What's your most embarrassing language mistake?

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You have to admit there isn't much difference between a mashed potatoe and a smashed potatoe anyway! And huzzah for Brittany! I'm currently wearing shoes with the Gwenn Ha Du on them :proud:

Potato doesn't have an 'e' in it.

Reply 41

Arcanine

While reading out loud in biology I said orgasm instead of organism.

Reply 42

Hylean

Original post by Nalced

In Thailand and my Thai is ok, I know the words and vocab but I have no tonal ability.
I was trying to order a Banana Milkshake on Koh Samet but instead I ordered a Penis Milkshake, thankfully the woman understood what I was trying to order.

My Thai friend, first time she ever spoke to me, offered me "some of her cock". It was only when she thrust her tin of coke in my face that I realised what was going on.

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 43

Helpful_Charlie

Original post by Hylean

My Thai friend, first time she ever spoke to me, offer me "some of her cock". It was only when she thrust her tin of coke in my face that I realised what was going on.

Just because she's Thai makes that dodgy.

Reply 44

Hype en Ecosse

I can't remember any mistakes I made, but I do remember something that happened a couple of weeks ago:

I was teaching a young Latvian boy, who's just joined my school, English. And here in central Scotland the way we say "cold" sounds like "called"
I was trying to teach him "What is your name?" and "What are you called?" and trying to get across the subtle difference between them. So I asked
"What are you called?"

"Yes. Water is cold."

Reply 45

Hylean

Original post by Helpful_Charlie

Just because she's Thai makes that dodgy.

That's exactly what went through my head as well.

To make things even worse, she was really androgynous too.

Reply 46

Lollyage

Original post by carnationlilyrose

Worse than that, doesn't it have overtones of 'morally lost'? It's been a long time since my German A level, but I do remember it being a quotation from Effi Briest, which essentially meant that as she'd committed adultery in 19th century Prussia, she was a lost woman and outcast from society. Here's hoping the exchange family didn't think that of you!

Wow, didn't think my fail could be that bad :erm:

Reply 47

Carnationlilyrose

Original post by Lollyage

Wow, didn't think my fail could be that bad :erm:

It kind of means 'fallen woman'! How did the rest of the stay go?!

Reply 48

Lollyage

Original post by carnationlilyrose

It kind of means 'fallen woman'! How did the rest of the stay go?!

Rest of it was fine, it was an amazing week! The family never brought the topic up again, but I'm sure they had a quiet chuckle to themselves :tongue:

Reply 49

Hell0_94

Saying "I'm broken" instead of "I'm broke". Not too bad lol

Reply 50

Carnationlilyrose

Original post by Lollyage

Rest of it was fine, it was an amazing week! The family never brought the topic up again, but I'm sure they had a quiet chuckle to themselves :tongue:

They didn't keep their precious and vulnerable son away from the predatory harlot's clutches or anything?!

Reply 51

username196545

Done this more than once actually.

Was having a conversation with my French teacher, missed out the reflexive, so I said "Je couche" instead of "Je me couche".

Small difference, oui?

No.. "Je me couche" is "I go to sleep", okay that's fine.
"Je couche" is to have sex (somehow, I don't know, guess it's like "to sleep with").

Anyway, yeah, telling my French teacher I have sex on the weekdays at midnight. Classy.

Reply 52

stac4321

Hmmm, I had very bad pronounciation of 'beaucoup' when I first started french and keep saying it as 'boo cu' not realising that the french for arse is cul (which is also pronounced as 'cu'). Turns out I that when i was saying 'merci beaucoup' to my teacher I was actually saying 'thanks, beautiful arse'. Thankfully he just laughed and told me to work on my accent a bit more haha :smile:

Oh and I often forget the importance of saying 'se coucher' instead of 'coucher'. If it's not in the right context you can say that you 'slept' (i.e. had sex) with someone instead of saying you 'slept' (as in, we slept in a room togther) which results in the occasional odd look from someone.

Reply 53

cheeseisnice

Saying I was horny instead of hot in German.

Reply 54

A Mysterious Lord

I was speaking to a French guy in 5th Avenue in Manchester a few years ago. He said he was French so I said "Bonjour". He then asked me something in French but it had been so long since I studied French I'd forgotten most of it, so I just replied "je vide le lave vaisselle" - I empty the dishwasher :redface:

Reply 55

The Cornerstone

What me and other french speakers' most embarrassing mistake when learning english is trying to say "beach" but end up saying "bitch"

Reply 56

Hylean

Oh, my teacher once thought I called myself "milk" when I was actually calling myself "ugly". "Lait" for the former and "laid" for the latter.

Reply 57

94george94

Original post by cheeseisnice

Saying I was horny instead of hot in German.

THIS. But in Spanish. Turns out 'estoy caliente' doesn't mean the same as 'tengo calor'...

Reply 58

Rickardd0

When first learning Spanish in Yr 7, our teacher was quite cruel. He showed us "Me llamo" (pronounced me yamo) meaning "I call myself" or "my name is", but didn't explain how it was pronounced. We all read and said it "Me lamo" instead. This prompted a pantomime can't hear you act from the teacher while he said, "Beg your pardon? I could've sworn you said that you lick yourself!". Turned out llamarse was "to call oneself" and lamarse was "to lick oneself".

Also, people in spanish oral exams mistakenly saying "soy embarazado", thinking it meant "I'm embarrassed". Actually means "I'm pregnant".