12 English Words That Germans Get Wrong

German is a beautiful language, but sometimes it doesn't have the exact word you are looking for. Many Germans use English words to supplement this language deficit, and many more use those English words incorrectly.

1.

A "Keks" is an "eingedeutscht" (germanized) version of the English word "cakes," which is pronounced the same way. Unfortunately, as interesting as the evolution of the word is, the Germans are still using it wrong. A keks in German is a biscuit, which no English speaker would ever call a cake.

2.

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We can't offer any explanation for this one. Sigh. A cell phone is definitely handheld, so maybe it just got lost in translation?

3.

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The baby phone is not something delicious for babies to chew on. It is a regular old baby monitor. We have to give Germans props for making it sound much cooler, though.

4.

Funnily enough, a beamer in German is not a BMW. A beamer in German is a projector.

5.

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The auto scooter is a beautiful combination of two wrong words. Then again, "bumper car" is no English masterpiece.

6.

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This gets the award for weirdest "Denglish" (Deutsch, English) word. It's pronounced "soft ice" and means custard. A+ for accurate description! Also, fun fact: Margaret Thatcher invented soft serve!

7.

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A public viewing in English is something that goes along with a funeral. In German, it is a football celebration! Makes sense, right?

8.

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If a German goes into a doctor's office with his child and asks the doctor, "Should I open the body?" The doctor will have a completely different thing in mind. A body in German is a onesie!

9.

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A foosball table. Fun fact - Foosball is actually a derivative of the German word Fußball, so it goes both ways with this one.

10.

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An oldtimer is not mean name for an old person. If a German says, "I just bought a huge oldtimer!" he did not purchase an overweight old human. In reality, he probably made a bad investment in a "classic" car.

11.

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In English, an outing is a lovely day in the park. In German, "Das Outing" is when a person openly acknowledges that he is gay.

12.

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What do you use to train at home? A bike? Treadmill? Eliptical? All of these fall under the umbrella of "Hometrainer" in German.

Written By Lauren Rogers