English and German: Words That Look Alike388

English and German are two Germanic languages that share a common ancestor. As a result, there are many words that are similar in both languages. These cognates can make it easier for English speakers to learn German, and vice versa.

Here is a list of some of the most common English-German cognates:
Apple - Apfel
Arm - Arm
Bad - Bad
Book - Buch
Brother - Bruder
Cat - Katze
Day - Tag
Dog - Hund
Eat - Essen
Father - Vater
Fish - Fisch
Foot - Fuß
Friend - Freund
Garden - Garten
Give - Geben
Good - Gut
Hair - Haar
Hand - Hand
Head - Kopf
Heart - Herz
House - Haus
I - Ich
Leg - Bein
Man - Mann
Mother - Mutter
Mouth - Mund
Name - Name
Night - Nacht
Nose - Nase
Old - Alt
One - Eins
People - Leute
Red - Rot
Room - Zimmer
School - Schule
See - Sehen
Sister - Schwester
Son - Sohn
Speak - Sprechen
Table - Tisch
Teacher - Lehrer
Three - Drei
Tree - Baum
Two - Zwei
Water - Wasser
White - Weiß
Woman - Frau
Year - Jahr

In addition to these cognates, there are also many English words that have been borrowed from German. These words include:
Kindergarten
Poltergeist
Rucksack
Sauerkraut
Schnitzel
Waldorf

The presence of so many cognates and borrowed words makes it relatively easy for English speakers to learn German. With a little effort, you can quickly build a vocabulary of German words that you already know how to say in English.

Here are some tips for learning German cognates:
Look for words that are spelled similarly in both languages.
Pay attention to the pronunciation of German words. Cognates often have similar pronunciations, even if they are spelled differently.
Don't be afraid to guess the meaning of a German word based on its English cognate. You will often be correct.

With a little practice, you will be able to recognize and use German cognates with ease. This will help you to learn German more quickly and effectively.

2025-01-14

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