Learning German For English Speakers - easy and confusing words

 Where can you learn and practise speaking German? 

Flag of Germany

Flag of Austria

Flag of Switzerland

You can use German in Germany, Austria and German-speaking parts of Switzerland.  Also Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, and parts of Belgium and Italy.

Flag of Luxembourg.

Flag of Liechtenstein.

German - English Confusing words

The German word Chef is not a chef but a boss.

Chef - boss

das ist kein - that is not (not that is small which is klein)

klein - small

Strand - beach (not street, unlike The Strand street in London and La Strada which is street in Italy)

German - English Words With Similar Spelling or Similar Sounds

Remember that nouns start with a capital letter in German

(eine) Banane - (a) banana 

braun - brown

das Dokument - the document

frustriert - frustrated

hier - here

Idee - idea

kollegin - colleague

laut - loud

oft - often

das Projekt - the project

das Shampoo - the shampoo

schwer - difficult (makes you swear)

Spinat - spinach

suchen - to search for / look for

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English - German Words With Similar Spelling Or Similar Sound

a banana - eine banane (remember to change the final a to an e as in eat)

brown - braun 

colleague - Kollegin

difficult - schweg

the document - das Dokument

idea - idee

loud - laut (the letters t and d sound similar and involve the same movement of your tongue)

often - oft

the project - das Projekt

shampoo - das Shampoo

shoe - schuh (add the letter c like see, and other h, for a pair of shoes)

small - klein (If you know anybody with the name Kleinman, that means small man. Calvin Klein, fashion designer. Naomi Klein, psychoanalyst.)

spinach - Spinat

vegan - vegan

Useful English-German websites

duolingo.com

https://wikitravel.org/en/German_phrasebook

translate.google.com

-ends-

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More Portuguese words - and Brazilian Portuguese

In Portugal, in 2024, and after I returned to the UK, in 2025, I have been busy translating Portuguese words from a supermarket booklet on the week's offers. The booklet was, from Intermarche which is French and operates in France, Portugal and Poland, according to Wikipedia. (In France Carrefour is the biggest, but Leclerc and Intermarche are everywhere.)

 English - Portuguese

concentrado - concentrate

ferro - iron

panela antiaderente - non-stick pan

perfumado - fragrant

pine - pinho

shampoo - champo (with an accent on the o) in Portugal

shampoo - xampu (Brazil)

Google gives you translation into either Portuguese for Portugal, or, Portuguese for Brazil. I am translating a leaflet from a supermarket in Portugal so I am starting with the Portuguese from Portugal. It would be interesting to check every word for both countries.

Useful Websites

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazilian_Portuguese

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Ten more handy Malay and Indonesian words

Problem
You want to learn another language. You want to read signs in Singapore and Malaysia and Indonesia.

Answer
Start with the easy ones. Ten a day. For fun. First thing in the morning. With coffee over your coffee break. Last thing at night to clear your head of your worries. At least you are making progress at something, increasing your general knowledge.

English - Malay / Indonesian

brandy - brandi
hill - b u k i t
rum - rum
sand - p a s i r
sand dune - b u k i t p a s i r

sandal - sandal
sauce - s a u s
sauna - sauna
sausage - s o s i s (memory aid SOS I See a sausage)
shampoo - sampo

Seen around Singapore

English - Malay / Indonesia
school - sekolah

Indonesian / Malay - English
s e k o l a h - school

Author
Angela Lansbury, teacher of English and languages, speaker and author.
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Medical kits for days out, weekends, travel to hotels and second homes

What do you take on a day trip or holiday or business trip? The first thing you think of is 'Don't forget your toothbrush'. And the toothpaste.

Toothbrush and Toothpaste
It's handy to keep a small or folding or head-covered toothbrush with a small toothpaste in your pocket or a zip up bag. Plus a comb in a case (so you don't pierce your fingertips).

Tweezers
I like the tweezers cum nail file bought from Tanna's chemist in London. They also stock a magnifying mirror for the bathroom at only £1.

Sometimes it's cheaper to buy the cheapest manicure kit than to buy all the items, or even one of the items.

Swiss Army Knife
A Swiss army knife has a built tweezers, scissors and nail file. When buying, invest in a model of knife which has the gadgets you need. If you lose the tweezers, you can buy spares from some shops. Phone first, to be sure the spares are in stock. You could buy a spare teeny tweezers to carry when your knife has to be checked in on an airline.

Sticking Plasters
I used to carry an Elastoplast UK (brand name for sticking plaster) in the zip up compartment of a tote bag. Plasters are useful for minor cuts as well as to protect blisters from rubbing shoes.

Pill Names
If you are on regular medication, it helps to paste the end of the cardboard tube inside your diary so that if you ever run out, you can show it to a pharmacist who cannot understand your verbal English.

(Also look for a lightweight corner of a leaflet in multiple languages.) At least you can put it through google translate.

Spare Pills
If I am travelling on a ten day trip I always carry enough pills for an extra 2-5 days. Then if the flight is delayed or I extend the stay I still have enough pills without wasting time on a shopping trip to get more.

Hair Dye Box End: Colour Name and Colour Chart
If you dye your hair and are away for a month after the last time you dyed your hair, you cannot take liquids on many planes, but the end paper of the box can be shown to a drug store to show that you are looking for hair dye, and what colour.

Insect Repellent and Sunscreen

Checklist
1 Toothbrush and paste
2 Comb and comb case (and/or small folding brush, ideally with mirror)
3 Tweezers, toothpick and nail file (Swiss Army knife)
4 Small magnifying mirror or YSL lipstick with mirror finish case
5 Sticking plaster / or bandage and zinc ointment for healing
6 Small shampoo (also serves as hand wash and clothes wash) or wet wipe
7 Moisturiser (for face, hands, feet).
8 Insect repellent and sun cream
9 'Stingose' or similar sting relief and / or antiseptic cream
10 Zip up waterproof wash bag

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.