Découvrez vos vrais amis français

Today’s faux amis is the word compréhensif, which is sometimes incorrectly translated as ‘comprehensive’. The French word compréhensif actually means ‘understanding’ (as in ‘The teacher was really understanding about our situation.’) The feminine form is compréhensive.

A better way to translate the word comprehensive is approfondi (‘thorough’). Other suitable translations include détaillé (detailed) and complet(-ète).

He comprehensively researched his new novel – Il a fait une recherche approfondie pour son nouveau roman

A comprehensive guide to The Beatles – Un guide complet pour The Beatles

I find him very understanding – Je le trouve très compréhensif