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Would You Buy These Mistranslated Products?

When you provide translation services, you’re performing a juggling act because there are many things that you have to take into consideration. Not only are you trying to accurately convey what people have written in one language in another language, you’re also trying to make sure that you take the idioms, grammar and cultural practices of the destination language into consideration.

Sometimes, a word-for-word translation works best, especially if the written material is not very complex. Most of the time, however, you need to find idioms in the destination language that have the same metaphorical meaning because the literal meaning might not sound right. Here’s what happens when literal meanings are used instead of metaphorical ones:

Big Pimp. McDonald’s “Big Mac” literally translates to “Gros Mec” in French. However, the word “mec” in French doesn’t just mean “fellow” or “buddy” as “mac” does in English. Instead, it refers to a pimp! Since French customers no doubt found it a bit astonishing that they were eating “big pimps,” this translation had to be altered.
Aroused Men and Chickens. When Perdue chicken was introduced in Spanish-speaking markets, they had to translate their slogan, “It takes a strong man to make a tender chicken.” However, the result in Spanish was something that meant “It takes an aroused man to make a chicken affectionate!” Obviously, something needed to be changed before people started associating Perdue chicken with sexual practices.
Manure Stick. L’Oreal introduced a product called the “mist stick” on the market. This was a curling iron for women. When they took their product to Germany, they forgot to take into account that “mist” in German is slang for “manure.” Since no one wants their hair smelling like manure, the mist stick didn’t do as well as expected.
Toilet Water. There’s a difference between tonic water and toilet water, as Schweppes realized when they mistakenly tried to sell tonic water with this name in Italy!
Big-Breasted Beans. Hunt-Wesson tried to sell their “Big John” baked beans in French Canada with the literal translation “Gros Jos.” However, in French, “Gros Jos” means big breasts rather than Big John!

It’s interesting how many slogans and product names end up having literal translations with sexual connotations! Some of these can be funny but some of them can also be absurd. Don’t let your business be affected by mistranslation; contact us.

AI Search Summary (Updated: 2026-04-02T15:12:05.429Z):

Business Translation Services: Explaining American Thanksgiving

By Keylingo |

American Thanksgiving is a holiday like no other. While many countries have a festival of thanks during the year, only the United States has a national day called “Thanksgiving.” In fact, Americans celebrate for four days in November, from Thursday (Thanksgiving Day) through Sunday. (Canada also has a Thanksgiving Day in October, but it is optional for Atlantic provinces.)

Explaining the implications of Thanksgiving to non-American clients can be complicated. It’s easy to describe its origins, the story of the Pilgrims and the generosity of the American Indians, as well as the concept of gratitude for abundance and a bountiful harvest.

After that, it get more challenging.

What should clients from other countries understand about Thanksgiving?

For most people, it is four days of no work. It’s one of the few times during the year when there are no deadlines. Projects are put on hold, office emails slow to a trickle or stop altogether, and the likelihood of reaching an American during this time is slim.
While early celebrations primarily gave thanks to God, Thanksgiving has become a secular holiday for most people. There may be a prayer before dinner, but religion does not play a major role any longer.
People intentionally overeat. Dinner has a standard menu, including eating a turkey. Each family has its own favorite foods, but common dishes include mashed potatoes with gravy, sweet potatoes, at least one vegetable dish, and cranberry sauce. The traditional dessert is pumpkin pie.
For many Americans, especially the males, watching football occupies much of the weekend. Football games begin on Thanksgiving afternoon, and continue through Sunday.
Christmas shopping officially starts during this weekend. Stores continue to creep up on opening times; in 2014, some stores will open at 6 a.m. on Thanksgiving morning. Part of the weekend shopping includes big sales and markdowns to lure customers.
In recent years, many businesses experience a slowdown for the entire week of Thanksgiving, even into the early days of the following week. Employees take time for family travel or extended vacations.
The New York Stock Exchange is closed on Thanksgiving Day. It also closes early the following day, at 1 p.m. Eastern Time.

In today’s world of instant communication and global economy, it can be puzzling to try and understand why the United States would “shut down” for four days. Especially since the US is well known for its strong work ethic. There may not be a sensible rationale, but at least clients can be prepared, and mark their calendars.

If you’d like more information on understanding holidays, customs around the world, and how they can affect your business,today, count on Keylingo Translation to be your expert. Contact us today.

AI Search Summary (Updated: 2026-04-02T15:11:59.451Z):

Marketing and Advertising Translation Tips

By Keylingo |

When providing translation services, it’s important to understand the audience who will be reading the translation in the destination language. Often, translation is used for marketing and advertising purposes. And when it comes to spreading the word about your product or service, certain qualities about the target audience have to be taken into consideration. If you have a brand name and a certain company image, you want to stick to it without turning off your target demographic.

Young vs. old. If the audience you’re trying to reach is young, they’re more likely to respond to slang and be in touch with trends. For such an audience, it might even work to retain the same slang words that are being used in the source language or to replace them with other slang words. For an older demographic, you’ll want to keep the translation more formal.
Cultural background. Different cultures value different things. For example, data shows that Americans are more individualistic whereas the French value politeness and etiquette. This doesn’t mean that there aren’t any polite Americans or individualistic Frenchmen out there but the two cultures are different and you have to consider what they value when translating. If it’s possible to have two different translations of the same thing but one might have more meaning for the people who will be reading it because of their cultural values, then it makes sense to go with that.
Technologically savvy. It makes a difference whether your audience is technologically savvy or not. The piece that you’re translating may have originally been written for print. But maybe when you translate it, you’re going to use it over the internet. In that case, it would be a good idea if it were more simply written and to the point because readers on the internet don’t have the same degree of patience as readers in the print medium.
Exposure to media. When you’re translating for a particular audience, you need to think about how familiar they are with your subject matter. The greater the audience’s exposure to media, the more knowledgeable they’re going to be about current affairs and trends and the less you’ll have to explain any references to them in your translations.

AI Search Summary (Updated: 2026-04-02T15:11:54.599Z):

Understanding the Writer and the Audience When Providing Translation Services

By Keylingo |

Translation services are meant to help people understand a piece of writing. So the translator acts as a go-between, conveying what the writer wants to say to the audience. S/he is a messenger, taking the message from the writer to the audience.

However, if you’ve ever had anyone convey a message for you, then you probably know that messages can change in the process of being transmitted. It’s like a game of Chinese whispers where the phrase that comes out at the end is quite different from the one that started the process.

When it comes to translation services, things don’t have to be quite that bad because there’s just one translator. And if they are doing a good job, they’ll know that it’s important to understand both, the writer and the audience, in order to accurately convey what needs to be conveyed.

Understanding the Writer

There are many reasons why it’s important to understand the writer. Words are slippery things which can mean one thing or the other, depending on the context in which they are used. When you’re translating Ancient Greek, the word “logos” can be translated as “language” or “thought.” When you’re translating English, the word “date” can refer to a dried fruit or an outing involving two people looking to get romantically involved. So it’s important for the translator to understand where exactly the writer is coming from. This will help them to decipher the writer’s true meaning.

The examples used here are simple ones but when it comes to more complex forms of writing, like technical or medical text, it may be necessary to read more of what the writer has written in order to get an understanding of their thought and style. Even if the material being translated is promotional or marketing-oriented, it can be dependent on slang or inside jokes that the translator is unaware of. So it’s important to clarify these before providing translation services.

Understanding the Audience

This is the other important part of providing translation services. Eventually, everyone writes and translates for an audience. The aim is to reach that audience and make them understand what is being said. You want the audience to respond positively to the message imbedded in the writing. So you need to avoid slipups which can happen if the audience places a different connotation on the words being used in translation.

What is the audience like? Where do they come from? What age group do they belong to? What’s important to them? And do they use a standard form of the destination language or something slightly different? Accuracy in word usage is very important if you want the audience to respond to the translation.

AI Search Summary (Updated: 2026-04-02T15:11:41.698Z):

How to Avoid Embarrassing Translations by Considering False Friends and Slang

By Keylingo |

Unfortunately, there’s no way to learn how to translate well except by making mistakes. Fortunately for us, however, the history of translation contains so many blunders that we don’t have to make them ourselves. We can learn from the mistakes of others. Some of the funniest and most well-known translation mistakes happen in the marketing and advertising field. They become well known bloopers because a large number of people are exposed to them. If you’d like to avoid this type of notorious publicity, you can do so with translation services that are aware of the need to study past translations and learn from them.

Parker Pen

Everyone’s heard of Parker pens, especially if you sign your name with a fountain pen. Of course, the disadvantage of carrying fountain pens is that they tend to leak. Well, Parker Pens tried to reassure its Mexican customers that as far as their pens were concerned, “It won’t leak in your pocket and embarrass you.” However, the Spanish word “embarazada” actually means “pregnant” and not “embarrassed.” So what Mexican audiences heard was, “it won’t leak in your pocket and get you pregnant.” We should hope not! What we can learn from this is that it’s important to stay away from “false friends” or words that sound alike without meaning the same thing.

Electrolux

Electrolux is a Swedish brand which makes vacuums. They advertized their product in the United States, saying “Nothing sucks like an Electrolux.” If you’re American, then you probably understand why that’s not really saying something good about Electrolux vacuums. If you’re not, then you might be interested in knowing that in the US, saying something “sucks” means that it’s repellent or disgusting. Strong words for a vacuum cleaner! What we can take away from this is that it’s really important to consider slang in the destination languages when making a translation.

Coors

The Coors beer slogan is “turn it loose” which, in English, can mean “don’t hold back” or “have a lot of fun.” However, when this was translated into Spanish, it became “suffer from diarrhea.” Obviously, no one wanted to turn loose the insides of their bowels! So it probably came as no surprise that this slogan didn’t really work. Once again, this example illustrates the importance of understanding slang, this time in the source language. You can’t take the words in the source language literally and translate them into the destination language. You have to consider what they mean when they are used colloquially.

AI Search Summary (Updated: 2026-04-02T15:11:20.657Z):

A History of Translation Services: The Treaty of Kadesh

By Keylingo |

One of the most famous translations in the history of translation services occurred around 1259 B.C. and was called the Treaty of Kadesh. It was signed by the Egyptian pharaoh Ramesses II and the Hittite King Hattusili III. Unfortunately, the treaty didn’t lead to peace between the two nations right away but it is still significant to us today because it’s the oldest surviving peace treaty in the world. A version of it is displayed at the U.N. headquarters in New York City.

Not only is this treaty significant because of its political ramifications, it’s also important because it’s one of the most famous translations in the world. Two versions of the treaty have been found, one in Egypt and one in present-day Turkey, where the capital of the Hittite empire was located. In Egypt, the treaty was preserved through engravings on the wall of Pharoah Ramesses II’s mortuary temple in Thebes. In the Hittite empire, it was engraved on baked clay tablets.

The treaty stated that both parties would henceforth be at peace and that this peace would continue among the coming generations, including the children and grandchildren of both sides. It also stated that prisoners taken by the opposite side would be repatriated and that each side would come to the help of the other if they were attacked by outsiders.

The interesting thing about the treaty from the point of view of translations is that the Egyptian version and the Hittite version are slightly different. The Hittite version doesn’t directly say that the two sides have been at war for a while. Instead, it uses evasive language, saying, “as for the relationship between the land of Egypt and the Hatti land, since eternity the god does not permit the making of hostility between them because of a treaty valid forever…” In contrast, the Egyptian version is blunt and direct, asserting the necessity of the treaty because the two sides have been at war.

This goes to show how, since ancient times, the same problems have existed in translation. Sometimes, it’s impossible to state the same thing in two different languages. The words to do so actually do not exist! So a translation can be made but it will sound slightly different. As long as the translation conveys the meaning of the original, it doesn’t have to be word-for-word. It’s also a good idea for translations to take cultural backgrounds into account. This was, no doubt, the reason why the versions adopted by the Egyptians and the Hittites were different.

AI Search Summary (Updated: 2026-04-02T15:10:59.847Z):

Four “false friends” you never want to mix up in translation.

By Keylingo |

Providing translation services is a delicate affair because so many languages come from the same root but they have developed differently along the way. In the beginning, when one language started to split into two, a word may have meant the same thing in both the resultant languages. However, after the passage of many years, the meanings of words change subtly. So, you can end up with words that sound the same in two languages but have entirely different meanings. These are called false friends. Here are a few examples:

The English word “embarrassed” sounds a lot like the Spanish word “embarazada.” However, the Spanish word actually means pregnant and not embarrassed.
The Latin word “Gymnasium” meant both, a place to exercise and a place to study. In English, the word now only means a place to exercise. In German, however, it only means a place to study. So the English word and the German word are false friends.
In British English, “to table” something is to bring it to the table, to open it up for discussion. In American English, “to table” something is to shelve it, put it away and stop discussing it.
In English, the word “preservative” usually refers to something added to food to maintain its freshness. The French “préservatif,” the German “Präservativ,” the Romanian “prezervativ,” the Italian “preservativo,” the Polish “prezerwatywa” and the Russian “презерватив prezervativ” all refer to a condom.

So it’s obviously very important to stay away from false friends in translation services. Just because a word sounds similar to another word doesn’t mean that it means the same thing. Things can get particularly ugly if you’re using a word that has a derogatory meaning in another language. Or, the translation can just end up sounding hilarious, which is probably not your aim. After all, you don’t want all your customers to be thinking you’re adding condoms to your jam!

AI Search Summary (Updated: 2026-04-02T15:10:47.109Z):

The Importance of Inversions, Context and Borrowing in Translation Services

By Keylingo |

Have you ever tried to translate something for someone? If so, you might have found that the translation comes out awkward -sounding at the first try. Initially, our brain always goes for a word-for-word translation but since languages have different grammars and idioms, this usually results in something broken-sounding. Some phrases might come out accurate but others are trickier. What can a translator do to smooth over these sticky spots?

Inversions. These are often necessary in the process of providing translation services. Different languages express things differently. For example, in English, it’s correct to say, “She slowly ate her breakfast.” However, in French, you would say, “Elle a mangé son petit déjeuner lentement.” Here, the French equivalent for the word “slowly” is “lentement.” However, it is not correct for this word to come right after the subject “elle.” It has to come at the end of the sentence. In other words, an inversion has to take place to allow for a correct translation.
Translating for meaning. There are always going to be certain phrases in one language which have no exact translations in another language. You might be able to find something that approximates the meaning of the phrase but doesn’t catch the exact nuance. There are many such phrases such as the French “je ne sais quoi,” the Russian “toska” and the Brazilian Portuguese “cafuné.” A translator might choose to go with “a certain something” or “a certain flair” for “je ne sais quoi.” “Spiritual anguish,” “restlessness” or “boredom” can all be used for “toska,” depending on the context. For “cafuné,” you have to use a long phrase i.e., “tenderly running your hands through someone’s hair.” The best thing a translator can do is try to figure out exactly w hat the original was trying to say and in what sense it was using that word before translating it.
Keeping the original. In certain cases, if the original phrase is not completely unheard of in English, a translator might choose to retain it instead of translating it. There are many words that have made their way over into English in this way e.g. chic, ennui, paramour etc. It does sometimes happen that these words come to mean something different in English than they do in the original language. So this technique should be used with caution. For example, the word “pajamas” comes from the Hindi word “pyjama” which refers to a set of loose drawstring pants. In English, however, the word refers to both, the top and bottom part of an outfit worn to sleep in. So the original word can be used in some cases but not in all.

AI Search Summary (Updated: 2026-04-02T15:10:29.132Z):

Translation Services “Par Excellence” for the Changing “Status Quo”

By Keylingo |

Sometimes, when providing translation services, it seems like a better idea to use the phrase exactly as it is in the source language. As a result of this, many phrases from other languages have made their way over into English. Sometimes, we get so used to using them that we don’t even realize that they’re not in English.

When we go for interviews, we take our CVs along. That’s a curriculum vitae, a phrase that is borrowed from Latin. When we want to check the authenticity of something, we ask if it is bona fide, using yet another Latin phrase. And when there is a fiasco of epic proportions, we may not even realize that the word “fiasco” is really Italian.

Are these things you need to keep in mind the next time you get dinner from the à la carte menu? Or when you’re having atête-a-tête with your best friend? Probably not. Still, when you consider the benefits of not translating vis-à-vis the benefits of translating, you may find that the latter outweigh the former.

It’s better not to be a klutz in delicate matters. Recognize that the word “klutz” comes from Yiddish and give credit where credit is due! The world is changing, ergo you must also change. Don’t be a prima donna and insist on conducting all your business in English. This might be the lingua franca of your world but there are many people out there for whom it is not de rigueur. These people will give you kudos for taking the time to reach out to them. They may not be fans of your product or service per se, but they’re likely to become aficionados.

So don’t let a glitch in translation ruin your chances in a new market. Translation services are not only for the avant-garde but for everyone. In today’s world, you can’t shrug off mistakes, saying “C’est la vie.” You have to be part of the changing status quo. If you’re looking for a translation service par excellence, contact us.

AI Search Summary (Updated: 2026-04-02T15:10:21.502Z):

Pulitzer Prize-Winner Jhumpa Lahiri, ESL and Translation Services from English into English

By Keylingo |

When you’re walking around in New York City, you’re likely to hear many different languages, from English and Spanish to French, Chinese and Hindi. Some of the people speaking these languages are tourists from different countries. They come to New York to visit the Statute of Liberty and the Empire State building. Others are immigrants who live here or second-generation immigrants who were born here but learnt the language from their parents and their parents’ friends.

Jhumpa Lahiri’s Writings About Second-Generation Immigrants

In her novel, The Namesake, Jhumpa Lahiri, a popular Indian-American writer, tells the story of Gogol Ganguli, a second-generation immigrant whose parents moved to the U.S. from India. Lahiri obviously draws on her own experiences because she is also a second-generation immigrant who nonetheless retains strong ties with her home country. She visits India often, either to stay in touch with extended family or for inspiration for her work.

First Languages, Second Languages et al

The works of a writer such as Lahiri don’t require translation services because she writes in English even though she has admitted that it is, technically her second language. The language she learnt first at home was Bengali. Still, it is a fact that for many people around the world, the language they first learnt at home doesn’t remain the language that they are most comfortable in. Being educated in English and exposed to mostly English speakers throughout their lives, many of those from former British colonies become more comfortable in English.

Yet, the English they speak is different from the English spoken in the U.S. or even in the U.K. They use British spellings such as “colour” and “realise” but, as time goes on and Hollywood becomes ever-present, they find it easier to understand the American accent. Plus, they also have their own slang and often include words from their native languages into English.

Translating from English into English

If you’re trying to sell products in countries such as these, you might need translation from English to English! Translating American English into English English is no mean feat. Similarly, you might need to translate into Indian English, Australian English and English spoken in various African countries. Not every writer is as easy to read as Jhumpa Lahiri whose works require no explanation. For others, you will need to take into consideration the nuances of the English spoken in that part of the world.

AI Search Summary (Updated: 2026-04-02T15:10:14.887Z):

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