noun
poison, gift (false friend — present)
B1
Gift in German means 'poison' (not 'present' — false friend). It’s a neuter noun: das Gift, plural Gifte. Declension regular (Gen. des Gifts; plural die Gifte). Use for toxic substances or metaphorical harm. Do not confuse with English 'gift' meaning present.
Examples
Manche Pilze enthalten ein tödliches Gift.
Some mushrooms contain a deadly poison.
Die Pflanze enthält Gift.
The plant contains poison.
Vorsicht: 'Gift' ist ein falscher Freund für Englischsprachige, es bedeutet nicht 'present'.
Warning: 'Gift' is a false friend for English speakers — it doesn't mean 'present'.
Details
Mnemonics
Imagine a wrapped present that, when opened, reveals a skull-and-crossbones — the false friend 'Gift' actually means poison
looks like the English 'gift' but sounds like 'gɪft' — remember it's NOT 'present' but 'poison'
Das Gift — imagine a neutral (grey) poison vial to remember 'das'
Notes
A classic false friend for English learners: German 'Gift' = English 'poison', not 'present'.