Top 10 phrases that don't translate well

Zinka · Otaku Knight Gender: Joined: 28 Sep 2004

From spanish to english...I got this off my sister's blog who got it off of studyspanish.com

thought it was entertaining enough to share....I need to find out if Japanese has phrases like this (it probably does).
^.^

10. A otro perro con ese hueso.
(You're putting me on.)

Literal: To another dog with that bone.

9. Antes que te cases mira lo que haces.
(Look before you leap.)

Literal: Before you marry, look at what you do.

8. Cada quien tiene su manera de matar pulgas.
(There's more than one way to skin the cat.)

Literal: Everyone has their own way to kill fleas.

7. Como el burro que tocó la flauta.
(By pure luck.)

Literal: As the donkey played the flute.

6. Salir de Guatemala y meterse en guatepeor.
(Out of the frying pan and into the fire.)

Literal: To leave Guatemala and arrive in worse cornstalks.

5. El hijo de la gata, ratones mata.
(Like father, like son.)

Literal: The son of the cat kills mice.

4. Entrada de caballo, salida de burro.
(Don't start something you can't finish.)

Literal: Enter on horseback, leave on a donkey.

3. Tener más lana que un borrego.
(To have money to burn.)

Literal: To have more wool than a lamb.

2. Yo tengo una tía que toca la guitarra.
(What's that got to do with the price of tea in China?)

Literal: I have an aunt that plays the guitar.

1. Ir a donde el rey va solo.
(To powder one's nose.)

Literal: To go where the king goes alone.

(bold are my favorites)

Shino · Posted: Tue May 29, 2007 8:19 am Post subject:

Very cool stuff Zinka.

I like stuff like this. I find it interesting to see how languages differ with slang and sayings.

Zinka · Otaku Knight Gender: Joined: 28 Sep 2004

yeah..me too...languages and sayings interest me...
I forgot to write the one my sister told me a long time ago:

In spanish the phrase/word for soul mate is Media Naranja...
I think that literally means the middle of the orange.

I'm still looking up Japanese stuff. I've found some interesting ones, and surprisingly, I understand why some of them make sense and would translate that way...

Shino · Posted: Tue May 29, 2007 8:49 am Post subject:

Ahh... see when I saw your post, before I read it that's what I thought it was going to be. I would be really interested in seeing those. Wink

Nogrick · Everybody DANCE! Gender: Joined: 30 Sep 2002

I knew one a long time ago the was "I'm going to Beat You Up" but the literal translation was like "I'm going to beat the dust off of you." like you're a rug.

Ming · DOOM! Gender: Joined: 13 Jan 2003

This is a true story that some of you may have heard if you ever took an advertising class, because it's used as an example of how important it is to not just translate something literally into another language.

A while back, Coke had a campaign that apparently said something along the lines of "Coke adds life". They attempted to translate the slogan into Japanese for the Japanese market. However, someone messed up the translation and instead of the ad saying "Coke adds life" in Japanese, it said "Coke brings your ancestors back from the dead".

I was trying to find an actual reference to it, and a lot of what I found cite this as urban legend. But I do remember talking about it in class...it might have even been in my textbook.

Legend · Queen of Terabithia Age: 41 Gender: Joined: 14 Oct 2005

Number eight I find most hysterical simply because it does make sense...in a really twisted and horrible way. I mean, skinning a cat would remove the fleas....

underpants · awesome sauce! Age: 41 Gender: Joined: 07 Jul 2004

That's awesome!! Mr. Green

Zinka · Otaku Knight Gender: Joined: 28 Sep 2004

ha ha...

yeah...it's pretty funny that the coke add would translate that way...Im surprised they just wouldnt say something more along the lines of it gives you energy in Japanese, which is easy enough. Still, bringing bakc the ancestors must have made a huge ruckus, i mean, too most people here ancestors are a pretty big deal..ha ha...^.^

Akanari · Owns your reality Gender: Joined: 29 Sep 2004

Heh, these are amusing, but the Spanish translations of English sayings make no sense either. Sometimes when I use strange idioms my mother is like..."What??" And it's even more hilarious when she tries to translate Spanish idioms into English as she's speaking...it comes out like a storybook.

There's an funny one that has always stuck in my mind that translates to "I defecate in your milk!" I guess the English equivalent would be f*** you. I get it all the time from my Spanish family. ;]