What it's NOT
retire does NOT translate to retirar.
To say "retirar" in English, use to withdraw / to remove.
ESEN
False cognate · False friend
retire
Does NOT mean retirar
It means to stop working permanently at the end of a career
Written by Bryan López, English teacher · Updated
What it IS
retire means to stop working permanently at the end of a career.
Why it's confused
Spanish "retirar" is to take something away from a place or to withdraw from a situation. English "retire" means to stop working permanently at the end of one's career. To remove objects in English is "remove" or "withdraw."
How it's pronounced
retireri-TÁIR
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Examples of correct use
English
She plans to retire at 60.
Spanish
Planea jubilarse a los 60.
English
He retired after 40 years.
Spanish
Se jubiló tras 40 años.
A trick to remember it
Retire = to stop working for good. To withdraw/remove something (Spanish "retirar") = withdraw/remove.
Mini quiz
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Frequently asked questions
What does "retire" mean in English?
"Retire" means "to stop working permanently at the end of a career". It looks a lot like "retirar", which is exactly why it gets confused, but they don't mean the same thing.
How do you say "retirar" in English?
To say "retirar" in English, use "to withdraw / to remove". If you use "retire" instead, you would actually be saying "to stop working permanently at the end of a career".
Do "retire" and "retirar" mean the same thing?
Spanish "retirar" is to take something away from a place or to withdraw from a situation. English "retire" means to stop working permanently at the end of one's career. To remove objects in English is "remove" or "withdraw."
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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