What it's NOT
parents does NOT translate to parientes.
To say "parientes" in English, use relatives.
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False cognate · False friend
parents
Does NOT mean parientes
It means mother and father
Written by Bryan López, English teacher · Updated
What it IS
parents means mother and father.
Why it's confused
Spanish "parientes" are relatives in general, including aunts, uncles, cousins, and others. English "parents" specifically means mother and father. Relatives in English is "relatives."
How it's pronounced
parentsPÉ-rents
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Examples of correct use
English
My parents live in Mexico.
Spanish
Mis padres viven en México.
English
Her parents are very kind.
Spanish
Sus padres son muy amables.
A trick to remember it
Parents = mother and father. The rest of the family (aunts, cousins) are "relatives."
Mini quiz
"My parents" means...
Frequently asked questions
What does "parents" mean in English?
"Parents" means "mother and father". It looks a lot like "parientes", which is exactly why it gets confused, but they don't mean the same thing.
How do you say "parientes" in English?
To say "parientes" in English, use "relatives". If you use "parents" instead, you would actually be saying "mother and father".
Do "parents" and "parientes" mean the same thing?
Spanish "parientes" are relatives in general, including aunts, uncles, cousins, and others. English "parents" specifically means mother and father. Relatives in English is "relatives."
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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