Part II   Conveniente to Facultad

Conveniente Not "convenient", but "desirable", "appropriate", "suitable". Es conveniente hacerlo ahora = "It is appropriate to do it now". "To be convenient" is resultar cómodo: Venga cuando le resulte cómodo = Come when(ever) it’s convenient for you." Cómodo also means "comfortable".

Copa Don’t ask for una copa de café if you want a cup of coffee. Just say un café(cito), por favor. Copa is literally a "stemmed glass", or "goblet", although it is used colloquially for any alcoholic  drink. In the words of a classic Mexican song: Tráigame una copa y muchas más = "Bring me  a drink, and then a lot more". "Cup" is taza. "Glass"("tumbler") is vaso. It is easiest to  remember that alcoholic drinks are drunk from copas; hot drinks from tazas; and water, milk,  and soft drinks (refrescos) from vasos.

Copia Means "copy" only in the sense of a reproduction or imitation of an original: una copia del documento = "a copy of the document". In other cases, use ejemplar: un ejemplar del libro = "a copy of the book."

Coraje Can mean "courage", but can also mean "anger". Lo que me dijo me dio coraje ="What he/she said to me made me angry (gave me anger).

Correspondiente Is an adjective meaning "corresponding"; "correspondent" is corresponsal. Mi corresponsal escribió que tuvo un caso correspondiente = "My correspondent wrote that s/he had a corresponding (similar) case."

Cuestión If you mean "question" in the interrogatory sense, you must use pregunta. Cuestión means "question" in the sense of "matter" or "problem": Le hice una pregunta sobre la cuestión del presupuesto = "I asked him a question about the matter of the budget."

Culto Not a "cult", but an adjective meaning "cultivated", "well educated".

Damnificado Doesn’t mean "damned" (try condenado), but means something like "injured". It is usually used in the context of natural disasters and major accidents. Los damnificados pidieron ayuda del gobierno = "The injured (those who had suffered losses) asked for help from the government.

Decepción Disappointment. "Deception" is engaño. Desengañada/o means "disillusioned".   Likewise, decepcionar is "to disappoint", and decepcionado means "disappointed".  If you listen to Latin music, you'll hear a lot about decepcionados and decepcionadas.

Delito A crime (also crimen). "Delight" is deleite.

Desgracia Does not mean "disgrace", which is ignominia or deshonra. Desgracia means "misfortune": ¡Qué desgracia! = "What misfortune! What bad luck!" Likewise, desgraciadamente is "unfortunately".

Deshonesto Does not mean "dishonest", but something very different. Deshonesto is "indecent", "lewd", "immodest". To say "dishonest" use the construction no ser honrado (or sincero): Este hombre no es honrado (sincero) = "This man is dishonest".

Discutir Means to argue, not to discuss except in the sense of a discussion with a lot of disagreement. Conversar is the most proper word for "discuss". (This word has slipped toward the English usage in Latin American Spanish.)

Disgusto Has a much milder meaning than "disgust", which is aversión. Disgusto means "displeasure", "annoyance", "unpleasant experience". He tenido un disgusto = "I’ve had an unpleasant experience". Disgustar is "to annoy", "to bother": El me disgusta = "He bothers me; He’s a pest" — not "he disgusts me".

Editor Means "publisher". "Editor" is redactor.

Educación Has a broader meaning than "education", and equates more closely to "upbringing (including education)". Formal education by itself is instrucción. Teachers, however, prefer to be called educador(a), rather than instructor(a).  Efectivo Means "real" or "actual"; "effective" is eficaz. In Mexico, the most common usage of efectivo is to mean "cash" (as opposed to check or credit).

Elevador Is not the correct word for "elevator", although it is sometimes thus used in Mexico.   "Elevator" is ascensor. "Freight elevator" is montacargas. A grain elevator is, however, an elevador.

Embarazada Here is the classic of all false cognates. The temptation for an English speaker to think this must mean "embarrassed" is almost irresistible. While the two words doubtless come from the same Latin root, their meanings have diverged greatly. Embarazada is almost universally used in Mexico and Central America as a euphemism for pregnant.  (In South America en cinta ("in the belt", which comes from the French, is often used.)   The real, direct Spanish word for pregnant is preñada, but it is seldom used except in reference to animals. For "embarrassed", use turbado or desconcertado, or the constructions dar(le) pena or dar(le) vergüenza. For a man to say estoy embarazado is not only a physical and linguistic impossibility, it has clear sexual overtones which can lead to much hilarity at the expense of the unfortunate man who made the mistake. Also, a woman opens herself to sexual innuendo if she innocently uses this word wrongly.

Emocionante Means "thrilling", "exciting". Emotional is emocional.

Emocionarse To become excited (about something). Se emocionó de la invitación="She/he got excited about the invitation."

Entretener   Means "to divert attention", "to distract". ¡No se entretenga! = "Don’t delay (get distracted)!" While many Spanish speakers do now use entretener in the meaning of "entertain", it is more "proper" to use divertir or divertirse: Nos divertimos en la fiesta = "We had a good time at the party."

Excitarse   Means to get excited, but is used almost exclusively to mean sexually excited.

Éxito Means "success", not "exit", which is salida. Una persona que ha tenido mucho éxito = "A person who has had a lot of success". No tuve éxito en encontrar la salida = "I wasn’t successful in finding the exit".

Fábrica Is a factory. Fabric in the sense of cloth is tela; in other senses material.

Factoría Means a "trading post’ or "commercial agency", not "factory. It is, however, sometimes used in Mexico to mean a large factory.

Facultad Does not mean the "faculty" of a college or university, which is profesorado or personal docente. In academic circles, facultad means a school or department within a university.    La Facultad de Ciencias Políticas = "The Department of Political Science". Facultad can also mean a physical or mental facility: facultades cerebrales = "mental facilities".

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