to forge / falsify
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to forge
To produce an unauthorized and deceptive copy of something valuable, such as money, a document, or a work of art.
Die Polizei hat eine Bande verhaftet, die seit Jahren Geldscheine fälscht.
The police arrested a gang that had been forging banknotes for years.
to falsify
To deliberately change information, data, or results in order to create the impression of a different, usually better result.
Dem Sportler wurde vorgeworfen, seine Testergebnisse gefälscht zu haben.
The athlete was accused of having falsified his test results.
The verb 'fälschen' is directly related to the adjective 'falsch' (wrong/false). It means to deliberately make something 'false' in order to deceive others.
Er hat das Datum auf dem Dokument gefälscht, um es gültig erscheinen zu lassen.
He forged the date on the document to make it appear valid.
The object of the verb shows the exact meaning. If it refers to valuable originals such as money, art, or signatures, it is about producing a copy. If it refers to information such as data or reports, it is about changing facts.
Der Experte erkannte sofort, dass das Gemälde gefälscht war.
The expert immediately recognized that the painting was forged.
In the meaning of 'to produce a copy', the most common objects are things with official or material value. Typical examples are: 'Geld fälschen' (to counterfeit money), 'eine Unterschrift fälschen' (to forge a signature), 'Dokumente fälschen' (to forge documents), or 'ein Testament fälschen' (to forge a will).
Es ist eine schwere Straftat, einen Pass zu fälschen.
It is a serious criminal offense to forge a passport.
When it is about changing information, the typical objects are more abstract. Common combinations are: 'Daten fälschen' (to falsify data), 'Ergebnisse fälschen' (to falsify results), 'eine Statistik fälschen' (to falsify statistics), or 'einen Bericht fälschen' (to falsify a report).
Der Wissenschaftler musste seine Karriere beenden, weil er Studienergebnisse gefälscht hatte.
The scientist had to end his career because he had falsified study results.
to manipulate
Both words can refer to deliberately changing data. „Manipulieren“ is broader and can also mean a targeted intervention without misrepresenting anything. „Fälschen“ fits when the data are deliberately changed so that a false or better result appears credible.
Der Mitarbeiter fälschte die Messdaten, damit die Prüfung erfolgreich aussah.
The employee falsified the measurement data so that the inspection appeared to be successful.
Der Techniker manipulierte die Messdaten, um den Ablauf des Geräts zu prüfen.
The technician manipulated the measurement data to test how the device operated.
