As German learners, we love the hundreds of words that look similar or even identical and mean the same in both German and English. They may be words with a common Germanic root (“cognates” such as the man and der Mann), modern borrowings from one language to the other (the Rucksack, die Party…) or words taken from another language (often French, Greek or Latin like the/der Professor). But there’s the odd fly in the ointment. Meet the German “false friend” words!
A German false friend word looks like an English word but actually means something quite different. In this post, you’ll find “Dr P’s German false cognate killer”: your must-have list of the most common (and frustrating!) German false friends.
How to use the German / English false friend word list
In the first column of the list, you’ll find that wolf in sheep’s clothing, the German false friend. For nouns, you’ll see the gender (der, die or das) and the noun plural. Then, in the second column, we rip off that fleece to reveal the true meaning of the word. In column three, you’ll find the English false friend that looks so like the German and, in the final column, a German translation of the English false friend.
“Dr P’s German false cognate killer” is pretty comprehensive. So, alert yourself to these German false friends. It’ll make your guessing safer. After all, the intelligent guess is a useful took in any pro language learner’s toolbox. If a German word with an English lookalike isn’t on this list, they probably both have the same meaning.
Without further ado, here’s your list of false friends, those German words that don’t mean what you think they do.
The ultimate list of German and English false friend words
| German false friend | meaning (English) | English false friend | meaning (German) |
| aktuell | current(ly), up-to-date, topical | actual | tatsächlich, wirklich |
| also | so, therefore | also | auch |
| altern | to age | alter | verändern |
| die Art (-en) | way, type, sort, style | art | die Kunst (die Künste) |
| bald | soon | bald | glatzköpfig, kahl |
| bekommen | to get | become | werden |
| der Box (-en) | loudspeaker (in box-shaped housing) | box | die Schachtel (-n) |
| (sich) blamieren | to embarrass oneself; make a fool of self | to blame | jemanden die Schuld geben |
| der Brand (die Brände) | fire (wild, accidental) | brand | die Marke (-n) |
| der Chef (-s) | boss | chef | der Chefkoch (die Köche) |
| damit | with that, therewith | damn it | Verdammt mal! |
| die Direktion (-en) | management, administration (or the office where management, admin sits) | direction | die Richtung (-en) |
| der Direktor (-s) | school principal, headteacher | director | der Regisseur (-e)(of film), Vorstandsmitglied (-er)(on board of company) |
| der Dom (-e) | cathedral | dome | die Kuppel (-n) |
| engagiert | committed | engaged | besetzt (phone, WC) verlobt (to be married) |
| eventuell | possible, perhaps | eventually | schließlich |
| die Fabrik (-en) | factory | fabric | der Stoff (-e) |
| famos | marvelous, splendid | famous | berühmt |
| fast | almost | fast | schnell |
| die Fraktion (-en) | political party or grouping (in parliament) | fraction | der Bruchteil (-e) (part of whole), die Bruchzahl (-en) (in maths) |
| der Fund (-e) | discovery, find | fund | der Fonds (-) |
| die Hose (-n) | trousers, pants | hose | der Schlauch (die Schläuche) |
| das Gift (-e) | poison | gift | das Geschenk (-e) |
| die Kaution (-en) | bail, deposit | caution | die Vorsicht (no pl) |
| der Kollege (-n) | colleague | college | die Hochschule (-n) |
| das Konzept (-e) | draft | concept | der Begriff (-e), die Idee (-n) |
| konsequent | consistent, persistent, single minded | consequent | darausfolgend |
| der Korn (die Körner) | grain (of sand, salt etc); grain spirit (pl = Korne) | corn | das Getreide (-), das Maiz (no pl) |
| die Kraft (die Kräfte) | strength | craft | das Handwerk (-e) |
| kurious | strange | curious | neugierig |
| das Gymnasium (Gymnasien) | grammar school, academic high school | gymnasium | die Turnhalle(-n) |
| der Herd (-e) | (cooking) stove, cooker. | herd | die Herde (-n) |
| die Hochschule (-n) | university | high school | die Oberschule (-n) |
| die Hose (-n) | trousers / pants | hose (as in garden -) | der Schlauch (die Schläuche) |
| irritieren | to confuse | to irritate | |
| die Kaution (-en) | deposit (e.g. for rental apartment); bail (criminal law) | caution, care (as in “take care” re: danger) | die Vorsicht (no pl) |
| Kissen | cushion | to kiss | küssen |
| die Lektüre (-n) | reading | lecture | der Vortrag (Vorträge), die Vorlesung (-en) |
| der Lohn (die Löhne) | wages | loan | das Dalehen (-) |
| die Mappe | folder | der Stadtplan, die Karte | map of town, map |
| das Menü (-s) | set meal | menu | die Speisekarte (-n) |
| der Mist (no pl) | dung, nonsense, rubbish (somebody says) | mist | der (leichte) Nebel (-) |
| das Objektiv (-e) | lens | objective | das Ziel (-e) |
| die Pest (no pl) | plague | pest | der Schädling (-e) (e.g. insects); der Quälgeist (-er)(e.g. irritating child) |
| die Probe (-n) | rehearsal, sample | probe | die Untersuchung (-en)(e.g. medical investigation), erforschen, die Sonde (-) (instrument)] |
| der Prozess (-e) | court case | process | der Vorgang (-gänge) das Verfahren |
| das Programm (-e) (TV) | channel | program(me) | die Sendung (-en) |
| die Promotion (-en) | doctorate, studies for doctorate. | promotion | die Beförderung (-en) (in job); die Werbung (-en) (marketing) |
| die Provision (-en) | commission (e.g. to estate agent, realtor) | provision | die Versorgung (-en)(eg of food, supplies); die Vorkehrung (-en)(precautions) |
| das Publikum (no pl) | audience | the public | die Öffentlichkeit (no pl) |
| der Rat (pl: Ratschläge) | advice; council (decision making body) | rat | die Ratte |
| die Rente (-n) | pension | rent | die Miete (-n) |
| ringen | to wrestle, struggle | to ring | anrufen (phone); klingeln (doorbell) |
| der Rock (die Röcke) | skirt | rock | der Stein (-e) (lit: stone but as in “Steingarten” – rock garden); der Felsen (-) (rock formation, cliff) |
| der Sekt (-e) | sparkling wine | sect | die Konfession (-en); die Sekte (-n)] |
| seriös | respectable; genuine | serious | ernst |
| senden | to broadcast | to send | verschicken |
| der Schellfish (-e) | haddock | shellfish | die Schalentiere (collective noun) |
| der Sinn (-e) | sense | sin | die Sünde (-n) |
| der Spott (no pl) | mockery, derision, satire | spot | die Flecke (-n) (blemish); der Punkt (Punkte)(point) |
| still | quiet | still | immer noch |
| wandern | to walk, hike | to wander | |
| winken | to wave | to wink | zwinkern |
| die Wand (Wände) | wall | (magic) wand | die Zauberstab (-stäbe) |
| weit | distant | wide | breit |
At which level do I need to worry about German false cognates?
When you’re a beginner in German, I wouldn’t worry too much about false friends. Few of those on the list are the type of high-frequency, essential words that you need when you’re getting started. Upper-intermediate and advanced learners will likely understand enough context around a “false friend” to realise that it probably doesn’t mean what it might seem to. It’s the intermediate learner who’ll benefit most from paying good attention to the list. Are you an intermediate learner struggling to get focussed in a steady routine as you expand your vocab, build your grammar and hone your listening skills? I might just be able to help! Check out my flagship Weekly German Workouts course for more info.
What do you think?
Any more words I should add to the list? Let me know in the comments below and we’d love to hear any war stories you have of how these German false friend words have caught you out. Remember, what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger! Happy vocab buliding!
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Hello,
I wonder if there is any other language where the meanings of ‘actual(ly)’ and ‘eventual(ly)’ (their cognates) are the same as in English. In both Polish (my native) and French the respective cognates have the meanings as in German (PL ‘aktualny’ -> ‘current’, ‘topical’, ‘ewentualny’ -> ‘possible’), so English stands out among those three.
We have a huge number of false friends between Polish and Czech, more than with Russian (where there is a few but not so many).
Best regards.