you after with that?
.He pretended to be ill.
.The waitress looked after us.
a .I went to the wedding.

also means to remind, with the person as the indirect object:

  • . - Let me remind you that the meeting is at three.

can mean discuss, but in everyday talk it usually means argue:

  • . - We argued about money.
  • . - We need to discuss this.

Colegio, pariente, campo: the nouns

the false friendthe word you wantedWhat do the colours mean?

Four nouns from home and school, and what each one really is:

  • a schoola school
  • a universitya university
  • the countrysidethe countryside
  • a signaturea signature
False friendSpanishEnglish
.My daughter goes to school.
.He's a distant relative.
.We live in the country.
.My favourite subject is history.

Your parents are your ; a is any relative.

En absoluto, últimamente, gracioso

the false friendthe word you wantedWhat do the colours mean?

Three that reverse or twist what you meant:

False friendSpanishEnglish
¿ ? .Do you mind? Not at all.
.I' been sleeping badly lately.
.Your brother is very funny.

answers no. To say absolutely in the sense of yes, of course:

  • ¿? . - Are you coming? Absolutely.

Mistakes English speakers make

the word you wantedWhat do the colours mean?

Each word in the middle column is real Spanish. It just says something else:

To sayNotBut
I record it
he pretended
I support you
attend a wedding
my parents
absolutely (yes)

What to do next

  1. Make a two-column list: the false friend, and the word you wanted.
  2. Do the drill below.
  3. Back to false friends, part 1 for , actual and .

Practise: test yourself

Pick the right one

0/5

Choose the word that says what the English means.

  1. No el ruido. (I can't stand)

  2. Te en tu decisión. (I support you)

  3. Voy a el concierto. (to record)

  4. ¿ dónde dejaste las llaves? (do you remember)

  5. Tengo que a una boda el sábado. (go to an event)

Matching

0/6

Match each Spanish word to what it really means.

Complete the story

0/3

Choose the word that fits each gap.

Dinner at Ana's

Ana me presentó a un suyo, un primo de su padre. Era muy y nos hizo reír toda la noche. A las once le pregunté: ¿Te si me voy ya? Ella dijo: En absoluto.

Gap 1 of 3

Spot the mistake

0/3

Each sentence uses a false friend where the speaker meant the English look-alike. Tap it.

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Frequently asked questions

Does to molest in Spanish?
No. is to bother or disturb, and it is perfectly polite: (I do not want to be a bother), ¿ ? (do you mind if I open the window?). Nothing sinister is meant by it.
How do you say to support in Spanish?
for backing someone: (I support you). for paying for someone: a (he/she supports his/her family). is the false friend: it means to put up with, as in (I cannot stand the noise).
How do you say to record in Spanish?
: a (I am going to record the concert). is to remember, or to remind: ¿ ? (do you remember his/her name?).
What does ?
As an answer, not at all: ¿ ? - (do you mind? - not at all). With no, it strengthens the negative: (I did not like it at all). For the English absolutely, meaning yes, say or .
Is the same as college?
No. A is a school, usually for children: (my daughter goes to school). University is .