“Expat Anguish: 10 Embarrassing Linguistic Errors to Steer Clear of”
Photo Credit (Pixabay)
Learning a new language can be exciting, but it can also result in some very awkward situations. These are ten of the most hilarious and embarrassing linguistic gaffes that have happened to Euronews employees, and you should absolutely be aware of them.
A Proposal to a Waitress “”My teacher used the word ‘completed’ in a way that became sexually suggestive in modern Russian during a school trip to Russia. To make it more generic, we had to add the prefix ‘za’. The waitress thought that was funny. — Hannah
As I don’t speak Spanish fluently, I once requested a “mojito de pechos,” or breast mojito, rather than a peach mojito. The bartender’s expression was priceless.”” — James
Telling the Cashier to Go to Bed: “After coming to France, I used to gleefully greet my favorite cashier in the evening with ‘bonne nuit.'” I discovered later that the expression “bonne nuit” is used for when someone is truly going to bed. “Bonsoir” is the appropriate sentence (good evening). — Ian
Misinterpreting the Excitation
“When English speakers say “je suis excité,” they generally mean “I am horny!” instead of “I am excited.” It may result in some quite unpleasant discussions.”” — Helene
Pain in the Rear ‘J’ai très mal au cul aujourd’hui (I have a very terrible a** today) is what you would tell your in-laws in France if you mix up the words ‘cul’ (bottom) and ‘cou’ (neck).” — Charlotte
In Quebec, I mistakenly mispronounced the word “queue” (line) as “cul” (arse). My error had everyone in stitches.”” — James
In Spain, I once declared that I was “muy casado,” which means “very married,” but what I intended to say was “muy cansado,” which means “very tired.” I believe I misled a great deal of people.”” — James
Confusing Use of Contraceptives
“Preservatif, or the false friend, is something our French teacher forewarned us about.” He used it inadvertently when discussing preservatives for bread. It wasn’t successful.” — Hannah
“A Spanish male buddy wanted to indicate he was humiliated, but instead he exclaimed, ‘estoy embarazado,’ (I’m pregnant). It undoubtedly made him feel more embarrassed!”” — James
Merely a Kiss?””In Hungarian, ‘puszi’ (kisses) sounds like ‘pussy’ to English speakers, which always causes a few giggles.” — Rita
Erroneous Rental Requests “”Upon moving into a new apartment, I unintentionally requested a “crématoire” (a funeral home) rather than a “crémaillère” (a housewarming celebration). The landlord’s response was quite valuable.”” — Rita
Cathedral Bewilderment
“I mispronounced the name “Vierge Marie” (Virgin Mary) as “Verge Marie” (Penis Mary) when I was outside a cathedral in France. It was obvious how embarrassed she was.”” — James
A Fascinating Approach
The verbs “to write” and “to piss” are the same in Russian, however they have different stresses. Hannah: “Once, I unintentionally told my teacher that I was doing my homework instead of pissing.
