What it's NOT
cabin does NOT translate to cabina.
To say "cabina" in English, use booth / cockpit.
ESEN
False cognate · False friend
cabin
Does NOT mean cabina
It means a small wooden house / a cottage
Written by Bryan López, English teacher · Updated
What it IS
cabin means a small wooden house / a cottage.
Why it's confused
Spanish "cabina" is a small enclosed space: an airplane cockpit, a photo booth, a phone booth. English "cabin" can mean that too, but the most common use is a wooden cottage in the woods or mountains.
How it's pronounced
cabinCÁ-bin
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Examples of correct use
English
We rented a cabin in the woods.
Spanish
Rentamos una cabaña en el bosque.
English
The cabin had a fireplace.
Spanish
La cabaña tenía chimenea.
A trick to remember it
Cabin = a wooden cottage (or a ship's berth). A phone booth (Spanish "cabina") = booth.
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Frequently asked questions
What does "cabin" mean in English?
"Cabin" means "a small wooden house / a cottage". It looks a lot like "cabina", which is exactly why it gets confused, but they don't mean the same thing.
How do you say "cabina" in English?
To say "cabina" in English, use "booth / cockpit". If you use "cabin" instead, you would actually be saying "a small wooden house / a cottage".
Do "cabin" and "cabina" mean the same thing?
Spanish "cabina" is a small enclosed space: an airplane cockpit, a photo booth, a phone booth. English "cabin" can mean that too, but the most common use is a wooden cottage in the woods or mountains.
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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