Traveling understands people
1) PRONOUNCE CORRECTLY
The Spanish we are not famous for pronouncing well in English , but it is that Popeye has no name. This nice character who took energy from spinach has a common nickname among sailors that translates as bulging eye or blind eye . Namely " pop ” (jumpy) and “ eye " (eye) . Nothing of Popeye ; Popeye!. Another mythical word that we pronounce as we please is the store Leroy Merlin , which is pronounced as “Le Roi Merlin” (Le-roi-merlan), that is: “ king merlin ”.
2) SYMPATHY WITH RUSSIAN AUTHORS
I tell you from experience. Filipino kids go into shock when you tell them your name is Anna . Hearing it, they can't help but shout in unison "! Karenina, Karenina! ”. It's a bit strange that people so young are fans of Russian writers, but until you travel a bit Philippines you don't understand why. Anna Karenina is here one of the most famous and revered soap operas , which tells the story of three sisters separated at birth: Anna, Karen and Nina.
Filipino children in love with Anna Karenina
3) DISCOVER THE MAGIC OF TELEVISION SERIES
would you ever believe that Fran Perea is a mass leader in the Balkans ? Well he is. Practically every Croatian or Serb you meet while traveling will sing the song of Los Serrano for you, even pronouncing the letter even if you don't know spanish . The series has also been successful in Finland , although it is in the Balkans where the true fans of the series are, who have even versioned it in their own language. Another series that arouses passions (pun intended) is the Colombian Pasión de gavilanes , especially in Malaysia.
4) KEEP CALM
In Mandarin , practically there is no difference between the consonants “b” “p” , as there is not between “ d " Y " you ”. This creates some pretty funny and even disturbing sounds, which tourists discover accompanied by local guides when they visit statues like the Great Buddha of Leshan . Be forewarned: the Chinese they do not refer in any case to a big prostitute ”, but only to the wise nepali.
In China, no getting angry in public
5) BE CAUTIOUS
Never say the word Wonderful ” when you have a speaker of Mandarin . The four syllables together sound a lot like an unfriendly expression, questioning the goodness of the mothers of our interlocutors . So when you visit the great wall of china , forget to say that what is " one of the seven wonders of the world ”. Also, if your name is Xavi , in Catalan, you might think of using the full “Xavier”, since “ shabi " it means " fool ”.
6) DON'T GREETINGS TO POLAND WOMEN
If you ever find a foreign girl turning around on the street with an overwhelmed face, it is very likely that she is a Wave . This is one of the most frequent names of Poland , and it is actually the diminutive of Alexandra . If you don't know our country, they will think that everyone is calling them or giving them orders , since it will be difficult for them to distinguish between the greeting (Hello!) and the imperative. And, please, never tell them that: “ watch out for the curves " as Kurwa , in Polish, refers to oldest craft in the world.
Never tell a mandarin "wonder"
7) SAY GOODBYE SWEETLY
Many times we get to say goodbye to the French with a " bye ”, or, in an adapted version, “ bye ”. This word, which means the same as in Spanish, usually used when you are not going to see the person ever again , so it can be a bit impolite. If you want to meet that person again, better use the “ to tout " either " plus ”. Something similar happens with Italian, since “ bye ” is mainly used in the funerals . Remember that " bye "it's so much" hello " What " bye ”.
8) AVOID DISJUNCTIONS
It has been explained to us many times but it is still very strange: in Bulgaria , you move the head up and down to say "no" and you turn your head left to right to say "yes" . This is just as confusing as our “ Y " Y " either " for the greeks (for example, in the sentence: “I want this and/or that”). For the Hellenes, the y/ή is a " either ”, so it is very difficult for them to differentiate between these two phrases and they hyperventilate easily when you ask them a question of this type.
"Ciao ragazza"
9) AVOID HOMETOWN
The people of Malaga must be very careful with the Greeks . The phrase " I'm from Malaga ” produces laughter and incites jokes between them. The reason is that it sounds a lot like “ malaka ” (μαλάκα), a word that has many meanings but most of them are insults . It's also best to avoid napkins and overpronounced " okay ”, since in Greek napkin (σερβιέτα) refers to the compresses and bale (βάλε) means “ throw ”.
10) DON'T BUY POPCORN FROM A JAPANESE
Even if you are an inveterate movie buff, try never invite a japanese to the movies . This word is pronounced the same as an unfriendly expression: “ die ”, and can dislodge the most westernized Japanese. Other words with meaning in Japanese (which is, along with Greek, one of the languages closest phonetically to Spanish), are “ cow " Y " Garlic ", What do they mean " fool " either " silly ”. The reverse also happens: from the mythical Mitsubishi jerk off even the actress Mariko Kaga The Japanese are not far behind.
11) BE CAREFUL WITH PHARMACIES
be careful to catch diseases abroad ; some may take longer to disappear. That is the case of Spaniards who go to an English or French pharmacy and say “ I'm constipated ” or “J e suis constipated ”. In no case will they receive help for constipation, but for constipation.
12) DON'T TALK ABOUT TECHNOLOGY
It is very difficult to think of global brand names that work well in all languages. But the companies of technology take the cake in linguistic errors , with consoles and operating systems with sexual names . That is the case of the console” sega ", what in italian relates to masturbation , or the operating system “ Siri ” from Apple, which in Georgian is an affectionate way of referring to the virile member . In Spanish, the mobile nokia Lumia can also be translated as " nokia prostitute ”, although lumia is a term that is rarely used in Spanish.
Be careful with pharmacies
13) NEVER SAY THEY BOTHER YOU
Try to avoid this verb as much as possible when you are with Anglo-Saxons. “ molesting ” is a really bad concept that makes people around you stay in be quiet and look worried . Above all, avoid saying phrases like “ my brother is bothering me” either " he is to disturb ”.
14) GO ONLY TO IKEA
who doesn't like this macro-store where you always buy more than you need ? Well, at thai . Because in their language “ikea” means “ meddle ”, and it looks a little bad if you propose it out of the blue to someone with whom you do not trust. After saying that sentence, it is likely that the only thing you can assemble is the furniture.
*** You may also be interested in...**
- 30 untranslatable words into Spanish that will help you travel
- How to behave abroad: expressions and gestures that can be offensive
- Cash or card?
- Guide to get the tip right
forget the dictionary