words that in other languages translate badly in english

[zassou]

so non english speakers, what word in other languages you know that makes a good laugh when translate literally into english?

 

(also it will be better if you dont tell others what the original language is)

 

me:

"firewood oil" = diesel
"electric oil/vapour oil" = petrol/gasoline
"machine oil" = engine oil
"water silver" = mercury
"sub-lead" = tin

 

 

[zassou]

39 minutes ago, yaboistar said:

those do make a fair bit of sense tbh

if you say water(y) silver is somewhat akin to quick silver that maybe. but i dont think diesel is anywhere close to firewood, it cant even light on fire...

[zassou]

Just now, yaboistar said:

i've heard it referred to as heating oil over here. heating oil is a bit thicker granted but it's more akin to diesel than anything else

i think heating oil IS diesel but i's more refined and has very little sulfur in it but if thats the case, it kinda like firewood. but in my region we use kerosene in some heaters.

 

oh btw:

"fire water" = kerosene

[Teddy07]

I remember from a simpsons episode:

Schadenfreude (German) = finding joy in someone else’s misfortune

[Nine Tailed Fox]

People call diesel "firewood oil"? wut

[dalekphalm]

1 hour ago, Nine Tailed Fox said:

People call diesel "firewood oil"? wut

No. What the OP is saying is that in their language, the word for Diesel literally translates to “firewood oil” in English. 

[Nine Tailed Fox]

2 hours ago, Teddy07 said:

I remember from a simpsons episode:

Schadenfreude (German) = finding joy in someone else’s misfortune

I only know that word because of Team Fortress 2

[NumLock21]

I remember one episode of GT, where they we're in France or some place where the locals over there speak French, like Quebec. They had this disabled sign on the back of their car, where they directly translated from English to French.

Disabled = Déshabiller

Déshabiller means to

Spoiler

undress

[Commodus]

This one needs the original language.

 

"Hors d'oeuvre" literally translates to "outside of the work."  You wouldn't know that it was referring to food without the context.

[zassou]

also,

 

"eaves snake" = gecko 

("wall tiger" in formal language)

 

"wall-climbing tiger" = boston ivy

"tiger whale" = orca/killer whale

"tiger-cat" = ocelot

 

[greenhorn]

"bottle train" = pully
"waiting snake" = queue

[Eschew]

"Old Outside" = Foreigner

"Old Plank" = Boss

"Electric Brain" = Computer

"Electric Talk" = Phone

"Bear-Cat" = Panda

"Pouch-Mouse" = Kangaroo

"Fearful Dragon" = Dinosaur

"Field Chicken" = Frog (edible kind)

"Fire Chicken" = Turkey

"Point Heart" = Dim Sum/Light Refreshments

"West Melon" = Watermelon

"Buddha Jumps Over The Wall" = Shark Fin Soup (a specific kind of shark fin soup)

"Hit Your Lung" = F*** You

"Falling Onto The Street" = Prick/Bastard

 

Unrelated but also related:

我的美人 (Wo De Mei Ren): Sounds like "watermelon" in English.

[zassou]

19 minutes ago, Eschew said:

"Fearful Dragon" = Dinosaur

tbh dinosaur comes fron greek deinos+sauros meaning terrifying lizard. so it's quite accurate.

[zassou]

2 hours ago, greenhorn said:

"bottle train" = pully

pulley?

[greenhorn]

I have now remembered the following ones:
"(You) had a pig" = (You) were lucky
" I ate the floor and my dad came out of it" = I fell down and hurt myself.
"My liver was barbecued" = I am heartbroken.

[handymanshandle]

English is my first language but I studied French for 4 years in 8th grade to 11th grade (age 13/14 years old to 16/17 years old)

I always found it interesting for like weather you say "Il fait chaud" or literally he makes it hot but it's supposed to be like "It is hot"

 

There's a few english words that are borrowed from French more than like Résumé

[Eschew]

3 minutes ago, zassou said:

tbh dinosaur comes fron greek deinos+sauros meaning terrifying lizard. so it's quite accurate.

Hm. Debatable?

Chinese dragons more resemble colorful snakes or scaled worms than winged lizards.

 

Comparison:

     

     

 

Of course I pick the most derpy pics available.

Floppy, twisty dragons isn't how I pictured my dinosaurs.

[Eschew]

Accidentally derailed thread, here's some more to get back on track:

 

"Hit/Beat a Car" = Take the Taxi

"Earth Iron" = Subway

"Before Life" = Teacher

"Flower Fire" = Fireworks

"Yellow Dark" = Twilight

"Whole Body Whole Soul" = Give It Your All

[Gegger]

piano = steel instrument

 

badminton = feather ball

 

programming = braid journey/formula/order/(the second part of this "word" isnt used that commonly on its own)

 

theres a lot more that i cant thonk of ofc

[bigmug]

I wish I could contribute more, by my native language is Swedish, and it's so closely related to English that most words just translate literally into the normal english word, or something close to it.

Still, here are a few:
"night thing table" = nightstand/bedside table
"load car" = truck/lorry
 

[Eschew]

"Cow Oil" = Butter

 

This one tripped me up for the longest time.

 

Picture me in the backseat of the car with my relatives all around me harping on about "cow oil."

 

WHAT THE HECK IS COW OIL?!

[Red :)]

"tall oven" = blast furnace

[akio123008]

37 minutes ago, Benji said:

While watching a few cooking videos by Maangchi, I just figured out another one...

Brussels sprout in my language actually translates to "rose cabbage". A lot of languages (French, English, Turkish and Russian) know it by the towns name Brussels, but Germany, and according to Wikipedia also Denmark and the Netherlands, don't know it as that but rather as "rose cabbage" for some reason.

Here in Holland those are known as spruiten, so essentially they're just called "sprouts", leaving out the Brussels part.

[Red :)]

44 minutes ago, Benji said:

While watching a few cooking videos by Maangchi, I just figured out another one...

Brussels sprout in my language actually translates to "rose cabbage". A lot of languages (French, English, Turkish and Russian) know it by the towns name Brussels, but Germany, and according to Wikipedia also Denmark and the Netherlands, don't know it as that but rather as "rose cabbage" for some reason.

welp, turns out germans did leave some mark in my language

[Red :)]

"peking/beijing cabbage" = napa cabbage

"chinese cabbage" = bok choy

"Cichorium endivia" = waiting female with leaves