If you’re running a business in a tourist-heavy country, having signage in English is a smart move. However, your smarts go out the window if the English translations you display turn into the wrong kind of funny jokes. We understand that not everyone knows the language well enough not to get lost in translation, but please—don't trust Google Translate to give you anything but a literal conversion of whatever you type in, turning your sign into a hilariously bad translation.
Machine Translation Fails
Each language is an intricate system. Knowing the literal meaning of each word will only get you so far and is definitely not enough to make a good translation. Unfortunately, this is exactly where machine translators fail spectacularly and produce awfully bad translated signs. They are still learning how to deal with a language as a living organism, not just a bunch of nouns and verbs.
Well, to be fair on translation tools, it’s possible that some of these errors were just honest typos. Either way, scroll down to see the funniest bad translations people have come across during their travels and vote for the most epic fails. Also, is anyone up for a nice ‘decomposed Moscow mule’ later?
#41 Lost in Translation? Hilarious Signs Pointing to the Arrival Hole You Can’t Miss
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59points
#43 Hilarious Translation Fail Turns Simple Seafood Dish Into Salomon’s Squid Duet from Norway
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57points
#44 Translation Fail or Creepy Cuisine? When Menus Go Hilariously Wrong
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54points
#45 This Translation Fail Has a Serious Nuts Problem You Won\'t Believe
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Report52points
#46 Emergency Cock? Translation Fails That Prove Auto-Translate Needs a Manual Fix
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52points
#47 This Translation Fail Does Not Rest—And Neither Will You After Reading It
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52points
#48 Menu Mistakes: When Fried Crab Turns Into Fried Crap in Hilarious Translation Fails
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47points
#49 Epic Translation Fail Turns \"Parking\" Into \"Par King\" in Hilarious Sign Mix-Up
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Report47points
#50 English 102 Crash Course: Mastering Grammar and Riding at the Same Time
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Report44points
#51 \"Lost in Translation Fail: Why Saying Please Don’t No Smoke Will Crack You Up\"
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42points
#53 Wet Probability Warning Sign Fails That’ll Make You Question Science
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42points
#54 This English Teacher’s Translation Fail Will Make You Cringe and Laugh Out Loud
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Report42points
#55 Press the Flush Twice to Save Water? Translation Fail That Will Confuse You
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39points
#57 Menu translation fail turns seafood into \"the cruelty mixed fishing\" disaster
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39points
#58 Pizza menu goes viral with a bizarre “smallpox” topping translation fail
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38points
#59 Please Don’t Throw The Toilet In The WC – Translation Fail That’s Just Too Real
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37points
#60 Arab Shat Fresh Fish Sign Proves Translation Fails Are Hilarious and Unforgettable
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Report37points