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Question for non-native speakers

VoidCat

VoidCat

Pronouns: he/him/they/them
What is a word in your language that sounds like one thing to english speakers but means something totally different?Or a word in english that sound like it means something else in your language?I know for instance in Spanish embarazada means pregnant not embarrassed.
 
Left Coast

Left Coast

This Is Water
Staff member
Premium Member
RayofLight said:
What is a word in your language that sounds like one thing to english speakers but means something totally different?Or a word in english that sound like it means something else in your language?I know for instance in Spanish embarazada means pregnant not embarrassed.
Click to expand...
Fun fact, these are called false cognates.
 
lewisnotmiller

lewisnotmiller

Grand Hat
Staff member
Premium Member
RayofLight said:
What is a word in your language that sounds like one thing to english speakers but means something totally different?Or a word in english that sound like it means something else in your language?I know for instance in Spanish embarazada means pregnant not embarrassed.
Click to expand...

In Tok Pisin (pidjin, which I somewhat learnt while living in Papua New Guinea), pis is fish. And taking a wee is pis pis.

My juvenile sense of humour found that chuckle worthy.
 
Heyo

Heyo

Veteran Member
RayofLight said:
What is a word in your language that sounds like one thing to english speakers but means something totally different?Or a word in english that sound like it means something else in your language?I know for instance in Spanish embarazada means pregnant not embarrassed.
Click to expand...
We have a lot of false friends in German.
We call our cell phones "Handy".
"Prägnant" (sounds like pregnant) means concise.
A "Student" is someone attending university. (Though that seems to be an American English thing. In proper English people visiting schools are called pupils.)
 
U

Unveiled Artist

Veteran Member
RayofLight said:
What is a word in your language that sounds like one thing to english speakers but means something totally different?Or a word in english that sound like it means something else in your language?I know for instance in Spanish embarazada means pregnant not embarrassed.
Click to expand...

I know I'm native English, but something came across my mind when I had spoken spanish with someone years ago. I came across the word "pues si" (well, yes)... as in Pues si, yo quiero este sandwhich (or well yes, I want that sandwhich)...

but, well, pues si didn't go to well when I used it.
 
U

Unveiled Artist

Veteran Member
RayofLight said:
What is a word in your language that sounds like one thing to english speakers but means something totally different?Or a word in english that sound like it means something else in your language?I know for instance in Spanish embarazada means pregnant not embarrassed.
Click to expand...

Espero, wait not "a sparrow"
 
lewisnotmiller

lewisnotmiller

Grand Hat
Staff member
Premium Member
The Hammer said:
I like how Tok Pisin, sounds like "talk pidgin" (accented).
Click to expand...

Yup. Because that's exactly what it means...lol
It's basically a trade language (PNG has 800 distinct languages for a population of 4 million, so even trading amongst villages requires some common words).
You'll get pieces of English, Indonesian, German (Lutheran missionaries) and lots of other things, but it's not uncommon to have words which sound similar to an English base.

If something is broken, in Tok Pisin 'em buggered up'.
 
The Hammer

The Hammer

[REDACTED]
Premium Member
lewisnotmiller said:
Yup. Because that's exactly what it means...lol
It's basically a trade language (PNG has 800 distinct languages for a population of 4 million, so even trading amongst villages requires some common words).
You'll get pieces of English, Indonesian, German (Lutheran missionaries) and lots of other things, but it's not uncommon to have words which sound similar to an English base.

If something is broken, in Tok Pisin 'em buggered up'.
Click to expand...

We discussed the language-scape of PNG in a few linguistics/anthropology courses, I took. It's pretty unique in it's diversity.
 
ChristineM

ChristineM

"Be strong", I whispered to my coffee.
Premium Member
Such a lot. So many words in English are derived from French, and so many also that sound the same but are completely different.

Journée is day not journey.

Affaire is business matters

Cave is cellar

Blanquette is veal stew

Sale is dirty

Coin is corner

Pain is bread

Main is hand

Face is opposite/across from

Entrée is the starter of a meal

Preservatif is condom

Introduire is insert, not introduce

And chat always has me friend in stitches it means cat
 
M

Marcion

gopa of humanity's controversial Taraka Brahma
A 'burger' is Dutch for citizen, nothing to do with meat.
Dutch 'boom' is not 'beam' but a tree.
Dutch 'dik' means fat or obese.
Dutch 'jij kunt' does not mean 'you ****' but 'you can'.
A Dutch 'lul' has nothing to do with a windless period but with a certain part of the male body.
Dutch 'prik' means a jab or injection.
Dutch 'kok' means a cook.
Dutch 'een lijf' does not mean 'a life' but 'a body'.
Dutch 'wijf' does not mean 'wife' but a crude woman.
Dutch 'schort' is not 'short' but 'apron'.
 
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