50 T-Shirts That Tried To Speak English, And Absolutely Did Not

Silvi Nuñez, Spanish linguist, professional translator, and managing director of Optimational, says that mistakes in translating, aka mistranslations, often reveal how deeply culture and context are tied to language.

"They show us that translation isn't just about words—it's about meaning. A phrase that works perfectly in one language might fall flat or sound ridiculous in another if the cultural reference or tone doesn’t carry over. In short, mistranslations remind us that language is more than grammar—it's human, messy, and beautifully complex."

Indeed, cultural understanding is crucial for accurate and effective translation. In language, every word carries additional context, such as cultural connotations, historical references, and social implications. Without having a solid grasp of the source language, the intended message might be miscommunicated.

Like in a 2018 Coca-Cola advertisement when advertisers tried to appeal to Māori, the native population of New Zealand, by translating their slogan “Hello, mate” into their native language. However, they chose not to translate it in full, turning the phrase into “Kia ora, mate.” Little did they know that 'mate' in Māori means 'death,' which gave the slogan a whole new deadly meaning.

As a professional translator who's been in the industry for more than a decade, Silvi has witnessed a wealth of similar translation misunderstandings.

"One of the latest I saw was on a major brand’s website—a simple button labeled “Back” was translated into Spanish as “Espalda,” which literally refers to a person’s back. It’s a classic example of translating without context, and it’s exactly the kind of thing that can make a brand look careless or unprofessional. These mistakes are funny to readers, but costly for brands," she explains.

Every brand that wants to expand beyond its location should put a lot of resources into translation as well as localization to prevent any mistranslations that can hinder their authority, trust, and overall image in customers' eyes.

Most of us know what translation encompasses, while localization, perhaps, not so much. Well, localization is a comprehensive process that goes beyond translation and addresses cultural and non-textual components as well as linguistic issues when adapting a product or service for another country or locale. It ensures that content is culturally appropriate and well-received in the target market.

Another famously known example of a company that failed to localize their translations and failed spectacularly was KFC’s attempt to translate their “Finger-Lickin’ Good” slogan into Chinese. Instead of conveying the intended meaning, they translated it into Chinese as “Eat your fingers off.” Not only was it confusing but also quite off-putting, which made a bad first impression with Chinese consumers, probably costing them a pretty penny.

Luckily, they managed to recover quickly by hiring a local marketing team to revise their messaging and refine the brand's image to Chinese culture. They, of course, replaced the slogan and even incorporated Chinese culinary preferences into its menu, like rice dishes and congee. All this effort paid off, as it helped KFC gain popularity in China and even made it one of the largest and most successful markets.

All of this is to say that companies shouldn't downplay the importance of professional translators and localization services, as a small mistranslation can really affect a brand's image. In addition, launching a campaign to foreign markets should be tested with native speakers to avoid any misinterpretations or offensive meanings. And relying 100% on machine translations should definitely be avoided, as it's still not the same as human translation.

"Machine translation can be useful for quick, informal understanding. But it struggles with nuance, tone, and intent—especially when context is missing. That’s why it’s risky to rely on it for anything customer-facing or brand-critical," says Silvi.

"Also, the reliability of machine translation varies by industry. In technical fields or regulated sectors like legal or medical, even small errors can have serious consequences. For marketing content, where tone and style matter, human input is essential. The smartest approach is combining automation with professional review," she concludes.