False Friends in German: G-L
Falsche Freunde / False Cognates
An annotated German-English Glossary of
Common False Cognates and Misleading Expressions
Also see > True Cognates and Confusing Words & Expressions
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True English-German Cognates
Noun genders indicated by: r (der, masc.), e (die, fem.), s (das, neu.)
G
s Gas (natural) gas | gasoline/petrol = s Benzin
Note: German Gas can infer "gasoline" in expressions such as Gas geben (to step on the gas, accelerate).
e Garage garage (of a house) | garage (repairs) = e Autowerkstatt
genial brilliant, inspired, ingenious | genial = herzlich, gesellig, leutselig
s Gift poison | gift, present = s Geschenk
groß big, large, great | gross = ek(e)lig, ekelhaft (disgusting); grob (grossly), brutto, Brutto- (gross/net)
r Gully storm drain | gully = e Schlucht, Rinne
s Gymnasium secondary school, high school | gym = e Turnhalle, Sporthalle
H
s Handy n. cell/wireless phone | handy adj. = praktisch, nützlich, handlich
Culture Link: Will Your US Cell Phone Work in Germany? - From The German Way and More
r Hamburger a resident of Hamburg (can also mean the food item)
r Hang slope; tendency, inclination
herb adj. dry (wine), tart; bitter, harsh | herb n. = s Kraut
r Herd range, stove (cooking) | herd = e Herde
hissen v. hoist, raise (flag) | hiss v. = zischen
e Hochschule college, university | high school = e Gesamtschule, s Gymnasium, e Oberschule
I
irritieren to confuse, distract, put off | to irritate, annoy = ärgern, auf die Nerven gehen (get on s.o.'s nerves), reizen (skin), irritieren (bother)
K
e Kanne (tea, coffee) pot, kettle | can = e Dose
Note: German Kanne can mean "can" in the sense of "milk can," "oil can" or "watering can" in English.
e Kantine cafeteria, canteen | canteen = e Feldflasche (for water)
Note: German Kantine is limited to "canteen" in the sense of "cafeteria" or "officer's mess."
e Kaution deposit, bail, guarantee | caution = e Vorsicht
s Kolleg lecture, series of lectures; college | college = e Hochschule, e Universität
r Kollege colleague, fellow worker | college = e Hochschule, e Universität
komfortabel luxurious | comfortable = bequem, gemütlich
ein komfortables Hotel/Auto = a luxury/luxurious hotel/car
komisch strange, odd | comic(al) = lustig
komprimieren compress, compact | compromise = zu einem Kompromiss kommen, kompromittieren
e Konfession religious denomination | confession = s Geständnis (criminal); e Beichte (religious)
r Kongress trade or business convention; (US) Congress
konkurrieren compete | concur = übereinstimmen
| conquer = erobern
konsequent consistent, logical | consequently = folglich, folgend, als Folge
e Kost food, fare | cost(s) = e Kosten (pl.)
r Kot feces, filth | cot = s Feldbett
r Kriminale (plain clothes) detective | criminal = r Verbrecher
e Kritik criticism | critic = r Kritiker / e Kritikerin
kurios odd, queer | curious = neugierig
L
s Labor laboratory | labor n. = e Arbeit
r Lack paint(work), lacquer, varnish; nail polish | lack (of) = r Mangel
lila purple | lilac (color) = fliederfarben, zartlila
e List cunning | list = e Liste, s Verzeichnis
live only in the sense of a "live" performance | live, alive = lebendig, am Leben
Note: German-speakers often confuse the words life and live when using them in German, pronouncing both words the same way (LYFE) and using "life" as an adverb/adjective instead of a noun.
s Lokal pub, inn | local = örtlich, einheimisch, lokal (small 'L')
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True English-German Cognates
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