What it's NOT
presume does NOT translate to presumir.
To say "presumir" in English, use to show off / to brag.
ESEN
False cognate · False friend
presume
Does NOT mean presumir
It means to suppose / take for granted
Written by Bryan López, English teacher · Updated
What it IS
presume means to suppose / take for granted.
Why it's confused
Spanish "presumir" means to show off or brag about something to impress. English "presume" means to assume something is true without confirmation. Spanish "presumir" (to show off) in English is "show off" or "brag."
How it's pronounced
presumepri-ZÚM
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Examples of correct use
English
I presume you're hungry.
Spanish
Supongo que tienes hambre.
English
I presume she's coming.
Spanish
Doy por hecho que viene.
A trick to remember it
Presume = to suppose. Showing off (Spanish "presumir") = show off/brag.
Mini quiz
"I presume so" means...
Frequently asked questions
What does "presume" mean in English?
"Presume" means "to suppose / take for granted". It looks a lot like "presumir", which is exactly why it gets confused, but they don't mean the same thing.
How do you say "presumir" in English?
To say "presumir" in English, use "to show off / to brag". If you use "presume" instead, you would actually be saying "to suppose / take for granted".
Do "presume" and "presumir" mean the same thing?
Spanish "presumir" means to show off or brag about something to impress. English "presume" means to assume something is true without confirmation. Spanish "presumir" (to show off) in English is "show off" or "brag."
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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