False Friends in the Office

From the reading: False Friends in the Office

Marie-Claire has worked as an Executive Assistant in Paris for six years. Her English is strong — she writes clear emails, joins international calls, and presents confidently. But last month, something went wrong. She told a London colleague that the company would eventually need more staff for the project. The colleague nodded and waited. Three weeks later, he asked when the extra team members would arrive. Marie-Claire was confused. She had meant possibly — not eventually. In French, éventuellement means peut-être, something that might happen. In English, eventually means something that will definitely happen — but later.