41 When Gift Means Poison: Surprising German-English False Friends

In this episode of Better German, host Susi Blumel explores the
often confusing concept of “false friends”—German words that look
or sound like English ones but mean something entirely different.
With relatable stories and examples like Gift , become , and Rat
, Susi highlights how these tricky pairs can lead to
misunderstandings. She shares practical tips for spotting and
mastering false friends, including smart vocabulary-building
strategies and the importance of a good dictionary.

Better German Podcast+ - Exclusive Podcast and
CommunityEarly access exclusive
PLUS content via your own private feed, all podcast
resources in one place, ask questions and more. Free
version is available if you just want to get started.


Join here:
https://bettergerman.info/community



Want to Take a Course? – Free Placement Exam


Free Placement with exam/questionnaire, personal program and
interview to confirm placement and answer any questions. Courses
are online, include materials and combine self study and live
lessons. Pricing starts at €100/month, depending on your program.
Take the placement exam:
https://bettergerman.info/test



Introduction
Welcome to another episode of Better German! In today's episode,
host Susi Blumel dives into the fascinating and sometimes
hilarious world of “false friends”—those tricky words that sound
similar in German and English but mean totally different things.
Susi shares her own first encounter with the confusion these
words can cause, like mistaking the English word “gift” for
poison, and breaks down some of the most common and confusing
false friends you might run into as a learner of German. Plus,
she'll share some practical tips on how to not fall into the
language false friends trap. Whether you've struggled with words
like “become” or “brave,” or just want to avoid embarrassing
mix-ups, you'll find plenty of helpful examples and advice in
this episode. Grab your dictionary and get ready to laugh as we
uncover all the ways language learning can keep us on our
toes!

 Key Topics False Friends Between German &
English 


What “false friends” are—and how they
sneakily confuse language learners

Susi's story: mistaking “Gift” (poison) for “gift”
(present)—plus other classic mix-ups

Why trusting your instincts can be risky when vocabulary
looks familiar

Practical strategies for avoiding false friend pitfalls

Why building vocabulary isn't optional—and how it fuels
fluency, education, and career

What to do when a sentence just doesn't make sense—it might
be a false friend!

Learn key German-English false friends (with context and
meaning):  
️“bekommen” vs. “become”  
️“fast” (almost) vs. “fast” (quick)  
️“brav” vs. “brave,” “Aktuell,” “Fabrik,” and more

Practice ideas:  
️Pause and check unknown words while watching or reading
 
️Look up full definitions—not just quick translations
 
️Make example sentences to solidify understanding

Bonus: Share your false friend moment in the Better German
community

Final word: Join the conversation, leave a review, and keep
learning smarter!



Related EpisodesEpisode 1:
Introduction to Better German
Episode 4: How to Learn German
Episode 5: Introduction to
ArticlesEpisode 40:
Colors

Other Resources


Check out this Interactive German Movie
Guide with suitable TV shows and movies with subtitles
in your language, so you can start using movies to learn right
away! Watching German movies and TV shows is great to help you
learn German.

Listen to All The Episodes Published So Far!



Better German Podcast+ - Exclusive Podcast and
CommunityEarly access exclusive
PLUS content via your own private feed, all podcast
resources in one place, ask questions and more. Free
version is available if you just want to get started.


Join here:
https://bettergerman.info/community



Want to Take a Course? – Free Placement Exam


Free Placement with exam/questionnaire, personal program and
interview to confirm placement and answer any questions. Courses
are online, include materials and combine self study and live
lessons. Pricing starts at €100/month, depending on your program.
Take the placement exam:
https://bettergerman.info/test


Free Live Workshop | https://bettergerman.info/workshop





Website | https://bettergerman.info


️ YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/@Better-German/





TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@susibettergerman


Pinterest | https://www.pinterest.com/susibettergerman





️ Contact | podcast@bettergerman.info


Start from Episode 1 | https://bettergerman.info/1





Enjoyed this episode?


A quick review or share helps more people find the podcast.