Denglisch: English words Germans use, and some they invented

Denglisch is the mix of Deutsch and Englisch: English words used in everyday German, such as das Meeting, die Deadline and googeln, plus English-looking words that Germans invented and English speakers do not use, such as das Handy for a mobile phone and der Beamer for a projector. Most of these words are normal spoken German, especially at work. They take a German article, often follow German grammar and pronunciation, and sometimes mean something quite different from the English, so learn them like any other German word.

#Which English words do Germans use every day?

At work, online and in the media, English words are everywhere. These are standard in everyday German, and you will hear them in most offices:

Notice that each word has a German article, and you need it as much as with any German noun: Ich habe heute drei Meetings, Die Deadline ist am Freitag.

#Which "English" words did Germans invent?

These are the surprising ones: words built from English parts that native English speakers would not recognise, or that mean something else in English. Linguists call them pseudo-anglicisms.

Das Homeoffice is a nice trap: in Britain the Home Office is a government ministry. In Germany, Ich bin heute im Homeoffice simply means you are working from home today.

These words behave like German false friends in reverse. German false friends covers the ones that run the other way, such as bekommen and das Gift.

#How do English verbs work in German?

English verbs become regular German verbs: the English stem gets German endings and a German past participle.

In casual German, checken also means to get it, to understand: Ich check das nicht is roughly "I don't get it". Chillen and that sense of checken are informal, so keep them for friends and relaxed colleagues.

#Which article do English words get in German?

There is no single rule, but there are tendencies:

• Words in -ing are usually neuter: das Meeting, das Training, das Marketing, das Shopping.
• Words for people and machines in -er are usually masculine: der Manager, der Computer, der Beamer.
• Words in -ness and -ity are usually feminine: die Fitness, die Community.
• Many words borrow the gender of a German word with the same meaning: die Mail like die Nachricht, die Deadline like die Frist.

When you are unsure, look it up once and learn the article with the word, as you would for any noun. Der, die, das rules shows the wider patterns.

#How do Germans pronounce English words?

Mostly close to English, with a German accent: das Handy sounds roughly like "hendy", and das Meeting like the English word. Some older loans have become fully German in sound. der Sport starts with "schp", just like spielen, and the German r and vowels slip into many others. If an English word in German sounds odd to you, copy the Germans around you, not your English. The German pronunciation guide explains the sounds that make the difference.

#Is Denglisch good or bad German?

Germans argue about it. Some find English words in German lazy or show-off, others find them practical, and in many offices and tech companies they are simply normal. Two things are safe to say:

• In speech and at work, Denglisch is normal. Use the words your colleagues use. If everyone says Meeting, saying Besprechung is fine, but so is joining in.
• In official and formal German, German words win. Letters from a Behörde, contracts and forms use der Termin, die Frist and die Rückmeldung, so learn both.

#How does Linota help with Denglisch?

Denglisch shows up everywhere in real German: in news, in podcasts, in messages from colleagues. In Linota you can tap any word, including das Homeoffice or gecancelt, and see what it means in the sentence you found it in, then save it with a study note on its article and forms. Places, Linota's seven everyday scenes in 3D, include an office where you can tap things and people to see what you might say and hear there.

#The short version

• Denglisch is English words in German, plus English-looking words Germans invented.
• Das Handy is a phone, der Beamer a projector, das Homeoffice working from home.
• English verbs get German endings: gegoogelt, gecancelt, gechillt.
• Learn every English loanword with its German article.
• Use Denglisch at work and in speech; prefer German words in formal writing.

For more on the German people really speak, read spoken German versus textbook German.