In German there are many words of English origin that in the two languages, English and German, indicate different things. Usually these are modern words and therefore of (relatively) recent introduction.

This mix of English and German is referred to as Denglisch, a term that has a reductive or negative connotation. Not to be confused with anglicism, which is instead neutral and has a purely linguistic value.

You can read more about Denglisch and anglicisms on Wikipedia.

For many of you who arrive in Germany knowing only English, you could run into more than one inconvenience with Denglisch.

One of the most classic examples of English words that entered the German vocabulary but with the wrong meaning is “Handy”.

In English the adjective “handy” means manageable, practical. In German, on the other hand, Handy means mobile phone.

OK, a mobile phone is practical, but imagine the confusion if a German went to buy a Handy in an English-speaking country. Not practical at all, oder?

Can I buy your grandpa?

The word old-timer or old timer in English refers primarily to an elderly gentleman or to a veteran (in a company, or in service at a military facility). In German the term “Oldtimer” does refer to a veteran, but not a person — rather a car.

In Germany, the term Oldtimer refers to old (ancient) cars, or vintage cars if you prefer.

Missing your country? Read which Italian newspapers are published in Germany.

So if you find in a newspaper an ad selling Oldtimers, know that there is no sprightly grandpa for sale.

Even in Italian the term “Mobbing” is used to indicate abuse in the workplace, exactly as in German!

In reality, in English the more appropriate term is “bullying”, which means acting like a bully. “to mob” instead refers to surrounding, or besieging someone, either for peaceful reasons or to attack a prey.

Another word that is a false-friend both in Italian and in German is “Smoking”. Ask a native English speaker to wear a Smoking and they will look at you amazed, not understanding what smoking (to smoke) has to do with dressing. Indeed, in English our Smoking is their “tuxedo”.

We go watching people walking in the street!

Denglisch strikes again in the case of “Public Viewing”, which does not refer, as it might seem at first glance, to watching people walking in the street, but to the public viewing of a football match, on a big screen or in a restaurant or bar.

Here is another Denglisch word: “Messie”. A Messie is a person who has the compulsive need to keep everything, never throwing anything away, not even the rubbish. So they will soon find themselves in a mess, “mess” in English. I have never met a Messie (which, by the way, is pronounced like the Argentine footballer!), but judging by how many TV shows are dedicated to them, there should be quite a few.

Wellness-Hotel

The word “Wellness” can be found all over Germany in hotel advertising. Going to a hotel can mean relaxing and feeling good on holiday, so the word Wellness might fit. In reality, what is indicated with Wellness in Germany is the “spa”, where you can get massages, saunas and steam baths for the better well-being (“Wellness”) of the guests.

Do you have problems with Denglisch? Surely there is worse — watch this video on YouTube: Denglisch-Battle! | ZirpSzene

To know more. A topic related to Denglisch is that of false-friends; read the linked post if you are interested.

Private lessons in Munich

I can assure you that in my German lessons Denglisch will never be used, at most a bit of Ita-Deutsch!

Contact me on the contact page or write me an email at giulia(at)studio-navivo.it if you want to discuss your problems with German and want to discover what it means to take a private course.