False Friends
There are some words which are spelled the same in English and in German, but have
completely different meanings. Even though the words are spelled the same, they are
usually pronounced completely differently. It can sometimes be dangerous to use these
words (for both native English speakers and native German speakers.) Think of that, next
time someone wants to give you a " Gift1" or opens a door and says " After2 you!"
Note: This list contains some items of etymological3
interest. For example, the transformation of the consonant 't' in German to 'd' in English in word pairs like Bart->Beard,
Bett->Bed, Gut->Good, Hart->Hard, Rot->Red, and Not->Need.
| Word | German meaning (in English)
|
| After | Anus Später, Nachher |
| Also | Thus auch |
| Angel | Fishing Rod Engel |
| Apart | Striking Abgesondert, Abseits |
| Arm | Poor Arm |
| Art | Kind, sort, species Kunst, Künstlichkeit |
| Ass | Ace Esel, Dumpfbacke, Knallkopf, Arsch (vulg.) |
| Bad | Bath Schlecht, Schlimm |
| Bagger | Excavator Angesteller im Supermarkt der die Einkäufe in Tüten packt |
| bald | Soon Unbehaart, Kahlköpfig |
| bang | Afraid Knall, Krach, Schall |
| bar | in Cash, Pure Stab (see also: 410 Stab), Kneipe |
| Bart | Beard Name eines Mannes |
| bat | asked politely, requested (past tense) Fledermaus |
| Beet | Flower bed Zuckerrübe, rote Rübe |
| bitten | to ask politely, request gebissen |
| blank | Shiny, Shining Unbeschriftet, Unausgefüllt |
| Blech | Sheet metal Ausdruck des Ekels |
| bog | to Twist, Form, Bend (past tense) Sumpf, Torfmoor |
| Brand | Fire Markenprodukt |
| Brilliant, brillant | Diamond, prächtig, herrlich Blendend, Geistvoll |
| Bug | Front of a boat or plane Laus, Insekt, Störung |
| Danke | Thanks Feucht |
| dick | Thick Schnüffler, Schwanz, der steife Penis |
| Elf | Eleven, (coll. soccer team) Elfe, Kobold |
| falls | If, in case Wasserfälle |
| Fang, fang | Catch, to catch, to capture (imperative) Reißzahn |
| fatal | Unfortunate Verhängnisvoll, Unheilvoll, Tödlich |
| fast | Almost, Nearly Schnell |
| fasten | Fast Befestigen |
| Fee | Fairy Preise, Gebühr |
| Fell | Coat (animal)fällen |
| fern | Far away, Distant Farnkraut |
| First | Ridge Zuerst |
| flog | Flew Peitschen, Auspeitschen |
| fort | Away, Off, Gone Festung, Kastell |
| Funk | Radio Drückeberger, Musik von 1970's |
| Gang | Walk, Gait, Way Gruppe, Bande, Trupp |
| Gift | Poison Gabe, Geschenk |
| Grab | Grave Aufgreifen, Ergreifen |
| Grad | Degree (temperature) einen akademischen Grad erlangen |
| grub | dug (past tense) Futter |
| gut | Good Darm (Schnecke und Kette) |
| Hack | ground meal, hash Heib, Kerbe, Zerhacken |
| half |
Helped (past tense) Halb |
| Handy | Cell Phone Praktisch, Passend, Handlich |
| Hang | Slope, Inclination Hängen, Henken |
| Happen | Bit, Morsel Zufällig Geschehen, Vorkommen, Passieren |
| hart | Hard Hirsch |
| Heck | Back of a car, boat or plane Was zum Teufel? (What the Heck?) |
| Held | Hero Gehalten 356 Typical for young people |
| hell | Bright Hölle |
| Herd | Cooker, Oven, Range Herde |
| Hose | Pants Schlauch |
| Hub, hub | Throw, Lob, Swing (see also: 410 Lob), (past tense of) to lift Wickelkern, Nabe |
| Hummer | Lobster Jemand der summt |
| Hut | Hat Hütte |
| Kind | child Art, Sorte |
| Labor | Laboratory Arbeit |
| Lack | Varnish Knappheit, Mangel |
| lag | Lay zurueckbleiben, zoegern |
| Last | Load, Burden, Weight Zuletzt |
| Lied | Song Gelogen |
| links | Left Verknüpfung, Verbindungen |
| List | Cunning Schlagseite |
| Lob | Praise Werf, Hub (see also: 410 Hub) |
| log | Lied Block, Klotz |
| Lot | Plumb (line) Pazille, die Menge, die Masse False Friends Word eutung |
| Lust | To feel like doing something, desire (this can has the English meaning, depending on the situation) Sinnliche Begierde |
| Made | Maggot Hergestellt, Gemacht |
| Maul | Mouth (animal) der Schlegel, Beschädigen, Durchprügeln |
| Mist | Manure, Trash leichter Nebel |
| Not | distress, need Nicht Note Grade (in school), musical |
| note | bemerken, aufschreiben, kleiner Brief |
| nun | Now die Schwester (im Kloster), Nonne |
| Pest | Plague Nervensäge |
| Rang | Rank Geklingelt, Geklungen |
| Rad | Wheel Ausdruck der Bewunderung (wie Geil) |
| Rat | Advice die Ratte |
| Regal | Shelves Majestätisch, Königlich, Hoheitsvoll |
| Rind | Beef, Cattle Schwarte, Schale |
| Rock | Skirt Stein, Fels |
| Roman | Novel der Römer |
| Rot | Red Verrotten, Verwesung |
| Sage | History, Myth Weise, Klug, Gescheit |
| See |
Lake Siehe |
| Sense | Scythe Wahrnehmung, Bedeutung, Verstand, Sinn |
| Silvester | New Year's Eve Name eines Mannes |
| Speck | Bacon Fleck |
| Spur | Trace, Tracks, Lane Schiffsschnabel, Sporn, Ansporn |
| Stab | Rod, Pole, Baton, Bar (see also: 410 Bar) Erstechen |
| Stare | Starlings anstarren |
| stark | Strong Völlig, Gänzlich |
| Stern | Star Ernst, das Heck |
| Tag | Day Markierstelle, Kennzeichnung |
| Tang | Seaweed Amerikanisches Orangengetränk |
| Taste | Key (as in keyboard) Kostprobe, Geschmackssinn |
| toll | Great! Super! Zollabgabe, Straßenbenutzungsgebühr |
| Tod |
Death, Dead Name eines Mannes |
| Ton | Clay, a Sound die Tonne |
| Tot | Dead kleines Kind, kleiner Knirps |
| Wade | calf (of the leg) waten |
| Wand | Wall der Zauberstab |
| war | Was Krieg |
| was | What? wurde/war |
| Welt | World Quaddel, Beule |
| Wetter | Weather Nasser |
| wider | Against, Contrary to Weiter, Breiter |
| will | Wants Wille |
bekommen => to receive,
to get werden => to become
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