The lurking hypothetical planet
Eagle sounds a whole lot like the German word for "hedgehog," which is igel.
If a French person looks at you funny if you say you have lots of pets, don't worry. They're probably just interpreting the word in their language, which means "fart."
Yes, as in the US state. "Ohio" is a way to say "good morning" in Japanese.
The word is used in Hindi, Urdu, and Farsi to describe "snow."
This might be a bit confusing for English speakers learning to speak a Slavic language such as Polish or Czech, as "no" means "yes."
"Mist" means "manure" in German. It sure does give a "misty morning" a whole new meaning...
"Handy," or as they mean in German, a "cell phone." So, does this mean a handyman would be a mobileman?
In Sweden, you can excuse yourself if you need to "kiss." Sorry, we meant to "pee."
If you hear a German person saying "Das ist der Hammer," they actually mean that something is really "awesome!" Though the word can also have a negative connotation.
Whether fresh or conditioned, "air" in Indonesia means another element: "water."
You probably won't impress anyone in France if you tell them you play the trombone. Mostly because the word means "paperclip."
If you go to Romania and buy a fish egg salad with the word "crap" on the label, don't worry: they actually mean "carp."
Forget about cigs. In France, you'd be talking about a "tuxedo" instead.
Next time a German person says they've got a "gift" for you, make sure they mean the English version of the word and not its meaning in German: "poison."
"Die" is colloquially used by Italians to say "come on!"
"Gary" (actor Gary Sinise pictured) is the word used to describe "diarrhea" in Japanese. Yup!
The English word "fart" has a different meaning in Norwegian. It actually means "speed." And in Polish, it translates to "luck," so you can simply wish someone "good luck" by telling someone to "fart!"
"Brat" actually means "brother" in Russian. It is, however, written differently. The exact word is Брат.
This can be any substance used to preserve food or other things. But it does sound a whole lot like the French word for condom, preservatif. In Portuguese you'd also use a similar word for condom: preservativo.
"Fish," written fixe in Portuguese, but pronounced the exact same way, means "cool."
Sean Bean (as in the actor) actually translates to "Old Lady" in Irish. It is, however, written seanbhean and it's also pronounced differently.
"Push" means "pull" in Portuguese. The word is written puxe, but it's pronounced the exact same way as the English word.
Pepperoni is an American spicy salami. It does sound a whole lot like the Italian word for bell peppers though: peperone.
The popular English acronym is actually a word used to describe "fun" or "joy" in Dutch.
Darth Vader is such a powerful father figure that he was named after the Dutch word for father: vader.
Sources: (List25)
See also: Words that are much older than you think
Don't get too excited if a Polish person invites you to "prom." The word actually means "ferry."
English is a beautiful and rich language, but sometimes one word means something completely different in another language. Sure, there are are many English words borrowed from other languages, but in this gallery we look at those that actually have a different meaning in a foreign language. Ready? Then click on!
English words that have a different meaning in other languages
It can get confusing!
LIFESTYLE Curiosities
English is a beautiful and rich language, but sometimes one word means something completely different in another language. Sure, there are are many English words borrowed from other languages, but in this gallery we look at those that actually have a different meaning in a foreign language. Ready? Then click on!