English-German Cognates

Similarities between the German language and the English language

Did you know that there are similarities between English and German? Many German words are derived from English, and vice versa. These shared words are known as English-German cognates.

In fact, these two languages are linguistic siblings. They share a lot of similarities because they originate from the same roots.

English-German Cognates
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German Words Similar to English: Discover the Connections

OK – let’s start with some common German-English cognates that are very similar in both languages.

These words share the same or very similar spellings and meanings, making them easier to remember and understand.

By recognizing these cognates, you’ll see how much English and German have in common, which can be encouraging for beginners.

We’ll explore a few examples to give you a first impression of these similarities, and how they can help make learning German more intuitive and approachable.

Try this: 

Read the cognates
Click the play button and listen
Read and listen several times

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Klick den Playbutton!

es ist = it is

gut = good

es ist gut = it is good

guten Morgen = good morning

willkommen = welcome

guten Morgen und willkommen
= good morning and welcome

German and English Similar Words: Using “Wollen”

Let’s check out some other similar words.

Practice with the phrases several times because they are similar and that could confuse you a little in the beginning.

Read and listen a few times
Try to listen without looking at the text
Do you understand the meaning?

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wollen = want

Sie = you

Wollen Sie? = Do you want?
(It means literally: Want you?)

was = what

Was wollen Sie? = What do you want?
(literally: What want you?)

Wasser = water

Wollen Sie Wasser? = Do you want water?
(literally: Want you water?)

essen = to eat

trinken = to drink

Was wollen Sie essen?
= What do you want to eat?
(literally: What want you eat?)

Was wollen Sie* trinken?
= What do you want to drink?
(literally: What want you drink?)

s

Note

The polite form of you (Sie) is always written with a capital ‘S‘.

I’ll explain this in more detail in one of my other lessons.

Similarities between German and English

Let’s Use More Similar Words in German and English With “wollen”

Let’s use what we have learned so far and build some sentences with some similar German verbs.


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Wollen Sie … ? = Do you want to … ?
(literally: Want you … ?)

Wollen Sie trinken? = (drink)
= Do you want to drink?
(literally: Want you drink?)

Wollen Sie essen? = (eat)
= Do you want to eat?
(literally: Want you eat?)

Wollen Sie schwimmen? (swim)
= Do you want to swim?

Wollen Sie lernen? = (learn)

Wollen Sie studieren? = (study)

Wollen Sie kommen? = (come)

Wollen Sie parken? = (park)

Wollen Sie gehen? = (go)

Wollen Sie starten? = (start)

Wollen Sie tanzen? = (dance)

mit mir? = with me?

Wollen Sie mit mir* tanzen?
= Do you want to dance with me?

s

(*) Note

The word order in German and English is sometimes a little different.

No German would have a problem if you said: „Wollen Sie tanzen mit mir?“ but it would be correct to ask: „Wollen Sie mit mir tanzen?“

More German Key Verbs Close to English


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wann = when 

Wann wollen Sie … ?
= When do you want to … ?
(literally: When want you … ?)

Wann wollen Sie trinken?
= When do you want to drink?
(literally: When want you drink?)

Wann wollen Sie essen?

Wann wollen Sie schwimmen?

Wann wollen Sie lernen?

Wann wollen Sie studieren?

Wann wollen Sie kommen?

Wann wollen Sie gehen?

Wann wollen Sie starten?

Wann wollen Sie tanzen?

Wann wollen Sie mit mir tanzen?
= When do you want to dance with me?

kann habe bin muss - Learn German Easily

I, can, have and must are also similar in German and English


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Ich kann = I can 

Ich habe = I have 

Ich bin = I am 

Ich muss = I must

Similar Sentences in German and English Using “können”


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Ich kann … = I can …

Ich kann nicht. = I cannot.

Ich kann singen. = I can sing.

Ich kann nicht singen. = I cannot sing.

Ich kann schwimmen. = I can swim.

Ich kann nicht schwimmen.
= I cannot swim.

Ich kann surfen. = I can surf.

Ich kann nicht surfen. = I cannot surf.

Similar Sentences in German and English and with “haben”


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Ich habe … = I have …

Ich habe einen Traum. = I have a dream.

Ich habe ein Baby. = I have a baby.

Ich habe einen Computer. = I have a computer.

Ich habe einen Laptop. = I have a laptop.

Ich habe einen Hamster. = I have a hamster.

Ich habe einen* Ring. = I have a ring.

Ich habe ein* T-Shirt. = I have a T-shirt.

*Don’t worry about the different words (ein, einen) for „a“ in German. I’m going to explain this in upcoming lessons.

Similar Sentences in English and German with “müssen”

See how easy it is to get started if you use similar words.

Try this: Try to guess what the following German sentences mean.


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Ich muss … = I must (have to) …

Ich muss gehen. = I must go.

Ich muss Sie finden. = I must find you.

Ich muss warten. = I must wait.

Ich muss meine Haare waschen.
= I must wash my hair.

Ich muss heute Nacht schlafen.
= I must sleep tonight.

Would you have thought that the German language and the English language are so similar?

If we continue at this pace you will be able to speak German fluently by the end of the day.

I’m just kidding!

My students learn the German language very fast but not that fast.

In LGE Premium I use the storytelling method and a special Question and Answer Technique.

This technique will enable your brain to think in German step by step and you will develop a natural feeling for the German language.

Students who practice with my lessons daily need only about 6 to 8 months until they speak German fluently!

OK – let’s go on and have a look at some other German English cognates.

Common English and German Cognates with “bin” (sein)


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Ich bin … = I am …

Ich bin ein Idiot. = I am an idiot.

Ich bin ein Manager. = I am a manager.

Ich bin ein Monster. = I am a monster.

Ich bin blond. = I am blond.

Ich bin cool. = I am cool.

Ich bin super cool. = I am super cool.

Ich bin fair. = I am fair.

Ich bin impotent. = I am impotent.

Ich bin intelligent. = I am intelligent.

Ich bin sexy. = I am sexy.

Ich bin unfair. = I am unfair.

Ich bin wild. = I am wild.

Adjectives with the same meaning in German and English

Now, let me show you some adjectives that are quite similar in both German and English.

If you know the meaning in English, you’ll instantly understand it in German too—how great is that?

Wörter mit A

abnormal
absurd
anal
analog
arrogant 

Wörter mit B

banal
beige
bitter
blind
blond
brutal

Wörter mit C und D

cool
diagonal
digital

Wörter mit E

elegant
emotional
extravagant

Wörter mit F

fair
formal
fundamental

Wörter mit G und H

global
horizontal

Wörter mit I

ideal
illegal
impotent
intelligent
international
intolerant
irrational
irrelevant

Wörter mit L 

legal
liberal
linear
loyal

Wörter mit M 

maximal
mild
minimal
multilateral

Wörter mit N 

national
neutral
normal

Wörter mit O 

OK (okay)
optimal
optional
oral
orange
oval

Wörter mit P 

parallel
paranoid
pink
prominent
prompt
proportional

Wörter mit R 

rational
redundant
regional
relevant
robust

Wörter mit S 

sentimental
sexy
solo
super
superb

Wörter mit T 

tolerant
total
transparent
triumphal
trivial
turbulent

Wörter mit U, V und W 

unfair
universal
verbal
warm
wild

Nouns with the same meaning in German and English

Nouns with A that are the same in German and English.

die Addition
die Adoption
der Agent
die Aggression
der Alarm

das Album
das Alibi
der Alligator
das Alphabet
die Alternative

das Aluminium
der Amateur
das Aquarium
die Arena
das Argument

der Arm
das Aroma
der Asteroid
das Asthma
der Astronaut

der Atlas
das Atom
der Automat

German and English Nouns with B That Are the Same

das Baby
die Balance
der Ball
die Band
die Bank

die Bar
die Basis
der Basketball
der Bass
der Bastard

der Bikini
der Bluff
der Boss
die Boutique
der Boxer

der Broccoli
der Browser
das Budget
der Bus
der Butler
die Butter

Similar Nouns in German and English Starting with C

das Café
das Casino
das Cello
die Chance
das Chaos

der Cheeseburger
der Clown
der Club
das Cockpit
der Cocktail

der Code
der Computer
der Container
die Cornflakes
die Couch

German-English Nouns Starting with D That Are the Same

die Definition
die Demonstration
die Demo
das Depot
die Depression

das Dessert
das Detail
die Detonation
der Dialog
der Diplomat

Same German and English Nouns Starting with E

das Echo
das Element
die Emotion
die Episode

die Evolution
die Expedition
das Experiment
die Explosion

German-English Similar Nouns Starting with F

der Fan
die Farm
das Fax
der Film
der Filter

der Finger
das Format
das Forum
das Fossil
das Fragment
der Frost

German-English Cognates: Nouns Starting with G

die Garage
das Gas
das Gel
die Generation
der Generator

die Gesundheit
die Giraffe
das Gold
der Gorilla
die Grapefruit

Common Cognates in German and English: Nouns with H

der Hamburger
der Hammer
der Hamster
die Hand
die Hardware

der Hippie
das Hobby
der Horror
das Hotel
der Humor

der Humorist
der Hunger

Examples of Cognates in German and English: Nouns with I

der Idiot
das Idol
die Illusion
der Index
die Information

die Info
die Initiative
das Inland
die Innovation
die Inspiration

die Institution
das Instrument
die Intention
das Internet
das Interview

die Intuition
die Isolation

Shared Nouns in German and English: Words Starting with J and K

der Jaguar
der Jazz
die Jeans
der Jeep
der Job

der Journalist
der Junior
der Ketchup
das Kilo
der Kindergarten

German-English Cognates: Nouns with L

das Land
der Laptop
der Laser
die Lava
der Leopard

der Lift
die Limousine
der Liter
die Lust – (Aber vielleicht nicht was du denkst)

Similar Nouns in German and English: Starting with M

der Macho
das Magnesium
der Magnet
die Malaria
der Manager

die Mango
die Massage
der Mast
das Material
die Matrix

das Maximum
das Medium
das Memorandum
das Memo
der Meteor

der Meter
die Million
die Mine
das Mineral
das Minimum

der Minister
die Minute
die Mission
das Model
der Moment

das Monster
das Moor
das Moped
die Motivation
der Motor

das Motto
das Museum
das Musical

German-English Cognates: Nouns Starting with N

der Name
die Nation
das Nest
das Netbook
das Neutron

die Norm
das Notebook
der/das Nougat

German and English Similar Nouns: Starting with O

die Olive
das Omelette
die Operation
die Opposition
das Optimum

die Option
die Orange
das Orbit
die Organisation
das Organ
der Organist

Similar German and English Nouns: Starting with P

der Panda
das Panorama
der Panther
die Papaya
die Parade

der Paragraph
der Parameter
die Paranoia
der Park
der Partner

die Party
das Patent
der Patient
der Patriot
die Pause

das Pedal
die Person
die Pest
das Phantom
die Phase

German and English Nouns: Similar Words Starting with Q

der Quotient
das Quiz

Similar Nouns in English and German: Words Starting with R

das Radar
das Radio
der Radius
die Rate
die Rebellion

der Referend
der Reflex
die Reform
der Refrain
das Regime

die Region
das Register
die Religion
das Rendezvous
die Reportage

der Report
die Reserve
der Rest
das Restaurant
die Revolution

der Ring
der Roller
die Rose
die Route
die Routine

der Rucksack
der Ruin
der Rum

English and German Similar Nouns: Starting with S

die Sabotage
der Sack
der Safe
das Sandwich
der Sand

die Satire
die Sauce
das Sauerkraut
die Sauna
die Schadenfreude

das Schema
der Schnaps
das Segment
der Sender
die Sensation

das Serum
der Service
der Sex
das Shampoo
die Show

die Silhouette
die Simulation
das Skateboard
der Sketch
der Ski (Schi)

der Slogan
das Smartphone
der Snob
das Snowboard
das Sofa

die Software
das Solarium
das Solo
das Sonar
der Spitz

der Sport
das Spray
das Stadium
der Standard
der Start

der Star
die Station
die Statue
der Status
das Steak

die Steppe
der Stinker
der Stress
der Student
der Surfer

das Sushi
das Symbol
das Symptom
das Synonym
das System

German-English Similar Nouns: Words Beginning with T

das Talent
das Tandem
der Tanker
der Tank
das Taxi

das Team
das Telefax
das Telex
das Temperament
Tennis

das Terrarium
der Terrorist
der Terror
das Testament
der Tester

der Test
der Text
das Theater
das Thermometer
das Ticket

der Tiger
der Tip
das Toast
der Tornado
der Tourist

die Tour
der Transfer
der Transporter
der Transport
das Trauma

der Trick
der Triumph
das T-Shirt
der Tsunami
die Tuba

der Tumor
der Tunnel
der Turban
die Turbine
der Tutor

Similar Nouns in German and English: Starting with U

der Umlaut
die Uniform
die Union

Same Nouns in German and English: Starting with V

der Van
die Variable
die Vase
die Vegetation
der Ventilator

die Veranda
das Verb
die Version
der Veteran
das Veto

das Video
die Villa
der Virus
das Vitamin
Volleyball

Similar Nouns in English and German: Starting with W and Y

der Wind
der Winter
der Wolf
das Yoga

das Zebra
der Zeitgeist
der Zombie
die Zone
der Zoom

German and English Similar Nouns: Starting with Z

der Zoo
der Zwieback

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Do you know the term "False Friends"?
These are words that are spelled the same in both English and German but have different meanings.

You should definitely know these words, or it could get embarrassing.

>>> German-English False Friends

Nichts ist besonders hart, wenn…

… man es in kleine Einheiten aufteilt. Mach(e) jede Lektion sorgfältig und wenn du dich wohlfühlst geh(e) über zur nächsten Lektion.

Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small portions. Do every lesson carefully and when you feel comfortable go on to the next lesson.

Lesson 1
German Articles der, die, das

Lesson 25
PROST!

Fantastic effort!
Let’s move on.

You are in Lesson 26 
GERMAN = ENGLISCH ?

Lesson 27
Countries and Capitals

Lesson 28
Punctuation marks in German

Jump to…

Lesson 30
Telling time in German

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