What it's NOT
comprehensive does NOT translate to comprensivo.
To say "comprensivo" in English, use understanding.
ESEN
False cognate · False friend
comprehensive
Does NOT mean comprensivo
It means complete / thorough
Written by Bryan López, English teacher · Updated
What it IS
comprehensive means complete / thorough.
Why it's confused
Spanish "comprensivo" describes someone who understands and forgives others' mistakes. English "comprehensive" means complete, thorough, all-encompassing. To say Spanish "comprensivo" in the sense of tolerant, English uses "understanding."
How it's pronounced
comprehensivecom-pri-HÉN-siv
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Examples of correct use
English
We need a comprehensive plan.
Spanish
Necesitamos un plan completo.
English
It's a comprehensive guide.
Spanish
Es una guía muy completa.
A trick to remember it
Comprehensive = complete/thorough. Understanding/tolerant (Spanish "comprensivo") = understanding.
Mini quiz
"A comprehensive guide" is a guide that is...
Frequently asked questions
What does "comprehensive" mean in English?
"Comprehensive" means "complete / thorough". It looks a lot like "comprensivo", which is exactly why it gets confused, but they don't mean the same thing.
How do you say "comprensivo" in English?
To say "comprensivo" in English, use "understanding". If you use "comprehensive" instead, you would actually be saying "complete / thorough".
Do "comprehensive" and "comprensivo" mean the same thing?
Spanish "comprensivo" describes someone who understands and forgives others' mistakes. English "comprehensive" means complete, thorough, all-encompassing. To say Spanish "comprensivo" in the sense of tolerant, English uses "understanding."
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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