If you’re learning German as an English speaker, you’ve probably experienced the frustration of stumbling over false friends — those tricky words that look or sound like English, but mean something totally different in German. These misleading pairs can trip up even the most advanced learners, often leading to confusion, miscommunication, or just hilarious misunderstandings.
To save you from awkward mistakes (and to help boost your vocabulary awareness), we’ve compiled the top 50 most confusing English–German false friends, complete with meanings and quick usage notes.
Let’s dive in!
🚫 1–10: Everyday Vocabulary Traps
- Gift – Not a present! In German, Gift means poison.
- Chef – Not the cook, but the boss in German.
- Bald – Doesn’t mean hairless! In German, it means soon.
- Brave – In German, brav means well-behaved, not courageous.
- Fast – In German, it means almost, not speedy.
- Hell – In German, hell means bright. Nothing spooky here.
- Rats – If someone says Rat, they’re offering advice, not talking about rodents.
- Handy – A common German word for a mobile phone.
- Sympathetic – Sympathisch in German means likable, not empathetic.
- Sensible – In German, sensibel means sensitive, not practical.
🏫 11–20: School & Work Confusions
- Gymnasium – A German Gymnasium is a high-level secondary school, not a gym.
- Aktuell – Means current, not actual.
- Bewerbung – A Bewerbung is a job application, not flattery or appeal.
- Studieren – Specifically means to study at university, not general studying.
- Professor – In Germany, it’s a formal academic title, not just any teacher.
- Note – Means grade (as in school marks), not a written memo.
- Semester – Similar in both languages, but in German academia, it’s a strict calendar term.
- Studi – Short for student in German slang, not a studio.
- Promotion – Means PhD in German, not a sale or career advancement.
- Kollege – Not always a close coworker, just someone who works in the same place.
🛒 21–30: Shopping & Money Misleads
- Kaution – A security deposit, not a warning.
- Provision – In German, it refers to commission, not food rations.
- Rabatt – Yes, it’s a discount, not a rebellious movement.
- Laden – A shop, not loading something (though it can be a verb too).
- Rechnung – Means bill/invoice, not a calculation or equation.
- Bank – Can mean a bench or a bank — context is key.
- Karte – Could be a card or a map.
- Ware – Means goods/merchandise, not caution or hesitation.
- Mark – Historically a German currency, now rarely used. Not a stain or brand.
- Cent – Same word, but Germans pronounce it like “tsent.”
🏠 31–40: At Home and Around Town
- Bett – A bed, not a bet.
- Bad – Means bathroom or bath, not something negative.
- Stock – Refers to a floor level in a building.
- Boden – The floor or ground, not a surname or type of food.
- Mist – Not fog! It means manure or crap in German.
- Taste – A button on a device, not a flavor.
- Herd – A stove, not a group of animals.
- Chefzimmer – Boss’s office, not a fancy kitchen!
- Zimmer – A room, not someone named Zimmer.
- Chefkoch – The actual head chef, finally some overlap.
🎭 41–50: Social, Emotional & Cultural Mix-Ups
- bekommen – Means to receive, not to become.
- eventuell – Means possibly, not something related to an event.
- sensibel – As mentioned, it’s sensitive, not sensible.
- konsequent – Means consistent, not harsh or strict.
- spenden – To donate, not to spend.
- also – Used like “so” or “well” in German, not like “too.”
- winken – Means to wave, not to wink.
- lustig – Means funny, not sexy.
- smoking – A tuxedo in German. Yes, really.
- event – Germans use this word a lot, but often to mean a planned public gathering, not just any happening.
Final Thoughts
False friends are sneaky — they look familiar and welcoming but can totally derail your sentence. Mastering them takes practice, observation, and a bit of humor. If you’ve fallen for a few, you’re not alone. Every English speaker learning German gets caught in these traps at some point.