Technology is the most English-friendly corner of the German language. Walk into a German electronics store and the signs read Computer, Smartphone, Internet, Software, Cloud — modern German simply adopted the English vocabulary of the digital age wholesale. These german technology cognates are the easiest words you will ever learn: most are identical in both languages, and this list of 40 covers devices, connectivity, software, and online life.
A few items carry a ⚠ mark — German tech words that look guessable but were built from native parts (Bildschirm, Tastatur, Drucker). They are explained honestly in the Honest Corner below. For the pattern method behind all of this, see our complete German-English cognates guide.
Devices: Computers, Phones, and Peripherals (1–10)
| # | German | English | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | der Computer | the computer | der Rechner is the native twin — both are used |
| 2 | das Smartphone | the smartphone | das Handy is the everyday word for cell phone |
| 3 | der Laptop | the laptop | Also das Notebook |
| 4 | das Tablet | the tablet | |
| 5 | der Monitor | the monitor | The formal word for screen |
| 6 | der Bildschirm | the screen | ⚠ Compound: Bild (picture) + Schirm (shield/screen) — not from English “screen” |
| 7 | die Tastatur | the keyboard | ⚠ From Italian tastatura (row of keys) — learn it fresh |
| 8 | die Maus | the mouse | die Computermaus when clarity is needed |
| 9 | der Drucker | the printer | ⚠ From drucken (to print/press) + -er — not from “printer” |
| 10 | der Scanner | the scanner |
Connectivity and Power (11–17)
| # | German | English | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | das Internet | the internet | im Internet surfen — to surf the internet |
| 12 | das WLAN | the wifi | Pronounced “veh-lahn” — WLAN is the everyday word for wifi |
| 13 | das Bluetooth | the bluetooth | Named after the Viking king, in both languages |
| 14 | der Router | the router | den Router neu starten — restart the router |
| 15 | das Kabel | the cable | Both from Latin capulum |
| 16 | der Akku | the rechargeable battery | Short for Akkumulator — same Latin root as “accumulator” |
| 17 | das Ladegerät | the charger | “Load-device” — laden (to load) + Gerät (device, cognate with “gear”) |
Software and Files (18–26)
| # | German | English | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18 | die Software | the software | |
| 19 | die Hardware | the hardware | |
| 20 | das Programm | the program | das Fernsehprogramm — the TV guide |
| 21 | die App | the app | eine App herunterladen — to download an app |
| 22 | die Datei | the file | ⚠ Coined from Daten (data) as the German word for “file” — not an etymological cognate |
| 23 | der Ordner | the folder | From ordnen ← Latin ordinare — same root as “order” |
| 24 | das Dokument | the document | |
| 25 | der Anhang | the attachment | “On-hang” — from hängen (to hang), cognate with “hang” |
| 26 | das Profil | the profile | Profilbild — profile picture |
Online Life: Web, Cloud, and Accounts (27–37)
| # | German | English | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 27 | die E-Mail | the email | eine E-Mail schreiben — to write an email |
| 28 | die Website | the website | Also die Webseite |
| 29 | der Browser | the browser | den Browser aktualisieren — update the browser |
| 30 | der Server | the server | der Server ist down — Germans say “down” too |
| 31 | die Cloud | the cloud | in der Cloud speichern — to save in the cloud |
| 32 | das Update | the update | |
| 33 | der Download | the download | der Download läuft — the download is running |
| 34 | der Upload | the upload | |
| 35 | das Passwort | the password | True compound cognate: Pass (pass) + Wort (word) |
| 36 | der Benutzer | the user | ⚠ From benutzen (to use) — not from English “user”; Benutzername is “username” |
| 37 | das Konto | the account | Both from Latin computare (to count) via Italian/French |
Audio and Video (38–40)
| # | German | English | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 38 | die Webcam | the webcam | |
| 39 | das Mikrofon | the microphone | Both from Greek roots |
| 40 | der Kopfhörer | the headphones | “Head-hearer” — Kopf (head) + hören (to hear) |
German Technology Cognates: Why Tech German Is So Easy
Three forces make technology vocabulary uniquely friendly. First, direct borrowing: the digital revolution spoke English, so German imported Computer, Internet, Software, Cloud, App, Blog, Chat, Stream unchanged — zero study required. Second, international Latin/Greek stock: Mikrofon, Dokument, Profil, Programm, Monitor, Server were already shared across European languages before computers existed. Third, transparent compounds: where German did build its own words (Bildschirm, Kopfhörer, Ladegerät, Passwort, Festplatte), it built them from cognate parts — learn Kopf (head) and hören (to hear), and Kopfhörer assembles itself.
No other domain gives you this triple advantage. News German leans on Latin suffixes (see our spotting guide), food German leans on ancient roots (see food cognates) — but tech German is mostly words you already know wearing a German article. For a learner, that means the vocabulary of your devices, your office software, and your online life can be functional within days, not months.
Compound Detective: Practice Splitting Tech Words
German tech compounds are puzzles that solve themselves once you split them. Try these before reading the answers:
- Kopfhörer 2. Ladegerät 3. Passwort 4. Bildschirm 5. Festplatte 6. Netzwerk 7. Datenbank 8. Lautsprecher
Answers: 1. head-hearer = headphones 2. load-device = charger 3. pass-word = password 4. picture-shield = screen 5. firm-plate = hard drive 6. net-work = network 7. data-bank = database 8. loud-speaker = loudspeaker.
Every answer used only cognate parts. This is the single most transferable skill in German: split the compound first, translate the parts, reassemble. It works on Krankenhaus (sick-house = hospital), Handschuh (hand-shoe = glove), and thousands more.
The Honest Corner: 5 German Tech Words That Are Not What They Seem
Five ⚠ marks above — here is why each one deserves a deliberate look:
- der Bildschirm — Looks like “screen,” but it is Bild (picture) + Schirm (a protective screen/shield, as in Regenschirm, umbrella). A beautiful compound, not a borrowing. Memorize the parts.
- die Tastatur — From Italian tastatura (a row of keys, from tasto, key). English “keyboard” took the descriptive route; German took the Italian one. No shared root.
- der Drucker — From drucken (to press/print) + the agent suffix -er, exactly like English “printer” is “print” + “-er” — the construction is parallel, but the stems are unrelated.
- der Benutzer — From benutzen (to utilize), built on Nutzen (use/benefit). English “user” comes from Latin usus. Same job, different family.
- die Datei — Deliberately coined from Daten (data) when German needed a native word for “file.” A constructed word, not an inherited cognate.
The lesson: in technology, German mixes three strategies — direct English loans (Computer, Cloud), native compounds (Bildschirm, Kopfhörer), and coined terms (Datei). Knowing which strategy a word used tells you whether to guess or memorize. Our true cognates vs false friends guide trains exactly this judgment.
Bonus: 10 More Digital Words
- die KI (AI) — künstliche Intelligenz; Intelligenz = intelligence.
- der Algorithmus (algorithm), der Code (code) — the programmer’s pair.
- die Datenbank (database) — “data” + “bank,” both cognates.
- die Firewall (firewall), der Virus (virus) — security essentials.
- der Stream (stream), der Podcast (podcast), der Chat (chat) — direct loans.
- das Forum (forum), der Blog (blog) — the old web, still here.
- der Newsletter (newsletter) — den Newsletter abonnieren = to subscribe.
Tech Talk: Phrases for Work and Daily Life
- Mein Computer startet nicht. — My computer won’t start.
- Wie ist das WLAN-Passwort? — What is the wifi password?
- Ich schicke dir die Datei per E-Mail. — I’ll send you the file by email.
- Der Download dauert ewig. — The download is taking forever.
- Kannst du den Bildschirm teilen? — Can you share your screen?
- Mein Akku ist leer. — My battery is dead (literally “empty”).
Key Takeaways
- These 40 german technology cognates cover devices, connectivity, software, files, online life, and audio/video — the vocabulary of modern German digital life.
- Most are direct English loans (Computer, Smartphone, Cloud, Update) — identical spelling, instant recognition.
- Five flagged items (Bildschirm, Tastatur, Drucker, Benutzer, Datei) are native compounds or coinages, not true cognates — learn their parts instead of guessing.
- German compounds decode from cognate parts: Kopfhörer (head-hearer), Ladegerät (load-device), Passwort (pass-word).
- Six tech-talk phrases turn the list into usable language for work and travel.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does German use so many English tech words?
Technology vocabulary globalized in English, and German — like most languages — adopted the terms directly rather than inventing native ones. The result is the easiest vocabulary domain for English speakers: often zero learning required.
What is the difference between “der Rechner” and “der Computer”?
der Computer is the international loanword; der Rechner (from rechnen, to calculate — cognate with “reckon”) is the native German word. Both are correct; Computer is more common in everyday speech.
Is “das Handy” really the word for cell phone?
Yes — and it is a famous pseudo-anglicism: a word built from English parts that no English speaker would understand. Germans say Handy; say “cell phone” to a German and they may not follow. Learn Handy as pure vocabulary.
How do I pronounce “WLAN”?
“Veh-lahn” — say the letters W-L-A-N in German (weh-ehll-ah-ehn run together). It is the everyday word for wifi; hardly anyone says “wifi” in German.
Are German tech verbs also cognates?
Many are: downloaden, uploaden, chatten, bloggen, streamen — English verbs with German conjugations. Purists prefer native forms (herunterladen for download), but the English loans dominate casual speech.
Which tech cognates matter most for a job in Germany?
Computer, E-Mail, Passwort, Benutzer, Datei, Ordner, Drucker, Bildschirm, Tastatur, Internet, WLAN, Meeting (see our workplace cognates) — the dozen words of German office life. Learn them before day one.
How do Germans actually say “to google”?
googeln — English verb, German conjugation (ich google, du googelst). The same pattern gives downloaden, chatten, bloggen, streamen, liken. If you know the English verb, you can conjugate the German one immediately.
What is “die Cloud” in German — singular or plural?
Feminine singular: die Cloud. The plural is die Clouds. Like most English loans, it keeps its English plural with a German article — one of the small regularities that make loanwords easy to handle grammatically.
These 40 german technology cognates prove the easiest German you will ever learn is already on your screen — switch one app to German and watch them stick.