English-German false friends
From UniLang Wiki
False friends are two words (from two different languages) that look similar or the same, but have different meanings. There are many false friends between English and German:
- actual = eigentlich, current = aktuell
- also = auch, thus/therefore = also
- art = die Kunst, kind/manner = die Art
- back = Rücken, bottom = Hintern
- to become = werden, to get/receive = bekommen
- billion = die Milliarde, trillion = die Billion
- to blame = beschuldigen, to embarrass = blamieren
- brave = mutig, well-behaved = brav
- blue = blau/traurig, blue/drunk = blau
- caution = die Vorsicht, deposit/bail = die Kaution
- chef = der Chefkoch/Küchenchef, boss = der Chef
- college = die Hochschule/Universität, colleague = der Kollege
- comfortable = bequem, luxurious = komfortabel
- concourse = die Wartehalle (in a station) / der Zusammenlauf (of two rivers), bankruptcy/insolvency = der Konkurs
- concurrence = das Zusammentreffen / die Mitwirkung / die Gleichzeitigkeit etc, competition = die Konkurrenz
- consequent = folglich, consistent = konsequent
- critic = der Kritiker, criticism = die Kritik
- curious = neugierig, odd/queer = kurios
- damit/damn it = verdammt!, with that/in order to = damit
- decent = anständig/ordentlich, discreet = dezent
- direction = die Richtung, management = die Direktion
- dome = die Kuppel, cathedral = der Dom
- dose = die Dosis, can/tin = die Dose
- etiquette = die guten Umgangsformen / die Etikette, label = das Etikett
- eventually = schließlich/endlich, possibly/potentially = eventuell
- fabric = der Stoff / das Gewebe etc, factory = die Fabrik
- fall (autumn) = der Herbst Herbst, case = der Fall (nicht von "fallen")
- familiar = bekannt/vertraut, family-related/informal = familiär
- fantasy = der Tagtraum, imagination = Fantasie
- fast = schnell, almost = fast
- for = für, before/in front of = vor
- for 2 minutes = seit 2 Minuten, 2 minutes ago = vor 2 Minuten
- formula = die Formel, form = das Formular
- fraction = der Bruchteil, faction = die Fraktion
- gas (gasoline/petrol) = das Benzin, gas (aeriform) = das Gas
- gift = Geschenk, poison = das Gift
- great = groß/großartig/toll, big/tall/huge = groß
- gymnasium = die Turnhalle, high school = das Gymnasium
- handy = handlich, mobile/cell phone = das Handy
- herb = das Kraut (noun), bitter/harsh = herb (adjective)
- herd = die Herde, stove = der Herd
- high school = die weiterführende Schule, college/university = die Hochschule
- hose = der Schlauch, trousers/pants = die Hose
- hut = die Hütte, hat = der Hut
- kind = die Art, child = das Kind
- labor = die Arbeit, laboratory = das Labor
- lack = der Mangel, paint/lacquer = der Lack
- lecture = der Vortrag / die Vorlesung (at university), reading = die Lektüre
- local = örtlich (adjective), pub = das Lokal (noun)
- mist = der Nebel, dung = der Mist
- murder = der Mord, murderer = der Mörder / die Mörderin
- objective = das Ziel, camera lense = das Objektiv
- oldtimer = der alte Hase, classic car = der Oldtimer
- to oversee = überwachen, to overlook = übersehen
- pest (insect) = der Schädling, plague = die Pest
- paragraph = der Absatz, section of a law = der Paragraph
- pathetic = armselig, solemn = pathetisch
- photograph = das Foto, photographer = der Fotograf
- preservative = das Konservierungsmittel, condom = das Kondom/Präservativ
- promotion = die Förderung/Werbung, graduation as a PhD = die Promotion
- prospect = die Erwartung/Perspektive/etc, brochure = der Prospekt
- provision = die Vorsorge, commission/fee = die Provision
- public = die Öffentlichkeit, audience = das Publikum
- quote = das Zitat, proportion/rating = die Quote
- rat = die Ratte, advice/council = der Rat
- to realize = erkennen/begreifen, to carry out/implement = realisieren
- receipt = die Quittung/Rechnung, recipe/prescription = das Rezept
- rent = die Miete, pension = die Rente
- rentable = mietbar, profitable = rentabel
- Roman = der Römer (noun), novel = der Roman
- selbstbewusst = self-conscious, self-conscious = verlegen/gehemmt
- sensible = vernünftig, sensitive = sensibel
- serious = ernst, respectable/honest = seriös
- silicon = Silizium, silicone = Silikon
- sketch = die Skizze, skit = der Sketch
- to spend = ausgeben, to donate = spenden
- stadium = das Stadion, stage/level = das Stadium
- stock = die Aktie (at the stock exchange) / der Bestand (of goods) etc, stick (aus Holz o.Ä.) / floor = der Stock
- student = Schüler(in)/Student(in), university student = Student(in)
- sympathetic = mitfühlend/wohlgesinnt, likeable/nice/pleasant = sympathisch
- to synchronize = abstimmen, to dub (a movie) = synchronisieren
- to taste = kosten/schmecken, to touch = tasten
- transparent = durchsichtig (adjective), banner/placard = das Transparent (noun)
- undertaker = der Leichenbestatter, businessman/entrepreneur = der Unternehmer
- warehouse = die Lagerhalle, department store = das Warenhaus
- wide = breit, far = weit
- I will do = ich werde tun, I want to do = ich will tun
- to wink = blinzeln, to wave = winken
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