English-German Cognates
Genuine Cognates • E
Words that are identical or similar in English and German
ALSO SEE
> False Cognates (False Friends)
> Cognate Sound Shifts
Noun Genders: r (der, masc.), e (die, fem.), s (das, neu.)
Abbreviations: adj. adjective, adv. adverb, Am American English, Br British English, diff. used in a different or limited sense, f.c. false cognate, n. noun, pl. plural, pron. pronounced, v. verb
* = Less obvious cognates that may not closely resemble each other in both English and German, but are cognates
** = Words used in English that come from German
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What's a COGNATE? > Grammar Glossary - C
E
earth e Erde*
NOTE: The earth/Erde pair reflects the so-called "t-d shift" in which an English th or t is replaced by a German d, as in leather/Leder or thank/danken. This shift also works in the other direction: door/Tür. More in Cognate Sound Shifts.
earnest (serious) ernst
edit (computing) editieren
editor (computing) r Editor
effective effectiv
ego s Ego (also s Ich)
egoist r Egoist
Egypt s Ägypten*
Egyptian ägyptisch*
eight acht > Cognate Sound Shifts (ch-gh)
elastic elastisch
elbow r Ellenbogen*
electric(al) elektrisch
electrician r Elektriker
electricity e Elektrizität
electron s Elektron
electronic elektronisch
electronics e Elektronik
electrostatic elektrostatisch
elegance e Eleganz > Cognate Sound Shifts (z-c)
elegant elegant
element s Element
NOTE: Most of the chemical elements in German are also cognates and neuter (das). There are only a few Germanic exceptions that are masculine. For more see Chemische Elemente.
elephant r Elefant
elk r Elch > Cognate Sound Shifts (ch-k)
e-mail e E-Mail
emancipate emanzipieren
emancipation e Emanzipation
emblem s Emblem
embolism e Embolie
end s Ende
energy e Energie
engineer r Ingenieur* (with univ. degree)
England s England
English s Englisch
entertainer r Entertainer
equator r Äquator
era e Ära
erotic erotisch
ersatz** Ersatz- (in compounds)
Eskimo r Eskimo
Esperanto s Esperanto
espionage e Spionage*
espresso r Espresso
ethic(s) e Ethik
ethical ethisch
euro r Euro
Europa s Europa
European europäisch
even eben (level, flat)
SEE: Cognate Sound Shifts (b-v)
exact exakt
exclusive exklusiv
exist existieren
exotic exotisch
experiment s Experiment
explosion e Explosion
expressionism r Expressionismus
NEXT > Cognates - F - More English-German cognates
BACK > Cognates - D
MORE > Cognate Sound Shifts
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German in English > You Already Know German
ALSO > False Cognates (false friends)
MORE > English-German Glossaries on many topics
MORE > Confusing Words and Expressions in German
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