What it's NOT
sentence does NOT translate to sentencia.
To say "sentencia" in English, use verdict.
ESEN
False cognate · False friend
sentence
Does NOT mean sentencia
It means a grammatical statement with subject and predicate
Written by Bryan López, English teacher · Updated
What it IS
sentence means a grammatical statement with subject and predicate.
Why it's confused
Spanish "sentencia" is a judge's ruling or a memorable, wise saying. English "sentence" is a grammatical statement with a subject and predicate. It can also be a legal sentence, which does overlap with the Spanish meaning in that sense.
How it's pronounced
sentenceSÉN-tens
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Examples of correct use
English
Write a sentence with this word.
Spanish
Escribe una oración con esta palabra.
English
That sentence is too long.
Spanish
Esa frase es muy larga.
A trick to remember it
Sentence = a grammatical statement (or a legal sentence). A judge's ruling (Spanish "sentencia") = verdict.
Mini quiz
"A long sentence" (in grammar) is...
Frequently asked questions
What does "sentence" mean in English?
"Sentence" means "a grammatical statement with subject and predicate". It looks a lot like "sentencia", which is exactly why it gets confused, but they don't mean the same thing.
How do you say "sentencia" in English?
To say "sentencia" in English, use "verdict". If you use "sentence" instead, you would actually be saying "a grammatical statement with subject and predicate".
Do "sentence" and "sentencia" mean the same thing?
Spanish "sentencia" is a judge's ruling or a memorable, wise saying. English "sentence" is a grammatical statement with a subject and predicate. It can also be a legal sentence, which does overlap with the Spanish meaning in that sense.
Other confusing false friends
More confusing false friends
Library, embarrassed, actually... the full list of words that look the same but mean something different.
Publicidad