False friends – 16: smal vs small

Transcript of the video lesson – smal vs small:

Hi, welcome to learndutch.org’s false friends.
Words from different languages that sound or look the same, but with a different meaning. Today the Dutch word: “smal”, and the english “small”. Both tell something about the shape, but not the same. They are false friends!

“small” in English, is what we call “klein” in Dutch. You may need a “loupe” or “vergrootglas” to watch it, in English magnifier. Een “kabouter” is klein. In english “dwarf”.

“smal” in Dutch, is this. It is what we call “narrow” in English. For example “een smalle steeg”, a narrow alley. But you can also use it to describe a person. Then it means “slim”. Please pay attention, that “slim” is a false friend in itself. Within this series there is a seperate lesson about it.

zij is lang en smal, hij is klein en dik
she is tall and slim, he is small and fat

So now you understand the difference, the Dutch “smal” and and the English “small” are false friends!

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