What it's NOT
facility does NOT translate to facilidad.
To say "facilidad" in English, use ease / skill.
ESEN
False cognate · False friend
facility
Does NOT mean facilidad
It means a building or venue built for a purpose
Written by Bryan López, English teacher · Updated
What it IS
facility means a building or venue built for a purpose.
Why it's confused
Spanish "facilidad" is the ease with which something is done. English "facility" is a building or venue designed for a specific function, like a sports or medical facility.
How it's pronounced
facilityfa-SÍ-li-ti
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Examples of correct use
English
The sports facility is brand new.
Spanish
La instalación deportiva es nueva.
English
They built a research facility.
Spanish
Construyeron unas instalaciones de investigación.
A trick to remember it
Facility = a building/venue for a purpose. Ease (Spanish "facilidad") = ease.
Mini quiz
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Frequently asked questions
What does "facility" mean in English?
"Facility" means "a building or venue built for a purpose". It looks a lot like "facilidad", which is exactly why it gets confused, but they don't mean the same thing.
How do you say "facilidad" in English?
To say "facilidad" in English, use "ease / skill". If you use "facility" instead, you would actually be saying "a building or venue built for a purpose".
Do "facility" and "facilidad" mean the same thing?
Spanish "facilidad" is the ease with which something is done. English "facility" is a building or venue designed for a specific function, like a sports or medical facility.
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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