20 German Verbs That Look Like English, But Aren’t

There’s a special kind of trap that lies in wait for every English speaker learning German. You’re reading a sentence, you see a familiar-looking word, and a wave of relief washes over you. “I know this one!” you think. You plug in the English meaning, but suddenly, the sentence makes no sense. Or worse, you use it in conversation and get a very confused look in return.

Welcome to the world of falsche Freunde, or “false friends.” These are words that look or sound similar in two languages but have entirely different meanings. They are linguistic tricksters, and German is full of them. Getting them wrong can lead to some truly hilarious (and sometimes embarrassing) situations. But don’t worry! By learning to spot them, you can avoid the confusion and even get a deeper insight into both languages.

Let’s dive into 20 of the most common German verbs that look like English but are definitely not what they seem.

Watch Out! 20 Tricky German Verbs

1. bekommen

• The Trap: It looks exactly like “become.”
• The Reality: bekommen means to get or to receive. This is probably the most famous false friend of all. If you tell a German waiter, “Ich bekomme ein Steak”, you’re not having an existential crisis and turning into a piece of meat. You’re just saying, “I’ll have/get a steak.”
• Example: Ich habe ein Geschenk bekommen. (I received a gift.)
• The right verb for “become”: werden

2. werden

• The Trap: It doesn’t look like a specific English verb, but it’s the crucial counterpart to our first point. Learners often forget it exists because bekommen seems so logical.
• The Reality: werden is the actual verb for to become or to get (in the sense of change). It’s also used to form the future tense and passive voice.
• Example: Es wird kalt. (It is getting cold.)

3. spenden

• The Trap: It looks like “spend.”
• The Reality: spenden means to donate. If you say you’re going to spenden your money, Germans will think you’re very generous, not that you’re going on a shopping spree.
• Example: Er spendet Blut bei dem Roten Kreuz. (He donates blood at the Red Cross.)
• The right verb for “spend (money)”: ausgeben

4. meinen

• The Trap: It looks and sounds like “mean” (as in being cruel).
• The Reality: meinen means to think, to have an opinion, or to mean in the sense of expressing a thought. It has nothing to do with being unkind.
• Example: Was meinst du dazu? (What do you think about that?)
• The right word for “mean (cruel)”: gemein (an adjective)

5. winken

• The Trap: It’s so close to “wink.”
• The Reality: winken means to wave. If you winke at someone across the street, you’re using your whole hand, not just one eye. Winking is a much more specific action.
• Example: Das Kind winkt seiner Mutter zum Abschied. (The child waves goodbye to his mother.)
• The right verb for “wink”: zwinkern or zuzwinkern

6. sterben

• The Trap: You might see the “st” and “rb” and think of “starve.”
• The Reality: This mix-up has serious consequences! sterben means to die. It is much more final than simply being hungry.
• Example: Leider ist seine Katze gestern gestorben. (Sadly, his cat died yesterday.)
• The right verb for “starve”: verhungern

7. mieten

• The Trap: It sounds like “meet.”
• The Reality: mieten means to rent (usually as a tenant). You don’t mieten your friends for coffee.
• Example: Wir wollen eine Wohnung in Berlin mieten. (We want to rent an apartment in Berlin.)
• The right verb for “meet”: treffen

8. probieren

• The Trap: It looks like “probe.”
• The Reality: While probing involves a kind of testing, probieren has a much more common and friendly meaning: to try, to test, or to taste.
• Example: Möchtest du den Wein probieren? (Would you like to taste the wine?)
• Note: “To probe” in a medical or investigative sense is often untersuchen or sondieren.

9. reklamieren

• The Trap: It looks like “reclaim.”
• The Reality: If a product is faulty and you take it back to the store, you reklamieren it. This means to complain or to make a claim under warranty. You’re not “reclaiming” it as if it were lost territory.
• Example: Der Toaster funktioniert nicht, ich muss ihn reklamieren. (The toaster doesn’t work, I have to complain/return it.)
• The right verb for “reclaim (land, etc.)”: zurückgewinnen

10. kontrollieren

• The Trap: It looks like “control.”
• The Reality: This is a subtle but important one. kontrollieren most often means to check or to monitor. While it *can* mean “to control”, its primary usage is less about domination and more about verification.
• Example: Der Schaffner kontrolliert die Fahrkarten. (The conductor checks the tickets.)
• The right verb for “control (dominate)”: beherrschen or steuern

11. wandern

• The Trap: It looks like “wander.”
• The Reality: While hiking can involve a bit of wandering, wandern specifically means to hike or to ramble, usually in nature. It implies a purposeful recreational activity.
• Example: Am Wochenende gehen wir in den Alpen wandern. (On the weekend, we’re going hiking in the Alps.)
• The right verb for “wander (aimlessly)”: umherirren or schlendern

12. fasten

• The Trap: It looks like “fasten.”
• The Reality: In German, fasten means to fast (to abstain from food). It’s what you do during Lent or Ramadan, not what you do with your seatbelt.
• Example: Viele Leute fasten vor Ostern. (Many people fast before Easter.)
• The right verb for “fasten (a belt)”: anschnallen or zumachen

13. turnen

• The Trap: It looks like “turn.”
• The Reality: turnen is the verb for doing gymnastics or physical exercises. It’s a much more athletic activity than simply turning around.
• Example: Die Kinder turnen in der Sporthalle. (The children are doing gymnastics in the gym.)
• The right verb for “turn”: (sich) drehen or abbiegen (for turning a corner)

14. studieren

• The Trap: It looks like “study.”
• The Reality: In German, studieren specifically means to study at a university level or to be a university student. You don’t studieren for a high school test.
• Example: Sie studiert Medizin in Heidelberg. (She is studying medicine in Heidelberg.)
• The right verb for “study (in general)” or “to learn”: lernen

15. lernen

• The Trap: Often confused with “learn”, which is correct, but learners miss its second meaning when looking for the verb “to study.”
• The Reality: lernen means both to learn and to study for a test, do homework, or acquire a new skill outside of a university context.
• Example: Ich muss für meine Matheprüfung lernen. (I have to study for my math exam.)

16. rasieren

• The Trap: It looks a bit like “raze” (as in “raze a building”).
• The Reality: rasieren is a much less destructive and far more common activity: to shave.
• Example: Er muss sich jeden Morgen rasieren. (He has to shave every morning.)
• The right verb for “raze”: abreißen or niederreißen

17. lassen

• The Trap: It’s phonetically similar to “last.”
• The Reality: lassen is a versatile powerhouse verb meaning to let, to allow, or to leave (something behind). It has no connection to duration.
• Example: Lass mich das machen! (Let me do that!) / Ich habe meine Schlüssel zu Hause gelassen. (I left my keys at home.)
• The right verb for “last (to endure)”: dauern

18. sparen

• The Trap: It looks like “spare.”
• The Reality: sparen means to save, almost always in the context of money or resources.
• Example: Ich spare für ein neues Auto. (I’m saving for a new car.)
• The right verb for “spare (someone an ordeal)”: jemandem etwas ersparen

19. vermissen

• The Trap: It contains the word “miss.”
• The Reality: This one is a nuance trap. vermissen is used when you miss a person or a place—it’s about the emotional feeling of longing.
• Example: Ich vermisse meine Familie sehr. (I miss my family very much.)
• The right verb for “miss (a bus, an opportunity)”: verpassen

20. kennen

• The Trap: A sound-alike trap. It sounds a lot like “can.”
• The Reality: kennen means to know or to be familiar with a person, place, or thing.
• Example: Kennst du diesen Film? (Do you know this movie?)
• The right verb for “can (to be able to)”: können

Don’t Fear the False Friend

Encountering false friends is a rite of passage for every language learner. While this list might seem intimidating, think of it as a secret decoder ring. Every false friend you master is another level-up in your German skills.

The key is to stay curious and not take cognates for granted. When you see a word that looks a little too good to be true, take a second to look it up. More often than not, you’ll save yourself from “becoming” a steak and learn something fascinating in the process. Happy learning!