English-German Cognates
Genuine Cognates - L
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
L
lab (laboratory) s Labor (from Latin)
in the lab im Labor
labyrinth s Labyrinth (Greek)
ladder e Leiter*
lady e Lady
ladykiller r Ladykiller
lamb s Lamm
lamp e Lampe
lantern e Laterne
Latin s Latein
latrine e Latrine (Latin)
laugh v. lachen* See Vowel Sound Shifts (a-au)
lava e Lava (Italian/Latin)
lay v. legen*
learn lernen/erlernen
leather s Leder* - See Cognate Sound Shifts (d-th)
Lebanese - See Lebanon below
Lebanon s Libanon
Lebanese adj. libanesisch
Lebanese n. r Libanese/e Libanesin
For more countries and nationalities, see: Countries in German
legion e Legion
legitimate legitim (lawful)
leitmotiv/leitmotif s Leitmotiv**
lesbian adj. lesbisch
lesbian n. e Lesbierin
lesion e Läsion (med.)
liberal adj. liberal (polit.)
liberal n. e/r Liberale (polit.)
liberalism r Liberalismus (polit.)
libretto s Libretto (mus.)
Libya s Libyen
Libyan adj. libysch
Libyan n. r Libyer/e Libyerin
license e Lizenz (Latin)
lick lecken
lie (recline) liegen
lied (song) s Lied** (pron. LEET)
lieder pl. Lieder** (pron. LEEDER)
lieutenant r Leutnant (mil.)
life s Leben*
live v. leben*
light adj. leicht (weight, difficulty)
light n. s Licht
lily e Lilie
linden e Linde/r Lindenbaum
line e Leine (rope)
line e Linie
link r Link (Web)
lip e Lippe
lipstick r Lippenstift
lisp n. s Lispeln
lisp v. lispeln
list n. e Liste
literary literarisch
literature e Literatur
lithium s Lithium (chem.)
live adj. live (pron. LYFE)
live v. leben*
liver e Leber* - See Consonant Sound Shifts (b-v)
Idiom: Ihm ist eine Laus über die Leber gelaufen.
He's in a bad mood/in ill humor. ("a louse ran across his liver")
MORE > German-English Idioms - L
lobby e Lobby (polit.)
local adj. lokal
locomotive e Lokomotive/e Lok
logic e Logik (Greek)
long adj./adv. lang/lange
louse/lice e Laus/Läuse (also see 'liver' above)
lousy lausig
love n. e Liebe* See Vowel Sound Shifts (ie-o)
love v. lieben*
lox (salmon) r Lachs* (German/Yiddish)
Lucerne s Luzern (city)
luke warm lauwarm*
lung(s) e Lunge (sing. in German)
Luxembourg/Luxemburg s Luxemburg
Luxemburgian adj. luxemburgisch
Luxemburger n. r Luxemburger/e Luxemburgerin
luxurious adj. luxuriös
luxury r Luxus
lymph n. e Lymphe
lymphatic adj. lymphatisch
lyrical adj. lyrisch
NEXT > Cognates: M
BACK > Cognates: K - More English-German cognates
MORE > Cognate Sound Shifts
IDIOMS > German-English Idioms
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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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