Before I started learning German, I expected to find a lot in common with English, but I was a bit disillusioned when I realized that I didn't have the same advanced vocabulary bonus I got with Spanish (e.g. tangible and tangible but in German beruhrbar). I was, however, pleasantly surprised to see some (primarily grammatical) similarities with Spanish. For fun I made a list of similarities. Feel free to make corrections or add on. I know much of this list explains how English is "un-european" more than anything else. 

-same word for tomorrow and morning "morgen" and "mañana"

-subjunctive "I want him to go" vs "I want that he goes"

-verb for "to like" gustar and gefallen (yes I know there is also mogen)

-two verbs for English "to know" 

-one verb for to do/make

-I have hunger/thirst instead of am hungry

-similar conjugations like the 1st and 3rd being the same in the past tense (imperfect in spanish)

-way of expressing have been phrases "Soy maestro desde hace un año" and "Ich bin Lehrer seit einem Jahr"

-position of the word "ago" "vor einem Jahr" and "hace un año"

-liberal usage of definite articles (though Spanish uses them more)

-gerund is the infinitive

-suffix to mark infinitive rather than a preposition

-some random vocab like funktionieren and funcionar or probar and probieren

-Occasional omission of indefinite articles where they exist in English 

I am a teacher

Ich bin Lehrer

Soy maestro