Segment 22 – Read This Before You Go On Vacation This Summer!
With summer here, folks all over are preparing for their annual trek across the US, Europe Africa or Asia.
Last night, as I was having a tinto de verano, with my Spanish friend, who now lives in Lisbon, she says: Amiga, come visit us in Lisboa! Es muy preciosa. La gente are very nice, and they speak many languages there since they don’t translate any of the programs on TV; kids grow up hearing shows and movies and celebrities speaking in their native language. So I asked her, can you speak Portuguese yet? Nope, only Spanish, but close enough…
Be warned my foreign friends, when travelling this summer, many words have faux friends or meanings different then what one might think…here are a few to look out for:
1. Going to Lisbon? Are you constipação?
In Portugal, be careful if you are dining in a wonderful restaurant and you tell the chef that the meal was “esquisito”– esquisito means strange, not exquisite.
Oh, for you men out there, it would be very gentleman-like to offer your coat to a lady who is “constipação”. Constipação means that she’s feeling cold, not constipated as in English, nor congested with a stuffy nose, as in Spanish.
And if you happen to have a slightly disobedient child with you, don’t tell him to go sit in the “corner”, as that English word, in Portuguese, sounds like a very crass term for a lady’s you-know-what.
2. Sleepless in Moscow? Are you a Lunatik?
In Russia, if you book a hotel room, make sure you warn them if you are a Lunatik. Lunatik (лунатик) is your sleepwalking habit, not your state of insanity after a 20 hour flight!
When speaking with Russians, don’t tell them that you are nervous – nervos (нервос) actually refers to being irritating, as in you are the one that gets on others’ nerves.
If you go out to a restaurant and there is a noisy child beside you, don’t call him a brat (брат), in Russian, this means brother.
3. Being “molestar” in Spain.
If you go for a massage in Marbella, they will ask if you are “embarazada”, while you might be embarrassed, don’t bother telling them your aches and pains, they just want to know if you are pregnant.
If you see a construction site with apologetic signs about “molestar”, don’t call the police. It doesn’t mean the construction workers are going to molest you, they are just sorry for any disturbance or disruption that may be caused.
But if the police stops you and gives you an “advertencia”, then you have just received a warning, not an advertisement.
4. Don't be ugly after a Smörgåsbord in Sweden.
If you get to savour a Smörgåsbord in Sweden, don’t tell everyone that you are “ful”. Ful means ugly. And if you really, really enjoyed it to the point that you want to kiss the chef, please know that “kissa” means to urinate.
Also when making plans to go to a movie, if your Swedish friends say that they will “eventuellt” meet you there, it means possibly, not eventually.
If you see a cute girl (or guy), and want her/his phone number, don’t ask for a “pensel” to jot it down, unless you want a paintbrush.
5. Not quite so glamorous in Japan.
When giving compliments to a lady in Japan, be careful… “Guramaa” means a large-breasted woman, not glamorous.
And if you’re renting a holiday home, don’t get too excited to see mansions listed for a low rent. A Japanese “manshon” is an apartment or condominium block.
6. In Norway, a man’s suit is really a “dress”.
If a lady goes looking for a new dress, she might be surprise when the salesperson starts checking out her husband with a measuring tape… in Norway, a dress is a man’s suit, not a women’s outfit.
When ordering a room service breakfast, if you order juice made of “appelsin”, you’ll receive a glass of orange juice, not apple. Be wary of ordering coffee in a “mugg”, as this means mildew or mould.
7. Did you see that “phoque” in Nice?
If you find yourself at the zoo in France, don’t be offended when you hear “Regardez la phoque” It’s French for look at the seal.
You have been warned, now go have fun! Happy Summer! Bon Voyage!
… Stay tuned for the next Segment of HT Localization Presents Language Translations for Real Life Series, where we’ll continue … with more stuff.
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This article was written by Rachanee Thevenet, Co-Founder of HT Localization. Rachanee is an Asian-American expat living in Spain with her family. She loves all things international including food, art, literature, culture, languages and people. She has years of professional product marketing expertise and global expansion experience.
HT Localization, LLC. is a worldwide translation & localization agency providing a full range of professional language translation services, including social media localization, marketing translations, website translations, software localization, eLearning materials, documentation translations, etc. With locations in the US, Spain, France, Zambia & Thailand, and coverage across all languages and most industries, HT Localization is well positioned to provide around the globe services for all translation needs.
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