Top 20 Sign Translations Gone Wrong by Lori Hollenback

It’s amazing how many signs there are that are not translated correctly. There’s actually a website dedicated to showcasing signs that people have found during their travels around the world called engrish.com. You’d think companies would learn from others mistakes and hire a {a href=”http://www.multiling.com/Localization_Company.aspx”}localization company that has {a href=”http://www.multiling.com/Professional_Translation.aspx”}professional translation services to get it right. Well for now, maybe they’ll read this article and look into hiring a professional translation service so they don’t make the same mistakes. Here are my top 20 favorite sign translations gone wrong.

20. A clothing retail store sign in Japan is translated to,“Hitman & Co.” â€" must be owned by the mafia.

19. An orange juice beverage in Japan was translated to, “In love? Be juicy!”

18 . A canned soda beverage in Japan was translated as, “Bottled Water”

17. A lemon soda beverage in Japan has a tag line of, “Relax and Reflesh”

16. Here’s one from a big company, Coca-Cola put out a soft drink called, “Water Salad” â€" I guess they should have hired a Japanese translator for this product.

15. A hotel in Japan is named, “Hotel-Happy-Kiss”

14. A sandwich shop sign in Japan translated to, “Light Drink and Salad, Nice Eat You?”

13. A retail store sign in Tokyo translated to, “Store My Ducks”

12. A hotel sign in Singapore translated to,”Ah Chew Hotel” â€" Bless you.

11. A sushi restaurant’s sign in Japan translated to, “Bar, Sushi and Men”

10. A bathroom sign in Japan translated to, “Beaver Reform Shower”- I’m guessing that was the ladies room?

9. A restaurant sign in Japan with a pink flamingo in the window was translated as, “Framingo”

8. A clothing retail store sign in Japan was translated to, “Cow Poo”

7. A restaurant in a food court located in Japan was translated to, “Terminal Snack Stand” â€" I’m guessing there’s not a loyal customer base.

6. A sign at a Tapioca bar in Yokohama translated to, “Smoking? It’s So oK!”

5. A coffee shop sign in Japan reads, “Climax Coffee” â€" I’ll have a double.

4. A club/bar sign in Japan reads, “Mom’s Mustache”

3. A restroom direction sign in Japan reads, “A toilet gets down from back stone steps, and is in the inner part of a left open space.” â€" Good luck finding that restroom.

2. A restaurant sign found in Shibuya, Tokyo reads, “Ghetto Happy Dining”

And my number one favorite translation sign gone wrong is from a restaurant sign in Japan that reads, “Pride of this store although it makes, 48 hours being required, maturing, increases curry. The seasoning of the secret fully!!. It is useful to appetite increase and physical reconditioning. Recently attention is attracted even with diet. Please appreciate curry of this store.” â€" Huh?

All in all, I guess it’s safe to say that the businesses above did not invest in hiring a localization company that offers professional translation services. The bad news is that they’ve wasted time and money creating signs that are not properly translated. The good news is that they’ve created an avenue of humor for the tourists visiting. So, next time you’re traveling be sure to look around for some of these sign translations gone wrong.

About the Author

About the author: Lori Hollenback is a freelance writer for Innuity www.innuity.com . For more information about a {a href=”http://www.multiling.com/Localization_Company.aspx”}localization company or {a href=”http://www.multiling.com/Professional_Translation.aspx”}professional translation services, visit MultiLing