What it's NOT
grocery does NOT translate to grosería.
To say "grosería" in English, use rude word.
ESEN
False cognate · False friend
grocery
Does NOT mean grosería
It means food and household supplies
Written by Bryan López, English teacher · Updated
What it IS
grocery means food and household supplies.
Why it's confused
Spanish "grosería" is a disrespectful word or act, a lack of manners. English "grocery" is the supermarket or the household food supplies. They don't share a meaning, the resemblance is only in sound.
How it's pronounced
groceryGRÓU-se-ri
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Examples of correct use
English
I need to buy some groceries.
Spanish
Tengo que comprar algo de mandado.
English
The grocery store is closed.
Spanish
La tienda de abarrotes está cerrada.
A trick to remember it
Grocery/groceries = food and household supplies. A rude word (Spanish "grosería") = rude word.
Mini quiz
"Grocery store" is...
Frequently asked questions
What does "grocery" mean in English?
"Grocery" means "food and household supplies". It looks a lot like "grosería", which is exactly why it gets confused, but they don't mean the same thing.
How do you say "grosería" in English?
To say "grosería" in English, use "rude word". If you use "grocery" instead, you would actually be saying "food and household supplies".
Do "grocery" and "grosería" mean the same thing?
Spanish "grosería" is a disrespectful word or act, a lack of manners. English "grocery" is the supermarket or the household food supplies. They don't share a meaning, the resemblance is only in sound.
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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