False friends: English and German

30 English words that look like German words but mean something else — the traps German speakers fall into most often.

English and German are close relatives: both are Germanic languages, and many words look almost the same, like water and Wasser or house and Haus. That is exactly why the exceptions are dangerous: a word that looks German feels safe, so nobody checks it. Some of these words drifted apart in meaning over time, others came into both languages from Latin or French and took different paths.

Each word below has its real meaning in German, the German word it gets confused with, and how to say that word in English.

Test yourself ↓

Words that don't mean what they seem

become A2

Means: werden
Not: bekommen → get, receive

Become means „werden“ (to start to be something), not „bekommen“ (which is get or receive in English).

I want to become a teacher.

gift A1

Means: Geschenk
Not: Gift → poison

Gift means a present („Geschenk“), not „Gift“ (which is poison in English).

She gave me a nice gift for my birthday.

also A1

Means: auch
Not: also → so, therefore

Also means „auch“ (too, as well), not „also“ (which is so or therefore in English).

I like tea, and I also like coffee.

chef A2

Means: Koch, Köchin
Not: Chef → boss

Chef means a professional cook („Koch“), not „Chef“ (which is boss in English).

My brother works as a chef in a hotel.

handy B1

Means: praktisch, nützlich
Not: Handy → mobile phone, cell phone

Handy means useful and practical („praktisch“), not „Handy“ (which is mobile phone or cell phone in English).

A small knife is very handy on a trip.

actually A2

Means: eigentlich, in Wirklichkeit
Not: aktuell → current, up to date

Actually means „eigentlich“ or „in Wirklichkeit“ (in fact), not „aktuell“ (which is current or up to date in English).

Actually, I live in Berlin, not in Munich.

actual B1

Means: tatsächlich, wirklich
Not: aktuell → current, up to date

Actual means real („tatsächlich“), not „aktuell“ (which is current or up to date in English).

What was the actual price of the car?

eventually A2

Means: schließlich, am Ende
Not: eventuell → possibly, maybe

Eventually means in the end („schließlich“): it does happen, just later. It is not „eventuell“ (which is possibly or maybe in English).

We got lost, but eventually we found the hotel.

sensible B1

Means: vernünftig
Not: sensibel → sensitive

Sensible means reasonable („vernünftig“), not „sensibel“ (which is sensitive in English).

It is sensible to take an umbrella today.

brand A2

Means: Marke
Not: Brand → fire

Brand means a make or product name („Marke“), not „Brand“ (which is fire in English).

This brand of shoes is very popular.

brief B1

Means: kurz
Not: Brief → letter

Brief usually means short („kurz“), not „Brief“ (which is letter in English).

He gave a brief answer and left.

bald A2

Means: kahl, glatzköpfig
Not: bald → soon

Bald means having no hair („kahl“), not „bald“ (which is soon in English).

My father is bald, but he has a beard.

fast A1

Means: schnell
Not: fast → almost, nearly

Fast means quick („schnell“), not „fast“ (which is almost or nearly in English).

He drives too fast in the city.

kind A1

Means: nett, freundlich; Art
Not: Kind → child

Kind means nice („nett“), or as a noun a type („Art“), not „Kind“ (which is child in English).

Our teacher is very kind to everyone.

receipt A2

Means: Quittung, Kassenbon
Not: Rezept → recipe, prescription

Receipt means the paper you get after paying („Kassenbon“, „Quittung“), not „Rezept“ (which is recipe or prescription in English).

Keep the receipt if you want to return it.

physician B1

Means: Arzt, Ärztin
Not: Physiker → physicist

Physician means a doctor („Arzt“), not „Physiker“ (which is physicist in English).

The physician told him to rest for a week.

sympathetic B2

Means: mitfühlend, verständnisvoll
Not: sympathisch → nice, likeable

Sympathetic means understanding and caring („mitfühlend“), not „sympathisch“ (which is nice or likeable in English).

My boss was sympathetic when I was ill.

billion A2

Means: Milliarde
Not: Billion → trillion

Billion means a thousand million („Milliarde“), not „Billion“ (which is trillion in English).

The company earned two billion dollars last year.

boot A2

Means: Stiefel
Not: Boot → boat

Boot means a tall shoe („Stiefel“), not „Boot“ (which is boat in English).

He bought new boots for the winter.

hose B1

Means: Schlauch
Not: Hose → trousers, pants

Hose means a long tube for water („Schlauch“), not „Hose“ (which is trousers or pants in English).

He uses a hose to water the garden.

hut B1

Means: Hütte
Not: Hut → hat

Hut means a small simple building („Hütte“), not „Hut“ (which is hat in English).

They stayed in a small hut in the mountains.

mist B1

Means: Nebel, Dunst
Not: Mist → rubbish, manure

Mist means thin fog („Dunst“, „Nebel“), not „Mist“ (which is manure or rubbish in English).

A light mist covered the lake this morning.

art A1

Means: Kunst
Not: Art → kind, type, way

Art means „Kunst“, not „Art“ (which is kind or type in English).

She studies art at university.

decent B1

Means: anständig, ordentlich
Not: dezent → subtle, discreet

Decent means good enough or respectable („anständig“, „ordentlich“), not „dezent“ (which is subtle or discreet in English).

We found a decent hotel near the station.

fabric B2

Means: Stoff
Not: Fabrik → factory

Fabric means cloth („Stoff“), not „Fabrik“ (which is factory in English).

This fabric is soft and easy to wash.

smoking A2

Means: Rauchen
Not: Smoking → tuxedo, dinner jacket

Smoking means „Rauchen“, not „Smoking“ (which is tuxedo or dinner jacket in English).

Smoking is not allowed in this building.

gymnasium B1

Means: Turnhalle, Sporthalle
Not: Gymnasium → secondary school, grammar school

Gymnasium means a sports hall („Turnhalle“), not „Gymnasium“ (which is secondary school or grammar school in English).

We play basketball in the gymnasium on Fridays.

Words that only sometimes match

These share one meaning with the look-alike, but usually mean something else — see the example.

pension B1 sometimes

Means: Rente
Not: Pension → guesthouse, bed and breakfast

Pension means money you get when you retire („Rente“); German „Pension“ is used that way only for civil servants. A „Pension“ to stay at is a guesthouse in English.

He lives on a small pension.

rock A1 sometimes

Means: Fels, Felsen; Rockmusik
Not: Rock → skirt

Rock means stone („Fels“) or rock music, not „Rock“ as clothing (which is skirt in English).

The boat hit a rock near the coast.

ordinary B1 sometimes

Means: gewöhnlich, normal
Not: ordinär → vulgar, crude

Ordinary means normal („gewöhnlich“) and is never rude, while „ordinär“ usually means vulgar or crude in English.

It was just an ordinary day at work.

Test yourself: which translation is right?

10 words from this page. One of the options is the trap — the look-alike word.

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Questions

What are false friends?

False friends (in German «falsche Freunde») are words in two languages that look or sound alike but have different meanings, like English «gift» (a present) and German «Gift» (poison).

Why do English and German have so many false friends?

The two languages are closely related, so many words share a root and a similar spelling. Over the centuries the meanings drifted apart in each language, and borrowings from Latin and French added more look-alikes.

How do I stop mixing them up?

Learn each word with an example sentence rather than as a one-word translation, and check familiar-looking words too. Practising the tricky ones a few days apart helps the right meaning stick.

Levels (A1–C2) and translations come from the WordStudy dictionary. Spotted a mistake? Write to words.study.project@gmail.com.