The French Influence on English

Let’s look at some French words and phrases that we use in English that you probably already know:

Many English words come directly from French, even if the spelling has changed a little:

Government (from gouvernement)

Advice (from avis)

Very (from vrai)

People (from peuple)

Some English words look the same, but have a different meaning. They are called false friends: 

Library (from librairie) 

Careful - it's NOT a bookshop, but a place to borrow books.

Actually (from actuellement) 

It means "in fact," NOT to be confused with "currently"!

Sympathetic (from sympathique)

Watch out, this adjective means that someone is understanding and caring, NOT that they're nice and friendly.