What it's NOT
misery does NOT translate to miseria.
To say "miseria" in English, use poverty.
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False cognate · False friend
misery
Does NOT mean miseria
It means suffering / deep unhappiness
Written by Bryan López, English teacher · Updated
What it IS
misery means suffering / deep unhappiness.
Why it's confused
Spanish "miseria" is extreme poverty or lack of basic resources. English "misery" is intense emotional suffering, without necessarily implying material poverty.
How it's pronounced
miseryMÍ-se-ri
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Examples of correct use
English
The injury caused him great misery.
Spanish
La lesión le causó mucho sufrimiento.
English
She's been in misery since the breakup.
Spanish
Ha estado muy triste desde la ruptura.
A trick to remember it
Misery = suffering/unhappiness. Poverty (Spanish "miseria") = poverty.
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Frequently asked questions
What does "misery" mean in English?
"Misery" means "suffering / deep unhappiness". It looks a lot like "miseria", which is exactly why it gets confused, but they don't mean the same thing.
How do you say "miseria" in English?
To say "miseria" in English, use "poverty". If you use "misery" instead, you would actually be saying "suffering / deep unhappiness".
Do "misery" and "miseria" mean the same thing?
Spanish "miseria" is extreme poverty or lack of basic resources. English "misery" is intense emotional suffering, without necessarily implying material poverty.
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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