German/Appendices/False friends

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Planning

There are some words which are spelled the same in English and in German, but have completely different meanings. Even though the words are spelled the same, they are usually pronounced completely differently. It can sometimes be dangerous to use these words (for both native English speakers and native German speakers.) Think of that, next time someone wants to give you a " Gift" or opens a door and says " After you!"

Note: This list contains some items of etymological interest. For example, the transformation of the consonant 't' in German to 'd' in English in word pairs like Bart->Beard, Bett->Bed, Gut->Good, Hart->Hard, Rot->Red, and Not->Need.

Word	German meaning (in English) Englische Bedeutung (auf Deutsch)
After	Anus Später, Nachher
also	thus auch
Angel	Fishing Rod Engel
Apart	Striking Abgesondert, Abseits
Arm	Poor Arm
Art	Kind, sort, species Kunst, Künstlichkeit
Ass	Ace Esel, Dumpfbacke, Knallkopf, Arsch (vulg.)
Bad	Bath Schlecht, Schlimm
Bagger	Excavator Angesteller im Supermarkt der die Einkäufe in Tüten packt
bald	Soon Unbehaart, Kahlköpfig
bang	Afraid Knall, Krach, Schall
bar	in Cash, Pure Stab (see also: Stab), Kneipe
Bart	Beard Name eines Mannes
bat	asked politely, requested (past tense) Fledermaus
Beet	Flower bed Zuckerrübe, rote Rübe
bitten	to ask politely, request gebissen
blank	Shiny, Shining Unbeschriftet, Unausgefüllt
Blech	Sheet metal Ausdruck des Ekels
bog	to Twist, Form, Bend (past tense) Sumpf, Torfmoor
Brand	Fire Markenprodukt
Brilliant, brillant	Diamond, prächtig, herrlich Blendend, Geistvoll
Bug	Front of a boat or plane Laus, Insekt, Störung
Danke	Thanks Feucht
dick	Thick Schnüffler, Schwanz, der steife Penis
Elf	Eleven, (coll. soccer team) Elfe, Kobold
falls	If, in case Wasserfälle
Fang, fang	Catch, to catch, to capture (imperative) Reißzahn
fatal	Unfortunate Verhängnisvoll, Unheilvoll, Tödlich
fast	Almost, Nearly Schnell
fasten	Fast Befestigen
Fee	Fairy Preise, Gebühr
Fell	Coat (animal) fällen
fern	Far away, Distant Farnkraut
First	Ridge Zuerst
flog	Flew Peitschen, Auspeitschen
fort	Away, Off, Gone Festung, Kastell
Funk	Radio Drückeberger, Musik von 1970's
Gang	Walk, Gait, Way Gruppe, Bande, Trupp
Gift	Poison Gabe, Geschenk
Grab	Grave Aufgreifen, Ergreifen
Grad	Degree (temperature) einen akademischen Grad erlangen
grub	dug (past tense) Futter
gut	Good Darm (Schnecke und Kette)
Hack	ground meal, hash Heib, Kerbe, Zerhacken
half	Helped (past tense) Halb
Handy	Cell Phone Praktisch, Passend, Handlich
Hang	Slope, Inclination Hängen, Henken
Happen	Bit, Morsel Zufällig Geschehen, Vorkommen, Passieren
hart	Hard Hirsch
Heck	Back of a car, boat or plane Was zum Teufel? (What the Heck?)
Held	Hero Gehalten
hell	Bright Hölle
Herd	Cooker, Oven, Range Herde
Hose	Pants Schlauch
Hub, hub	Throw, Lob, Swing (see also: Lob), (past tense of) to lift Wickelkern, Nabe
Hummer	Lobster Jemand der summt
Hut	Hat Hütte
Kind	child Art, Sorte
Labor	Laboratory Arbeit
Lack	Varnish Knappheit, Mangel
lag	Lay zurueckbleiben, zoegern
Last	Load, Burden, Weight Zuletzt
Lied	Song Gelogen
links	Left Verknüpfung, Verbindungen
List	Cunning Schlagseite
Lob	Praise Werf, Hub (see also: Hub)
log	Lied Block, Klotz
Lot	Plumb (line) Pazille, die Menge, die Masse
Lust	To feel like doing something, desire (this can have the English meaning, depending on the situation) Sinnliche Begierde
Made	Maggot Hergestellt, Gemacht
Maul	Mouth (animal) der Schlegel, Beschädigen, Durchprügeln
Mist	Manure, Trash leichter Nebel
Not	distress, need Nicht
Note	Grade (in school), musical note bemerken, aufschreiben, kleiner Brief
nun	Now die Schwester (im Kloster), Nonne
Pest	Plague Nervensäge
Rang	Rank Geklingelt, Geklungen
Rad	Wheel Ausdruck der Bewunderung (wie Geil)
Rat	Advice die Ratte
Regal	Shelves Majestätisch, Königlich, Hoheitsvoll
Rind	Beef, Cattle Schwarte, Schale
Rock	Skirt Stein, Fels
Roman	Novel der Römer
Rot	Red Verrotten, Verwesung
Sage	History, Myth Weise, Klug, Gescheit
See	Lake Siehe
Sense	Scythe Wahrnehmung, Bedeutung, Verstand, Sinn
Silvester	New Year's Eve Name eines Mannes
Speck	Bacon Fleck
Spur	Trace, Tracks, Lane Schiffsschnabel, Sporn, Ansporn (see also: Spore)
Stab	Rod, Pole, Baton, Bar (see also: Bar) Erstechen
Stare	Starlings anstarren
stark	Strong Völlig, Gänzlich
Stern	Star Ernst, das Heck
Tag	Day Markierstelle, Kennzeichnung
Tang	Seaweed Amerikanisches Orangengetränk
Taste	Key (as in keyboard) Kostprobe, Geschmackssinn
toll	Great! Super! Zollabgabe, Straßenbenutzungsgebühr
Tod	Death, Dead Name eines Mannes
Ton	Clay, a Sound die Tonne
Tot	Dead kleines Kind, kleiner Knirps
Wade	calf (of the leg) waten
Wand	Wall der Zauberstab
war	Was (see also: Was) Krieg
was	What? wurde/war (see also: War)
Welt	World Quaddel, Beule
Wetter	Weather Nasser
wider	Against, Contrary to Weiter, Breiter
will	Wants Wille

Although not spelled identically in both languages, beginners are often confused by the similarity of the German "bekommen" and English "to become".

bekommen => to receive, to get

werden => to become