also
#183not “also”so, therefore; well
It means “so, therefore” or “well…”. English “also” is auch.
Also, was machen wir jetzt?
So, what do we do now?
False friends
German false friends: 27 words that fool English speakers
These German words look like English ones and mean something else. Every one of them is among the 5,000 most common German words, so you will meet them early — ordered here by how common they are.
fast
#271not “fast”almost, nearly
It means almost. Fast as in quick is schnell.
Ich habe den Zug fast verpasst.
I almost missed the train.
die Art
#310not “art”kind, type; manner
It means kind, type or manner. Art as in painting is die Kunst.
Welche Art von Musik hörst du gern?
What kind of music do you like?
aktuell
#335not “actual”current; currently
It means current or up to date. “Actually” is eigentlich or tatsächlich.
Die Preise sind aktuell sehr hoch.
Prices are very high at the moment.
bekommen
#386not “become”to get, to receive
To become is werden. Ich bekomme ein Paket = I’m getting a parcel.
Was bekommen Sie?
What can I get you?
das Kind
#427not “kind”child
It is a child. Kind as in nice is nett or freundlich.
Als Kind wollte ich Pilot werden.
As a child I wanted to be a pilot.
bald
#758not “bald”soon
It means soon. A bald head is eine Glatze.
Bis bald und gute Reise!
See you soon and have a good trip!
der Termin
#1,247not “term”appointment, date
It is an appointment or a date. A school term is ein Semester or Halbjahr.
Ich habe morgen um neun einen Termin beim Zahnarzt.
I have a dentist's appointment at nine tomorrow.
das Personal
#1,369not “personal”staff, personnel
It is a noun: the staff of a company. Personal as an adjective is persönlich.
Das Personal im Restaurant war sehr freundlich.
The staff at the restaurant were very friendly.
die Meinung
#1,377not “meaning”opinion
It is an opinion. Meaning is die Bedeutung.
Meiner Meinung nach ist das zu teuer.
In my opinion that's too expensive.
das Gymnasium
#1,393not “gymnasium”grammar school, high school
It is the academic secondary school. A gym is ein Fitnessstudio or eine Turnhalle.
Nach der Grundschule geht sie aufs Gymnasium.
After primary school she's going to grammar school.
der Rat
#1,831not “rat”advice; council
It is advice, or a council. The animal is die Ratte.
Kannst du mir einen Rat geben?
Can you give me some advice?
der Chef
#1,833not “chef”boss
It is the boss. A cook in a restaurant is der Koch.
Mein Chef ist heute gut gelaunt.
My boss is in a good mood today.
das Handy
#2,163not “handy”mobile phone, cell phone
It is a mobile phone. “Handy” as in useful is praktisch.
Mein Handy hat keinen Akku mehr.
My phone's battery is dead.
der See
#2,212not “sea”lake (der); sea (die)
der See is a lake; only die See is the sea (usually das Meer).
Im Sommer schwimmen wir oft im See.
In summer we often swim in the lake.
die Lust
#2,235not “lust”desire, wish; 'feel like'
Usually harmless: Lust haben = to feel like doing something.
Hast du Lust auf einen Kaffee?
Do you fancy a coffee?
der Unternehmer
#2,353not “undertaker”entrepreneur(s), business owner(s)
It is an entrepreneur or business owner. An undertaker is ein Bestatter.
Als Unternehmer hat er kaum freie Wochenenden.
As a business owner he hardly has any free weekends.
der Brief
#2,882not “brief”letter
It is a letter you post. “Brief” as in short is kurz.
Ich habe dir einen langen Brief geschrieben.
I've written you a long letter.
eventuell
#2,980not “eventually”possibly, perhaps
It means possibly, maybe. “Eventually” is schließlich or irgendwann.
Ich komme eventuell etwas später.
I might be a bit late.
die Rente
#2,981not “rent”pension, retirement
It is a pension. Rent is die Miete.
Meine Mutter geht nächstes Jahr in Rente.
My mother is retiring next year.
das Formular
#2,991not “formula”form
It is a form you fill in. A formula is eine Formel.
Bitte füllen Sie dieses Formular aus.
Please fill in this form.
der Sender
#3,203not “sender”(TV/radio) station, channel
It is a TV or radio station. The sender of a letter is der Absender.
Auf welchem Sender läuft das Spiel?
Which channel is the match on?
konsequent
#3,516not “consequent”consistent(ly), rigorous(ly)
It means consistent, rigorous. “Consequently” is folglich.
Du musst konsequent bleiben, sonst lernt der Hund nichts.
You have to be consistent, or the dog won't learn anything.
das Lager
#3,781not “lager”warehouse, stock; camp
It is a warehouse, a stock or a camp. The beer is ein Helles or ein Lagerbier.
Die Schuhe sind leider nicht mehr auf Lager.
Unfortunately the shoes are no longer in stock.
die Wand
#4,265not “wand”wall
It is a wall inside a building. A magic wand is ein Zauberstab.
Das Bild hängt schief an der Wand.
The picture is hanging crooked on the wall.
das Rezept
#4,417not “receipt”recipe, prescription
It is a recipe or a prescription. A receipt is ein Kassenbon or eine Quittung.
Kannst du mir das Rezept für den Kuchen geben?
Can you give me the recipe for the cake?
die Promotion
#4,668not “promotion”doctorate, PhD
It is a doctorate. A promotion at work is eine Beförderung.
Nach der Promotion will er in die Forschung gehen.
After his PhD he wants to go into research.
The opposite also exists: hundreds of German words really do mean what they look like. See German words you already know.