funny stories
Twitter story about accidentally being a chauffeur gentleman reveals how oblivious men can be
-
Scott Wilson
Sep 1, 2016 - Tweet
- Japan
- (chivalry • funny • funny stories • funny twitter post • gentleman • men and women. • twitter)
Language fail: 22 funny and embarrassing tales of Japanese language missteps
-
Philip Kendall
Jun 11, 2015
They say that one of the main reasons so few Japanese people master the English language is because they’re worried about making mistakes or embarrassing themselves. While we do wish more Japanese would break out their English a little more often (get a couple of drinks into your coworkers and you’ll be amazed at how much English they actually know), at the same time we can’t really blame them for being reluctant to speak, because learning a second language as an adult can be tough.
After all, when our words fail us, it can not only result in confusion, but very often shock, laughter, and even anger. Just ask the kind folks who were good enough to share with us their most awkward and memorable mistakes made when speaking – or rather trying to speak – Japanese.
Join us after the jump for 22 tales of language mishaps. Oh, and maybe make some notes while you do so that none of these ever happen to you!
- Japan
- (embarrassing • fail • funny stories • Japanese • language)
MOST POPULAR
Now
- Ghibli’s Princess Mononoke teams up with Foxfire for outdoor apparel collaboration【Photos】
- Awesome Zelda cosplayer gets help from Smash Bros. creator Sakurai to solve costume problem【Vid】
- Japan’s new frozen sushi DIY kit – Great foodie fun, or cold-hearted abomination?【Taste test】
- Japan reaches its lowest-ever ranking on Education First’s 2024 English Proficiency Index
- Kura Sushi adds new cake party train to conveyor belts at select restaurants
- Mario Kart Happy Meal toys arrive at McDonald’s Japan, and SoraNews24 has the whole set!【Photos】
- Don’t miss the swords-on-fire performances and more at Asakusa Samuraive Show this week
- Sazae-san breaks own Guinness World Records again for 55 years on television
- Japanese job-quitting service contacted by other job-quitting service because employee wants to quit
- Cheeseburger rice bowls arrive at Japanese beef bowl chain Matsuya, and in our stomach【Taste test】
Weekly
- One of Japan’s most beautiful hot spring towns announces new limits on number of day trippers
- Ghibli’s Princess Mononoke teams up with Foxfire for outdoor apparel collaboration【Photos】
- Japanese job-quitting service contacted by other job-quitting service because employee wants to quit
- After cancelling Halloween, Tokyo’s Shibuya neighborhood cancels New Year’s Eve too
- Mario Kart Happy Meal toys arrive at McDonald’s Japan, and SoraNews24 has the whole set!【Photos】
- Tokyo park’s sea of clouds, nighttime illumination, and cosplay days make now perfect time to visit
- Beautiful Japanese garden green tea crepes waiting in Tokyo’s historical Asakusa neighborhood
- Samurai ritual suicide contest cancelled by organizer in west Japan
- American jackass tourist arrested after carving name into gate at Tokyo’s Meiji Shrine【Video】
- Flying dango: Unique tourist site where Japanese sweets are flown to you over a gorge
Monthly
- Nintendo’s controller capsule toys are so cool, even the machine you buy them from is awesome【Pics】
- One of Japan’s most beautiful hot spring towns announces new limits on number of day trippers
- Tokyo Disneyland loses top-attendance crown for Japanese theme parks for second year in a row
- Ghibli’s Princess Mononoke teams up with Foxfire for outdoor apparel collaboration【Photos】
- Ghibli Park debuts first winter illumination display with Howl’s Moving Castle theme
- Pringles releases a limited-edition sweet flavour in Japan
- What’s the deal with akebi, the perfectly purple, alien-like fruit that’s in season now in Japan?
- Sanrio and magical girl anime PreCure join forces for new merch line【Photos】
- Japanese job-quitting service contacted by other job-quitting service because employee wants to quit
- After cancelling Halloween, Tokyo’s Shibuya neighborhood cancels New Year’s Eve too
Yearly
- McDonald’s new Happy Meals offer up cute and practical Sanrio lifestyle goods
- Foreign tourists on Shinkansen bullet train break suitcase etiquette, angering local passengers
- [Deleted] Article written for April Fool’s Day 2018
- Japanese government to make first change to romanization spelling rules since the 1950s
- Foreigner’s request for help in Tokyo makes us sad for the state of society
- Ghibli founders Toshio Suzuki and Hayao Miyazaki contribute to Japanese whisky Totoro label design
- Japanese convenience store Family Mart announces abolishment of eat-in spaces
- Princesses, fruits, and blacksmiths: Study reveals the 30 most unusual family names in Japan
- Life-size vibrating Legend of Zelda Master Sword for sale from Nintendo【Photos】
- Studio Ghibli releases free-download board game — Here’s how to play it without reading Japanese
RECOMMENDED STORIES
- Mario Kart Happy Meal toys arrive at McDonald’s Japan, and SoraNews24 has the whole set!【Photos】
- Don’t miss the swords-on-fire performances and more at Asakusa Samuraive Show this week
- Sazae-san breaks own Guinness World Records again for 55 years on television
- Japanese job-quitting service contacted by other job-quitting service because employee wants to quit
- Cheeseburger rice bowls arrive at Japanese beef bowl chain Matsuya, and in our stomach【Taste test】
- American teenage tourist arrested on suspicion of arson in Tokyo during family trip
- Never been into a girl’s room before? Then this reference photo book is for you
- Flying dango: Unique tourist site where Japanese sweets are flown to you over a gorge
- Hello Kitty isn’t a cat!? We called Sanrio to find out!
- Made In Japan Fender Limited Edition Hello Kitty Stratocaster now on sale in Japan
- Beautiful Japanese garden green tea crepes waiting in Tokyo’s historical Asakusa neighborhood
- Doraemon found buried at sea as scene from 1993 anime becomes real life【Photos】
- Vegetables are smarter than fruits: Three high IQ Japanese veggies
-
Categories
Archives