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30 Times Language Barriers Made Traveling An Unexpectedly Comical Experience
Interview With Expert
When I was about seven years old, my brother and I went to the clinic my father worked at to sing Christmas carols to his colleagues and spread some holiday spirit. And one of the songs on our roster was the beloved classic Feliz Navidad. Unfortunately, however, I didn’t know very much Spanish at the time, so I ended up singing “próspero baño y felicidad” instead of año. (In other words, I wished them a prosperous bathroom instead of year.)
As embarrassing as this may be to look back on, I know I'm far from the only one who’s made a hilarious linguistic mistake of this nature. Redditors have recently been recalling the funniest miscommunications they’ve experienced while traveling and talking to speakers of other languages, so we’ve gathered their most amusing stories down below. And keep reading to find a conversation with Jhona Yellin, Editor at offMetro!
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#1
Went into a clothing store in Paris, browsed through the racks, declined offer of assistance from clerk. After I left I realized it was a dry cleaner.
lenka 5 months ago
Hahaha. I walked into what I thought was a chemist in the Netherlands (apotheek) and started asking for medication. I was turned away without fully understanding why they had refused to serve me. Later venting to my husband about it and he's confused, asks me which chemist I went to. I explained its location (i.e. the one next to the train station). He starts laughing at me... It was a mortgage broker (hypotheek).
#2
My favorite was when I was in a tiny town deep in the Pyrenees in France just after coming to the country. I was running to catch a train and could hear it coming but couldn't figure out where the station was (pre-Smartphones) and I started panicking. I saw an older couple walking towards me but all of the French I knew flew out of my head because I was in such a tizzy.
So, basically I ran up to this nice couple and yelled "Ooh ay el choo-choo" while making the "pull the cord" motion. This nice couple pointed me in the right direction but they were doubled over laughing the entire time. Couldn't blame them, honestly. Made my train
Luis Hernandez Dauajare 5 months ago
Reminds me of something that happened to my mother. On a trip to Quebec she tried to talk to a ticket vendor. She is a very small Mexican lady, and although she reads both English and French, she does not speak neither, so she started the conversation by flapping her hands frantically and saying "Boleto! Je ne sais pas how to blah-blah-blah-blah-blah!". It took a while for the vendor to stop laughing to assist us.
#3
I used to live in Japan and when I first moved there my motto was “I’m okay with making 10,000 mistakes daily.” This was my first major one.
I was invited over by a very sweet couple in my apartment complex for dinner one of my first nights. They had a baby.
When I entered the house I wanted to show off my newfound Japanese skills from my paper dictionary. What I meant to say was “ie ga kirei” - or “your home is beautiful.” What I said was “ie ga kirai” - “your home is disgusting.” They kept their smiles up but I could tell they were a bit jarred.
It got worse. During dinner I said the other thing I had learned “akachan ga sugoi kawaii” - “your baby is very cute,” but what I said was “akachan ga sugoi kowaii” - or “your baby is terrifying.”
This time they weren’t so stoic and the dad sort of choked on his food. I asked what was wrong and they told me that they weren’t used to people being so direct. I told them what I was trying to say each time and they looked SO relieved and we all laughed until it hurt. I worked with the husband and everyone at work the next day thought it was absolutely hilarious.
That was the first of many, many situations like that.
Ellie Ahmed 5 months ago
My husband’s practice used to share a building with a small family business. The patriarch was this lovely old Italian gentleman with broken English. The first time he met our baby he excitedly told us she was “delicious”.
To learn more about this topic from a travel expert, we reached out to Jhona Yellin, Editor at the travel blog offMetro. Jhona was kind enough to have a chat with Bored Panda and detail some of her own hilarious mishaps when speaking other languages.
"During one of our trips in Paris, I tried to impress a waiter with my rudimentary French. I meant to ask for a 'baguette' but asked for a 'bague' (ring) instead," Jhona shared. "The waiter looked puzzled but brought me a dessert menu, thinking I wanted a dessert ring. We laughed so hard when we realized the mistake."
#4
I hired a tour guide in Hanoi. At one of the stops he explained that we were at the temple of Little Richard. So I ask “Did you say Little Richard?” He nods proudly “Yes, Little Richard!” I’m like “This temple is dedicated to Little Richard?” He is emphatic “Yes! This is the temple of Little Richard”. I want to tell him that I’m pretty sure it is not, but just shrug “okay, whatever”. Later I looked it up and discovered we had visited the temple of literature.
#5
We were in Rome in an old hotel by the Colosseum. It was very loud in our rooms. My friend went to the front desk and kept explaining to the receptionist that it was too loud in his room. The guy was not helpful and my friend was pissed. He then got out his Italian book and realized he spent 15 minutes telling the guy "I don't like my ears!".
"Another time, in one of our group tours in Torino, Italy, while sitting in a lovely restaurant, a fellow traveler mixed up 'pesca' (peach) with 'pesce' (fish)," Jhona told Bored Panda. "He asked for a fruit salad but ended up with a plate of fish. The look on his face when the dish arrived was priceless. These moments, while embarrassing, often lead to shared laughter and memorable stories."
#6
Just moved to france, started new job, haven't spoken french for a long while and am quite rusty. i need to set up a meeting with a colleague. she happens to be a woman. instead of telling her 'let's meet at your room in the office', i translate from italian and say 'on se voit dans ta chambre' e.g. let's meet in your bedroom. she had a good laugh.
few days after, another colleague, still a woman. i need a favor (work related) and in italian one can say 'mi fai un favore' or 'mi fai un piacere'. of course i translate the second saying 'j'ai besoin d'un plaisir' which very roughly translates to 'can you pleasure me'. she also had a good laugh, luckily.
i am proud to report my french greatly improved since then.
Marcos Valencia 5 months ago
More or less, this is how I met my Italian wife. She said 'yes' in both cases.
#7
I was backpacking in Patagoina and were trying to re-enter Argentina after being in Chile for a month. The boarder officer demanded to see my sheep's, and I understood nothing, cause I never had any sheep. We got more and more frustrated with each other until the officer went to get a colleague who spoke better English. The other officer checks my papers and again ask me about the whereabouts of my sheep. I explain that I left Argentina on a ship, and that's when it clicked for us. Turns out, according to my documents, I left Argentina on a sheep and they wanted to declare it before I came back.
We also asked the travel expert what she believes is the most challenging aspect of learning a new language. "To me personally, the hardest part is mastering idiomatic expressions and cultural nuances," she shared. "It’s one thing to memorize vocabulary and grammar but understanding everyday speech and context is much more challenging, I think."
"Miscommunications are inevitable but part of the fun too," Jhona added. "They always remind me that language is more than words; it’s a cultural bridge. These moments can be humbling and hilarious, teaching us patience and resilience."
#8
I was in Milan recently. I speak a little Italian. It am not confident enough to hold a conversation. I was caught off guard by somebody asking me a question in Italian. I replied with “No hablo inglese” which means I do not speak English…..but in Spanish. I’ll blame it on the jet lag. I’m sure I confused that person thoroughly.
CheshirePhrogg 5 months ago
I used to take in bound customer service calls. I'd get a Spanish speaker and would always, without fail, say "no habla Espanol uno momento sil vous plait". I'm told I confused MANY people
#9
In Salzburg as a group of about 15 family and friends. We asked a nice German woman to take our photo. She takes one then says “OK, Back up” so we all shuffle as a group like 3 feet backwards. She immediately starts laughing and explains she meant she was taking a backup photo. Safe to say the smiles in the second photo were genuine.
Finally, Jhona shared some advice for anyone who wants to try to minimize these miscommunications when traveling. "Learn key phrases before you travel! Greetings, thank you, please, and help can go a long way," the expert says. "Locals appreciate the effort and it shows respect."
"Translation apps like Google Translate and Duolingo are lifesavers, but don’t rely solely on them. Practice speaking and listening too," she continued. "When mishaps happen, embrace them with humor and grace. These experiences enrich your travel and often lead to the best stories."
And if you'd like to hear even more of Jhona's thoughts on this topic, be sure to check out her offMetro piece on why learning the local language is essential for travelers right here!
#10
In Boquete, Panama whilst attempting to buy jeans I spent five minutes telling a store order about my desire to buy pants for horses (caballos) instead of men (caballeros) in my broken Spanish.
#11
My sister and I both worked at Target in college. One day she called me on the walkie-talkies when we were both on shift and said:
“Hey, I have some Spanish speakers and I have no idea what they’re asking me, can you translate?”
“Sure, what are they saying?”
“They’re looking for (heavy Spanish accent) an ‘eyes cram ma chin’”
I was laughing so damn hard and responded “they’re speaking English not Spanish, they want an ice cream machine!”
It’s been over 10 years and it still makes me laugh.
Sky Render 5 months ago
I had something similar happen at a previous job. One of my coworkers asked me to "check the beans". Confused, I said that we're packaging nutritional yeast and not beans. She got irate and said "No BEANS!" I reiterated my confusion, and she finally grabbed one of the bins to show me what she really meant.
#12
I was living and working in Italy for a few years, and I really tried to learn the language. My Italian isn't too bad now, but initially, it was pretty rough at times.
During that early period, I once stopped in at a cafe' to get a sandwich and a drink. I saw that they had peach tea in bottles in the cooler, so I asked for "tè alla pesce". The woman at the counter gave me the strangest look. I figured that I'd pronounced it poorly, so I again said, speaking as distinctly as i could, "Vorrei un tè alla pesce, per favore." She then burst out laughing.
I was ordering fish tea.
I should have asked for "tè alla pesca". That's a mistake I definitely never made again!
#13
In Germany, I asked where the badezimmer (bathroom) was, and they were confused and told me they had toiletten (toilets), not bathrooms. Where I live in the US, it would be the same thing asking for a bathroom or toilet (although more typically a barhroom), and everyone knows you just need to go to the bathroom. Apparently, there it matters which you ask for because badezimmer is assuming you need to take a shower whereas toiletten assumes you need to use the toilet. I learned in this experience that just because you know what words mean the cultural context of a word or words is key.
Kari Panda 5 months ago
That reminds me of when a German guest was asking the host where the toilet was, and was told in a rather confused manner: "In the bathroom."
#14
I was in Japan a few years ago with a friend of mine. We flew in to Tokyo to stay for a few nights in Shinjuku before using the rail pass to travel around. We checked into the hotel etc then headed out for food and some drinks, my friend had researched a place called Piss Alley to go to, which despite it's name was a good idea. We went into a little restaurant for food and they'd put out a perfectly square piece of tofu to snack on, although at that moment we had no idea what it was. We figured it must be soap to clean our hands before eating, which seemed logical, so at the same time we picked up the tofu and started smushing it into our hands. All the staff and other customers just looked at us horrified, after a few seconds we figured it wasn't soap!
Herringbone 5 months ago
A hotel in Scotland has had to label its complimentary packs of tablet (a sweet - basically solid sugar) that it's not soap, after complaints from foreign visitors about how useless it was.
#15
Ive posted this before in a similar thread, but English is not my first language. We were visiting chicago. I had been to New York before so I knew of the subway there. I did not realize the term ‘subway’ was unique to the style of train. We couldn’t find where to get on the railway in Chicago so stopped at a gas station and I asked how to get to the subway. The guy gave me directions. We walked about 20 minutes, turned the corner to where he said it’d be, and found the restaurant Subway. It was such a funny moment.
Robert Trebor 5 months ago
Chicago calls it the el, even if it's downstairs for a while. New York calls most of the system the subway, even if it's upstairs for a while.
#16
First time in Spain, this is 16 years ago. I didn't speak a word of Spanish when I went there, but I had to learn because not many people spoke English.
You always speak about weather, right? And it was hot, end of July, beginning of August. I had this tiny English-Spanish wordbook, no Google translate at that time.
Just saying, it's a miles wide difference between "hace calor" and "estoy caliente". I just thought it meant that I feel hot, because it is very sunny and high temperatures.
Turned out, that what I was saying had a whole different meaning. A nice Spanish girl told me not to say it like that, because yeah, it means I am hot - but like in sexy, not because of the weather.
I wished the ground would swallow me. I had been using that phrase for at least two weeks. I was sooo embarrassed. Nowadays, it's a funny story.
#17
When traveling solo in Vietnam, I boarded a public ferry in the lower delta.
I noticed that everyone on board was white and dressed kind of fancy, but I figured it was just Europeans traveling in SE Asia.
Then, 15 minutes into the ride someone started pouring champagne and passing it around to passengers. I was impressed with the service on a public ferry…
The person pouring champagne got to me and gave me a puzzled look as I reached for a glass.
It was then I realized I got on a private boat.
We had a good laugh and they dropped me off at the next public ferry dock.
Zedrapazia 5 months ago
My best friend accidentally ended up at a stranger's wedding this way in Japan, but nobody noticed she didn't belong there so she just had a fun day there.
#19
At a restaurant in Yogyakarta, a woman approached me and asked if I was finished? I said "not yet but I won't be long" she said "no, are you finished?"
I said "look I'm a fast eater, I really won't be long, do you really need this table?" To which she said "no, are you from Finland?" Lmao.
Robert Trebor 5 months ago
English to English can be confusing: I asked a sailor who was cleaning up a room, "Are you done?" He said, "Yes," and continued working. I saw that the name DUNN was stenciled on his shirt: Rewind. "Are you finished?" "Not quite."
#20
My boyfriend visited me when I was living in France and kept mixing up “excuse me” and “thank you.” Pretty simple and harmless, but the scathing looks every time he bumped into an old lady and thanked her were withering and priceless.
#21
At a hostel in Nicaragua I said in Spanish “I’d like to poo here for five days” instead of “I’d like to stay here for five days” (cagar vs quedar) 💩.
Luis Hernandez Dauajare 5 months ago (edited)
I do hope the hostel manager understood what you meant, because some Latin Americans can really take offense to it, especially in that context. In Mexico and most of Central America, "Cagar" is not exactly "poo", but quite literally "take a sh!t" and it is not something you say in a polite conversation.
#22
My Thai friend taught me how to ask for a glass of red wine and fried shrimp... or so I thought. I ordered and once the staff and my friend stopped laughing they let me in on the joke. I asked for red chicken and fried mosquitoes
#23
My partner is allergic to peanuts and in Japan we used Google translate to communicate it.
It worked well except in one cafe where the waiter came back with a Google translate screen saying there might be peanuts in the poodle.
#24
The Greek word for 'yes' is 'nai,' which sounds negative. The situation we experienced was:
Me: Excuse me, could you tell me if this is the way to the Acropolis?
Elderly locals in Greece: Nai.
Me: Ah, I see. Well, thank you anyway. I'll try to find another route. (As it was clear that they do not understand English very well)
As we turn around, the locals are left bewildered, even though they just confirmed that we are on the right path.
Later on, we realized that in the Greek language, 'nai' means 'yes,' even though it sounds negative. We've been going in the right direction! We made fun of this until the end of our vacation. :D.
Marcos Valencia 5 months ago (edited)
I live in Valencia, Spain, and the map in the image is... yes, a touristic map of Valencia. That means nothing, but, hey!
#25
I was getting robbed by 5 dudes with a knife against my throat in Santa Marta, Colombia. In the chaos I kept trying to say "it's okay amigo, no problem amigo" but it kept coming out as "amor" instead. I didn't realise until after it was over that I kept referring to my muggers as my lovers.
Michael Largey 5 months ago
When someone has a knife at your throat, it's ok to sweet talk them as much as possible.
#26
I went to France as a teenager and our lovely guide at the monastery was showing us where the monks washed the pilgrim’s feet, just like how Jesus washed the applesauce feet (keep in mind I have never been a church goer or bible studier). Applesauce feet? Yes, applesauce feet. she meant apostle.
Jay Scales 5 months ago
I think it works - you have to say them with a french accent: 'apostles'... 'applesauce'
#27
Tried to teach a Japanese gentleman how to make puns in English (he was an English teacher). We were in a restaurant so I picked up my glass of water and said: “Hey, water you doing now?” (bad pun but it was just for educational purposes).
He laughs and says: “Oh yeah I get it! So, hey bro… potato salad!”
I laughed so hard that he thought he had made a great pun.
Kari Panda 5 months ago
I think it could have been such a lovely pun if he‘d said 'brotato salad‘.
#28
I was in an electronics shop in Mexico trying to buy a new charging cable. With myself speaking no Spanish and the young guy behind the counter speaking no English, he pulled out google translate on his phone.
Into which I typed 'micro-usb' in English, which happened to come up as 'micro-usb' in Spanish.
TotallyNOTAFox 5 months ago
Why not hold up your phone and make a motion showing how you plug a charger in - way easier
#29
I ordered a Diet Coke in Tegernsee in Bavaria and got delivered a vegetarian Thai red curry. Still ate it.
#30
I tried to explain my aussie housemate that i have problems with my "gum". I translated it 1:1 from german, i created "toothmeat". He had a big laughter.
What do you think ?
PFD 5 months ago
In Czech, a car indicator is "blinkr", but to indicate is "blikat". I assumed it would be (logically) "blinkat", but that means something different. Anyway, long story short, I asked the driving instructor if I should always vomit before entering a roundabout.
PFD 5 months ago
Another favourite wasn't a learner error but a toddler one. The young daughter of a friend told us she was cooking with her mum, but instead of "Testo s moukou" (pastry with flour) she said she'd meen making "Testoviny s mouchou" (pasta with flies). Yummy!
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ElfVibratorGlitter 5 months ago (edited)
Second one: I called a cellphone a "handy" until I was 35. I'd heard my cousin call it that when I was visiting Switzerland at a formative age, thought it adorable and called it that from that day forward. Until at 35, someone I was talking to said, "Excuse me, did you just say 'handy'?" I reply "yeah?" He says, "like a handjob?" ...... At that moment I was like how have I gotten to 35 years old and literally no one else has questioned/called me out of this. And then how confused people must have been. And then probably nobody was actually listening to what I was saying. And how had I not figured that out myself.🤣🤣🤣
Ivona 5 months ago
My mother's German colleagues called their cell phones "handy".
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ElfVibratorGlitter 5 months ago
Third one (and actually not that good): I have a hoodie that says "Ich bin ein Frankfurter" and has a silhouette of a sausage/hot dog. Parody on "Ich bin ein Berliner" and I was born in Frankfurt.
Aiw Aiwou 4 months ago
Well, Frankfurter is a kind of sausage, so it's intentional joke.
Load More Replies... PFD 5 months ago
In Czech, a car indicator is "blinkr", but to indicate is "blikat". I assumed it would be (logically) "blinkat", but that means something different. Anyway, long story short, I asked the driving instructor if I should always vomit before entering a roundabout.
PFD 5 months ago
Another favourite wasn't a learner error but a toddler one. The young daughter of a friend told us she was cooking with her mum, but instead of "Testo s moukou" (pastry with flour) she said she'd meen making "Testoviny s mouchou" (pasta with flies). Yummy!
Load More Replies... ElfVibratorGlitter 5 months ago (edited)
Second one: I called a cellphone a "handy" until I was 35. I'd heard my cousin call it that when I was visiting Switzerland at a formative age, thought it adorable and called it that from that day forward. Until at 35, someone I was talking to said, "Excuse me, did you just say 'handy'?" I reply "yeah?" He says, "like a handjob?" ...... At that moment I was like how have I gotten to 35 years old and literally no one else has questioned/called me out of this. And then how confused people must have been. And then probably nobody was actually listening to what I was saying. And how had I not figured that out myself.🤣🤣🤣
Ivona 5 months ago
My mother's German colleagues called their cell phones "handy".
Load More Replies... ElfVibratorGlitter 5 months ago
Third one (and actually not that good): I have a hoodie that says "Ich bin ein Frankfurter" and has a silhouette of a sausage/hot dog. Parody on "Ich bin ein Berliner" and I was born in Frankfurt.
Aiw Aiwou 4 months ago
Well, Frankfurter is a kind of sausage, so it's intentional joke.
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