False Friends in Business English

(English vs. German)

Different types of false friends

Same or similar word but different meaning

Take the German word Mappe. 'Map' exists in English but, while you are talking about something to put papers in, your Englishspeaking business contact thinks you mean a large piece of paper with roads and towns on it (Landkarte). The correct English word for Mappe in this particular case is 'folder'. Other examples are Gift/gift, Kredit/credit, Fabrik/fabric. You will find a list of the more frequently heard false friends in the latter half of this book.