Are German people aware that their language is related to English?

Yes, many German people are aware that their language is related to English. German and English are both part of the Germanic language family, which means they share a common ancestor and have many similarities in terms of vocabulary, grammar, and sentence structure. German speakers often recognize cognates, which are words that are similar in both German and English due to their shared origin. For example, words like "house" (Haus), "water" (Wasser), and "mother" (Mutter) have clear similarities between the two languages. However, while there are similarities, the languages have evolved separately over time and have developed distinct differences in pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar. Despite these differences, many German speakers find it easier to learn English compared to speakers of non-Germanic languages due to the linguistic connection between the two. Overall, while not all individuals might be deeply aware of the linguistic relationship, many German speakers do recognize the connection between their language and English to varying degrees. read less

Every German that ever learned one English word is aware of that fact. Many even falsely believe that English developed from German. Whereas in fact it was an Old Germanic language that developed into the basis of modern English. read less