German cognates supply a reassuring bridge of understanding for English audio system trying to study German. Cognates are phrases which have the identical linguistic origin and sometimes share the same which means. The commonalities shared by German and English cognates make it simple to translate from one language to the opposite—even in case you don’t essentially converse German!
The overlap between German and English is extra intensive than you may anticipate, spanning all the pieces from on a regular basis English and German nouns to verbs and past. This information will provide you with instruments to determine cognates between English and German, recommendations on leveraging them to your benefit, and learn how to keep away from frequent pitfalls with false cognates.
Why are there so many English and German cognates?
The abundance of cognates between English and German isn’t only a comfortable coincidence—it’s rooted of their shared linguistic historical past. Each languages belong to the Germanic department of the Indo-European language household, they usually each advanced from Proto-Germanic to the fashionable languages we all know at present.
This frequent ancestry, together with English affect on German in fields like know-how, popular culture, and science, leads to many similarities between the 2 languages. That is why there are such a lot of German cognates in English (and vice versa), and the way it makes German simple to study for English audio system.
The lexical similarity between English and German
Linguists measure the similarity between languages utilizing an idea known as “lexical similarity,” which compares overlap in vocabularies. English and German have a lexical similarity of about 60%, which highlights how shut the connection is between them. You’ll need to be aware that this determine doesn’t recommend that 60% of all phrases between the 2 languages are equivalent; it merely tells us that almost all of phrases share a linguistic origin. So, whereas German grammar can differ from the foundations governing English grammar, each languages have a extensively comparable vocabulary.
For simple reference, this desk compares the lexical similarity between English and German in contrast to some different languages in response tothe Database of Modern Lexicons:
Overseas Language
Lexical Similarity With English (%)
German
60
French
27
Russian
24
Portuguese
20
English and German noun cognates
Begin with what you understand by studying 70 German cognates in English proven within the desk of nouns beneath:
German Noun
English Cognate
das Album
album
das Alphabet
alphabet
das Child
child
der Balkon
balcony
der Ball
ball
der Ballon
balloon
die Banane
banana
der Bär
bear
die Bibel
bible
der Boulevard
boulevard
die Butter
butter
der Defekt
defect
die Demonstration
demonstration
das Design
design
der Dezember
December
der Elefant
elephant
die Elektronik
electronics
die Energie
vitality
der Faktor
issue
das Fett
fats
die Giraffe
giraffe
das Glas
glass
das Gold
gold
das Haar
hair
der Hammer
hammer
die Hand
hand
die Idee
thought
die Identität
id
die Industrie
business
die Jacke
jacket
der Januar
January
die Denims
denims
das Kabel
cable
der Kaffee
espresso
der Kindergarten
kindergarten
das Knie
knee
der Kuss
kiss
die Lampe
lamp
der Liberale
liberal
die Literatur
literature
die Logik
logic
die Maschine
machine
das Most
most
die Minute
minute
der Title
title
die Natur
nature
das Nylon
nylon
das Objekt
object
der Oktober
October
die Organisation
group
die Panik
panic
das Papier
paper
der Park
park
der Quadrant
quadrant
die Qualifikation
qualification
die Qualität
high quality
das Radio
radio
der Radius
radius
die Reaktion
response
die Faith
faith
der Ring
ring
der Salat
salad
das Salz
salt
der Sand
sand
der Service
service
die Station
station
der Veganer/die Veganerin
Vegan (male/feminine)
die Vegetation
vegetation
das Verb
verb
das Video
video
Verbs—German to English cognates
This assortment of 21 German to English cognates options German verbs that may really feel surprisingly acquainted to English audio system:
German Verb
English Cognate
addieren
so as to add
analysieren
to research
backen
to bake
beginnen
to start
diskutieren
to debate
enden
to finish
finden
to search out
formen
to kind
hämmern
to hammer
hängen
to hold
helfen
to assist
hoffen
to hope
imaginieren
to think about
informieren
to tell
kommen
to return
kontrollieren
to regulate
lernen
to study
quotieren
to cite
senden
to ship
singen
to sing
starten
to start out
stoppen
to cease
trinken
to drink
Adjectives inside German cognates
Adjectives make life colourful. Discover 36 English and German cognates that paint an ideal image of linguistic similarity:
German Adjective
English Cognate
aggressiv
aggressive
aktiv
energetic
allein
alone
automatisch
computerized
bitter
bitter
blau
blue
good
good
direkt
direct
dynamisch
dynamic
effectiv
efficient
elegant
elegant
exakt
precise
extrem
excessive
fabulös
fabulous
falsch
false
frisch
recent
international
international
grau
gray
clever
clever
intensiv
intensive
komfortabel
comfy
korrekt
appropriate
kreativ
artistic
lang
lengthy
massiv
large
negativ
destructive
neu
new
regular
regular
oft
typically
unique
unique
perfekt
good
praktisch
sensible
realistisch
sensible
regulär
common
rund
spherical
vulgär
vulgar
The best way to determine German to English cognates accurately
Recognizing cognates—phrases that look or sound related in each German and English and have the identical which means—could be a game-changer for language learners. Right here’s how one can decide if a phrase is a cognate:
Verify for related spelling. Many cognates have equivalent or practically equivalent spellings.
Look ahead to frequent prefixes and suffixes. Sure phrase endings like “-tion” in English typically finish in the identical -tion in German. Different endings will change persistently between cognates, like “-ism” in English translating to -ismus in German as in Imperialismus (imperialism).
Be careful for Falsche Freunde (false associates)! Not all similar-looking phrases are cognates. For instance, Reward means “poison” in German somewhat than a gift or present in English. Definitely a mistake you don’t need to make!
False cognates in English and German
Typically, two phrases will look and sound virtually equivalent between English and German, however they gained’t imply the identical factor. Tough phrases like these are known as “false cognates” or Falsche Freunde (false associates). There are numerous such Falsche Freunde between English and German, so be looking out for them!
Listed below are two examples:
Ich habe eine Blume für dich. = I’ve a flower for you.
Blume feels like “plume,” but it surely truly means flower. No feathers right here!
Er liest eine Roman. = He’s studying a novel.
Roman may make you consider the traditional empire, however in German, it means “novel.” He’s studying a guide, not learning historical past!
Don’t be fooled by these 50 false cognates proven within the desk beneath:
False Cognate (German)
English Translation
English False Buddy
German Equal
aktuell
present
truly
eigentlich
additionally
thus/due to this fact
additionally
auch
die Artwork
the type/kind
artwork
die Kunst
das Dangerous
bathtub/spa/rest room
unhealthy
schlecht
bald
quickly
bald
kahl
bekommen
to get/obtain
to turn into
werden
blamieren
to embarrass
guilty
beschuldigen
der Model
fireplace/blaze
model
die Marke
brav
well-behaved
courageous
mutig
der Chef/die Chefin
boss
chef
der Chefkoch
das Etikett
price ticket
etiquette
die Etikette
eventuell
presumably/doubtlessly
ultimately
endlich/schließlich
die Fabrik
manufacturing unit
cloth
der Stoff
der Fall
case
fall (autumn)
der Herbst
quick
virtually
quick
schnell
das Reward
poison
present
das Geschenk
herb
bitter/harsh
herb
das Kraut
die Hose
pants
hose
der Schlauch
der Hut
hat
hut
die Hütte
das Variety
little one
form (kind)
die Artwork
komisch
unusual/odd
comical
lustig
die Konkurrenz
competitors
concurrence
die Gleichzeitigkeit
konsequent
constant
consequent
folglich
kurios
odd/unusual
curious
neugierig
das Labor
laboratory
labor
die Arbeit
der Lack
paint/lacquer
lack
der Mangel
das Lokal
pub
native
örtlich
die Noten
grades (faculty)
notes
die Notizen
das Objektiv
digicam lens
goal
das Ziel
der Paragraph
part of a regulation
paragraph
der Absatz
pathetisch
solemn
pathetic
armselig
die Pension
inn/small resort
pension
die Rente
die Pest
plague
pest (insect)
der Schädling
der Prospekt
brochure
prospect
die Erwartung
das Publikum
viewers
public
die Öffentlichkeit
realisieren
to hold out
to comprehend
erkennen/begreifen
die Rente
pension
lease
die Miete
der Roman
novel
Roman
der Römer
der Sekt
glowing wine
sect (non secular)
die Sekte
der Sender
broadcaster
sender
der Absender
sensibel
delicate
smart
vernünftig
der Smoking
tuxedo, dinner jacket
smoking
das Rauchen
spenden
to donate
to spend
ausgeben
der Stern
star
stern
streng/hart
der Inventory
ground (stage)
inventory
der Bestand
der Tag
the day
tag
das Etikett
tasten
to really feel round for one thing
to style
schmecken
die Wand
wall
wand (magic)
der Zauberstab
das Warenhaus
division retailer
warehouse
die Lagerhalle
winken
to wave
to wink
blinzeln
Key takeaways for German-English cognates
You’ll discover loads of overlap between German and English, making cognates a implausible instrument for language learners to jumpstart their language proficiency. Right here are some things to recollect about English and German cognates:
Cognates are phrases with related roots, look and sound related, and share the identical which means between two languages.
German and English have a excessive diploma of lexical similarity on account of their shared Germanic roots which leads to the 2 languages having many cognates obtainable.
Figuring out cognates is simpler while you search for related spellings, pronunciation patterns, and linguistic roots.
Be cautious of false cognates: phrases that look and sound alike however have completely totally different meanings.
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