German-English False Friends

Avoid 261+ common German-English false cognate mistakes

261 items4 topics

Common False Friends

83 items

Boss, Head (of a department/company)

To get, to receive

Possibly, perhaps, in case of need

Current, up-to-date

Sensitive (easily affected emotionally or physically)

Vulgar, coarse, common (in a negative sense)

Bright, light (in color)

Manure, dung; nonsense (interjection)

Kind, type, manner, way

Well-behaved, good (especially for children or animals)

kon-koo-REE-ren

Conductor (of an orchestra)

Mobile phone, cellphone

Magazine (periodical); warehouse, storehouse

Cartridge (for a firearm); sponsor, patron saint

Guesthouse, boarding house; retirement income

Tricky False Friends

115 items

Food False Friends

30 items

Jam, jelly (any fruit preserve)

ˈmaʁməˌlaːdə

Potato crisps, potato chips (US)

Custard, specific cooked dessert (often firm), sometimes savory dishes like blood sausage

Grain (general), rye, a type of German schnapps

Lettuce, or a simple salad (often just lettuce with dressing)

Minced meat, ground meat

Small shop, stall (often selling snacks, drinks, newspapers)

Cherry (as in fruit, or flavor)

Toast bread (the type of bread), a slice of toasted bread

Roast, fried (as in Bratwurst, Brathähnchen)

A traditional German fruit bread, especially for Christmas

Cabbage, herb (often used in compounds like Sauerkraut)

Filling (for food, teeth, etc.)

Food, meal; to eat

Biscuit, cookie

Small bread roll

ˈbʁøːtçən

Cup, mug, beaker

Academic False Friends

33 items

specimen, preparation (e.g., in a lab), compound, medication

presentation, paper, report (given orally)

university studies, academic course of study

written exam, test (at university or school)

physical fitness, stamina; condition (of something, but less common than Zustand)

kon-dee-tsee-OWN

academic, scholar (a person)

a-ka-DEH-mee-ker

argument (a reason or point in a discussion), reasoning

editor (in publishing), lecturer (at university, esp. for foreign languages)

Master's degree (older German academic title, sometimes still used)

handout, lecture notes, script (e.g., for a play), transcript

university cafeteria, refectory

sensitivity (e.g., emotional, technical, of a device)

zen-zee-bee-li-TATE

form (document to be filled in)

vocabulary word, single word (for learning)

embarrassment, disgrace, fiasco

exam, examination (often a final or state exam)

lecturer (at a university, not necessarily a professor)

curiosity, oddity, peculiar item

koo-ree-OH-zoom

physics (the scientific discipline)

check, inspection, monitoring

direction (of a film, play, etc.); stage management

concept, idea; draft, outline

physicist (a person)

pathos, passion, strong emotion (often negative connotation in German)

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