False Friends in German

German-English falsche Freunde - False Cognates

German Words That Aren’t What They Seem

 

 

A

absolvieren  to complete a course or exam | absolve = lossprechen

e Achsel  shoulder | axle = e Achse

r Advokat  attorney, lawyer | advocate = r Befürworter

r After  rectum | after = nach, nachher

r Akt  nude (artwork); act (theater) | act (deed) = e Tat

e Aktion  campaign, drive (fundraising, etc.); operation (military)
   action = s Handeln; e Action (movie)
   ein Mann der Tat = a man of action

aktuell  current, (the) latest, up-to-date | actual(ly) = eigentlich, wirklich

alle Tage  every day | all day = den ganzen Tag

e Allee  boulevard, avenue | alley = e Gasse, r Durchgang

e Allüren (pl.)  affectation, airs; behavior | allure(s) = e Verlockung, e Charme

r Almanach  publisher's annual book catalog | almanac = historisches Jahrbuch

also  thus, therefore | also = auch

e Ambulanz  outpatient department | ambulance = r Rettungswagen/r Ambulanzwagen

e Angina  sore throat, tonsillitis | angina (pectoris) = e Angina Pectoris

apart  distinctive, unusual | apart = auseinander; abseits; getrennt

s Argument  point, reasoned argument | argument, quarrel = r Streit

e Art  kind, manner, type | art = e Kunst

r Artist  circus or theatrical performer only | artist = r Künstler

 

B

s Bad  bath, spa; bathroom (not toilet!) | bad adj. = schlecht

bald  soon | bald = kahl, glatzk?pfig
   Er hat eine Glatze. = He's bald.

bang  adj. freightened; uneasy | bang n. = r Knall
bangen  to be afraid/concerned | bang = knallen, r Knall

bannen  v. to bewitch, captivate; excommunicate | ban = verbieten, s Verbot

r Beamer  LCD projector, digital projector
  Note: This German Anglizismus has a completely different meaning than the American term referring to a German BMW car!

bekommen  to get, receive | to become = werden

e Billion  trillion | (US) billion = e Milliarde

s/r Biskuit  sponge (cake/dough) | biscuit (cookie) = r Keks, (Amer.) (weiches) Br?tchen

(sich) blamieren  to disgrace, embarrass; make a fool of oneself | blame = e Schuld, jm. die Schuld geben

blenden  to dazzle; fade (cinema); blind, hoodwink | blend = mischen

r Body Bag  sling (one-shoulder) backpack | body bag = r Leichensack
   Note: Body Bag is one of the more unfortunate Denglisch Body terms. Most of these faux English words in German are just funny: Body-Shop (drug store), Bodywear (underwear).

e Box  speaker (stereo system), electrical junction box | box = r Kasten

r Brand  fire, blaze | brand = e Marke

brav  good, well-behaved | brave = tapfer, mutig

 

C

r Catcher  (pro) wrestler | catcher (baseball, etc.) = r F?nger

r Chef  boss, head of the department | chef = r Chefkoch, Küchenchef, Koch

e City  downtown, city center | city, town = e Stadt

 

D

delikat  difficult, tricky; careful(ly); exquisite, subtle | delicate = empfindlich, fein, zart
   Note: German delikat can mean many things, but is almost never used in the sense of "delicate" (breakable, sensitive, fine) in English - with the possible exception of a "delicate (subtle) aroma" or a "delicate (tricky) situation." It is related to Delikatessen.

s Desinteresse  lack of interest | disinterest (impartiality) = e Unvoreingenommenheit, e Unparteilichkeit
desinteressiert  uninterested, bored (look) | disinterested (impartial) = unvoreingenommen, unparteiisch, uneigennützig

devot  (adj., literary) obsequious; humble (obs.) | devoted = treu, liebend; gewidmet

dezent  discreet(ly), subdued, unobtrusive | decent = anst?ndig, ordentlich

e Di?ten pl.  per diem, parliamentary allowance | diet = e Di?t (-en)

e Direktion  administration (office), management (office) | direction = e Richtung

e Distanz  aloofness, coldness; distance (social, sport) | distance = e Entfernung

r Dom  cathedral | dome = e Kuppel

e Dose  can, tin | dose = e Dosis

 

E

s Etikett  label | etiquette = e Etikette

eventuell  possibly, maybe | eventually = endlich, schlie?lich

r Evergreen  old musical standard, classic song | evergreen = immergrün (adj.), r Nadelbaum (tree)

e Expertise  report (by experts) | expertise = r Sachverstand

s Exposé  outline, draft, plan (film, literature, dissertation); book/film proposal; plot plan, property description (architecture, real estate) | exposé = e Aufdeckung

extravagant  flamboyant, stylish, sophisticated (tastes) | extravagant = verschwenderisch, übertrieben

e Extravaganz  flamboyance, high style

 

F

e Fabrik  factory | fabric = r Stoff, s Gewebe

fade  boring, insipid, dull | to fade = verblassen

famili?r  family-related; informal | familiar (well-known) = bekannt, vertraut
   Er hat famili?re Probleme. = He has family problems.

e Fantasie/Phantasie imagination | fantasy = r Tagtraum

fast  almost | fast = schnell; fasten (go without food)

s Formular  form (to fill out) | formula = e Formel

r Fotograf  photographer | photograph = s Foto, e Fotografie

e Fraktion  faction, political party/group | fraction = r Bruchteil

 

G

s Gas   (natural) gas | gasoline/petrol = s Benzin
   Note: German Gas can infer "gasoline" in expressions such as Gas geben (to step on the gas, accelerate).

e Garage   garage (of a house) | garage (repairs) = e Autowerkstatt

genial   brilliant, inspired, ingenious | genial = herzlich, gesellig, leutselig

s Gift   poison | gift, present = s Geschenk

gro?   big, large, great | gross = ek(e)lig, ekelhaft (disgusting); grob (grossly), brutto, Brutto- (gross/net)

r Gully   storm drain | gully = e Schlucht, Rinne

s Gymnasium   secondary school, high school | gym = e Turnhalle, Sporthalle

 

H

s Handy n. cell/wireless phone | handy adj. = praktisch, nützlich, handlich

r Hamburger a resident of Hamburg (can also mean the food item)

r Hang slope; tendency, inclination

herb adj. dry (wine), tart; bitter, harsh | herb n. = s Kraut

r Herd range, stove (cooking) | herd = e Herde

hissen v. hoist, raise (flag) | hiss v. = zischen

e Hochschule   college, university | high school = e Gesamtschule, s Gymnasium, e Oberschule

 

I

irritieren   to confuse, distract, put off | to irritate, annoy = ?rgern, auf die Nerven gehen (get on s.o.'s nerves), reizen (skin), irritieren (bother)

 

K

e Kanne   (tea, coffee) pot, kettle | can = e Dose
   Note: German Kanne can mean "can" in the sense of "milk can," "oil can" or "watering can" in English.

e Kantine   cafeteria, canteen | canteen = e Feldflasche (for water)
   Note: German Kantine is limited to "canteen" in the sense of "cafeteria" or "officer's mess."

e Kaution   deposit, bail, guarantee | caution = e Vorsicht

s Kolleg   lecture, series of lectures; college | college = e Hochschule, e Universit?t

r Kollege   colleague, fellow worker | college = e Hochschule, e Universit?t

komfortabel   luxurious | comfortable = bequem, gemütlich
   ein komfortables Hotel/Auto = a luxury/luxurious hotel/car

komisch   strange, odd | comic(al) = lustig

komprimieren   compress, compact | compromise = zu einem Kompromiss kommen, kompromittieren

e Konfession   religious denomination | confession = s Gest?ndnis (criminal); e Beichte (religious)

r Kongress   trade or business convention; (US) Congress

konkurrieren   compete | concur = übereinstimmen
   | conquer = erobern

konsequent   consistent, logical | consequently = folglich, folgend, als Folge

e Kost   food, fare | cost(s) = e Kosten (pl.)

r Kot   feces, filth | cot = s Feldbett

r Kriminale   (plain clothes) detective | criminal