|
 |
Worst mistakes? | ||
Tags: Error | ||
Share with:
| ||
 Language Learning Forum : General discussion |  | |
 jeff_lindqvist Diglot Moderator SwedenRegistered users can see my Skype Name Joined 6910 days ago 4250 posts - 5711 votes  Speaks: Swedish*, English Studies: German, Spanish, Russian, Dutch, Mandarin, Esperanto, Irish, French Personal Language Map | Message 17 of 23 24 February 2013 at 11:16pm | IP Logged | ||
|
While the German word "nüchtern" can refer to having an empty stomach, the Swedish word "nykter" only means "sober". You can only guess the reaction after the German doctor in town asked the patient to be sober (nykter) before the diagnosis... :D (True story, I heard it from the doctor herself)
2 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| Serpent Octoglot Senior Member Russian Federation serpent-849.livejour Joined 6598 days ago 9753 posts - 15779 votes 4 sounds Speaks: Russian*, English, FinnishC1, Latin, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese Studies: Danish, Romanian, Polish, Belarusian, Ukrainian, Croatian, Slovenian, Catalan, Czech, Galician, Dutch, Swedish | Message 18 of 23 25 February 2013 at 12:36am | IP Logged | ||
embarazado is a common mistake for sure. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| wv girl Diglot Senior Member United States Joined 5240 days ago 174 posts - 330 votes Speaks: English*, French Studies: Spanish | Message 19 of 23 25 February 2013 at 3:42am | IP Logged | ||
|
My most embarrassing error in French was with the word "baiser," which as a noun means a kiss and as a verb
does NOT mean to kiss, but to f*#*k. I was talking about my evening to my very proper French teacher. She'd asked about "mon amour" and I told her that he'd eaten so much garlic that "je ne l'ai meme pas baise." Well, I was trying to say that I didn't even kiss him, but that's not what came out. Proper as she was, she couldn't help but burst out laughing, as she explained to me that that was a rude way to talk about intercourse... Also up there was the time that I was going out on the lake during my immersion in Chicoutimi, Quebec. I wanted a life preserver, but asked for a "preservatif," a condom. The attendant handed me one, a life preserver, with a big smile. My other bad error was when my host family's daughter was getting ready to be a bridesmaid in a wedding. She was so petite that she looked like a little doll. I remembered reading that Simone de Beauvoir called her little sister "Poupette" and gave her what I thought was a compliment. She didn't react too happily and some fast French followed, as she told her sister that I'd called her something to do with "merde," s*$t. I guess in Quebecois it doesn't have the same connotation... The only reason I don't have many bad Spanish errors is certainly lack of real use! Live and learn .... 5 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| maydayayday Pentaglot Senior Member United Kingdom Joined 5220 days ago 564 posts - 839 votes Speaks: English*, German, Italian, SpanishB2, FrenchB2 Studies: Arabic (Egyptian), Russian, Swedish, Turkish, Polish, Persian, Vietnamese Studies: Urdu | Message 20 of 23 02 March 2013 at 1:09am | IP Logged | ||
|
I was aged 15 the four of us, my exchange buddy, his gf and his sister were leaving the cinema in a little town in Brittany after watching a double header with Woody Allen and Francois Truffaut. <so about 1976!> it was raining like I'd never seen but ...
Don't ever ask a girl if she has a capote <condom> when you mean overcoat.... 4 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| WingSuet Triglot Senior Member Sweden Joined 5352 days ago 169 posts - 211 votes Speaks: Swedish*, English, German Studies: Cantonese | Message 21 of 23 02 March 2013 at 12:09pm | IP Logged | ||
|
I had a short presentation in German about a book in front of the class. I was going to
mention something about the Spanish Civil War, which is "Spanischer Bürgerkrieg" in German, but accidentally said instead: "Spanischer Bürgermeisterkrieg". So basically, a war between the Spanish mayors. ;) 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| HenryMW Tetraglot Senior Member United States Joined 5175 days ago 125 posts - 179 votes Speaks: English*, German, Spanish, French Studies: Modern Hebrew | Message 22 of 23 02 March 2013 at 4:06pm | IP Logged | ||
A similar thing happened to me too in France. I couldn't think of the word but I knew besar in Spanish so I figured close enough. Glad that wasn't just me. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| jazzboy.bebop Senior Member Norway norwegianthroughnove Joined 5419 days ago 439 posts - 800 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Norwegian | Message 23 of 23 08 March 2013 at 7:48pm | IP Logged | ||
|
A couple of years ago I was on the phone to a Norwegian friend of my mother. I tried to explain that my mum was washing her hair and mumbled in my then shaky Norwegian:
"Hun er litt opptatt; hun vasker hora sin." His reply: "She is washing her whore!?!" Ooops. Should have said "Hun vasker håret". Edited by jazzboy.bebop on 08 March 2013 at 7:50pm 1 person has voted this message useful |
If you wish to post a reply to this topic you must first login. If you are not already registered you must first register
|  | 
Printable version
|
| Copyright 2024 FX Micheloud - All rights reserved No part of this website may be copied by any means without my written authorization. |
