Alec Newbie United Kingdom Joined 6398 days ago 36 posts - 41 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Italian, Japanese
| Message 73 of 185 01 May 2008 at 10:42pm | IP Logged |
The other day at my restaurant a woman ordered umeshu, which is a sweet alcoholic drink. I asked if she wanted me to put a Japanese apricot into the drink this time as I had been doing up to that point. Being tired and distracted, instead of offering to put into her drink an "umeboshi" (Japanese apricot), I offered to put in an "oshibori" (hand towel). (>_<) The woman looked confused and then I realised my mistake.
Agh, so embarrassing to make such a stupid mistake with two words which don't even sound that similar.
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Soxpast22 Diglot Newbie United States Joined 6027 days ago 8 posts - 9 votes Speaks: English*, Spanish Studies: Latin Studies: Irish
| Message 74 of 185 12 June 2008 at 11:01pm | IP Logged |
One time in Spanish I meant to say "I drink drinks" (Bebo bebidas) But it instead came out "I drink babies" (Bebo bebés)
Edited by Soxpast22 on 12 June 2008 at 11:02pm
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Ssizz Diglot Groupie United States Joined 6087 days ago 66 posts - 72 votes 1 sounds Speaks: English*, Spanish Studies: Mandarin, Korean
| Message 75 of 185 13 June 2008 at 1:03am | IP Logged |
Soxpast22 wrote:
One time in Spanish I meant to say "I drink drinks" (Bebo bebidas) But it instead came out "I
drink babies" (Bebo bebés) |
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L M A O!
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Bradley326 Groupie Joined 6175 days ago 78 posts - 104 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Russian, Kazakh, Spanish
| Message 76 of 185 18 June 2008 at 3:53pm | IP Logged |
A few years ago when I had just started learning Russian, a Russian exchange student named Olga began working at the same restaurant as me. I loved practicing my Russian with her.
Anyway, one day as she was exiting the kitchen with a huge tray full of food, drinks, and plates, I tried to say to her, "Olga, oo tyebya yest' tyazhyeliy podnos" (Olga, you have a heavy tray!).
What I said, however, is "Olga, oo tyebya yest' tyazhyeliy ponos" (Olga, you have heavy diarrhea!)
I've never mistaken "ponos" and "podnos" since :)
Edited by Bradley326 on 18 June 2008 at 3:54pm
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Cisa Super Polyglot Senior Member United Kingdom Joined 6418 days ago 312 posts - 309 votes 2 sounds Speaks: Hungarian*, Slovak, FrenchC1, EnglishC2, Mandarin, SpanishB2, RussianB2, GermanB2, Korean, Czech, Latin Studies: Italian, Cantonese, Japanese, Portuguese, Polish, Hindi, Mongolian, Tibetan, Kazakh, Vietnamese, Modern Hebrew
| Message 77 of 185 19 June 2008 at 4:29am | IP Logged |
This is funny! ;)
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Pavilion Groupie United States Joined 6054 days ago 58 posts - 56 votes Speaks: English*
| Message 80 of 185 08 July 2008 at 4:17pm | IP Logged |
The meaning of "constipated" in English is rather different to "constipado" in Spanish and can lead to humorous blunders I expect!
They both mean to be blocked up, but in English it refers to the intestines while in Spanish it simply means you've got a cold (blocked up nose).
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