13 Crazy Examples of Why English is the Most Hilarious Language to Learn
A compilation of translated English signs from a foreign country, which convey totally different messages from what they wanted to achieve – with hilarious results.
I’ve published here an article about how difficult it is for foreigners to learn English, evidenced in the obvious difficulties speakers of other languages have when writing signs which cater for us Anglophones. But not only does it seem difficult to express, English many times, if not worded correctly, can bring about the most ridiculously funny scenarios there are.
So why is English the most hilarious language to learn?
Pictures courtesy of Engrish.
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We’ve got too many names for private body parts.
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We aren’t a very trusting people (but at least we let you know up-front)
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We are prejudiced towards our ailing and our liquor heads.
We haven’t yet found this answer to the problem of abuse. If abusers had to pay to do the job, who knows how many of them would give it up.
Our health and safety laws have gone crazy, even getting yourself killed these days requires filling out a form.
Our men love wearing dresses, (that can’t be good).
Then they change into animals (after you’ve married them, mind)
You always have to be careful that you’re getting the real stuff. We specialise in imitations.
We fatten our old and disabled by giving them lots of rest, so we could then roast them on a spit.
Euthanasia at its best. We’ve invested in complicated “do it yourself” (DIY) machines, and have all got our own personal, unique numbers for when the time is right.
We reuse, reduce and recycle – anything.
We can get high on every day foods.
We have a special place for everything.
Part 2 of this article is now available
here
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User Comments
IcyCucky
On April 29, 2008 at 8:13 am
This is interesting, and funny
Alexa Gates
On April 29, 2008 at 9:01 am
lol! that’s hilarious!
valli
On April 29, 2008 at 9:08 am
Very funny.
nobert bermosa
On April 29, 2008 at 11:54 am
nice shots,i think i have to start noticing and getting pictures of signboards like these too…
lynnmarie
On April 29, 2008 at 2:58 pm
I am cryin’ this is so funny!
)
Damien
On April 29, 2008 at 4:32 pm
Nr. 9 is actually written in English AND Norwegian
“Gravid” means pregnant. That’s the real humor in the picture ^^
Dee Huff
On April 29, 2008 at 5:15 pm
Really funny Anne.
daveb_za
On April 29, 2008 at 6:42 pm
Just had to reassure everyone around me that I haven’t lost the plot – burst out laughing at work! Great work, those are hysterical.
quiet voice
On April 29, 2008 at 9:30 pm
..this is all too funny.
Thank you much.
Nestor
On April 30, 2008 at 1:30 am
at all times we should be careful with our words.
Ronald Marbles
On April 30, 2008 at 6:49 am
Anne, I love you! You made my day. It is a total hilarious article and who can not laugh at those signs?
Meri Jeffrey
On April 30, 2008 at 7:39 am
Very interesting! It is a certain degree of difficulty translating from/to or vice versa! Very funny indeed!
Rob
On April 30, 2008 at 8:27 am
Funny, but the introduction is wrong. English isn’t that difficult to learn to westerners, all of these examples are from Mandarin/Cantonese/Japanese. These do not translate very well at the best of times and chances are that they have been translated word for word from a dictionary. As with any translation done this way, no matter what language, the results are never that good.
Anne Lyken-Garner
On April 30, 2008 at 10:53 am
Thanks a bunch for all the comments everyone.
Rob, I wasn’t thinking about Westerners (as many speakers of other languages learn English at school anyway). Having said that, I’ve been a high school English and Literature teacher and and have taught English to foreign adult students at an International Language school in London, and I know that English is very difficult to learn. It’s my mother tongue and I still don’t know half of it :=)
I however, agree with your statement that these signs have been transliterated. Without knowing the phrases, expressions and many times lingo of a language, it’s almost impossible to translate correctly. (I’ve commented on exactly this in the original article which you can read by clicking on my name at the top of this page). I really did not want to point a finger at billions of people in a particular part of the world by targeting them in this article.
Thanks for your comment.
Bran Guy
On April 30, 2008 at 2:55 pm
HILARIOUS
Shane
On April 30, 2008 at 3:12 pm
Damien, ‘gravid’ is another word for pregnant in English, too– specifically visibly pregnant.
Mike Crowl
On April 30, 2008 at 5:34 pm
Brilliant stuff. Love the way other people use English!
Binux
On April 30, 2008 at 5:52 pm
Grat article!
However, lerning English isn’t hard at all, I’ve been learning for many years, and everybody I know do not have big problems. And my native languaje is Spanish, I live in Uruguay, with no relation with the English languaje. Learning Spanish is the big deal!
TwilightRoses
On April 30, 2008 at 6:59 pm
Yup, that was pretty much funny.
Beatrice Lim
On April 30, 2008 at 8:42 pm
This is a really fun reading article. I bet you’ll find more ‘funny’ terms in their restaurant menu.
Nelson Doyle
On May 1, 2008 at 3:17 am
Anne, this is a funny article. You did a good job in your narration, too. I have to pass this one along to my mom and my aunt, so that they will get a kick out of these as well.
God Bless,
Nelson Doyle
Iris
On May 1, 2008 at 9:49 am
The signs are hilarious! – however I would disagree that English is difficult to learn for foreigners. On the contrary, most bilingual/trilingual foreigners I’ve met have always said that English is one of the easiest languages they’ve ever come across. Mind you, English is hard to learn WELL – but it’s not hard to learn to get by. (for the lack of cases, for one) Having said that, all languages are hard to learn if you really think about it…
ALEXANDER
On May 1, 2008 at 3:05 pm
VERY FUNNY!!1 LOL
MysLykeMeeh
On May 1, 2008 at 5:29 pm
Hilarious. Interesting article.
lil g
On May 1, 2008 at 11:03 pm
yeah, really funny and interesting
shaane
On May 2, 2008 at 2:12 am
haha!! the ones i found aint as good! great job@!!!
imsandi
On May 2, 2008 at 4:39 pm
That is too funny. We were in China in 2000 and noticed a few of these, but you got the cream of the crop!
Liz Powers
On May 2, 2008 at 8:40 pm
I liked it. I laughed from the start to the end and I’m alone at home. It was such an enjoyable article.
Mimi!
On May 3, 2008 at 6:34 am
The Dutch have a special book with hilarious Dutch mistakes when using English, we actually have a special name for that wrong language: ‘Denglish’.
The Dutch word ‘kok’ for example means cook. The word kok is pronounced like cock, now imagine what kind of weird mistakes can be made with that word XD
Betty Jane DiSanto
On May 3, 2008 at 9:09 am
Great Piece! I laughed all the way through it! Keep tat funny stuff coming!
Sheri J Burnett
On May 3, 2008 at 4:13 pm
I am new here. The title caught my eye and I had to read it. This is a very good way to start off exploring I shall say. Very funny and yet so true. We don’t have good communication when it comes to the different languages around the world.
Hassle
On May 4, 2008 at 2:33 am
English may be the lingua franca for now but it is taking on different shades depending on the users and the phenomenon called “diaglossia” but yeah, Anne, they were funny. I dont know how other “asians” would have reacted.Next lookout: Olympic english
Karen Lohof
On May 4, 2008 at 1:27 pm
This was great. I love tears rolling down my face.
KIM CORN
On May 4, 2008 at 3:52 pm
THAT WAS A VERY GOOD ARTICLE AND I SHOULD SAY THAT IS HOW IT REALLY IS AS TO ENGLISH TERMS. ITS REALLY FUNNY HOW THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE SHOWS HUMOR.
Jio Benitez
On May 4, 2008 at 10:22 pm
All these happen when correct use of language is subordinated to profit! We have plently of those in the Philippines.
nikki
On May 5, 2008 at 3:47 pm
that is the funniest thing i have ever seen
Joslyn Carter
On May 6, 2008 at 3:48 pm
Thats great!
johannah
On May 7, 2008 at 2:16 am
the scenarios are funny but they didn’t make me laugh that hard (they just made me chuckle). Somehow, you’re article is appreciated. I often encounter this tragedy too- english being misuse. And, yes I find them funny and at the same time I also get the feeling of pity. Still, I’m glad foreigners try their best to deliver their thoughts in english despite the fact that they’re not born with it.
MindIt
On May 7, 2008 at 6:16 am
Absolutely hilarious!
Rookie Expert
On May 7, 2008 at 12:37 pm
Lovely article!! Reminds me of the jokes we made in school, doing literal translations of hindi (Indian language) sentences to english!!
lucia anna
On May 7, 2008 at 2:32 pm
Very interesting
Kheng
On May 7, 2008 at 9:10 pm
Love your comments after each picture! hilarious!
RJ Evans
On May 8, 2008 at 7:18 am
Nice one! Very funny and entertaining!
Mixed
On May 9, 2008 at 8:21 am
Funny to English speakers maybe, might be offensive to those in the Asian community.
Anne Lyken-Garner
On May 9, 2008 at 9:10 am
Thanks for all the comments.
For those who’re reading this article and incorrectly inserting an intention on my behalf to offend, you’ve missed the point.
I’ve written this article in such a way as to transfer the humour unto the English speaker and NOT the foreign speaker.
Please read it again and you will see. It’s meant to be a light-hearted piece, and in no way can be confused with taunting or making fun at any particular group of people.
missy
On May 10, 2008 at 8:14 am
just curious to know where you got the pics and if you had to get permission to use them.
Glynis
On May 10, 2008 at 11:51 am
I loved it! I now live in Cyprus and the ex pat community has great fun reading the menus etc. I am going to go into one shop soon as the temptation is just too great everytime I drive by, it’s THE WHINE SHOP!! I also want to try the CHAKIN NIGGETS but need to know if the ‘Chakins’ are free range lol
Thanks for making me smile, those who take it too seriously…well I am not sure if there is another word in the English language apart from..relax
Kimmie10
On May 10, 2008 at 8:06 pm
I love it. It is funny.
Alixander
On May 11, 2008 at 11:51 am
Lol Its a funny post, CONGRATS
KatyB
On May 12, 2008 at 10:15 am
Anne, this is Asia at it’s best! I’ve been in China recently and saw some hilarious things but sadly no photos! Yours are really great. Plus brilliantly witty commentary! I’m now going to read your 13 Simple Steps article……
Kate
On May 12, 2008 at 2:54 pm
Oh Binux, irony abounds.
Melissa
On May 12, 2008 at 2:58 pm
“Funny to English speakers maybe, might be offensive to those in the Asian community.”
Except nobody is targeting them because they are Asian; anyone can have bad English grammar. I make fun of anybody with bad grammar, including me.
dude
On May 12, 2008 at 6:37 pm
i agree it wasnt that funny. you all really are posers!
nice one
On May 12, 2008 at 6:39 pm
you guys are mean it was a little funny but i guess your rigth everone is just exaggerting.
Anne Lyken-Garner
On May 13, 2008 at 2:07 am
Welcome all – lol,dude and nice one, (if you’re the same person, welcome one)
It’s really great that I’ve attracted teenagers to the show. I see teenagers’ bad spelling and grammar all the time and can spot it a mile off.
Come back soon though, right after you’ve skipped your English class, there may be some basic grammar here yet to learn.
Thanks for all the comments, you guys are fantastic! Teenagers usually can’t be bothered to do such things.
chantallia
On May 13, 2008 at 2:12 pm
I can see that you’re an observant person;makes me think; the things we miss by not being observant. Really, good work, Anne.The number of comments alone can tell you what a good job you did. I travel a lot, so I need to look out for signs and other items of interest like that.Thanks again for sharing this one.
chantallia
On May 13, 2008 at 2:22 pm
It’s me again. I remembered one that always tickled me and I would always tell German friends while I was in Germany. Some of them got it, some didn’t. There is an art and folk culture museum in Bremen called Focke Museum. Each time I passed that museum in a bus,and the driver announced the name of the museum(as thy do at all the bus stops) I could not contain my laughter. Try saying it. It is pronounced in German as “Focker Museum.” Focke is the name of a famous German of course. Hope I didn’t offend anyone, but I’ve never forgotten that. I still find it funny.
guinea pig
On May 14, 2008 at 8:32 am
They need to learn English!!!
guinea pig
On May 14, 2008 at 8:33 am
Please take care to fall in water!!!
Anne Lyken-Garner
On May 15, 2008 at 7:32 am
Dear Chantallia, thanks for your comments. I enjoyed your example of the German museum. I remember being quite amazed by all the words which sounded very rude (but were obviously not) while in Berlin. I’m sure the Germans think the same when they come to England.
Francetales, you may be right about the French language. I know it sounds so gorgeous, and while I lived in Paris, tried desperately to learn French. I must admit that I was lazy and gave up seriously trying far too soon. I hung around with English speakers, and like many other Anglophones, I was not willing to spend time learning a foreign language properly, but expected everyone else to speak English. Having said this though, I used to be able to speak Spanish (I grew up in South America), but haven’t used it in so long, that I can no longer claim to.
Rakkav, you’re right on the money. We all have problems with English, (and I am a native speaker!)
April Woodis
On May 15, 2008 at 4:59 pm
Very funny. I loved it. You are a clever gal!
blazingredrain
On May 18, 2008 at 10:28 pm
very funny! but I’m not laughing at the Chinese. I’m Asian too but I’m not offended. Your article can be considered a wake-up call for non-English speakers : English is our universal language. Learn it and learn it well! Unless of course one has no intention of dealing/communicating with other people in other parts of the world, one can be excused.
Keep it coming, Anne, if just for humor.(:
Jerk
On May 19, 2008 at 9:42 pm
photoshoped
Kate
On May 20, 2008 at 1:23 am
Great job Anne! I really enjoyed reading your artile.It’s so funny yet it’s true.But I don’t blamed the Chinese.I am Asian too,and I learned and studied English since I started gradeschool.Goodluck to you Anne!
jenny pavon
On May 20, 2008 at 1:11 pm
haha, i like it
neal patel
On May 20, 2008 at 9:37 pm
thanks for sharing this hilarious article.
i love, i should myself start looking at these strange things too.
thanks for sharing.
dorisday
On May 20, 2008 at 9:58 pm
funny . . . .
Agnes Chin
On May 21, 2008 at 4:10 am
unbelievable funny. something need to be done for the benefit of the next generation.
Anne Lyken-Garner
On May 21, 2008 at 12:41 pm
Number 2 has been created lol
14 more of them
Found one prejiduce against black objects, but not black people
http://tinyurl.com/5hhnz8
Anne Lyken-Garner
On May 21, 2008 at 2:17 pm
Number 74 IS NOT me. Someone is posting in my name. This is me and I would like to know who you (74) are.
Judy Sheldon
On May 21, 2008 at 4:19 pm
Anne, I was wondering about (74) that one. It sure did not sound like you, and I know that the intention of this article was strictly humor. I would hate to see what signs would say if I had to translate them. When I studied German in high school I noticed that if you translate the words word by word and repeat it back in English it sounds very awkward.
I have a lot of appreciation for the individuals who attempted to make these signs to accommodate English speaking individuals. I hope they laugh with us, and realize that we are not laughing at them. Humor is wonderful, and we should all laugh more often.
Megan Falley
On May 21, 2008 at 5:12 pm
Hahahah. WHERE ON EARTH?
jack
On May 21, 2008 at 8:31 pm
maybe its the other languages that are weird
Anne Lyken-Garner
On May 22, 2008 at 2:10 am
I’ve found out who number 74 is. It’s someone trying to promote his article by lying to readers here, telling them that part 2 of this article is now available (it’s not. Readers would know that this is in fact part 2 of an earlier article).
I’ve asked him not to do it again, so hopefully he won’t.
Thanks for visiting and for taking time to leave your comments.
Tanu S.
On May 23, 2008 at 6:24 am
Hehehehehe…great fun!!!
sharu
On May 23, 2008 at 12:05 pm
Dude…
These r all RaWkInG!1!1!
MV
On May 23, 2008 at 8:19 pm
leave the captions behind, they’re not very good.
Cyn Bagley
On May 24, 2008 at 11:36 am
Wow this sent me back to Japan. I was there from 1990 to 1992. hehehehe!
goerd
On May 24, 2008 at 11:54 am
great! wonderful post! I love it!
hah
On May 25, 2008 at 9:40 am
very funny
Tanya Urbane
On May 25, 2008 at 7:13 pm
awesome! where did you get those pics I want some more of them
angel
On May 25, 2008 at 10:55 pm
love it! so cool hehe..one billboar here in the Philippines said, \”A-10-tsun\” lol!
Lucy Lockett
On May 26, 2008 at 12:01 am
Absolutely hilarious!
http://www.purpleslinky.com/Humor/Work/What-Color-is-Your-Underwear-and-Other-Critical-Interview-Questions.129714
On May 27, 2008 at 2:07 pm
If you like hilarious.
http://www.trifter.com/Practical-Travel/Air-Travel/Mile-High-Club.129707
On May 27, 2008 at 2:08 pm
More hilarious.
Tina
On May 27, 2008 at 5:19 pm
It’s even worse at work! I have to speak with them and understand what they say, and if I don’t understand what they say they get mad at me
I hardly understand what they say and they keep getting mad at me! When will they learn!!!!
jo oliver
On May 27, 2008 at 10:32 pm
I am new here, but this was by far the best thing I have seen on here. Funny, true, and I love you did not do a top ten…..rather 13. GREAT!
Jesus Christ
On May 28, 2008 at 4:27 pm
Leave out the comments, they kinda ruined it.
Sher
On May 29, 2008 at 12:22 am
Love reading your articles…This one is really funny.
Marc
On June 1, 2008 at 3:37 am
A nice post ruined by the childish comments underneath each picture. If the picture ’says it all’ why need to comment underneath?
Anne Lyken-Garner
On June 2, 2008 at 8:09 am
Brilliant idea Marc, just post pictures. Hmmmm… why didn’t I ever think of that novel idea before.
Thank you so much, what would I ever do without your insight.
Diego Rentsch
On June 2, 2008 at 12:14 pm
AAAAAWWWWWWWWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMEEEEEEE
hilariously funny
S.D.
On June 2, 2008 at 12:38 pm
>English is the Most Hilarious Language to Learn
Who are you to judge? How many languages do you speak?
I speak four languages (besides my mother tongue German) and English was the easiest one to learn.
Samuel Z Jones
On June 2, 2008 at 3:58 pm
#9 is the odd one out; Gravid means pregnant. Apparently whoever wrote that sign has a superior command of English than the average native speaker, or at least a wider vocabulary.
Rupali Agrawal
On June 5, 2008 at 12:31 am
This is really very funny ..I liked it a lot
josh
On June 5, 2008 at 6:29 pm
dats hirarious
zuluman
On June 7, 2008 at 4:43 pm
me rikey rery much
Hein Marais
On June 7, 2008 at 5:21 pm
terry wagar
On June 9, 2008 at 3:07 pm
clackamas walmart in portland oregon frames people as pedo’s so they can murder them and get away with it, they are hideing a man named eric carlson, he worked there for over a year around mid 2007 and mid 2008, he died his hair black and got a new identity from his friends in authority and now goes by the name gashel, last name unknown by me.
malu gregorio
On June 19, 2008 at 10:59 pm
Thanks, Anne, for making me laugh.
Milander
On July 12, 2008 at 7:02 am
@Anne – “I’ve been a high school English and Literature teacher and and have taught English to foreign adult students at an International Language school in London, and I know that English is very difficult to learn. It’s my mother tongue and I still don’t know half of it.”
I’ve taught English at University, High Schools, major corporations and companies for the better part of 15 years as well as age ranges from 6 to 80 yeaars of age. Not a big deal really, lots of people have done that. The difference is that I’ve been doing it in Hungary, Germany, Spain, Singapore, Japan, and other countries. It sounds like you have only been teaching in your own country of birth. I have no University degree but I do have diplomas in EFL and TESOL from International House. I have never considered English to be a hard language until a student approaches Proficiency level (near native).
English is one of the easiest languages in the world in which to acheive at least a conversational level. If you as a teacher consider English to be a difficult language and you are also a native speaker who declares, “I still don’t know half of it”, then you should seriously consider trying another job.
Oh, by the way, teaching English in London is no great deal. Most of the cheapest and worst language schools are in London as well as the vast majority of inept teachers too scared or illtrained to try their skills in a foreign country.
Their is no – subscribe to comments here – so I don’t expect to hear anything back and while I appreciate that the signs are funny that was not the reason I posted. Your comments are the reason I posted as it is Language teaachers with your attitude that give the rest of us a bad name.
Anne Lyken-Garner
On July 12, 2008 at 8:18 am
Milander – what – have – you – been – taking?
I won’t be petty here because it’s not my style. This is a humor article on Purpleslinky. Please, we are NOT allowed to take it (or ourselves) too seriously here. Nevertheless, this is merely for the record. I have indeed taught English as a foreign language in ‘foreign’ countries. And yes, I have travelled and lived in several different countries. (Maybe not as many as you – your most esteemed highly traveller)
What are you on about ‘giving the rest of us a bad name’? How does saying ‘English is difficult to learn’ give you a bad name? Please do explain. Am I saying that English teachers cannot write or spell? Am I saying that teachers who have no university degree and do not know the difference between ‘there’ and ‘their’ or ‘teachers’ and ‘teaachers’ have no business teaching?
I don’t think I am. If anyone is giving English teachers a bad name, it’s those who aren’t witty enough to spot the funny aspects of a language and laugh at them. After all, I’m sure you’ll agree that English is a great language with which to express sarcasm. (Maybe I should use your comment to illustrate an article about this already taking shape in my not-so-travelled head).
The evidence posted here is proof that some people do find English very hard indeed.
Lighten up, will ya? Let the laughter out… We all are…
PS you don’t need to subscribe, just come back.
Lost in Arizona
On August 9, 2008 at 1:15 pm
Okay, so I’m part Asian, and I found this article funny. It’s funny to be able to laugh at the quirks of one’s language. The whole idea, I believe, of this article is to be able to laugh at how people can make mistakes when it comes to certain things. We all do it. I mean, I laugh every time I drive by the Beaver’s Box (a music store here in Arizona) cause it’s funny. Laughter makes the world so much better, rather than nitpicking someone’s work. So people, stop hating, take a load off, and laugh for Pete’s sake. Good job Anne. Keep writing, because like a good journalist, you can stir up the angst in people.
PuNiaoPuNiao
On August 9, 2008 at 3:47 pm
Yes, Chinglish. Always gives you a good laugh. Have you heard about this shop’s name called ‘Curious Woman’? A total head-scratcher that will arouse your curiosity.
http://sexybluemame.blogspot.com
®ëƒüšë.†ø.ƒêë£
On August 9, 2008 at 4:16 pm
This was very funny! I’m still laughing and crying! hahahaha
swadexi
On August 10, 2008 at 7:52 am
Ha.. Its So funny..http://swadexi.blogspot.com/
Maui Mike
On August 11, 2008 at 3:59 am
It appears that quite a few of the photos submitted have been fiddled with in Photoshop, particularly those “translations” that result in obscenities.
Asians trying to learn English are a nice, easy target for a cheap laugh. It’s doubly cheap when photos like this are doctored to get the laugh. So much for the Occidental sense of humor…
I wonder why there are no websites ridiculing the interesting typos of supposedly literate English-speaking online types? With some of the examples of writing I’ve seen, I’m sure that Asians would get of good laugh at our expense.
Justin C Timberlake
On January 23, 2009 at 6:19 pm
XD That was hilarious! I really enjoyed that, thanks for sharing.
Brian Daniel Stankich
On January 23, 2009 at 11:20 pm
Anne, excellent! Humorous! Gotta stumble this one.
I’ve lived in two foreign countries so I really appreciate this topic. Brian
miss cornelia
On February 1, 2009 at 6:27 pm
These are funny but there are even Americans who misuse our language in hilarious ways. Jay Leno’s headlines on NBC every Monday night proves this.
gianne
On February 2, 2009 at 12:26 pm
Loved this!!!!!
Sarah
On May 20, 2009 at 5:46 am
I never get bored of these! Hours of fun! Sarah… http://vappingo.com
kilty
On May 22, 2009 at 7:28 pm
Too funny Anne. I read some of the posts stating English is easy to learn. However, when I see the bad grammar, spelling, and general misuse of what isn’t an easy language to learn, it reinforces the notion that English isn’t easy.
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