For example, in Korean, "pocket" is pronounced "ho-joo-mo-nee," which sounds a lot like "holds your money" in English, which is what a pocket does. The funniest and/or most interesting example in another language gets best answer.
2006-08-02 14:56:20 · 7 answers · asked by The_Yak 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Languages
In the Timbisha language of Death Valley, California, they tell stories of wolf and coyote. Coyote is always getting killed in the stories and wolf brings him back to life by poking him with his staff of power. The verb in these stories is tsihopa, pronounced chee-hoe-vah, "pick up with a pointed object". Christians among them always point this out and say, "That's where the name Jehovah comes from". Of course, "Jehovah" has a completely Hebrew/Latin origin.
EDIT: This just happened to me. My girlfriend is Polish and if she doesn't know the English word for something she will slip in the Polish word. I just got this message from her: "I'm travelling for 12 hours after I go to the prom." Sounds like a trip after a dance to an American, except that "prom" is the Polish word for "ferry". She's on a ferry from Poland to England.
2006-08-02 17:43:23 · answer #1 · answered by Taivo 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
"Embarazada" means pregnant in Spanish but sounds like embarrassed in English. Needless to say this can cause many problems for an american girl who is meeting her mexican boyfriends parents for the first time and trys to say that she is embarrassed. This actually happened to a friend of mine.
2006-08-04 06:15:01 · answer #2 · answered by mrodrx 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
La Bouche is french for "the mouth"
Adam Sandler played Bobby Boucher in the Waterboy.
You drink water with your mouth!
2006-08-02 15:15:33 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The only thing I can think of is the "Chevy Nova" from around the 1970's. It didn't sell in Mexico because in spanish, "nova" or "no va" means "no go", like the car doesn't run! Does that count?
2006-08-02 15:02:55 · answer #4 · answered by Favel_11 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I was once chatting w/ an Aussie friend and I told him, "My pigs are asleep."...he thought I was talking about farm animals, but I meant my toes.
2006-08-02 15:00:40 · answer #5 · answered by gypsie_soul06 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yea,
NEVER say "Pinch" to a spanish speaking person.
2006-08-02 15:00:41 · answer #6 · answered by CYNDIITA 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Say these three times real fast:
"Jiggle it a little, it'll open."
"Toy boat"
2006-08-02 16:43:17 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋