What it's NOT
bizarre does NOT translate to bizarro.
To say "bizarro" in English, use brave (antiguo).
ESEN
False cognate · False friend
bizarre
Does NOT mean bizarro
It means strange / odd
Written by Bryan López, English teacher · Updated
What it IS
bizarre means strange / odd.
Why it's confused
Spanish "bizarro" comes from Italian "bizzarro" and means brave or gallant, especially in classic literary Spanish. English "bizarre" took on the sense of extravagant, strange, or out of the ordinary. What's a compliment in Spanish is a strangeness in English.
How it's pronounced
bizarrebi-ZÁR
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Examples of correct use
English
That was a bizarre dream.
Spanish
Ese fue un sueño rarísimo.
English
He wore a bizarre outfit.
Spanish
Llevaba un atuendo extravagante.
A trick to remember it
Bizarre = strange/odd. Brave (old-fashioned Spanish "bizarro") = brave.
Mini quiz
"A bizarre story" is a story that is...
Frequently asked questions
What does "bizarre" mean in English?
"Bizarre" means "strange / odd". It looks a lot like "bizarro", which is exactly why it gets confused, but they don't mean the same thing.
How do you say "bizarro" in English?
To say "bizarro" in English, use "brave (antiguo)". If you use "bizarre" instead, you would actually be saying "strange / odd".
Do "bizarre" and "bizarro" mean the same thing?
Spanish "bizarro" comes from Italian "bizzarro" and means brave or gallant, especially in classic literary Spanish. English "bizarre" took on the sense of extravagant, strange, or out of the ordinary. What's a compliment in Spanish is a strangeness in English.
Other confusing false friends
More confusing false friends
Library, embarrassed, actually... the full list of words that look the same but mean something different.
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