What it's NOT
bland does NOT translate to blando.
To say "blando" in English, use soft.
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False cognate · False friend
bland
Does NOT mean blando
It means tasteless / flavorless
Written by Bryan López, English teacher · Updated
What it IS
bland means tasteless / flavorless.
Why it's confused
Spanish "blando" describes something soft to the touch or lacking firmness. English "bland" shares a Germanic origin but drifted toward tasteless, flavorless, or lacking character. The tactile sense stayed in Spanish, the taste sense went to English.
How it's pronounced
blandBLAND
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Examples of correct use
English
The soup was bland.
Spanish
La sopa estaba sosa.
English
His speech was a bit bland.
Spanish
Su discurso fue algo aburrido.
A trick to remember it
Bland = tasteless/flavorless. Soft to the touch (Spanish "blando") = soft.
Mini quiz
"Bland food" is food that is...
Frequently asked questions
What does "bland" mean in English?
"Bland" means "tasteless / flavorless". It looks a lot like "blando", which is exactly why it gets confused, but they don't mean the same thing.
How do you say "blando" in English?
To say "blando" in English, use "soft". If you use "bland" instead, you would actually be saying "tasteless / flavorless".
Do "bland" and "blando" mean the same thing?
Spanish "blando" describes something soft to the touch or lacking firmness. English "bland" shares a Germanic origin but drifted toward tasteless, flavorless, or lacking character. The tactile sense stayed in Spanish, the taste sense went to 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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