Language/German/Vocabulary/English-German-False-Cognates
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150+ English/German False Cognates (False Friends)
The term “faux-ami” (or "false friend", "false cognates") refers to a word that looks like German but in reality has a very different meaning. Considered a real trap when learning German, false friends can very easily mislead an English speaker during conversations with German speakers. We have listed the main meaning of these false friends in English; each definition of course depends on the context in which it is used.
Here is a list of more than 150 false friends that you need to know!
English | Translation in German | German | Translation in English |
---|---|---|---|
actually | Eigentlich | aktuell | current |
all day | den ganzen Tag | alle Tage | every day |
alley | Gasse, Gang | Allee | avenue |
also | Auch | also | thus, therefore |
ambulance | Krankenwagen | Ambulanz | emergency room / accident department |
announcement | Ansage, Durchsage | Annonce | advertisement |
art | Kunst | Art | way, sort, kind |
backside | Hinterteil | Rückseite | back |
bald | kahl, glatzköpfig | bald | soon |
benzene | Benzol | Benzin | petrol / gas |
billion | Milliarde | Billion | trillion |
bloody steak | verdammtes Steak | blutiges Steak | rare steak |
board | Tafel | Bord (Regal) | shelf |
body | Körper | Body | bodysuit |
bodybag | Leichensack | Bodybag | mono-strap backpack |
brave | mutig | brav | well-behaved |
brief | kurz | Brief | letter |
briefcase | Aktentasche | Brieftasche | wallet |
by | nicht später als | bis (zeitlich) | until, some time before |
chance | Zufall, Glück | Chance | opportunity |
chef | Küchenchef | Chef | boss |
circle | Kreis | Zirkel | pair of compasses |
city | Großstadt | City | centre / center |
clever | klug | clever (gerissen / schlau) | crafty |
college | Hochschule | Kollege | colleague |
comical | lustig | komisch | strange, odd |
concrete | Beton | konkret | specific |
concurrence | Einverständnis, Mitwirkung | Konkurrenz | competition |
confession | Beichte, Geständnis | Konfession | denomination, religion |
consequent | folglich | konsequent | consistent |
corn | Getreide, Mais | Korn | grain |
curious | neugierig | kurios | odd, queer |
decent | sittlich, anständig | dezent | discreet, modest |
delicate | heikel | delikat | delicious; exquisite |
demented | demenzkrank (wahnsinnig) | dementiert | denied, refuted |
desert | Wüste | Dessert | dessert |
dome | Kuppel | Dom | cathedral |
dose | Dosis | Dose | can, tin |
eagle | Adler | Igel | hedgehog |
engaged | verlobt | engagiert | committed |
etiquette | Etikette | Etikett | label, price tag |
eventually | endlich, schliesslich | eventuell | possibly, potentially |
evergreen | immergrüne Pflanze | Evergreen | oldie |
fabric | Stoff | Fabrik | factory |
familiar | bekannt, vertraut | familiär | family-related, informal |
famous | berühmt | famos | splendid |
fantasy | Vorstellung, Einbildung | Fantasie (Kreativität) | imagination |
fast | schnell | fast | almost |
fast | schnell | fast | almost |
fatal | tödlich, verhängnisvoll | fatal | disastrous |
floor | Fußboden, Stockwerk | Flur | hall, hallway |
for | für, seit, denn | vor | in front of (Ort); before (Zeit) |
formula | Formel | Formular | form |
fraction | Bruchteil, Bruchzahl | Fraktion | parliamentary party, group |
fund | Fonds | Fund | discovery |
glance | Blick | Glanz | glory, shine |
gracious | gütig, liebenswürdig | graziös | graceful |
guesthouse | Pension | Gasthaus | restaurant, pub |
guilty | schuldig | gültig | valid |
gymnasium (gym) | Turnhalle (Fitnesscenter) | Gymnasium | high school |
handy | griffbereit, praktisch, nützlich | Handy | mobile phone; cellphone, cellular phone |
happen | geschehen, ereignen | Happen | snack |
hardly | kaum | hart | hard |
herb | das Kraut | herb | bitter, harsh |
housemaster | Heimleiter (Internat) | Hausmeister | caretaker, janitor |
housework | Hausarbeit | Hausaufgaben | homework |
hut | Hütte | Hut | hat |
I will | ich werde | ich will | I want (I would like) |
iced coffee | Kaffee mit Eiswürfeln | Eiskaffee | ice cream with coffee |
idle | untätig | eitel | vain |
influence | Einfluss | Influenza, Grippe | flu |
isolate | isoliert (z.B. einzeln) | isoliert (z.B. Kabel) | insulate |
lack | Mangel | Lack | gloss paint, varnish |
land | Grund und Boden | Land (Staat) | country |
learned, learnt | gelernt | gelehrt | scholary |
lecture | Vortrag | Lektüre | reading |
list | Liste | List | trick |
lock | zuschließen | locken | to lure, to entice |
meet | treffen | Miete | rent |
mess | Durcheinander, Unordnung | Messe | fair; mass |
middle-aged | Person mittleren Alters | mittelalterlich | medieval |
mist | leichter Nebel | Mist | dung (Stall), rubbish (Quatsch) |
mode | Modus | Mode | fashion |
mundane | alltäglich, profan | mondän | fashionable, chic |
murder | Mord | Mörder | murderer |
musical box | Spieldose | Musikbox | juke-box |
must not | etwas nicht dürfen | nicht müssen | not to have to |
note | Notiz | Note (Schule) | mark |
objective | Ziel | Objektiv (Fotografie) | lens |
pathetic | armselig | pathetisch | solemn |
patron | Schirmherr, Stammkunde | Patrone | cartridge |
pension | Rente | Pension (Hotel) | guest house |
personal | persönlich | Personal | personnel, staff,workforce |
pest | Schädling; Quälgeist | Pest | plague |
photograph | Foto, Bild | Fotograf | photographer |
probe | untersuchen, erforschen, Sonde (Medizin) | Probe | rehearsal, sample |
process | Verfahren, Methode | Prozess (Gericht) | trial, legal proceedings |
promotion | Beförderung, Werbung | Promotion | doctorate, PhD |
prospect | Aussicht | Prospekt | brochure, leaflet |
protocol | Verhandlungsordnung, Protokoll (bei Hofe) | Protokoll (einer Besprechung) | minutes (of a meeting) |
provision | Vorkehrung, Versorgung | Provision | commission |
psychic | übernatürlich, verrückt | psychisch | psychological |
public | Öffentlichkeit | Publikum | audience |
public viewing | öffentliche Aufbahrung (eines Leichnams) | public viewing | public presentation / performance / show |
quote | Zitat | Quote | rate, proportion |
rat | Ratte | Rat | advice |
rate | Maß, Menge, Rendite | Rate (Kredit) | installment |
receipt | Quittung | Rezept (Arzt) | prescription |
receipt | Quittung | Rezept (Kochen) | recipe |
reclaim | zurückfordern wiedergewinnen | reklamieren | complain |
rent | mieten | Rente | pension |
rentable | mietbar | rentabel | profitable |
rock | Stein, Fels | Rock (Kleidung) | skirt |
roman | römisch | Roman | novel |
schmuck | Depp, Schwachkopf | Schmuck | jewelry |
sect | Sekte | Sekt | sparkling (fizzy, bubbling) wine |
sensible | vernünftig | sensibel | sensitive |
serious | ernst | seriös | respectable, honest |
sharp | scharf, spitz | scharf (Gewürz) | spicy, hot |
silicon | Silizium (chemisches Element, Halbleiter) | Silikon (Polymerverbindung) | silicone |
sin | Sünde | Sinn | sense |
slip | Unterkleid / Unterrock; Zettel | Slip | knickers, panties, briefs |
slipper | Pantoffel | Schlüpfer | panties |
small | klein | schmal | narrow |
smoking | rauchen | Smoking | tuxedo, dinner jacket |
snake | Schlange | Schnecke | snail, slug |
spanner | Schraubenschlüssel | Spanner | peeping Tom |
spices | Gewürze | Speisen | dishes |
spot | Fleck, Pickel, Punkt | (Werbe)spot | commercial, advert |
staple | Heftklammer, Krampe, Haupterzeugnis | Stapel | stack, pile, mount |
stay | bleiben | stehen | stand |
still | (immer) noch | still | quiet |
stock | Vorrat, Bestand, Herde | Stock (Etage) | floor |
stock | Vorrat, Bestand, Herde | Stock (Holz) | stick |
stool | Hocker, Kot | Stuhl | chair |
strong | stark | streng | strict |
stuff | Zeug, Sachen | Stoff | material |
suit | Anzug | Suite | suite |
sympathetic | mitfühlend | sympathisch | likeable, nice, pleasant |
to become | werden | bekommen | to get, receive |
to blame | beschuldigen | blamieren | to embarrass |
to control | regulieren, beherrschen, steuern | kontrollieren (überprüfen) | to check, to monitor |
to fabricate | erfinden, ausdenken | fabrizieren | to manufacture, to produce |
to grab | nach etwas greifen | graben | to dig |
to irritate | jemanden verärgern | irritieren | to confuse |
to mince | zerhacken, zerkleinern | Minze | mint |
to mob | herfallen über, belagern | mobben | to harass, bully |
to overhear | etwas zufällig mitbekommen; belauschen | überhören | to miss sth.; to ignore a remark |
to oversee | überwachen | übersehen | to overlook |
to overtake | überholen | übernehmen | to take over |
to prove | beweisen | prüfen | to check |
to realize | erkennen, begreifen | realisieren | to carry out |
to ring | klingeln, anrufen | ringen | to wrestle, to struggle |
to see; the sea | sehen; das Meer / die See | See | lake |
to spare | übrig haben; jmd. verschonen | sparen | to save |
to spend | ausgeben | spenden | to donate |
to spot | entdecken | spotten | to mock |
to taste | kosten, schmecken | tasten | to feel around for something |
to whimper | winseln | Wimper | eyelash |
to wink | zwinkern | winken | to wave |
to wink | blinzeln | winken | to wave |
to wonder | sich fragen | sich wundern | to be surprised |
tramp | Landstreicher | Tramper(in) | hitchhiker |
undertaker | Leichenbestatter | Unternehmer | entrepreneur, employer |
vital | lebensnotwendig | vital | full of life |
wall | Mauer, Wand | Wall | embankment, rampart |
when | wann | wenn | if (Bedingung), when (zeitlich) |
Videos[edit | edit source]
False Friends: English words the Germans use wrongly – Part 1 ...[edit | edit source]
FALSE FRIENDS - Funny misunderstandings "German vs. English ...[edit | edit source]