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Lost in Translation

Discussion in 'General Chit Chat' started by Maharg, Sep 13, 2018.

  1. Maharg
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    Maharg Well-Known Member Trusted Member

    Ok, not exactly Lost In Translation, but who has ever had a conversation with their wife that got a bit confusing due to language or accent?

    Here is a rough paraphrasing of one I had the other day, about my wife's sister in Germany trying to get a visa for her daughter to come to Germany to live with her.

    "My sister is trying to get a visa for her daughter to go to Germany. My dad is a bit worried because there are people from the embassy coming to the village to check on the family and he had a falling out with the German in the village."

    "I'm sure it's fine. They aren't going to be bothered about that. How will they know?"

    "They will. The Embassy are coming to the village and they are going to be talking to the German about the family."

    "They won't do that. They're not going to be asking someone about your dad just because he is German."

    "Eh?"

    "You said they would be asking a German guy in the village about your dad. I'm sure they won't."

    "Not the German. The GERMAN!"

    "Eh"

    "The GERMAN. Of the Barangay."

    "Oh. The CHAIRMAN! I thought you said GERMAN!"

    "Idiot."
    • Funny Funny x 5
  2. KeithAngel
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    KeithAngel 2063 Lifetime Member

    regular feature and part of the joy....:)
  3. Anon04576
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    Anon04576 Well-Known Member

    Yea it’s quite amazing. Asawa has no problem correcting the technicalities of my English, especially written English, which I admit is getting worse and worse the older I get but I blame technology.

    She can start a conversation and assume I will understand what is coming from what she understands in her mind. She will flit from person to person in a conversation but not actually who said this or who said that, just purely that someone said something. So I prompt her to constantly back-track with a “who said that then” or words to that effect. It does add a bit of fun into the conversation as I try to calculate what she’s thinking but doesn’t actually represent verbally :lol:
  4. walesrob
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    walesrob Administrator Staff Member

    We went to Lanzarote 2 years ago. Elsa’s workmates told her the place was full of Germs. Or she thought that’s what they said. She kept saying it’s not healthy in Lanzarote because of Germs. The look on her face when I told her you mean Germans?:lol:
    • Like Like x 1
    • Funny Funny x 1
  5. bigmac
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    bigmac Well-Known Member Trusted Member

    my wife regularly gets mixed up with gender words--like his or hers.
  6. Bootsonground
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    Bootsonground Guest

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  9. Drunken Max
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    Drunken Max Well-Known Member Trusted Member

    I've stopped opening the cooker door now when asked to open the cooker. I turn on the hob instead.
  10. bigmac
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    bigmac Well-Known Member Trusted Member

    My wife would on the cooker....on the lights...on the tv. Never says turn.
    • Agree Agree x 1
  11. oss
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    oss Somewhere Staff Member

    I bet she also says "off the lights" and "off the tv" :)
    • Agree Agree x 1
  12. oss
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    oss Somewhere Staff Member

    That's because Tagalog is a gender neutral language even though there are some gender distinctions that have crept in over the centuries.
  13. John Surrey
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    John Surrey Well-Known Member

    Everyday... almost every time my wife tries to talk...

    Mind you now my children go to school I understand why - the teachers.
  14. Mattecube
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    Mattecube face the sunshine so shadows fall behind you Trusted Member

    You should listen to a Scouse Filipino!

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