False friends: vacancy

It would be reasonable to think that the English word vacancy has something to do with the Italian word “vacanza”, especially when you see it on a hotel sign. But in fact it’s connected with the Italian word “vacante”, so if you see a hotel sign that says “No vacancy” it means there are no rooms available there. The other context in which you’ll see it is in the job-seeking world - a job vacancy is an opportunity to apply for a job. So if your vacation (or holiday) consists of a road trip and you haven’t booked your accommodation in advance, you hope to find the sign “Vacancy” when you arrive at a hotel or motel.

Foto di KEEM IBARRA su Unsplash