Best Blunders In The Lands Of Other Languages | The Expeditioner Online Travel Magazine

Best Blunders In The Lands Of Other Languages

So we´ve all heard: Learning a second language is hard. It´s also often hilarious to the ears of native speakers. Countless novice Spanish speakers have accidentally been very horny when they meant to say they were hot. During my friend Kayla´s first week studying in Japan, she found herself sitting awkwardly at a table of hushed Japanese businessmen when she accidentally made a toast to “penises.” My first month in Chile, when people asked me why I chose to study there, I told them because I “wanted to learn to suffer,” instead of expressing my desire to learn surfing.

Those who have a better command of the language can also use others’ lack of skill for mucho fun. I once had a friend visit me in Guatemala and told him that “Serote” was how to say “Sir” or “Ma´am” in this country. “Serote” actually translate closer to “Shithead.” It was not easy to hold back my laughter when he went in to a store and the following conversation took place in loud Gringo Spanish:

Friend: Hey shithead, I would like a Coca-cola.

Store owner: (with a murderously amused expression). A Coca-cola?

Friend: Yes, shithead.

(The store owner slowly grabs the soda and my friend pays.)

Friend: Many thanks shithead!

Most travelers have plenty of their own stories of their own mistakes in other languages. So here I encourage you to leave a comment below, sharing other hilarious language blunders you’re encountered.

posted by Luke Armstrong on February 5, 2010 @ 1:21 pm
5525Comments (5)2010-02-05+18%3A21%3A58Luke+Armstrong | Permalink

Tags: foreign language, Lost in translation

I taught English in Korea for a year. I'm trying to impress my nine-year-old students with my counting ability. I count to twenty. I'm thinking I'm saying the word "eighteen" and wondering why the whole class is breaking into peals of raucous laughter…

…and when I ask the Korean teachers about it, and repeat the word I used, eyes bug out and hands get clasped over mouths. My liaison, Charles, grins a mile wide and says, "That is the f-word you are saying."

Turns out the Korean word for the number 18 bears a distressingly close resemblance to the Korean f-bomb. It's just a matter of inflection and consonant stress. And I was, literally, effing it up. No wonder my students kept asking me to say it again and again and again and again…

Took me WEEKS to live that one down.

ATP — Friday, February 5, 2010 @ 7:59 pm

I was in Mexico once, and I meant to ask the cab driver if he had a wife, nstead I asked him if he wanted my wife.

Tomato Man — Friday, February 5, 2010 @ 6:27 pm

I recall telling many people in Argentina that I worked as an "avocado" — that was until I learned the word I was looking for was "abogado."

TheExpeditioner — Friday, February 5, 2010 @ 6:45 pm

When I was studying in France and out at a party with my host sister I accidentally told the whole group that I was ibred.

The host of the party asked me why I looked the way I did (they all thought I was Swedish or Norweigan and couldn't believe I was American) I tried to tell them "It's because I have Swedish and Norwegian ancestors in my family" but I actually said "It's because I have Swedish and Norwegian incest in my family." Needless to say, people became very quiet and looked a bit horrified until my host sister explained to them what I meant and cleared up my faux pas.

The french word for ancestor is ancetre but I said anceStre which sounds like the French word for incest because of the S I put in the word.

Ah mon dieu…

Caity — Saturday, February 6, 2010 @ 10:09 am