Engrish.com

[fujaiwei]

I bet everyone who's lived in a country where they speak another language has some story like this. I've got two, although only one of them was me. Once, after coming in to someone's house in Argentina after getting off my bike on a very windy day, I got a comment or two about my wild hair. I made the comment, I thought, that I had left my comb at home, so I couldn't do anything about it. However, the word for comb, pene is pronounced very similarly to the word for penis, peine. I'm sure you can fill in the blanks...

Another girl I knew was asked to speak for a few minutes in church to introduce herself when she arrived. She meant to say, "I'm very embarrassed because the bishop asked me to speak." There is a common misconception, however, that the Spanish word embarasada means embarrassed because it's so similar to the English word. As a matter of fact, it means pregnant.

I'm guessing the bishop was more embarassed than she was
embarasada .

 

[Henry]

EDIT: I guess I've been edited by a mod.; I didn't think talking about it so abstractly was offensive . . .

No, that's just the natural filter. It filters out so you can't talk to somebody else, even though the you want to say is part of another word.

Now, ain't that the ?

Fortunately, what you want to say is pretty clear through context clues. And, it reinforces my commitment to never attempt to speak Japanese, Chinese, Korean, or Thai to a native speaker without heavy tutoring.

 

[Ferret]

I've never had the chance to mess up in a foreign country but I read a similar thread on other board, aparently the verb burp (as into burp a baby) is pronouced rape in swedish (I think), guess what context it was used in. Als Flute in german is fag (or something similar), so when one german exchange student went up onto the stage to perform that said they were going to "play the fag" rather then the flute. :\

 

[BOZ]

Of course the sign "Child Bear" for "Chilled Beer" is still funny....

i sure could use a child bear right about now.

 

[BOZ]

i wouldn't talk like that henry, or the will hit the fan.