What it's NOT
sympathy does NOT translate to simpatía.
To say "simpatía" in English, use charm / friendliness.
ESEN
False cognate · False friend
sympathy
Does NOT mean simpatía
It means compassion / condolences
Written by Bryan López, English teacher · Updated
What it IS
sympathy means compassion / condolences.
Why it's confused
Spanish "simpatía" is the pleasant feeling or good vibe you have toward someone. English "sympathy" is the compassion you feel for someone else's suffering. Spanish "simpatía" in English is "fondness" or "likeability."
How it's pronounced
sympathySÍM-pa-zi
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Examples of correct use
English
You have my sympathy.
Spanish
Tienes mi comprensión.
English
They sent a sympathy card.
Spanish
Enviaron una tarjeta de condolencias.
A trick to remember it
Sympathy = compassion/condolences. Charm/likeability (Spanish "simpatía") = charm.
Mini quiz
"My deepest sympathy" means...
Frequently asked questions
What does "sympathy" mean in English?
"Sympathy" means "compassion / condolences". It looks a lot like "simpatía", which is exactly why it gets confused, but they don't mean the same thing.
How do you say "simpatía" in English?
To say "simpatía" in English, use "charm / friendliness". If you use "sympathy" instead, you would actually be saying "compassion / condolences".
Do "sympathy" and "simpatía" mean the same thing?
Spanish "simpatía" is the pleasant feeling or good vibe you have toward someone. English "sympathy" is the compassion you feel for someone else's suffering. Spanish "simpatía" in English is "fondness" or "likeability."
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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