What it's NOT
policy does NOT translate to policía.
To say "policía" in English, use police.
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False cognate · False friend
policy
Does NOT mean policía
It means a rule / a set of guidelines
Written by Bryan López, English teacher · Updated
What it IS
policy means a rule / a set of guidelines.
Why it's confused
Spanish "policía" sounds similar but means something else. English "policy" is a rule or set of guidelines an organization follows. The police in English is "police."
How it's pronounced
policyPÓ-li-si
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Examples of correct use
English
It's against company policy.
Spanish
Va contra la política de la empresa.
English
Read your insurance policy carefully.
Spanish
Lee tu póliza de seguro con cuidado.
A trick to remember it
Policy = a set of rules (or an insurance policy). The police (Spanish "policía") = police.
Mini quiz
"Company policy" means...
Frequently asked questions
What does "policy" mean in English?
"Policy" means "a rule / a set of guidelines". It looks a lot like "policía", which is exactly why it gets confused, but they don't mean the same thing.
How do you say "policía" in English?
To say "policía" in English, use "police". If you use "policy" instead, you would actually be saying "a rule / a set of guidelines".
Do "policy" and "policía" mean the same thing?
Spanish "policía" sounds similar but means something else. English "policy" is a rule or set of guidelines an organization follows. The police in English is "police."
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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