Common Mistakes in German-to-English Translation in Business Contexts

The Most Dangerous False Friends

False friends are words that look or sound similar in German and English but have completely different meanings. They exist because both languages share common Germanic roots but have developed differently over centuries.

These words are particularly tricky in professional contexts. Imagine writing in an email: 'I will become your offer next week' instead of 'I will receive your offer next week'. Your English business partner will wonder why you want to turn into an offer next week.

Or in a meeting: 'The actual numbers are very good' – do you mean the current (aktuell) or the real (tatsächlich/actual) numbers? Depending on which German word you had in mind, the statement could be correct or completely wrong.

Prepositions: Small Words, Big Mistakes

Prepositions are one of the biggest challenges for German English learners. The problem: There is no 1:1 translation between German and English prepositions. 'Auf' can mean 'on', 'at', 'in', or 'to' – depending on the context.

The most common preposition mistakes:

• 'auf Englisch' becomes 'in English' (not 'on English')
• 'am Montag' becomes 'on Monday' (not 'at Monday')
• 'am Morgen' becomes 'in the morning' (not 'on the morning')
• 'im Internet' becomes 'on the internet' (not 'in the internet')
• 'zum Arzt gehen' becomes 'go to the doctor' (not 'go to doctor')

Another typical mistake involves article usage. In German, articles appear before abstract concepts and activities: 'Das Leben ist schön', 'Ich mag die Musik'. In English, these articles are dropped in general statements: 'Life is beautiful', 'I like music'.

Using Tenses Correctly

One of the most persistent mistakes German English learners make involves tenses. In German, the Perfekt ('Ich habe gegessen') is used in everyday speech almost always – even when talking about completed past events. In English, however, there is an important distinction:

Simple Past (I ate): For completed actions at a specific time.
Present Perfect (I have eaten): For experiences, ongoing situations, or actions relevant to the present.

Another common error: Germans always translate 'Es gibt' as 'There is/are'. This often works, but not always. 'Es gibt Probleme' = 'There are problems'. But there are other ways to express this idea in English, depending on the context.

And finally: 'Seit' in German uses present tense ('Ich lebe seit 5 Jahren hier'), but in English it requires the present perfect ('I have lived here for 5 years').