What it's NOT
inhabit does NOT translate to inhabilitar.
To say "inhabilitar" in English, use to disqualify / to disable.
ESEN
False cognate · False friend
inhabit
Does NOT mean inhabilitar
It means to live in / reside in
Written by Bryan López, English teacher · Updated
What it IS
inhabit means to live in / reside in.
Why it's confused
Spanish "inhabilitar" means to take away someone's ability or right to do something. English "inhabit" means to live or reside in a place. They're unrelated, only similar in letter sequence.
How it's pronounced
inhabitin-HÁ-bit
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Examples of correct use
English
Bears inhabit these forests.
Spanish
Los osos habitan estos bosques.
English
Few people inhabit the island.
Spanish
Pocas personas viven en la isla.
A trick to remember it
Inhabit = to live in/reside in. To disqualify (Spanish "inhabilitar") = disqualify/disable.
Mini quiz
"Bears inhabit these forests" means bears...
Frequently asked questions
What does "inhabit" mean in English?
"Inhabit" means "to live in / reside in". It looks a lot like "inhabilitar", which is exactly why it gets confused, but they don't mean the same thing.
How do you say "inhabilitar" in English?
To say "inhabilitar" in English, use "to disqualify / to disable". If you use "inhabit" instead, you would actually be saying "to live in / reside in".
Do "inhabit" and "inhabilitar" mean the same thing?
Spanish "inhabilitar" means to take away someone's ability or right to do something. English "inhabit" means to live or reside in a place. They're unrelated, only similar in letter sequence.
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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