Post by Jembru on Apr 16, 2014 22:39:22 GMT
Well, someone had to mention the elephant in the room! We can't have a Japanese language forum without mentioning Engrish!
Even those who haven't been to Japan, have surely encountered it at some point. Just in case you've missed it though, it is basically English that has been written by non-native speakers who haven't exactly mastered the language yet. It began as an Internet site and just exploded from there. It's usually Japanese, Chinese or Korean uses of English, but it can include signs and slogans from elsewhere.
I think google translate has a lot to answer for to be honest. That and other translation applications. My partner and I have great fun translating things our Japanese friends write on FB, using the translator FB uses. It comes up with some amazingly funny sentences.
So are there any funny signs you've seen while in Japan or on Japanese websites? As some of you are planning on being in Japan in the near future please do take photos of some of the funny Engrish you come across.
I don't have any funny ones, but I have some bad English ones..
This was a sweet treat a Japanese friend recently brought back from Japan for me and our friends. It was absolutely delicious. I don't usually like banana flavour things, but this was really nice.. the softest spongecake with a creamy center made from real banana. Sounds horrible, but tasted amazing!
Unfortunately, the English is too small to see in this image, but it reads 'People gather to Tokyo from here and there with memories of their home. And then Tokyo gets everyone's home town.'
Aww.. such a nice sentiment.
That one, at least proficient users of English will understand, but this next one has always had me baffled...
While in Machida, Kanagawa, I came across this lovely stationary in the 100 yen store...
I guess 'foo' was meant to be 'boo' and I wasn't too perplexed by the love, rock, skull slogan. We can do that in English sometimes. But then I noticed...
and knew I just HAD to buy this and write to ALL my friends back home with it! ^^ To this day, I still can't work out what the original Japanese must have been to come up with this!
So... can you do better?
Lets not feel too bad though. Every now and then we see kanji on signs or tattoos here in the West and giggle (I know you meant 'peace' but that does say 'cheap'.. now THAT'S what I call a 'tramp stamp'!).
If you're very lucky though, you'll even come across a Japanese word used correctly in English...
Even those who haven't been to Japan, have surely encountered it at some point. Just in case you've missed it though, it is basically English that has been written by non-native speakers who haven't exactly mastered the language yet. It began as an Internet site and just exploded from there. It's usually Japanese, Chinese or Korean uses of English, but it can include signs and slogans from elsewhere.
I think google translate has a lot to answer for to be honest. That and other translation applications. My partner and I have great fun translating things our Japanese friends write on FB, using the translator FB uses. It comes up with some amazingly funny sentences.
So are there any funny signs you've seen while in Japan or on Japanese websites? As some of you are planning on being in Japan in the near future please do take photos of some of the funny Engrish you come across.
I don't have any funny ones, but I have some bad English ones..
This was a sweet treat a Japanese friend recently brought back from Japan for me and our friends. It was absolutely delicious. I don't usually like banana flavour things, but this was really nice.. the softest spongecake with a creamy center made from real banana. Sounds horrible, but tasted amazing!
Unfortunately, the English is too small to see in this image, but it reads 'People gather to Tokyo from here and there with memories of their home. And then Tokyo gets everyone's home town.'
Aww.. such a nice sentiment.
That one, at least proficient users of English will understand, but this next one has always had me baffled...
While in Machida, Kanagawa, I came across this lovely stationary in the 100 yen store...
I guess 'foo' was meant to be 'boo' and I wasn't too perplexed by the love, rock, skull slogan. We can do that in English sometimes. But then I noticed...
and knew I just HAD to buy this and write to ALL my friends back home with it! ^^ To this day, I still can't work out what the original Japanese must have been to come up with this!
So... can you do better?
Lets not feel too bad though. Every now and then we see kanji on signs or tattoos here in the West and giggle (I know you meant 'peace' but that does say 'cheap'.. now THAT'S what I call a 'tramp stamp'!).
If you're very lucky though, you'll even come across a Japanese word used correctly in English...