What it's NOT
ingenious does NOT translate to ingenuo.
To say "ingenuo" in English, use naive.
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False cognate · False friend
ingenious
Does NOT mean ingenuo
It means clever / inventive
Written by Bryan López, English teacher · Updated
What it IS
ingenious means clever / inventive.
Why it's confused
Spanish "ingenuo" is someone innocent, without malice, or easily fooled. English "ingenious" means brilliant, creative, resourceful at solving problems. They share a Latin root but are opposite in connotation.
How it's pronounced
ingeniousin-YÍ-nius
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Examples of correct use
English
What an ingenious solution!
Spanish
¡Qué solución tan ingeniosa!
English
She's an ingenious inventor.
Spanish
Es una inventora ingeniosa.
A trick to remember it
Ingenious = clever/inventive. Naive/innocent (Spanish "ingenuo") = naive.
Mini quiz
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Frequently asked questions
What does "ingenious" mean in English?
"Ingenious" means "clever / inventive". It looks a lot like "ingenuo", which is exactly why it gets confused, but they don't mean the same thing.
How do you say "ingenuo" in English?
To say "ingenuo" in English, use "naive". If you use "ingenious" instead, you would actually be saying "clever / inventive".
Do "ingenious" and "ingenuo" mean the same thing?
Spanish "ingenuo" is someone innocent, without malice, or easily fooled. English "ingenious" means brilliant, creative, resourceful at solving problems. They share a Latin root but are opposite in connotation.
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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