If you're comparing German and Indonesian vocabulary, you've probably noticed something surprising: plenty of words look almost the same in both languages. This list of nearly identical German-Indonesian word pairs covers everyday nouns, loanwords, and international terms - from musik/musik to laboratorium/laboratorium - where the German and Indonesian forms are the same or differ by only a letter or two.
Most of these overlaps come from shared borrowing rather than a close family relationship: Indonesian took in a large number of Dutch and international words, and Dutch is closely related to German, so many technical, scientific, and everyday terms ended up looking strikingly similar in the two languages. Whether you're a German speaker with some Indonesian or the other way around, these look-alikes are some of the fastest vocabulary you'll ever pick up - you mainly need to learn the small, recurring differences.
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| # | English | German | Indonesian |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | music | musik | musik |
| 2 | idea | idee | ide |
| 3 | free | frei | free |
| 4 | dad | papa | papa |
| 5 | word | wort | word |
| 6 | president | präsident | presiden |
| 7 | light | licht | light |
| 8 | doctor | Doktor | dokter |
| 9 | beer | bier | bir |
| 10 | camera | kamera | kamera |
| 11 | control | kontrolle | kontrol |
| 12 | pistol | pistole | pistol |
| 13 | photography | fotografie | fotografi |
| 14 | club | klub | klub |
| 15 | aunt | tante | tante |
| 16 | energy | energie | energi |
| 17 | glass | glas | gelas |
| 18 | wonder | wunder | wonder |
| 19 | fantastic | fantastisch | fantastis |
| 20 | program | programm | program |
| 21 | vampire | vampir | vampir |
| 22 | laboratory | laboratorium | laboratorium |
| 23 | round | runde | ronde |
| 24 | alcohol | alkohol | alkohol |
| 25 | client | klient | klien |
| 26 | commander | kommandant | komandan |
| 27 | course | kursus | kursus |
| 28 | article | artikel | artikel |
| 29 | identity | identität | identitas |
| 30 | best | beste | best |
| 31 | mom | mama | mama |
| 32 | negative | negativ | negatif |
| 33 | project | projekt | projek |
| 34 | positive | positiv | positif |
| 35 | assistant | assistent | asisten |
| 36 | director | direktor | direktur |
| 37 | legend | legende | legenda |
| 38 | university | universität | universitas |
| 39 | party | partei | partai |
| 40 | contact | kontakt | kontak |
| 41 | method | methode | metode |
| 42 | practical | praktisch | praktis |
| 43 | local | lokal | lokal |
| 44 | package | paket | paket |
| 45 | text message | sms | sms |
| 46 | political | politisch | politis |
| 47 | line | linie | line |
| 48 | gasoline | benzin | bensin |
| 49 | private | privat | private |
| 50 | series | serie | seri |
| 51 | figure | figur | figur |
| 52 | secretary | Sekretärin | sekretaris |
| 53 | paper | papier | paper |
| 54 | |||
| 55 | character | charakter | karakter |
| 56 | tip | tipp | tip |
| 57 | social | sozial | sosial |
| 58 | cable | kabel | kabel |
| 59 | inspector | inspektor | inspektur |
| 60 | reality | realität | realitas |
| 61 | novel | roman | roman |
| 62 | demon | dämon | demon |
| 63 | credit | kredit | kredit |
| 64 | mask | maske | masker |
| 65 | hard | hart | hard |
| 66 | toilet | klosett | kloset |
| 67 | romantic | romantisch | romantis |
| 68 | product | produkt | produk |
| 69 | protocol | protokoll | protokol |
| 70 | satellite | satellit | satelit |
| 71 | model | modell | model |
| 72 | activity | aktivität | aktivitas |
| 73 | kilogram | kilogramm | kilogram |
| 74 | motel | motel | motel |
| 75 | sandwich | sandwich | sandwich |
| 76 | circus | zirkus | sirkus |
| 77 | factory | fabrik | pabrik |
| 78 | area | areal | area |
| 79 | candidate | kandidat | kandidat |
| 80 | species | spezies | spesies |
| 81 | costume | kostüm | kostum |
| 82 | attractive | attraktiv | atraktif |
| 83 | active | aktiv | aktif |
| 84 | crystal | kristall | kristal |
| 85 | conference | konferenz | konferensi |
| 86 | document | dokument | dokumen |
| 87 | principle | prinzip | prinsip |
| 88 | cocaine | kokain | kokain |
| 89 | emperor | kaiser | kaisar |
| 90 | october | oktober | oktober |
| 91 | temple | tempel | temple |
| 92 | vodka | wodka | vodka |
| 93 | sector | sektor | sektor |
| 94 | republic | republik | republik |
| 95 | paradise | paradies | paradise |
| 96 | central | zentral | central |
| 97 | helmet | helm | helm |
| 98 | priority | priorität | prioritas |
| 99 | profile | profil | profil |
| 100 | congress | kongress | kongres |
| 101 | academy | akademie | akademi |
| 102 | seal | siegel | segel |
| 103 | industry | industrie | industri |
| 104 | cabin | kabine | kabin |
| 105 | opera | oper | opera |
| 106 | discipline | disziplin | disiplin |
| 107 | politician | politiker | politikus |
| 108 | scandal | skandal | skandal |
| 109 | apple | apfel | apel |
| 110 | january | januar | januari |
| 111 | stable | stabil | stabil |
| 112 | plastic | plastik | plastik |
| 113 | bandit | Bandit | bandit |
| 114 | condom | kondom | kondom |
| 115 | study | studie | studi |
| 116 | metal | metall | metal |
| 117 | stadium | stadion | stadion |
| 118 | website | webseite | website |
| 119 | federal | föderal | federal |
| 120 | structure | struktur | struktur |
| 121 | original | originell | original |
| 122 | procedure | prozedur | prosedur |
| 123 | form | formular | formulir |
| 124 | melody | melodie | melodi |
| 125 | emotional | emotionale | emosional |
| 126 | conflict | konflikt | konflik |
| 127 | balloon | ballon | balon |
| 128 | supermarket | supermarkt | supermarket |
| 129 | diet | diät | diet |
| 130 | mass | masse | massa |
| 131 | democracy | demokratie | demokrasi |
| 132 | tomato | tomate | tomat |
| 133 | pirate | pirat | pirate |
| 134 | centimeter | zentimeter | sentimeter |
| 135 | intelligence | intelligenz | intelligence |
| 136 | diagnosis | diagnose | diagnosa |
| 137 | dramatic | dramatisch | dramatis |
| 138 | lesbian | lesbe | lesbi |
| 139 | coat | mantel | mantel |
| 140 | committee | komitee | komite |
| 141 | babysitter | Babysitter | babysitter |
| 142 | landing | landung | landing |
| 143 | ink | tinte | tinta |
| 144 | gallery | galerie | galeri |
| 145 | banana | banane | banana |
| 146 | autopsy | autopsie | autopsi |
| 147 | compromise | kompromiss | kompromi |
| 148 | league | liga | liga |
| 149 | senate | senat | senat |
| 150 | institute | institut | institut |
| 151 | balcony | balkon | balkon |
| 152 | makeup | make-up | make-up |
| 153 | superhero | superheld | superhero |
| 154 | motive | motiv | motif |
| 155 | dynamite | Dynamit | dinamit |
| 156 | mile | meile | mile |
| 157 | siren | sirene | sirene |
| 158 | colony | kolonie | koloni |
| 159 | command | kommando | komando |
| 160 | grenade | granate | granat |
| 161 | courier | kurier | kurir |
| 162 | flame | flamme | flame |
| 163 | overdose | überdosis | overdosis |
| 164 | biological | biologisch | biologis |
| 165 | criticism | kritik | kritik |
| 166 | capsule | kapsel | kapsul |
| 167 | popular | populär | populer |
| 168 | choir | chor | choir |
| 169 | banker | bankier | bankir |
| 170 | substance | substanz | substansi |
| 171 | irony | ironie | ironi |
| 172 | historical | historisch | historis |
| 173 | curve | kurve | kurva |
| 174 | perspective | perspektive | perspektif |
| 175 | cartel | kartell | kartel |
| 176 | corridor | korridor | koridor |
| 177 | clinic | klinik | klinik |
| 178 | parliament | parlament | parlemen |
| 179 | perfume | parfum | parfum |
| 180 | antique | antik | antik |
| 181 | record | rekord | rekor |
| 182 | jeep | jeep | jeep |
| 183 | compass | kompass | kompas |
| 184 | literature | literatur | literatur |
| 185 | reactor | reaktor | reaktor |
| 186 | hormone | hormon | hormon |
| 187 | photographer | fotograf | fotografer |
| 188 | caliber | kaliber | kaliber |
| 189 | dialogue | dialog | dialog |
| 190 | statistics | statistik | statistik |
| 191 | integrity | integrität | integritas |
| 192 | parasite | parasit | parasit |
| 193 | category | kategorie | kategori |
| 194 | genetic | genetisch | genetis |
| 195 | catholic | katholik | katolik |
| 196 | particle | partikel | partikel |
| 197 | creative | kreativ | kreatif |
| 198 | microphone | mikrofon | mikrofon |
| 199 | ballet | ballett | ballet |
| 200 | revolutionary | revolutionär | revolusioner |
| 201 | marijuana | marihuana | mariyuana |
| 202 | organism | organismus | organisme |
| 203 | apocalypse | apokalypse | apokalips |
| 204 | urine | urin | urin |
| 205 | anomaly | anomalie | anomali |
| 206 | rector | rektor | rektor |
| 207 | democratic | demokratisch | demokratis |
| 208 | harmony | harmonie | harmoni |
| 209 | cardboard | karton | karton |
| 210 | maneuver | manöver | manuver |
| 211 | platform | plattform | platform |
| 212 | artillery | artillerie | artileri |
| 213 | simple | simpel | simpel |
| 214 | string | strang | string |
| 215 | raid | razzia | razia |
| 216 | spectacular | spektakulär | spektakuler |
| 217 | artifact | artefakt | artefak |
| 218 | cobra | kobra | kobra |
| 219 | consulate | konsulat | konsulat |
| 220 | convoy | konvoi | konvoi |
| 221 | telescope | teleskop | teleskop |
| 222 | comet | komet | komet |
| 223 | religious | religiös | religius |
| 224 | anonymous | anonym | anonim |
| 225 | stamp | stempel | stempel |
| 226 | tractor | traktor | traktor |
| 227 | brilliant | brillant | brilliant |
| 228 | legendary | legendär | legendaris |
| 229 | calorie | kalorie | kalori |
| 230 | hectare | hektar | hektar |
| 231 | tolerance | toleranz | toleransi |
| 232 | catalog | katalog | katalog |
| 233 | democrat | demokrat | demokrat |
| 234 | rival | rivale | rival |
| 235 | epidemic | epidemie | epidemi |
| 236 | metropolis | metropole | metropolis |
| 237 | lasagna | lasagne | lasagna |
| 238 | billionaire | milliardär | miliarder |
| 239 | stability | stabilität | stabilitas |
| 240 | excellent | exzellent | excellent |
| 241 | yacht | jacht | yacht |
| 242 | dictator | diktator | diktator |
| 243 | regular | regulär | reguler |
| 244 | intensive | intensiv | intensif |
| 245 | angel | engel | angel |
| 246 | espionage | spionage | spionase |
| 247 | puberty | pubertät | pubertas |
| 248 | pharmacist | apotheker | apoteker |
| 249 | microscope | mikroskop | mikroskop |
| 250 | ethics | ethik | etik |
| 251 | demonstrator | demonstrant | demonstran |
| 252 | cathedral | kathedrale | katedral |
| 253 | meteorite | meteorit | meteorit |
| 254 | anatomy | anatomie | anatomi |
| 255 | diplomacy | diplomatie | diplomasi |
| 256 | factor | faktor | faktor |
| 257 | conservative | konservativ | konservatif |
| 258 | capacity | kapazität | kapasitas |
| 259 | radical | radikal | radikal |
| 260 | creativity | kreativität | kreativitas |
| 261 | chimpanzee | schimpanse | simpanse |
| 262 | canoe | kanu | kano |
| 263 | dialect | dialekt | dialek |
| 264 | optimism | optimismus | optimisme |
| 265 | graphic | grafik | grafik |
| 266 | volume | volumen | volume |
| 267 | solidarity | solidarität | solidaritas |
| 268 | activist | aktivist | aktivis |
| 269 | quarter | quartal | kuartal |
| 270 | drastic | drastisch | drastis |
| 271 | mode | modus | modus |
| 272 | acute | akut | akut |
| 273 | rank | rang | rang |
| 274 | astronomer | astronom | astronom |
| 275 | strategic | strategisch | strategis |
| 276 | productive | produktiv | produktif |
| 277 | radioactive | radioaktiv | radioaktif |
| 278 | glacier | gletscher | gletser |
| 279 | universal | universell | universal |
| 280 | controversy | kontroverse | kontroversi |
| 281 | icon | ikone | ikon |
| 282 | defensive | defensiv | defensif |
| 283 | optics | optik | optik |
| 284 | flexible | flexibel | fleksibel |
| 285 | spectrum | spektrum | spektrum |
| 286 | mandate | mandat | mandat |
| 287 | ideology | ideologie | ideologi |
| 288 | lily | lilie | lili |
| 289 | paragraph | paragraf | paragraf |
| 290 | logistics | logistik | logistik |
| 291 | informal | informell | informal |
| 292 | messiah | messias | mesias |
| 293 | market | markt | market |
| 294 | hurricane | hurrikan | hurricane |
| 295 | intensity | intensität | intensitas |
| 296 | abstract | abstrakt | abstrak |
| 297 | progressive | progressiv | progresif |
| 298 | processor | prozessor | prosesor |
| 299 | commentator | kommentator | komentator |
| 300 | lagoon | lagune | laguna |
It comes mostly from shared borrowing rather than a close family relationship. Indonesian took in many Dutch and international loanwords, and Dutch is closely related to German, so technical, scientific, and everyday terms often ended up looking similar in both languages.
Spelling is close or identical in this list, but pronunciation can differ, because German and Indonesian have different sound systems. Treat the spelling overlap as a memory shortcut, not a guarantee that the words sound alike.
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