Miscellaneous: Today, I found out that my German wasn't as great as I thought...

By lostforwords - 06/08/2011 19:10 - Ireland

Today, I found out that my German wasn't as great as I thought it was. Trying to give directions to some German tourists, I tried to say, "I hope I don't get you lost." Turns out I actually said something closer to, "I hope I don't seduce you." FML

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You deserved it 6 303

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By Anonymous - 30/12/2012 19:21 - Germany - Neunkirchen

Today, I returned to Germany for a break from my studies abroad. I got lost while out for groceries, so I tried asking a guy for directions. I went totally blank and strained to think of the right words, prompting him to mutter about rude foreigners not bothering to learn the local language. FML

I agree, your life sucks 28 045

You deserved it 5 367

By Anonymous - 25/11/2009 06:06 - United States

Today, while on a vacation, I tried to step out of myself and flirt with this boy who I thought was cute. He was going along with it and nodding so I thought it was working. Then he opened his mouth and I realized he didn't speak English. FML

I agree, your life sucks 29 213

You deserved it 6 663

C'est la langue de l'amour!

By Anonymous - 19/10/2017 05:00

Today, my French teacher set up a role-play scenario to act out in front of the class. During one of my lines, I mispronounced a phrase and called my teacher sexy. FML

I agree, your life sucks 3 089

You deserved it 456

Tommy Liseau

By Anonymous - 17/03/2023 18:00 - United States

Today, I tried to seduce the girl I like by telling a joke. It turns out my delivery was so bad that she asked if I was auditioning for a new version of "The Room." FML

I agree, your life sucks 247

You deserved it 621

By dunicha - 17/11/2011 00:37 - United States

Today, I was reading a book in German, which I don't know very well. Suddenly I reached a passage I had no trouble understanding. Excited, I showed my husband, saying I was finally getting the hang of it. He laughed and patted my head. Turns out, that particular passage was a quote. In English. FML

I agree, your life sucks 11 374

You deserved it 38 324

By Jan - 27/02/2013 04:50 - United States - Ann Arbor

Today, a German guy came into the place where I work. Eager to use the German that I'd learned from my immigrant mother and her family, I started a conversation. Things were going well until the term I grew up thinking meant "Africa" turned out to be racist, translating as "Ape Land." FML

I agree, your life sucks 33 288

You deserved it 4 324

No comprendo

By Anonymous - 26/02/2023 16:00

Today, I got lost in a foreign city while on vacation and couldn't communicate with anyone, because I didn't speak the language and no one seemed to be able, or even wanted, to speak to me in mine. FML

I agree, your life sucks 333

You deserved it 992

By nullroute - 16/02/2016 11:34 - Switzerland

Today, I found out that while on foreign exchange for over six months now, I have been pronouncing the word for "night" in German wrong. Apparently, this whole time, the way that I have been pronouncing it in German means "naked". This explains a lot. FML

I agree, your life sucks 20 147

You deserved it 2 813

Better out than in

By Rachael - 03/07/2021 06:01 - United Kingdom

Today, I had my German oral exam. It was going well, until halfway through I did the biggest burp I could have ever imagined. I don't even know how to say sorry in German. FML

I agree, your life sucks 674

You deserved it 216

By Anonymous - 05/05/2012 21:16 - New Zealand - Auckland

Today, my husband and I went on vacation. We got lost and had to ask the locals for directions to our hotel. Neither of us could understand their accents, and we ended up wandering around blindly for hours until we made it back on our own. FML

I agree, your life sucks 11 820

You deserved it 20 820

fadingfaith 4

Sunday 7 August 2011 1:45

Wow, haha. How did you find out you said that?

Molord1 0

Sunday 7 August 2011 1:45

Sounds like a strange Porno

Comments

sparklecherry 4

Monday 8 August 2011 1:01

Booooooring.

Black_Letter 19

Thursday 11 August 2011 17:03

Duuuuuuuuumbass

Mithylove 13

Monday 8 August 2011 3:19

Could have been much worse. Hope you guys had a laugh and that it didn't turn into a big awkward fest.

MetalMayhem 2

Monday 8 August 2011 5:18

You can always tell a German, but you can't tell them much...

saounga 0

Monday 8 August 2011 7:18

That's just plain, freaking funny IMO.

hoonyer 17

Monday 8 August 2011 20:41

. . .well, did you?

fyreshadowes 2

Tuesday 9 August 2011 2:36

I don't know German, but that must have been hilarious. It was probably embarrassing, though. As a five-year student of Mandarin Chinese, I am all too familiar with translation mishaps. One of my classmates has a periodic habit of asking the teacher if he is physically capable of using the bathroom, instead of whether he may leave class to go to the restroom - similar to the "can/may" thing in English, but a lot more literal. It can get pretty funny at times.

Nuahavizu 17

Thursday 11 August 2011 4:15

its ok op, i once tried to say, "im uncomfortably warm" in german on a bus when a stranger asked me why i was nervous, and i accidentally said "im uncomfortably gay." I got a lot of really awkward looks for the whole buss trip.

VeganVampyre 26

Thursday 8 March 2012 4:00

A friend of mine did something similar once- she tried to tell the group of people she was with that she was hot (as in, temperature) but ended up saying that she was sexually aroused. She got a lot of weird looks, especially from the guys.