False Friends - Taschen Guide

event.
    We will send you more information soon. Until then, the device is „let's have some fun!“
    Many greetings,
    Melinda
    This email contains an array of entertaining false friends: entertaining for native speakers, that is, if they know a lot of German. Let us start at the top and take each one of these false friends in turn.
What's wrong?
The first incorrect term is ‚heartily‘. You should not translate this directly. Instead, use the phrase ‚You are cordially invited to …‘. ↓ ↓
Next comes ‚summer feast‘, clearly originating from Sommerfest. Feast means Festmahl in German: a focus on eating (lots!); but what we are looking at here is a summer party . ↓ ↓
Have you ever said ‚registrate yourself‘ or perhaps ‚reservate (a table)‘? If you ask English teachers whether they have heard their pupils – native German speakers – saythis, many of them will say yes. The words ‚registrate‘ and ‚reservate‘ do not in fact exist, though you would be forgiven for thinking they did. Say ‚register‘ (it is not reflexive) and ‚reserve‘ . ↓
Bekommen/become. They are practically the same, but so very different in meaning. We often hear ‚I became a present‘, ich bin ein Geschenk geworden. This mistake has the potential to be embarrassing, so remember to use ‚receive‘ . ↓ ↓ ↓
So, after registering to attend the summer party you will receive an armband: einen Schwimmflügel (in British English)! It also means one of those wide fabric bands that a soccer team captain wears around the upper part of his/ her arm during a match. This type of entrance ticket to big events and parties is better described as a ‚wristband‘ . ↓ ↓
If you want to say die Devise ist …, don't say the ‚device is …‘ (das Gerät ist …), use ‚the motto is‘ instead. ↓ ↓ ↓
‚Many greetings‘ is not the English form of viele Grüße. Write ‚Best regards‘ or ‚Kind regards‘ instead.
Tips for emails
Just as in letters, the first line after the greeting should start with a capital letter.
Use a spell-check function before you press send.
If your email is important and intended for an international list of recipients or for customers, ask a native speaker to proof-read and correct it first.
    In letters
    We tend to communicate mostly by email, text message and telephone these days. However, letters are not yet extinct.
    Example: letter containing false friends
    Dear Mr Todd
    Thank you for your letter dated 10 February 2010.
    We want to say a hearty thank-you to you for the allowance to display your painting in our house during our 10th anniversary celebration. The painting represents very strongly the engagement of our staff and it is thanks to them that our company is so successful.
    I enclose opera cards for you and your wife to enjoy an evening out together, as a token of our thanks.
    With best regards …
What needs correcting?
    This was written:
But this was meant:
a hearty thank-you
    ein deftiges Dankeschön
many thanks; a warm thank-you
    ein herzliches Dankeschön
allowance
    Taschengeld
permission
    Erlaubnis
in our house
    in unserem Haus
at our premises
    in unserem Hause
the engagement of our staff
    die Verlobung unseres Personals
our staff's commitment
    das Engagement unseres Personals
opera cards
    Opernspielkarten
opera tickets
    Opernkarten
    In meetings
    Do you tend to spend the majority of your time in meetings? It may help to learn a few phrases off by heart and avoid false friends that way. Can you spot any mistakes in the phrases below? Not all of them contain errors, by the way.
    Typical phrases in meetings – with false friends
Hello everyone.
Shall we start?
Can I ask you to write the protocol?
The meeting will end at 5 pm. We'll have a short pause at 3.30 for coffee and cakes.
Have you all got a copy of the agenda?
Can anyone let me have a sheet of paper? I've left my block in my bureau.
The first item on the agenda is …
So that's the situation. What is your meaning?
Barbara, do you want to begin?
Does everyone share that opinion? If not, what is the ground?
Are there any disagreements?
I don't completely agree. We all have different arguments.
Could I just say something? I'm sure we can arrange ourselves.
I'd like to just point out that eventually …
Sorry to interrupt but I need to mention here that …
Can I just finish what I was saying?
Shall we return to the main issue?
Let me summarize what we've just agreed upon punctually.
I'll make a notice that