This Facebook Page Makes It Clear How Silly Linguistics Is, Here Are 40 Of Their Funniest Posts
InterviewLanguages are fascinating. English has plenty of words that fly in the face of grammar rules we’re taught in school, and learning another language makes you question everything you thought you understood about grammatical structure and what items should be called. Plus, it’s pretty amusing to view a language from the lens of an outsider. For example, the word for thank you in Lithuanian sounds like a sneeze (ačiū), and the word for bread sounds like the name Donna with a thick New York accent (duona). The Swedish language also has a host of words that seem silly when read by a native English speaker, including the words for good (bra), urine (kiss), and speed (fart). (I know they’re pronounced differently, but not everyone does!)
Ah, the wonderful world of linguistics. If you enjoy learning more about other languages, and your own, you’re in for a real treat. Down below, we’ve compiled some of the funniest posts from Steve the Vagabond and Silly Linguist’s Facebook page. From calling out how arbitrary spelling is in certain languages to noting words that sound silly to non-native speakers, we hope you enjoy this trip down linguistics lane.
Keep reading to also find an interview with Steve the linguist himself, and be sure to upvote the posts you get a kick out of. Feel free to share any other amusing linguistics facts you know in the comments. Then if you’re interested in checking out another Bored Panda article featuring hilarious grammar and spelling errors in English texts, you can find that right hear! Oh, I mean here!
More info: Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | SillyLinguistics.com
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It's very frustrating trying to communicate with soft can-openers. This is the feline equivalent of yelling slowly in English to someone who doesn't speak the language. It does nothing to ease communication, but we feel better about it when we finally get you to open a can.
Load More Replies...I feel like I read somewhere that they do this when they are trying to understand. Idk. Also I read somewhere that dogs only understand 1 syllable words too. Never bothered to delve deeper with that.
Load More Replies...I’ve heard that this is how you can tell whether a stray cat has ever lived with humans. If they have, they will meow; if not, they have had limited contact with humans.
I heard about this, just got a stray a year ago, still learning their habits, do not even know her breed, we have a senior terrier, I swear it’s like watching a live action flick of Garfield and Odis
Oh, I understand Feline quite well, and my cats need to stop using so much profanity. "Hurry the F up with our Fing kibble Fing da*n dirty ape and get your paws off me you da*n dirty ape!" and then myi hubby says to them, "Oh, we love you so much!" and the cats look at me like, "Really? Is he serious?"
I've read that if you have more than one person living in your household, cats have developed an own voice to talk individually to every human. First they test this by meowing in different tones, and when they get your attention with that specific tone, they'll use that on you. For example, my ex had a cat and she always made him to wake up very early in the morning to feed her. She meowed that only he heard that, in my case I think she loved me more and let me sleep. :D
Quite certain my younger one is just yelling about how incredibly starving he is. He is on a diet (not even a strict one, but he no longer has food out all day) and he doesn't like it. He does sound very dramatically dying though, I think there's an oscar in his future.
I’ve seen this before, but I adore it each time I see it. As you might suspect, I have cats. Many of them over time.
I have a Ginger Single Brain Cell who has perfected this technique. Just stands wherever and screams until you feed/let out/sit on the sofa and keep him company for hours
To learn more about how Steve's linguistics page came about in the first place, we reached out to him via Facebook. When asked what inspired him to start the account, he told Bored Panda, "I have always loved languages and linguistics." We also asked if he could share a fascinating linguistics fact with us: "There are some languages that use cardinal directions (east, west, north, south) instead of left and right for directions." I don't have a wonderful sense of direction, so I would definitely struggle with that...
He also wanted to make it clear that the study of linguistics is for everyone. "Linguistics is the study of languages. All forms of speech are valid. All dialects are valid." And when it comes to why his page is so popular, Steve noted that, "Everyone loves words and languages, it seems. I focus on the fun side of things." And as far as the future of his account is concerned, Steve says that he only plans to make it bigger and better. So be sure to give the page a like on Facebook to follow its growth and see more language memes right here!
"The problem with defending the purity of the English language is that English is about as pure as a cribhouse whore. We don’t just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary." --James D. Nicoll
Have to upvote to give James Nicoll credit. I've used this for decades since seeing it on Usenet. It is so frakkin' TRUE. "Nice language you got there... would be a shame if someone were to lift it..."
Load More Replies...I can't think of any -ouse ending words off the top of my heade that sound like -ooze.
Here’s one for you…good, better, best…good comes from Germanic origin and better best was added after the Vikings attacked and took over. Gotta love it!🤔❤️
1 is spouse, 2 or more would be spice! Could be very spicy! If you lived long enough! LOL!
My sister is. I'm going to send this to her for a lesson, lol.
Load More Replies...According to the Linguistic Society of America, “Linguistics is the scientific study of language. [It applies] the scientific method to conduct formal studies of speech sounds and gestures, grammatical structures, and meaning across the world’s 6,000+ languages.” Linguistics is a field that applies to us all, as almost every person on the planet speaks, reads or understands some form of language. Often, people even know more than one!
“Language use is an essential human ability,” the LSA writes on their site. “Whether it's telling a joke, naming a baby, using voice recognition software, or helping a relative who's had a stroke, you'll find the study of language reflected in almost everything you do. Linguists spend their days seeking answers to questions like the following and so many more, because language and linguistics play such a fundamental role in every human's life.”
Some of the questions linguists seek to answer are: How do you speak differently when you're talking to your friends, your parents, or your boss? Why do people who speak the same language as you still sound different from you? Why do languages die, and how can one on the brink of death be preserved?
See, I apologize I just spit out my coffee doesn't really work either.
Load More Replies...For those confused, I'm sorry is basically "I feel bad that this happened that I had no relationship the action" I apologize is basically "It's my fault for this thing happened and I feel bad for it"
Thank you! not a native speaker here, was quite confused
Load More Replies...I have this weird fear that one day I might mix up the words ‘condolences’ and ‘congratulations’.
Maybe stick to saying "Congrats" instead of the whole word? Wouldn't the context you were in dictate which word to use?
Load More Replies...A friend went to a funeral, and instead of offering his sympathy, he offered his symphony. To be fair, he was a musician, but still!
Sorry, NOT to me. They are definitely different, I am sorry you are a fool, but I do not need to apologize for that. I am sorry that you cat died, but I do not need to apologize for that
Fortunately, they didn’t name the spiky thing on the tail of the stegosaurus until Gary Larsen called it a Thagomizer in a Far Side comic. (“In memory of the late Thag Simmons”). Then scientists adopted that.
No, it'd be great. A Pterodactyl would be a Coversyourwindscreenwithonepoopasaur.
Linguistics inherently plays an important role in all of our lives, but it can also bring us a lot of enjoyment. Steve the vagabond and silly linguist uses his platform to help others find the joy in studying languages. Becoming fluent in a foreign language is an incredibly hard task, but dipping your toe into the pond of linguistics can help you become much more curious about the world’s many tongues. And a few simple phrases in any language can go a long way. Just knowing how to say hello, thank you, excuse me, and ask for help can spare you some embarrassment while traveling and allow you to inform the locals that you’ve put in a bit of effort.
The last time I was traveling to the United States, I arrived in Austin, Texas and explained to the passport control officer that I had flown in from Lithuania. His face lit up, and he responded with, “Labas!” (Hi!) I was shocked that he knew even a single word, and he was thrilled to tell me that he also knew how to say thank you because he has some Lithuanian friends who are currently living in Chicago. I’m sure it’s extremely rare that he meets anyone who knows those words, and it was just pure coincidence that he got to check my passport. But it was a great moment that made us both smile, all thanks to his curiosity about languages.
I know someone who went to Korea and saw a sign there reading "Translation Failed".
I used to proofread translations in Korea. "Translation Failed" was accurate many times
Load More Replies...My theory that the Welsh language exists mainly to inconvenience and confuse the English. You know how Wales contains all these impossibly long place names? But notice that when it comes to names they're going to use among themselves, the most popular one is "Jones".
W and Y are vowels. W is pronounced like "oo", y like "uh" or "ee", wy is "oy", and yw is "eww"
Load More Replies...Why are the Welsh so afraid of vowels? I always feel like I'm having a stroke when I look at the language in writing. :) (Yes, I do know the Y and W serve as vowels. I'm just being sarcastic)
We're really not afraid of vowels, we have more than the English language does.
Load More Replies...Ok, so I'm English, but have lived and worked in Wales. Wales is dual speaking, but some Welsh speakers 'refuse' to use English. Out of courtesy, wouldn't it be better to have put the 'out of office' in both languages. What if, in the US, you emailed someone and only got a reply in Spanish???? Yes, funny sign, and stupid 'official' who didn't check, but hey, we're all 'the British isles, and England isn't Britain, but nor is Wales. I was christened in Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch, so I do understand the pride of being Welsh, but no pride for failing at your job - they're translators, so Russian? Chinese? I think not.
I can't blame those for not wanting to speak English given that not all that long ago it was a punishable crime to communicate in Welsh thanks to conservatives trying to eradicate it, especially that evil cow, Maggie Thatcher! For the world cup campaign Wales adopted protest song Yma O Hyd as the unofficial second anthem, and the very man behind the song, Dafydd Iwan, had himself served a prison sentence for "defacing a road sign" by writing the Welsh translation on it. I'm glad first language Welsh speakers are no longer being oppressed to speak English.
Load More Replies...I think we are under appreciating tequila mockingbird. Legend in the making.
I visited Cuba about 20 years ago. Everywhere that serves alcohol in Havana claims Ernest Hemingway drank there.
And the scary part is there's a good chance they're speaking the truth...
Load More Replies...A Midsummer Night's Drambuie. Tight as Andronicus. The Booze from Syracuse. To Beer or not to Beer. Romeo and Julep.
Enlighten me further on these " Little Thiefs" O Venerable Knowledge Provider!
That’s funny because I always called my ferrets “furritus” although pronounced more like “fairritus”. Why? Haven’t a clue. I always make up nicknames for my critters. Oh, and “Little Thief” is so apropos.
My mom had two ferrets named CEO and CFO for exactly that reason (Ce and Fo for short)
i had a pet ferret. Can confirm, they are indeed little thieves. She'd grab small and shiny objects and hide them in her little burrow she made in her crate. Very sweet animal though.
I own 3. I call them, "God's comedians". They were made to cause laughter and joy.
And a group of slimy, cold blooded, smelly creatures with extremely limited learning capabilities is called a SCHOOL. 🙈🙈🙈
did- are you calling ferrets ... slimy? or are you calling students slimy? I'm mildly offended by both
Load More Replies...I’m ashamed to admit that I’m not fluent in any other languages, but I know a handful of words and phrases in several languages thanks to growing up in Texas, classes in school and university, and living in a couple countries that speak their own languages. But even the small amount of foreign languages I know has come in handy several times in my life. For example, when I was living in Sweden, I made an appointment to get a tattoo in Stockholm. I had booked the session via email in English, but when I arrived, I was told that the artist I had an appointment with couldn’t come in that day. Instead, there was another man who spoke fluent Spanish and Swedish (he was originally from Chile) who would handle my art for me. Through my broken Spanish, broken Swedish and a bit of his broken English, the appointment turned out to be a success. Sometimes, it’s not crucial to be perfect or know everything. You just need to listen and understand enough to make yourself understood.
(Random person): Your grammar sucks because you’re Chinese. (Me, very offended since I went to bilingual school since I’m 5): Hark, what brick through yonder window breaks? So technically my grammar DOES suck :D
Load More Replies...I seriously don't get why people think British in a British accent sounds like, "British," when clearly they say the t. At least in my head.
Britain has lots of accents. The one in the meme is (I think) a London one where they don’t really say the “t”.
Load More Replies...See, I did actually changed my mental voice to read this in a `London accent`, despite the fact I live in and am from London
What a roller coaster ride Rick's life has been: obscurity to fame to obscurity to fame again.
He's pretty funny about it too. He straight up Rick Rolls people in person!! His teen daughter is always mortified lmao
Load More Replies...We are no strangers to cyber attacks. You know the (Cyber Security) rules and so do I.
You're under cyber attack but you're too shy to say it.
Load More Replies...yeah, he actually admits it here; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ
I don't click just anything after somebody linked to the picture of a newly born horse's hooves without any warning whatsoever. Every click is a risky click. If you want to look that up, you have been WARNED!
Oh God, my sister showed me new-born horse hooves once... I was NOT prepared for what I saw, and I feel your pain, Cassie!
Load More Replies...I get disappointed when I'm expecting a Rick Roll and don't get one. Then I have to go watch his Music video
A better example would be Lisa Stansfield "Been Around the World" where she actively talks about stalking her ex.
no https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ
Load More Replies...Thank you for the translation! That makes it even funnier.
Load More Replies...Hah! We have an Anatolian Shepherd! Those Turkish Partisans are nothing to mess around with...
No something my children, except I think I'd be Mein not Meine. Not 100% sure though, I'm new to German.
I’ve always been a sucker for a great pun or play on words, so these linguistics jokes are right up my alley. But there are plenty of reasons to study linguistics. First of all, anything that gives you a wider global perspective is great. The more we learn about other languages and cultures, the greater we’ll be able to understand people living all over the world, even if we can’t communicate in the same language. Linguistics can also be a great field to study in terms of career opportunities. There are many jobs linguists can pursue, including becoming a professor of linguistics, a foreign language teacher, a translator, a speech pathologist, an English teacher, a diplomat, a text-to-speech developer, and a language rights advocate. There’s no shortage of linguists needed worldwide, and the demand is only growing as the need for multi-language speakers becomes greater every year.
You are thinking of a lizard or dragon. Bananas are smooth and free of scales.
Load More Replies...I tell you what, people look down on mechanics for working with their hands, but they can use the metric system and you're at their mercy
Agreed, if you look down upon someone for working ANY service job, I hope they set you straight!
Load More Replies...If it makes the world feel better, we use measurements from all known units when it fits the situation. That or, we can't measure with football fields, or a banana for scale!
Sometimes I can't remember a word in my native language but I know the English word.
Sometimes the word in your second (or third, fourth, etc) language just works better than the same word in your mother tongue 🤷🏼♀️
Load More Replies...Yesterday I couldn't remember the name of a certain band, so I googled "Canadian band everyone hates". LOL! True story. Let me know if you need the answer. :)
I lost the word "mushrooms" for over 10 years. I used "Edible fungus, not toadstools, fungi, champignons, and champinones" If someone told me the word, I would forget it again in seconds
I'm like Kelly Bundy, whenever I learn a new fact, I lose an old one.
And for some reason you never lose „mitochondria are the powerhouse of the cell“
Load More Replies...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EK_LN3XEcnw
Load More Replies...I absolutely HATE that song! Not just because it's catchy. Because it feels..sexist or something. Not misogynistic (quite the opposite). A word I don't want to use. Even about a man. A word that starts with P and ends with S (no, not peNis)
Truly flying in the face of public opinion here.
Load More Replies...I work for NASA and I reached acronym saturation in 1996. Can't learn a new one without losing one at random. I feel this one on an elemental level. Why yes, I can sing nearly every song I've ever heard, including several in other languages. It's just a have a dead spot in my brain for names and acronyms.
Before even knowing what the rest of this was going to say, reading those 4 names my brain did it by singing them in tune to the song!
If you’re looking for a sign to start learning a new language, here’s your push! It’s never too late, and it doesn’t have to be scary. Becoming fluent seems like a monstrous task that deters many people from starting at all, but being able to hold a basic conversation is a huge accomplishment that won’t take too much time as long as you’re a dedicated learner. We all know apps like Duolingo aren’t the best way to learn a language, but they are one route to take to pick up basic phrases and vocabulary. Along with that, it’s important to get used to reading and hearing the new tongue as well, so be sure to watch lots of Netflix or Youtube videos in the language (preferably with subtitles so you will learn how to spell and pronounce the words). Watching shows and films in another language is also a great way to learn how people actually talk, rather than the phrasing that a textbook will teach you, which often sounds formal or awkward to native speakers.
I. As a salad. Disagree with the following: Wisdom is knowing not to put fruit in a salad
Nihilism is knowing that the tomato will soon be gone along with the ketchup and the smoothie.
why- why did I read that in the opposite as I say it. Toe Mate Oh, then Toe mat Oh. it's the first one DAMNIT
Load More Replies...It also is common sense to know that you don't throw ketchup against the wall.
I'm German dating an English man and I'm so glad I can tell him I love him in English because in German I'm shy and also it sounds like a thread
I speak english and german and I and my friend (who speaks english, french and german) always change languages when we go into a deeper conversation
Load More Replies...I do. The last time I went to the doctor for my depression, I used English despite not being a native speaker. It is kinda easier. Thankfully the doctor can speak English. It also helps that I am an English teacher, so I am comfortable with English too. In my head, there are mother-tongue speaking me and English-speaking me (there is also feral, gibberish-speaking me, but we do not talk about him.)
Ha. I am obliged to speak in my second language everytime I'm "opening up" to anyone 🤷🏼♀️ i don't know who I am anymore 🤔🤔🤔🔎🔎🔎
yes!!! I thought I was weird but apparently there are other people who feel that way.
BP: posting something that literally has FÙCK as the FÙCKING PUNCHLINE, yet censoring it. For FÙCK'S sake, BP, either stop your censoring bullshít or don't post anything like this.
My plumber getting straight to the point, "See here, the f*****g f****r is f*****g f****d".
At the frat house dinner table (*many* years ago) I once heard someone say (direct quote): "That f*****g f****r was so f*****g f****d he couldn't f*****g f**k the f****r!" Nobody knew what he was talking about, but everybody knew what he meant.
To inspire you to expand your linguistic knowledge, we consulted this article from the BBC where engineer Benny Lewis, who has become nearly fluent in seven languages, provided his insight on how he was able to learn so much. “The biggest barrier in the beginning is the lack of confidence,” Lewis told the BBC. “That got better and better for me [as I spoke].” His first tip was to create a script for yourself that will allow you to respond to simple queries from strangers without having to revert back to your native language. Always use what you know, and remember that it’ll be obvious you’re a foreign speaker. Others are likely to be patient and understanding of the fact that you’re trying.
I think it's also "I can listen to you speak with pretty good understanding all day, but ask me to respond and watch the failure".
Well said. Comprehend listening but failure to create structured sentences as easily as the listening comprehension.
Load More Replies...Translation is so hard , no matter how proficient you are with the language. Literal translation often comes out awkward, so it requires the second translation to make it sounds more natural, which I find really hard. Some sentences or turns of phrases just don't work in your language, as the ideas behind them literally don't exist in your cultures.
Yes! I was talking to my sister about ajummas and it was easier to just teach her the word and describe them as "Grandma when she wants to talk to the manager." Now we have the word Karen so that helps immensely. There are also ajumma by age and ajumma mentality, the latter are Karens
Load More Replies...Its like when I see a post here on bp, i'll immediately think of something great to comment. Then I will lost it on typing. Then I probably won't post it. Which I almost did again with this comment
It's why I get frustrated when someone immediately asks me "What did they say?" when someone speaks Spanish in a movie or something like that. I don't know, man.
I do this to my husband when I can't get all the Korean. He just tells me what I could literally see with my eyes like, "Her dad died" No duh lol
Load More Replies...When a friend asks me what my mom just said... I totally KNOW what she said, but how do I tell YOU what she said... dammit
I'm glad to see I'm not the only one, but as a translator it sure is annoying!!
I used to dream in Italian, but do you think I could ever speak fluently? You must be joking. I'd struggle to tell you my name!
That’s my language and I’ve given up, massive well done to anyone who has learnt it
There is no such thing as "has learnt it" - the struggle goes on forever
Load More Replies...German has rhe same word, same meaning, same spelling. We pronounce it with a lovely little throaty ch sound. We did not give up. English though...uhm.
But the more common spelling here is Jacht, isn´t it? Meanwhile that is derivate from the English word ... which of course is derivate from a Dutch word ...
Load More Replies...it's ya ought, sorry if you already knew this lol
Load More Replies...I nearly gave up 'cause thought is not through, though thorough is similar to though, whereas tough is an entirely different matter.
Isn't 'tough' where you start to get the ghoti fish?
Load More Replies...Squirrel is worse for ESL learners. Heck, I'm fluent in English, it still my second language though, I have a linguistics degree, and the word "squirrel" can go f*ck itself. Can't pronounce it for anything.
Skwiwwl works great in german. Nobody ever noticed I say it that way 😆
Load More Replies...Rough. Slough. Bough. Through. Though. State the rule for ESL students to know how each is pronounced. Go ahead. Make my day.
When learning a new language, one of the first things you have to accept is that you’re going to make a fool out of yourself. You’ll likely do it often. But it’s just part of the process! Don’t be too hard on yourself, and simply learn from the mistakes you do make. It’s also best to fully immerse yourself in the language and around people who speak it fluently. “Practice makes perfect,” James North, associate director for instruction at the Foreign Service Institute, told the BBC. “But practice without feedback just makes perfect whatever you are practicing. The naïve learner does not have a perspective on what they are doing. It is really vital to have someone saying, ‘Yes you are on track’.”
I may be stupid, but what has the donkey to do with it? I never heard about donkey butter or a donkey burrow.
A Burro is a small donkey. Usually used to refer to a donkey used a pack carrier. A*s is also another word for Donkey. So someone who doesn't know the difference between Burro (donkey or a*s) and burrow (a hole in the ground). Its very clever.
Load More Replies...Why is 'a*s' considered a rude word? A*s Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Websterhttps://www.merriam-webster.com › dictionary › a*s The meaning of A*S is any of several hardy gregarious African or Asian perissodactyl mammals (genus Equus) smaller than the horse and having long ears; (Even in Webster!!)
Yeah went on vacation to Cuba. Lots of Canadians including myself. Between switching from English to a bit of French then a bit of Spanish, sometimes my Oui and my Si ,and my Merci and Gracias got mixed up. Comprende?
I remember watching this in 7th grade geography during state testing week
In case someone doesn't get it - Thomas Harris is the author of "The Silence of the Lambs", which features a famous cannibal - Hannibal ;)
This reminds me of imaginary books we used to make up at the dinner table such as "Rusty Bedsprings" by I P Knightly, etc ... 😉🤣
As fun and silly as the posts on this list are, learning about linguistics can be really beautiful. “Every language is like a one-of-a-kind species,” the Canada Institute of Linguistics explains on their site. “It captures unique conceptualizations of the world and has its own ways of constructing words, phrases and sentences for communicating ideas. As we compare the words and structures of various languages, we come to a greater understanding of the world we live in. Apart from simply understanding the intricacies of world languages, this knowledge can be applied to improving communication between people, contributing to translation activities, assisting in literacy efforts, and treating speech disorders.”
Ha ha oh...that's not how I intended that to sound. You should never look anyone in the Pie.
Load More Replies...Ah the old "E-din-burrow"/"E-din-burg pronunciations favoured by our American friends!
Load More Replies...I form my mouth for the letter "r" then say the word so it comes out like "wer-ster-sher." I don't care if it's wrong, it is the easiest way for me.
I remember the feet. That was weirder than fish rain.
Load More Replies...I… I read it as 5’6” at first for some reason. God, I’m so tired
Have you learned something new about your own native tongue or another language from this list? We hope you’re enjoying all of the word play and fascinating observations about languages, and be sure to keep upvoting the posts you find most hilarious. If you’re interested in finding even more of these posts that will teach you a bit more about our world, you can find the Facebook page for Steve the Vagabond and Silly linguist right here! And if you have any other amusing observations about the English language or your own mother tongue, feel free to share them with your fellow pandas down below!
I'm so mad at the word "oiseaux" for this reason. It means "birds". NONE of the letters are pronounced the way you'd think lol.
Something like "waz-oh". Sort of makes sense when you see how those letters are pronounced in other French words.
Load More Replies...My wife, who is from northern Cyprus, and subsequently my son pronounce the l in salmon. British people don't do that
Yaourt, yogourt and yoghourt are all french for yogourt. Though here in quebec we never use yaourt.. And also vert, ver, verre, vers and vair are all pronounced the same but all have different meanings.
Minute, vair, qu'est-ce que ça veut dire? Now everyone can talk about the ç lolll
Load More Replies...Right...just take alook at "eggs" in french it's " oeufs". We only pronounce the letter "e" here.
And why do Americans think that if someone doesn't understand English they should yell it louder and slower. They're monolingual..not deaf.
the worst one is English anyway: a word with 5 letters where you pronounce only the first one
🙃Hola, ¿como estas hoy? ¿Tu bien? Yo soy un donut🍩.🙂
🙃¡Hola!¡Soy una buena persona Donut! ¡Soy una nerd! ¿Cómo va tu día?🙂
Load More Replies...me too! Anxiety won't let me ask if I can be there so I'll just.. be there
Load More Replies...Welp that’s going to be stuck in my head all night now 😂
Load More Replies...C4 is a type of explosive and is pronounced the same way as ‘c for’
Load More Replies...LOL! You can play with it, mold it and even cook with it. Just don't electrify it.
Help Jack off a horse vs Help j******f a horse.
Load More Replies...I know the second one but not usually the first
Load More Replies...The Panda eats shoots and leaves vs. The Panda eats, shoots, and leaves.
There's a difference between helping your uncle, Jack, off his horse, and helping your uncle Jack off his horse.
I helped my uncle jack off a horse. I helped my uncle, jack, off a horse.
I read your name as Taylor Swift for a moment.
Load More Replies...Sometimes if you don't win something in a competition they give you something called a "consolation prize" just for trying.
Load More Replies...Not wearing a safety helmet is indecent exposure
Load More Replies...Saatana, perkele, vittu, macarena! Eeeeey, macarena!
Load More Replies...Laughing in " Portuguese ( not Brasílian Portuguese, EU Portuguese ) "
Also other languages are hard for us to learn, because there are no similarities. And wtf is with she/he, a/an etc. So hard so hard!
"Too much butter" is difficult for my brain to imagine...
Load More Replies...except the flour one... I can just imagine it as like dry and maybe a few clumps of flour in there... AH
Load More Replies...'No, I speak French but I'm a Spanish cow'; totally sure that's the correct translation :D
Load More Replies...No habla Francaise; No sprechen Espaniol, No parles vous Deutsch (I obviously speak none of the languages)
Upper shelf police? Are the lower shelf police no good?
Load More Replies...Entering the police station for surrending myself: "I've been a very bad boy..."
My IVF clinic is at Horni Lane 😂. I guess all abroad patients has laughed about it.
In Norwegian, "farts" means "speed." You can imagine how odd the speed limit signs are to people with English as their first language.
Come to my laboratory and find out, Roach. Don't mind the electrodes.
Load More Replies...Quickly googled water in French. Came back to laugh along with everyone else
Gimme a second. *Comes back* Ahhh, I can now join the laughter :D
Load More Replies...WITCHCRAFT!!! BURN THEM ON A PILE OF OLD DEATH-METAL GUITARS!!
Whoah, what did the guitars do to you? Who HURT you??
Load More Replies...Brilliant joke from Sweden. Let's make incredible cheap furniture and watch the American's lose their minds trying to put it together.
Oh no! You found out about our plan for world domination! Curses!
Load More Replies...Yep, I remember so much random Spanish vocab and not a speck of grammar
That is exactly how I am with German. As for Chinese, just flip it and swap writing and vocab.
I mean technically we all are, because we grow in our sleep.
Load More Replies...In Germany you can food your food in a city called food. Essen.
We do "the wash" in a washer when we wash clothes but we don't do "the dry." We use a dryer to dry the clothes.
Such a shame that wouldn't work in the UK. I would have totally used that joke on my wife.
Wait, but I’m from the uk (Midlands, England) and I say can opener, as does everyone I know, so it works for some of us
Load More Replies...Yes, there are a few songs I liked a lot before I actually understood the lyrics
Yep, for me the song was Ride It by Regard and Cake by the Ocean by DNCE oh and also Ice Cream by Blackpink. And I'm not even an adult yet
Betty Botter bought some butter, but the butter, it was bitter. If she put it in her batter, it would make her batter bitter, but a bit of better butter, that would make her batter better. So, she bought a bit of butter, better than her bitter butter, And she put it in her batter, and her batter was not bitter. So, T'was better Betty Botter bought a bit of better butter.
When I used to teach English to non-native speakers, I always used this poem to teach pronunciation, especially when they pronounced ‘Max’ like ‘mexx’ or ‘hat’ like ‘hett’.
Load More Replies...I literally had no idea what was going on by the third one, and English is my first language
He raised the house and then he razed the house (burned it down).
England version: SQUARE UP BRUV SQUARE UP DO U THINK UR A BIG MAN MATE COME ON LETS GO
Reminds me of a joke a non native Portuguese speaker once did, how to speak EU Portuguese: 1st be Russian, 2nd get pissed drunk, 3rd try to speak Spanish.....
let's come together right now. [that's not a pickup line - don't get me banned).
Load More Replies...Take them out and you've got Noee but there's still two of those.
That took me way too long to get. For anyone who didn't get it, it says No 'L' but Noelle has two 'L'....
StofZuigerSlang. Now try to say that after a couple of glasses of booze :)
StuffZu- Stof- Ah, shcrew it! Gemme another-gemme another drink!
Load More Replies...People always have like 11 day streaks and miss 5 days and I always thought that everybody has a 358 day streak
I have a 400+ day streak and I thought the same lol
Load More Replies...I definitely would confuse this with a campaign for at-work masturbation
"Lederlappen" in German would translate to "leather rug", so it's double funny to me
You don't have anywhere near enough up votes. Well done
Load More Replies...In France you can have an entire conversation just using "ça va". Like "ça va?" "Ça va ça va" "ça va" "ça va" etc. Quite impressive actually
A similar thing can be done in Northern England with the word "alright." "Alright!" (Hello) "Alright! Alright?" (Hello. How are you?) "Alright. Alright?" (Fine thanks, and how are you?) "Alright. Alright, alright." (I'm fine. Ok then, see you later.) "Alright, alright." (Ok, bye.)
Load More Replies...German: Fischers Fritze fischt frische Fische --> Fritz, the fisherman’s son, fishes for fresh fish
Wenn Fliegen hinter Fliegen fliegen, fliegen Fliegen Fliegen nach. When flies fly behind flies, flies fly after flies.
Load More Replies...(French) Si ton tonton tond ton tonton, ton tonton sera tondu = if your uncle shaves your uncle, your uncle will be shaved.
I guess that's why they say our language is more difficult for English speakers to learn 🤔
Yeah first thing I did before learning German was google translate the s word
I was learning German on the Memrise app, 3rd word was scheiße. We say sh¡t show a lot at work, so everyone is learning scheiße zeigen to not sound so vulgar.
Load More Replies...I'm not sure that is true. Most people learning a language ... the 1st step is profanity
I dated a deaf guy in college and learned some sign language for him. (Even though he read lips so well some people didn't realize he was deaf) Now the only damn signs I remember are for beer, drunk, and penis. :) And the alphabet of course - but it's kind of hard to have a conversation by spelling everything.
She's the kind of girl who goes into a garage and ask them to put some 710 in her car.
How american bulldog can understand to german shepherd? or czech fousek? french griffon? OR american bulldog from Prague?
german joke: wanna hear a german sausage joke? nah, its the wurst
Load More Replies...My husband and I saw a truck driving past us with 5 ladders strapped on it. He said "Look...it's a ladder hunter heading home with his quarry."
🎶Comma, comma, comma, comma, comma, Camelia. You come in Gold - you come in gold. Loving will beasy if he covers a light Madrid. Wrapped goat in green - wrapped goat in green🎶
I just sang it. I recommend it because then I laughed so hard I worried my dog.
Thanks to that person I'm going to have Boney M stuck in my head the rest of the night.
I spent way too long singing along with "One Ton Tomata, I eat a one ton tomata" (Guantanamera)
'Cause I wonder where you are and I wonder what you do Are you somewhere feeling lonely or is someone loving you? Tell me how to win your heart, for I haven't got a clue But let me start by saying, I love you
And when you study Afrikaans at university they make you read Dutch novels. And it's then that you realise that those three centuries were a frakking long time!
😱 oh my, BP forgot to censor a "fúck"! MY EYES! MY POOR VIRGIN EYES!
The answer is you can join them both. But I guess the joke wouldn’t work as well! I’m going to be so upset if the new Elder Scrolls is only on PS5.
It won’t be. Since Microsoft bought Bethesda it probably won’t even be published for PS.
Load More Replies...Whilst he was under the influence of some kind of substance or liquid.
Load More Replies...Sure, I'll have no problem not blocking with a jar, but with a hand, as it damages THE. belly button.
Rammstein recently came to Chicago. I don't really know their stuff and I don't speak German. But I loved it. Absolutely no idea what they are saying or what is happening. Is that a demon baby? Why are you cooking your keyboardist in a cauldron? No idea. I will never pass up the opportunity to see them again.
One thing I know about Rammstein is that their pronunciation of "-ch" is peculiar - it sounds like "sh" (e.g. "Du Hast Mish" or "Ish Will").
No they don't? They speak a very clear "ch", not a "sh".
Load More Replies...Hehehe! We drank this growing up as a special treat. My folks are pretty conservative. The other brand is called Abuelita (little grandma)
That happens sometimes, but i also know people that speak multiple languages at a high (fluent/ near fluent) level. P.e. my Swiss/Dutch nephews speak both languages well and can switch mid-sentence. They are better at Swiss and German because they live and went to school in Switzerland, but they can also have adult conversation in Dutch. The same goes for my Swiss BIL & Dutch SIL and several German or German/Dutch friends.
Load More Replies...For non-Italian speakers: "telefono" means telephone, it was obviously asking for the phone number but the person that filled the form thought they were asking about what phone model they owned
Jesse ... have you ever watched Dana Carvey's German's who say nice things ... it's how English people see German language ... also my family originally German ... so I find it hysterical
Load More Replies...I see your Norwegian ö and I raise you Russian ы. No, it's not just small BL. It's a letter that no native Russian words begin with, except for the specific verb ыкать: "to say the ⟨ы⟩-sound").
Our teacher had us associate the kanji with an object it *kinda* looked like with that sound. It *kinda* helped. Flashcards tho. Flashcards
Load More Replies...Chai tea (tea tea) with naan bread (bread bread) by the Sahara desert (desert desert).
Load More Replies...I’ve always had a particular fondness for “defenestrate”. The idea that someone actually decided we need a special word for throwing someone out of a window is somewhat alarming though.
It is oddly specific. I guess 'Shut your mouth before I throw you bodily from this room, by means of rugby tackling you towards the window at such force that you shatter the glass and descend to the ground!', is too mouthy if you're riled up and ready to yeet someone out of the window.
Load More Replies...De-liver means to take the liver out. It’s a play on words. She’s going to deliver the baby.
Load More Replies...One could think a pirate's favourite letter would be R, but honestly, their only true love is the C.
Then he definitely has to be named after your father!
Load More Replies...It's not in the words that you told me.
Load More Replies...If you wait a little longer you won't have to ask...
Load More Replies...Oh, he thought it would be "Veni, vidi, vici", but he made one serious error - he used Greek letters, instead of Latin. Oooops.
... and he used wrong Greek letters (Σ=S, Π=P, Φ=F)
Load More Replies...That is rather arrogant for a 19-year-old, plus ya know, it's wrong.
This reminds me of a joke my mother told me: Would Daniel Radcliffe ever play a hobbit? No, but Elijah Wood.
Also Finken sind Hausschuhe und Latschen sind stark benützte, alte Schuhe hier (zumindest in meiner Gegend, wir haben ja gefühlt pro Tal ein Dialekt). In der Patsche kann man sitzen und eine Schlappe erleiden, aber warum man die auch gleich anziehen will, keine Ahnung 😂
Load More Replies...Schlappen in English are large, webby spade hackles from a rooster.
C**p this reminds me of a pub i use to go, but the buggers didn't had the " stick man " figures on their toilet Doors, they had de masculin and feminin symbols, which was way to stupid to know which One was which.... And never for a moment i found it wierd that the men toilet didn't had any urinals.... My friends had a great night mocking my a*s..
Would it have been better if they had "holes" and "poles"?
Load More Replies...Words that sound the same but have different meanings and sometimes spellings. Like flour and flower for example.
Load More Replies...Tring to decipher the code and keep coming back to ... am I an idiot ... or are they?
800 years were the Moors in the peninsula, some things stuck.
My favorite Spanish word is the one for stewardess. It's azafata. The z is pronounced like an s. :)
Hahaha. I sent an email to a Dutch company in English which started with "I am afraid I dont understand..." They replied "Dear Lenka, Please, don't be afraid". Hahaha.
I have two young sons and explaining to them the words in the English language, especially homonyms, always ends me with saying our language doesn't make any sense.
No hate or disrespect, I'm still trying to wrap my head around how the words they/them became words for an individual.
It happened a lot longer ago than I think you think.
Load More Replies...Hahaha. I sent an email to a Dutch company in English which started with "I am afraid I dont understand..." They replied "Dear Lenka, Please, don't be afraid". Hahaha.
I have two young sons and explaining to them the words in the English language, especially homonyms, always ends me with saying our language doesn't make any sense.
No hate or disrespect, I'm still trying to wrap my head around how the words they/them became words for an individual.
It happened a lot longer ago than I think you think.
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