If you grew up in New York City like yours truly, or anywhere near a large Jewish community, you have probably called somebody a schmuck or have yourself been called one. (What does he do for a living? Literally: With what does he earn his bread?) (The knife with which I am cutting is sharp.) You can be sure that Goethe or Schiller are not referring to anybody hurling!ĭas Messer, womit ich schneide ist scharf. Nope, your German teacher is not talking about puke! Womit means “whereby,” “wherewith,” “with which,” or “with what.” Though using this word in spoken language can sound a bit formal, it is very common to see it in written texts. This common German adverb has an unfortunate English false cognate.
Don’t be surprised when a German speaker describes the sky as hell! Hell, meaning “bright,” “light,” “fair,” or “clear,” is a versatile adjective that can be used to describe many things: the weather, the amount light in a room, someone’s face, a color, etc. In fact, this word has quite the opposite meaning in German. If you’re not familiar with this word, it might make you think of Dante’s Inferno or, if you’re like me, just a really, really bad day. (I can’t hear anything because the wall is too thick.) Ich kann nichts hören, weil die Wand zu dick ist. Depending on the context in which it is used, it can also mean “thick,” “plump,” “heavy,” and “chubby.” Due to the nature of this adverb, it can also take on many related meanings like “shortly,” “before long,” and “in a hurry.” Learn this important word as bald as possible!įor the sake of keeping this blog post PG-rated, let’s assume that this word is funny because it is a common English nickname for “Richard.” Dick, or “fat,” is hopefully not a word you will be calling people very often, especially if you’re trying to make new German friends! Nevertheless, it is useful for describing many everyday things. He texts you, “I’ll be there bald.” No, he did not leave his toupée at home! Bald, or “soon,” is another very common word in German, as well as another potential source of giggles for English speakers. You are meeting a potential employer for lunch and he is running late.
Found on signs near driveways, highways, and train stations, this common German word has nothing to do with what happens after you eat too much Mexican food! Fahrt, meaning “trip,” “drive,” “journey,” or “ride,” is a useful word when you’re trying to find out information about the train you need to take! Don’t stop to laugh or take a picture of the sign with you smartphone like most tourists! You may miss your train! Inevitably, when an English speaker travels to a German-speaking country, this word is a source of much amusement. (The Federal Council is a constitutional body of Germany.) (Maria is seeking advice from her friends.)ĭer Bundes rat ist ein Verfassungsorgan Deutschlands. Since it can also mean “counsel” or “council,” it is also useful when talking about government agencies hence, Europäischer Rat (European Council). Do not chuckle! This friend, who may be having a work- or relationship-related problem, is not asking you for a vermin of the rodent variety! Rat, or “advice,” is one of the most common words in the German language in the context of friendship. Perhaps one day one of your German friends will be in a pickle and he or she will ask you for a Rat. The following is a list of common German words that don’t mean quite what you might have expected…
(Download) 10 Common German Vocabulary Words that Don’t Mean Quite What You’d Think
COMMON GERMAN WORDS IN ENGLISH PDF
This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that youĬlick here to get a copy. In some cases this tactic might not only fail you, it might have you chuckling inappropriately or, worse, put you in a sticky situation! Though trying to find the shared root between German and English words is a perfectly good strategy for learning vocabulary, watch out!
Febru10 Common German Vocabulary Words With Surprising MeaningsĮnglish has many words that are exactly the same in German.Īnd there are German words that sound like English and are, in fact, cognates.įor example: Bett (bed), Fisch (fish), leicht (light), etc.