Cognates by Edward Swick, M.A.
Cognates are words that are identical in both German and English (and often in other languages). Sometimes they are identical except for a letter change that is characteristic of the language. For example, korrekt is the German version of correct and uses the letter k where in English a c is used. If the German used c, the word would be pronounced radically differently. Look at the following list of cognates and take note of the German words that have a change of a letter to conform to German pronunciation.
Noun |
Adjective |
Automobil |
abstrakt |
Akzent |
aktiv |
Artist |
blind |
Baby |
effektiv |
Chance |
fair |
Diplomat |
innovativ |
Elefant |
historisch |
Hardware |
kommunistisch |
Kapitalist |
kritisch |
Konferenz |
lyrisch |
Manager |
mechanisch |
Name |
national |
Optimist |
negativ |
Party |
offensiv |
Pessimist |
politisch |
Pilot |
positiv |
Präsident |
relativ |
Problem |
rhythmisch |
Professor |
romantisch |
Restaurant |
solid |
Service |
sozialistisch |
Statistik |
strikt |
System |
total |
Can you guess the English meaning of the following words?
Familie |
Gitarre |
Natur |
perfekt |
attraktiv |
nervös |
Kaffee |
populär |
<B>Patterns of Cognates</B></h2>
<p>Certain cognates occur in groups that conform to patterns. Two large groups of such English words are nouns that end in <B>-ion</B> and <B>-y.</B> Another large category is a group of English adjectives that end in <B>—ic</B> or -<B>ical</B>. In German, the endings for these cognates are <B>-ion, — ie,</B> and <B>-isch</B>.</p>
<table frame="all" width="100%">
<h2>
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<tbody>
<tr>
<td><p><B>Nouns Ending in -ion</B></p></td>
<td><p><B>Nouns Ending in -ie</B></p></td>
<td><p><B>Adjectives Ending in -isch</B></p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><p><B>Position</B></p></td>
<td><p><B>Philosophie</B></p></td>
<td><p><B>philosophisch</B></p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><p><B>Situation</B></p></td>
<td><p><B>Psychologie</B></p></td>
<td><p><B>psychologisch</B></p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><p><B>Spekulation</B></p></td>
<td><p><B>Therapie</B></p></td>
<td><p><B>therapeutisch</B></p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><p><B>Tradition</B></p></td>
<td><p><B>Melodie</B></p></td>
<td><p><B>melodisch</B></p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><p><B>Aversion</B></p></td>
<td><p><B>Astronomie</B></p></td>
<td><p><B>astronomisch</B></p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><p><B>Dekoration</B></p></td>
<td><p><B>Harmonie</B></p></td>
<td><p><B>harmonisch</B></p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><p><B>Formation</B></p></td>
<td><p><B>Anatomie</B></p></td>
<td><p><B>anatomisch</B></p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><p><B>Information</B></p></td>
<td><p><B>Psychiatrie</B></p></td>
<td><p><B>psychiatrisch</B></p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><p><B>Inspektion</B></p></td>
<td><p><B>Kolonie</B></p></td>
<td><p><B>bibliographisch</B></p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><p><B>Koalition</B></p></td>
<td><p><B>Fotografie</B></p></td>
<td><p><B>fotografisch</B></p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><p><B>Konstitution</B></p></td>
<td><p><B>Epidemie</B></p></td>
<td><p><B>epidemisch</B></p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><p><B>Reservation</B></p></td>
<td><p><B>Biologie</B></p></td>
<td><p><B>biologisch</B></p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><p><B>Revolution</B></p></td>
<td><p><B>Geographie</B></p></td>
<td><p><B>geographisch</B></p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><p><B>Ventilation</B></p></td>
<td><p><B>Geologie</B></p></td>
<td><p><B>geologisch</B></p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><p><B>Vibration</B></p></td>
<td><p><B>Archäologie</B></p></td>
<td><p><B>archäologisch</B></p></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</tgroup>
</table>
<div class="npsb">
<title> <B>Question?</B></h2>
<p><B>How do I know whether I'm pronouncing German words correctly?</B></p>
<p>By using this guide, you can pronounce German words in such a way that German speakers will understand you. To develop a good accent, you should take a class, purchase some audio tools, or work with a native speaker.</p>
</div>
<h2><B>Words Common to German and English</B></h2>
<p>Since German and English are languages in the same Germanic group, they have many words in common. Some are almost identical and have an identical meaning in both languages. Others have a slight spelling difference, and still others are used for completely different meanings in the two languages and often are similar only in the smallest of degrees. Let's look at some examples.</p>
<p><B>PEOPLE</B></p>
<table frame="all" width="100%">
<tgroup cols="3">
<colspec colname="col1" colnum="1" colwidth="40%" colsep="0" rowsep="0" align="left"/>
<colspec colname="col2" colnum="2" colwidth="30%" colsep="0" rowsep="0" align="left"/>
<colspec colname="col3" colnum="3" colwidth="30%" colsep="0" rowsep="0" align="left"/>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><p><B>German</B></p></td>
<td><p><B>Comparable English</B></p></td>
<td><p><B>Modern English</B></p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><p><B>Bruder</B></p></td>
<td><p>brother</p></td>
<td><p>brother</p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><p><B>Gärtner</B></p></td>
<td><p>gardener</p></td>
<td><p>gardener</p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><p><B>Knabe</B></p></td>
<td><p>knave</p></td>
<td><p>boy, lad</p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><p><B>Mann</B></p></td>
<td><p>man</p></td>
<td><p>man, husband</p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><p><B>Mutter</B></p></td>
<td><p>mother</p></td>
<td><p>mother</p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><p><B>Onkel</B></p></td>
<td><p>uncle</p></td>
<td><p>uncle</p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><p><B>Schwester</B></p></td>
<td><p>sister</p></td>
<td><p>sister</p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><p><B>Sohn</B></p></td>
<td><p>son</p></td>
<td><p>son</p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><p><B>Tochter</B></p></td>
<td><p>daughter</p></td>
<td><p>daughter</p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><p><B>Vater</B></p></td>
<td><p>father</p></td>
<td><p>father</p></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</tgroup>
</table>
<p><B>ANIMALS</B></p>
<table frame="all" width="100%">
<tgroup cols="3">
<colspec colname="col1" colnum="1" colwidth="40%" colsep="0" rowsep="0" align="left"/>
<colspec colname="col2" colnum="2" colwidth="30%" colsep="0" rowsep="0" align="left"/>
<colspec colname="col3" colnum="3" colwidth="30%" colsep="0" rowsep="0" align="left"/><tbody>
<tr>
<td><p><B>German</B></p></td>
<td><p><B>Comparable English</B></p></td>
<td><p><B>Modern English</B></p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><p><B>Affe</B></p></td>
<td><p>ape</p></td>
<td><p>ape, monkey</p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><p><B>Frosch</B></p></td>
<td><p>frog</p></td>
<td><p>frog</p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><p><B>Kalb</B></p></td>
<td><p>calf</p></td>
<td><p>calf</p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><p><B>Kuh</B></p></td>
<td><p>cow</p></td>
<td><p>cow</p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><p><B>Lamm</B></p></td>
<td><p>lamb</p></td>
<td><p>lamb</p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><p><B>Maus</B></p></td>
<td><p>mouse</p></td>
<td><p>mouse</p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><p><B>Schaf</B></p></td>
<td><p>sheep</p></td>
<td><p>sheep</p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><p><B>Schwein</B></p></td>
<td><p>swine</p></td>
<td><p>swine, pig</p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><p><B>Spinne</B></p></td>
<td><p>spinner</p></td>
<td><p>spider</p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><p><B>Ratte</B></p></td>
<td><p>rat</p></td>
<td><p>rat</p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><p><B>Tier</B></p></td>
<td><p>deer</p></td>
<td><p>animal</p></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</tgroup>
</table>
<p><B>COLORS</B></p>
<table frame="all" width="100%">
<tgroup cols="2">
<colspec colname="col1" colnum="1" colwidth="50%" colsep="0" rowsep="0" align="left"/>
<colspec colname="col2" colnum="2" colwidth="50%" colsep="0" rowsep="0" align="left"/>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><p><B>German</B></p></td>
<td><p><B>Modern English</B></p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><p><B>blau</B></p></td>
<td><p>blue</p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><p><B>braun</B></p></td>
<td><p>brown</p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><p><B>grau</B></p></td>
<td><p>gray</p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><p><B>grün</B></p></td>
<td><p>green</p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><p><B>rot</B></p></td>
<td><p>red</p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><p><B>weiß</B></p></td>
<td><p>white</p></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</tgroup>
</table>
<p><B>MISCELLANEOUS</B></p>
<table frame="all" width="100%">
<tgroup cols="2">
<colspec colname="col1" colnum="1" colwidth="50%" colsep="0" rowsep="0" align="left"/>
<colspec colname="col2" colnum="2" colwidth="50%" colsep="0" rowsep="0" align="left"/>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><p><B>German</B></p></td>
<td><p><B>Modern English</B></p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><p><B>alt</B></p></td>
<td><p>old</p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><p><B>Arm</B></p></td>
<td><p>arm</p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><p><B>beginn</B></p></td>
<td><p>begin</p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><p><B>bei</B></p></td>
<td><p>by</p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><p><B>Brot</B></p></td>
<td><p>bread</p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><p><B>Feld</B></p></td>
<td><p>field</p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><p><B>fett</B></p></td>
<td><p>fat</p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><p><B>Finger</B></p></td>
<td><p>finger</p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><p><B>frisch</B></p></td>
<td><p>fresh</p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><p><B>Fuß</B></p></td>
<td><p>foot</p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><p><B>Grab</B></p></td>
<td><p>grave</p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><p><B>gut</B></p></td>
<td><p>good</p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><p><B>halt</B></p></td>
<td><p>hold</p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><p><B>hart</B></p></td>
<td><p>hard</p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><p><B>Haus</B></p></td>
<td><p>house</p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><p><B>ist</B></p></td>
<td><p>is</p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><p><B>jung</B></p></td>
<td><p>young</p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><p><B>kalt</B></p></td>
<td><p>cold</p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><p><B>komm</B></p></td>
<td><p>come</p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><p><B>mach</B></p></td>
<td><p>make</p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><p><B>Milch</B></p></td>
<td><p>milk</p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><p><B>Mond</B></p></td>
<td><p>moon</p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><p><B>sing</B></p></td>
<td><p>sing</p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><p><B>Sonne</B></p></td>
<td><p>sun</p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><p><B>wann</B></p></td>
<td><p>when</p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><p><B>warm</B></p></td>
<td><p>warm</p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><p><B>Wetter</B></p></td>
<td><p>weather</p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><p><B>Wolle</B></p></td>
<td><p>wool</p></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</tgroup>
</table>
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