Often by changing just one letter you can transform a German word into English. Here are a few examples:
Example:K becomes Ch Kalk/Chalk
Z becomes T Zoll/Toll
D becomes Th Danke/Thanks
SS becomes T Wasser/Water
Y becomes F Volk/Folk
Pf becomes P Pfad/Path
Likewise many word endings also follow similar patterns:
Example: +fach becomes +fold Zweifach/Twofold
+nis becomes +ness Wildernis/Wilderness
+ung becomes +ing Endung/Ending
+voll becomes +ful Wundervoll/Wonderful
+los becomes +less Hofnungslos/Hopeless
Beware False Friends!
- 1. “+heit (hood)/+keit(hood)/+nis(ness)” often match, but NOT ALWAYS
Example:“Bruderschaft” is “brotherhood”
“Freundtichkeit” is “Friendliness”
- 2. Over the centuries some common everyday words have changed meanings
Example: Klein (small) Clean (not dirty)
Lust (desire) Lust (sexual desire)
- 3. Lastly for some strange reason some word components are reversed
Example: Stillstand – Standstill