Ägyptisch-Deutsche Hotelfachschule

- Paul Rahn - El Gouna

ORASCOM
‫ الجونة‬- ‫ باول ران‬$‫ األلمانية الفندقية‬$‫المدرسة المصرية‬

False friends (English and German)

Here you find words which can be confusing for German speaking people. In the first
column you find the German word, in the second the correct English translation, in
the third the "false friend". In the last column you find the correct German translation
of this word.
Have a look at True friends as well. There you'll find words which are the same in German and in
English.

English correct English

German translation false friend
word translation
-- -- Barkeeper bartender
-- -- Hometrainer exercise bikes (AE)
-- -- Showmaster host
actual wirklich, tatsächlich aktuell topical, current
durchschnittlich,
adequate adäquat suitable, appropriate
annehmber
alley Gasse, Gang Allee avenue
BE: A & E (accident and
ambulance Krankenwagen Ambulanz emergency department)
AE: ER (emergency room)
ankle Fußknöchel Enkel grandchild
announcement Ansage, Durchsage Annonce advertisment
apart auseinander, einzeln apart fancy
art Kunst Art way, sort, kind
backside Hinterteil Rückseite back
data projector
Beamer BMW (Automarke) Beamer
computer projector
trillion (AE)
billion Milliarde Billion
billion (BE) = true friend
biro Kugelschreiber Büro office
board Tafel Bord shelf
body Körper Body bodysuit
 Seite 2

Box
box Schachtel (loud)speaker
(Lautsprecher)
good, well-behaved,
brave mutig brav
honest
brief kurz Brief letter
briefcase Aktentasche Brieftasche wallet
Schreibtisch, Kommode
bureau Büro office
(AE)
café kleines Restaurant Kaffee coffee
Gehilfe des Souffleurs
callboy Callboy male prostitute
(Theater) oder: Hotelboy
caution Vorsicht Kaution bail, depostit
chef Küchenchef Chef boss
crisps (BE)
chips (BE) Pommes Chips*
chips (AE)
city Großstadt City centre, center (AE)
clever (gerissen/
clever klug crafty
schlau)
college Hochschule Kollege colleague
durchschnittliche sehr gute Leistungen
competent kompetent
Leistungen zeigen zeigen
concept Begriff, Idee Konzept draft
Belang, Anliegen, (corporate) group
concern Konzern
Angelegenheit affiliated group
Einverständnis,
concurrence Konkurrenz competition
Mitwirkung
confession Beichte, Geständnis Konfession denomination, religion
consequent daraus folgend konsequent consistent
corn Getreide, Mais (AE) Korn grain
craft Handwerk Kraft strength
critic Kritiker Kritik criticism
Prepared by, 2
Mohamed Fou'ad
The British Academy
 Seite 3

curious neugierig kurios strange

Termine,
Daten
dates Verabredungen; data
(Computer)
Datteln
delicate empfindlich delikat delicious; exquisite
wahnsinnig
demented dementiert denied, refuted
(demenzkrank)
direction Richtung Direktion management
dome Kuppel Dom cathedral
eagle Adler Igel hedgehog
verlobt; besetzt (Telefon,
engaged engagiert committed
WC)
to be all the same,
equal gleich egal
identical
eventually schließlich eventuell possible
evergreen immergrüne Pflanze Evergreen oldie
fabric Stoff Fabrik factory
failure Mißerfolg, Versagen Fehler mistake
familiar umgangssprachlich familiär family
famous berühmt famos splendid
Fantasie
fantasy Vorstellung, Einbildung imagination
(Kreativität)
fast schnell fast almost
Krankheit (z.B.
fever Fieber temperature
Gelbfieber)
Fleisch (als Teil des
flesh meat Fleisch (zum Essen)
Körpers)
floor Fußboden Flur hall
for 10 years seit 10 Jahren seit 1996 since 1996
formula Formel Formular form
fraction Bruchteil, Bruchzahl Fraktion parliamentary party, group
Prepared by, 3
Mohamed Fou'ad
The British Academy
 Seite 4

genial angenehm, froh genial brilliant

gift Geschenk Gift poison
girdle Hüfthalter Gürtel belt
glance Blick Glanz glory, shine
reason
ground (Erd)boden, gemahlen Grund
grounds (Motiv)
guesthouse Pension Gasthaus restaurant, pub
guilty schuldig gültig valid
gymnasium grammar school, high
Turnhalle Gymnasium
(gym) school (AE)
mobile (BE)
griffbereit, brauchbar, mobile phone (BE)
handy Handy
praktisch, nützlich cellphone (AE)
cellular phone (AE)
happen geschehen, ereignen Happen snack
weiterführende
high-school Bildungseinrichtung Hochschule college, university
(Sekundarstufe)
trousers (BE)
hose Schlauch Hose
pants (AE)
housemaster  Heimleiter (Internat) Hausmeister caretaker, janitor
housework Hausarbeit Hausaufgaben homework
human menschlich human humane
isolate isoliert (z.B. einzeln) insulate isoliert (z.B. Fenster)
justice Gerechtigkeit legal authorities Justiz
warehouse, storehouse,
lager (Lager)bier Lager
depot
lake See Lake brine
lecture Vortrag Lektüre reading
lemon Zitrone Limone lime
list Liste List trick
Prepared by, 4
Mohamed Fou'ad
The British Academy
 Seite 5

loan Kredit, Darlehen Lohn wages

lyrics Liedtext Lyrik poetry
chief executive officer
manager Filialleiter, Verwalter Manager
(CEO)
map Landkarte Mappe (Hefter) folder
mark Note (Zensur) Marke brand
spezielle Marmelade (aus
marmalade Marmelade jam
Zitrusfrüchten)
massive riesig massiv solid
meaning Bedeutung Meinung opinion
menu Speisekarte Menü set meal
mess Unordnung Messe fair; mass
mice Mäuse Mais corn (AE), maize
dung (Stall)
mist leichter Nebel Mist
rubbish (Quatsch)
mundane alltäglich, profan mondän fashionable, chic
murder Mord Mörder murderer
musical box Spieldose Musikbox juke-box
note Notiz Note (Zensur) mark
Schild, Beachtung,
notice Notiz note
Benachrichtigung
novel Roman Novelle novella
old car, vintage car (BE),
old-timer Veteran Oldtimer
veteran car (before 1916)
ordinary gewöhnlich ordinär vulgar
packet Packung, Schachtel Paket parcel
lächerlich, albern, emotional, dramatic,
pathetic pathetisch
jämmerlich emotive
Schirmherr,
patron Patrone cartridge
Stammkunde

Prepared by, 5
Mohamed Fou'ad
The British Academy
 Seite 6

personal persönlich Personal personnel, staff

petroleum Erdöl Petroleum paraffin, kerosene
photograph Foto, Bild Fotograf photographer
physician Arzt Physiker physicist
pregnant schwanger prägnant concise
principal hauptsächlich prinzipiell fundamental
untersuchen, erforschen,
probe Probe rehearsal, sample
Sonde (Medizin)
procurer Zuhälter Prokurist attorney
programme
Sendung Programm (TV) channel
(TV)
prospect Aussicht Prospekt brochure, leaflet
provision Versorgung, Vorkehrung Provision commission
public Öffentlichkeit Publikum audience
rabbit Hase Rabatt discount
rate Maß, Menge, Rendite Rate instalment
receipt Quittung
Rezept (Arzt) prescription
recipe Kochrezept
rent mieten Rente pension
rentable mietbar rentabel profitable
rock Stein, Fels Rock skirt
roman römisch Roman novel
self-conscious verlegen selbstbewusst self-confident
sensible vernünftig sensibel sensitive
serious ernst seriös respectable
Silikon
Silizium (chemisches (Polymerverbindung,
silicon silicone
Element, Hableiter) Dichtungsmasse,
Implantatmaterial)
sin Sünde Sinn sense

Prepared by, 6
Mohamed Fou'ad
The British Academy
 Seite 7

slip Unterkleid/Unterrock Slip panties

smoking Rauchen Smoking tuxedo, dinner jacket
snake Schlange Schnecke snail, slug
spices Gewürze Speisen dishes
spot Fleck, Punkt Spott ridicule, mockery
stadium Stadion Stadium stage
still (immer) noch still quiet
Stock (Etage) floor
stock Vorrat, Bestand
Stock (Holz) stick
stool Hocker Stuhl chair
Strom (Energie) electricity
stream Bach, Flüsschen
Strom (Fluss) river
strong stark streng strict
study Arbeitszimmer Studium studies
stuff Zeug, Sachen Stoff material
suit Anzug Suite suite
mitfühlend,
sympathetic sympathisch nice, pleasant, likable
verständnisvoll
tablet Tablette Tablett tray
theme Motto Thema subject, topic
to become werden bekommen to get
jemanden die Schuld
to blame (sich) blamieren to make a fool of oneself
geben
to conserve einsparen konservieren to preserve
regulieren, beherrschen, kontrollieren
to control to check, to monitor
steuern (überprüfen)
to manufacture,
to fabricate erfinden, ausdenken fabrizieren
to produce
to irritate jemanden verärgern irritieren to confuse
to mince etwas hacken Minze mint
Prepared by, 7
Mohamed Fou'ad
The British Academy
 Seite 8

to mob umringen, umlagern mobben to bully

etwas zufällig
to overhear überhören not to hear
mitbekommen
to oversee beaufsichtigen übersehen to overlook
to overtake überhohlen übernehmen to take over
to overtake überholen übernehmen to take over
to prove beweisen prüfen to check
to see; sea sehen; Meer See lake
to send verschicken senden (TV) to broadcast
übrig haben, jmd.
to spare sparen to save
verschonen
ausgeben (Geld)
to spend spenden to donate
verbringen (Zeit)
to wander ziellos umherstreifen wandern to walk
to wonder sich fragen sich wundern to be surprised
undertaker Leichenbestatter Unternehmer entrepreneur, employer
vest Unterhemd Weste waistcoat, cardigan
wall Mauer, Wand Wall embankment, rampart
wand Zauberstab Wand wall
warehouse Lagerhaus Warenhaus department store
Wellness hotel spa
wellness Wohlbefinden Wellness health farm
holiday pampering weekend
when wann wenn if
where wo wer who
while während weil because, as
who wer wo where
wide breit weit (entfernt) far
I will ich werde ich will I want (I would like)

Prepared by, 8
Mohamed Fou'ad
The British Academy
 Seite 9

* The German "Chips" are crisps in British English, in American English the German
word for "Chips" is a true friend. Here are "Kartoffelchips" potato chips.

Parts of Speech
In the English language there are eight parts of speech. These are:

• Adjective
• Adverb
• Conjunction
• Interjection
• Noun
• Preposition
• Pronoun
• Verb
These eight categories can be expanded e.g. by Article and Numeral. In the following tables we
concentrate on the eight main categories.

Parts of Speech Examples

Adjective Look! He is sitting on an old chair and is snoring loudly.
Adverb Look! He is sitting on an old chair and is snoring loudly.
Conjunction Look! He is sitting on an old chair and is snoring loudly.
Interjection Look! He is sitting on an old chair and is snoring loudly.
Noun Look! He is sitting on an old chair and is snoring loudly.
Preposition Look! He is sitting on an old chair and is snoring loudly.
Pronoun Look! He is sitting on an old chair and is snoring loudly.
Verb Look! He is sitting on an old chair and is snoring loudly.

Parts of Speech Explanation

Adjective describes a noun or a pronouns (how something or
Prepared by, 9
Mohamed Fou'ad
The British Academy
 Seite 10

someone is)
describes a verb, an adjective or an adverb (how
Adverb
someone does something)
Conjunction joins words or phrases
Interjection expresses a feeling
Noun names a person or a thing
Preposition expresses a connection between persons or things
Pronoun can substitute a noun
Verb expresses an action or a state

* Find out the correct part of speech of the following underlined words.
Write the underlined words into the correct column:

1. Steve can play the trumpet.

2. Do you like dogs?
3. They listen to music every day.
4. She is an old lady.
5. The group went climbing in the mountains.
6. This is a fast car.
7. He did well in the test.
8. My father drives carefully.
9. Has your father ever been to Australia?
10. The play was fantastic.

Noun Auxiliary Adjective Verb Adverb

Analysing texts
These sentences can be useful for analysing texts. You only need to substitute the red words.
Have a look at Feelings and Phrases for talks for further information.

The text

Prepared by, 10
Mohamed Fou'ad
The British Academy
 Seite 11

The story is about two teenagers.

The action takes place in London.
The text is divided into 5 parts.
The characters
The main characters are Peter and Mary.
I think Peter is brave because he rescues Mary.
In line 27 he says ...
In my opinion Mandy shouldn't have gone out alone.
The characters in the story change.
At first Peter is helpless. Later he becomes brave.
Summarizing the text
The main point is that Peter likes Mandy.
The difficult thing is that Mandy doesn't see this.
The turning point in the story is when Mandy falls off the tree.
On the one hand Mandy likes Peter, on the other hand she doesn't like his friends.
That's why ...
My opinion
I think that the story is nice.
My point of view is that ...
My first impression was ...
I like/don't like the story/poem/song.
I thought that the story would end like that.
The ending of the story didn't surprise me.

I think that this only happens in films.

I must admit that ...
The message of the story is ...

Prepared by, 11
Mohamed Fou'ad
The British Academy