German false friends look like English words but mean something else. Bekommen means to get, not to become. Gift means poison, also means so or therefore, and a Handy is a cell phone. Because German and English share so many roots, these traps feel safe, which is exactly why English speakers fall into them.
| German | Actually means | The English word you meant |
|---|---|---|
| bekommen | to get, to receive | to become = werden |
| das Gift | poison | gift = das Geschenk |
| also | so, therefore | also = auch |
| das Handy | cell phone | handy = praktisch |
| der Chef | boss | chef = der Koch |
| bald | soon | bald = kahl, glatzköpfig |
| brav | well-behaved | brave = mutig, tapfer |
| der Rock | skirt | rock (stone) = der Stein, der Felsen |
| der Mist | manure; also "rubbish" or "darn!" | mist = der Nebel, der Dunst |
The sentence every German teacher has heard: "Wann bekomme ich ein Steak?" An English speaker thinks it means "When will I become a steak", but it means "When do I get a steak?" The verb for become is werden: Ich werde müde (I'm getting tired), Sie will Ärztin werden (she wants to become a doctor).
Bekommen is everywhere in daily life. In a restaurant, "Ich bekomme einen Salat" is a normal way to order. "Wir bekommen ein Baby" means "we're having a baby". And "Was bekommen Sie?" works both ways: from a server it means "What can I get you?", and from a customer at the end it means "What do I owe you?"
Also starts sentences constantly in spoken German, the way English speakers use "so" or "well": Also, ich glaube, wir gehen jetzt. If you use it to mean "too", your sentence suddenly sounds like a conclusion. "Ich komme also" means "So I'm coming, then", not "I'm coming too". For "too" or "as well" say auch: Ich komme auch.
| German | Actually means | For the English meaning, say |
|---|---|---|
| eventuell | possibly, maybe | eventually = schließlich, irgendwann |
| aktuell | current, up to date | actual = tatsächlich, eigentlich |
| sensibel | sensitive | sensible = vernünftig |
| sympathisch | likeable, nice | sympathetic = mitfühlend, verständnisvoll |
| will (from wollen) | want | will (future) = werden |
| wer / wo | who / where | where = wo, who = wer |
"Ich will Kaffee" means "I want coffee", and it can sound blunt; Ich möchte einen Kaffee is the polite version. The English future "I will go" is Ich werde gehen, or more often just the present: Ich gehe morgen.
Eventuell is a frequent source of mix-ups in work email. "Wir kommen eventuell am Freitag" means you might come on Friday, not that you will come in the end. If you mean "in the end", say schließlich or am Ende.
Wer and wo look and sound like "where" and "who" crossed over. Wer ist das? means who is that. Wo ist der Bahnhof? means where is the station.
If you move to Germany, these will show up in contracts and forms, where a mistake costs more than a laugh.
| German | Actually means | For the English meaning, say |
|---|---|---|
| die Rente | pension, retirement income | rent = die Miete |
| die Kaution | deposit (for an apartment) | caution = die Vorsicht |
| die Billion | a million million (trillion) | billion = die Milliarde |
| spenden | to donate | spend money = ausgeben; spend time = verbringen |
| das Personal | staff, employees | personal = persönlich |
| der Prospekt | brochure, leaflet | prospect = die Aussicht |
Billion is a real trap in news and finance. German uses the long scale: eine Milliarde is a thousand million, and eine Billion is a million million. A headline about "drei Billionen Euro" means three trillion in American English.
Spenden is another one. "Ich habe viel Geld gespendet" means you donated a lot of money. If you mean you spent a lot on shopping, say Ich habe viel Geld ausgegeben. For time, "Wir haben das Wochenende in Hamburg verbracht."
| German | Actually means | For the English meaning, say |
|---|---|---|
| das Gymnasium | academic secondary school | gym = das Fitnessstudio, die Turnhalle |
| die Note | grade (also a musical note) | note (memo) = die Notiz |
| das Bad | bathroom, bath | bad = schlecht |
| die Hose | pants, trousers | hose = der Schlauch |
| die Fabrik | factory | fabric = der Stoff |
| die Taste | key or button on a keyboard | taste = der Geschmack |
| das Lokal | bar or restaurant | local (adjective) = örtlich, hiesig |
| der Dom | cathedral | dome = die Kuppel |
Gymnasium matters if you have children: a German Gymnasium is the school track that leads to the Abitur, the university entrance qualification, not a sports hall.
Not every look-alike is a trap. Many shared Germanic words mean the same thing and are worth using with confidence: das Haus, die Hand, der Finger, das Wasser, der Garten, warm, alt, kalt, das Buch (book), trinken (drink). Spelling shifts are common and predictable: English "th" often becomes German d (Ding, thing), and English "p" can become pf or f (Apfel, apple; Schiff, ship).
False friends stop catching you once you have used the right word out loud a few times in context. Ordering, chatting about your weekend or explaining your job to a tutor is where they surface, so that is the best place to fix them.
No. Bekommen means to get or to receive. To become is werden: Ich werde müde means I am getting tired, and Sie will Ärztin werden means she wants to become a doctor.
Das Gift means poison. A present is das Geschenk. The adjective giftig means poisonous or toxic.
Handy is a German coinage that looks English but is not used in English for a phone. It became the everyday German word for a cell phone in the nineteen nineties.
No. German uses the long scale, so eine Milliarde is a thousand million, the English billion, and eine Billion is a million million, the English trillion.
