I think a lot of Japanese businesses should hire people who are fluent in Japanese and English on a freelance basis to translate their signs correctly.
Where'd be the fun in that, though? The Japanese aren't the only ones providing these 'gems' of English. I remember something classic about some hotel having their elevator out of order and regretting that until it gets repaired the guests are going to be 'unbearable'.
Well think about how other countries put signs in non-native languages. If they are adjacent countries they are pretty decent but otherwise they go to the lowest bidder to be translated.
One of the most memorable Engrish I remember from my trips to Japan was a clothing shop in my brothers home town of Fukuyama. Japanese have a playful way of shortening words then combining them together to make a word. The most common known are Star Bucks is Staba and First Kitchen is Fukkin. This store wanted to shorten Star and Innovation and came up with Starvation. 😂
I didn't know that words are shortened. I'm trying to learn Japanese and this was a very helpful realization. I kmow this is by no means a shortcut, but it helps to underatand the overall structure of why yhey language is the way it is. For me. So, arigatou gozaimas.
would've personally expected something like "stavati/staveshi" or something, like how in staba it's only "sta" and "ba/bu", but this does make it better...
Hello everyone, thank you so much for watching this video! This video is actually the first video that Kazu edited✨ It took him about a month... Please give him a "Good Job Kazu"😂
The university one could've said Stranger danger, it would encapule the feeling of being careful. I do find Engrish adorable though because the mistakes are so childlike innocent ^^
Don't worry guys. Engrish is great fun for native speakers. It's just another awesome aspect of Japan. Don't change! I think it's the same everywhere. In the UK we've a brand called SUPERDRY, which has "Japanese" all over it, it's very cool.... Or at least it was untill it became so popular, it's probably too ubiquitous to be cool now. However it had my Japanese friend in stitches laughing at what was written all over it. It didn't make sense haha.
The one about the guilty shoes needs more understanding of how foreigners customs are. Kazu translated it as “Sinners, Please take off shoes and follow the rules”. Westerners often come into certain Japanese restaurants wearing their shoes into places where they shouldn’t. The thing is that many westerners who don’t know about Asian culture are used to wearing shoes indoors, even in their own home. Even when visiting family and friends home, they wouldn’t take off shoes. So it’s completely odd for them to be treated as a rule breaker when its completely normal to wear shoes indoors back home. The sign should say “Please Remove your shoes before entering. It is considered disrespectful to wear shoes in this area. Thank you for being considerate” The one about perverts can also be worded differently. It also shows the difference in how Japan deals with sexual harassment than other countries. The sign should say. “Be aware of high occurrence of Sexual Harassment”. They should also have information on who to contact to report the incident. Sexual Harassment doesn’t always happen in a dark alley, it can happen between students, between teacher and students, teacher and faculty staff. It can happen in broad daylight in classrooms or dorms. Japan wants people to avoid being victims rather than punishing the perpetrators. But they can’t be avoided most of the time.
I agree with you 100% about the sexual harassment sign. That would be a big improvement, especially having contact information. When they were talking about the a better translation for the “guilty shoes” sign though, Kazu suggested using the word “sinner” only because it’s a prison themed restaurant. Though I agree that if it had been a regular restaurant than that definitely wouldn’t have been the right way to go.
The taking off shoes has nothing to do with the “sinner” or “rule breaking”, it seems to be a specific “prison” themed entertainment place like a restaurant where the guests role play as an inmate by default. So the taking off shoes would be added just to make it sound more rigid and formal. It would probably translate better into like “inmates, please enter in an orderly manner”.
In Finland, and probably many other European countries, it's normal to take off your shoes at someone's home, but not at a restaurant. I was in Japan on a jamboree once, and there was a sexual harassment case there. After that, we were told not to walk around after dark. It was impossible, because my shift ended at 8 pm, when it was totally dark. I sprinted to the canteen to get dinner before closing time and looking over my shoulder. I was a girl who had just turned 18. I always made it just barely before closing and the canteen staff were punctual. Once one of the staff who was serving food looked at the time and said 'sorry, closing time' or something like that. I snuck into another line when he wasn't looking. Another staff member gave me a portion. I'm grateful for that rebel Japanese staffmember. We were always hungry because we were a lot bigger than the Japanese staff. (I'm 170 cm tall, the men in our group were of course taller)
@@raapyna8544 what kind of “jamboree” forces barely 18 teens to go around in a foreign place at night? Even real jobs would usually finish at 6-7 the latest.
You know... im imagining Shogo and his great friend here, going around kyoto, helping people fix their engrish signs, and explaining to them what it conveys in english, vs what they hoped it conveyd.
Rare moment of Shogo flexing his Mandarin here! I think this format suits Kazu and Shogo very well, since it's probably easier to shoot without a script and your personalities get a chance to shine through.
I would request all Japanese to not use something like free wife in India for doing business unless you want the NCW, Judiciary, Police and some hardcore feminist coming after you like hungry sharks
The 'warn a pervert' one at a university, I would think that an English teacher probably did say something. However, the person who made it probably thought they were 100% right and refused to listen. I've heard of this issue on other traveler UA-cam videos.
I have had teachers refuse to believe me when I have pointed out mistakes in the textbook, editors are not infallible... even natives can make mistakes!
As a native English speaker, the coffee shop sign doesn’t actually bother me at all. I don’t know about Japanese, but “melt in the mouth” is a common English phrase to describe really rich desserts, the bottom slogan makes perfect sense (and matches my life philosophy!) so I’d probably be more inclined to visit this cafe with the sign
In most contexts we specify what we're talking about (the subject), and use the phrase "melt in your mouth." So something like: "Try our melt-in-your-mouth chicken!" When you use 'the' instead of 'your' in the sentence it sounds unnatural and kind of creepy. Almost like it's hinting at the existence of a disembodied mouth that they're melting things in. That's of course ignoring the last line which makes things even more confusing.
@@Billy4321able I like that you mentioned chicken because I feel like they maybe haven't encountered this expression a lot before and watching this video and seeing how the first food they thought of was ice cream made me realize how confusing this expression could be for a non native speaker 😆 like I've heard everything from steaks to rolls referred to as "melt in your mouth" since it usually means tender, soft, flaky, delicate but the figurative meaning of "melt" probably doesn't translate well so I can see how the first thing they thought of was ice cream!
I suspect, in the context of a prison theme, that “convicts” might be better than “sinners.” It’s not very literal, but perhaps “convicts, remove your shoes and toe the line!” would be a clever interpretation of what you seem to be saying is the idea.
@@dubuyajay9964 “Tow a line” is something you might do with a truck or, especially, a boat. “Toe the line” is an expression meaning to conform tightly to a set of rules; literally, it suggests lining up in a formation using a painted line to align positioning. It could derive from military usage, but more likely from penal practice, making it a suitable expression for the purpose. Also, taking off the shoes in order to “toe” a line is a bit of a pun. It’s meant to be clever. 😉
This comment is a bit off-topic, but I wish to thank you for taking the time to explain Japanese customs, music, and art to the UA-cam multiverse. ありがとうございました
Part of the issue I’ve heard is that corrective measures are too direct, and could cause embarrassment. The embarrassment of this action is worse than the actual problem of the improper grammar, and so even if the problem is known, it is unaddressed or unmentioned.
I have been to Japan seven times since 1973: two times in the Navy (training with Japanese counterparts), four working trips while at Toshiba, and as a tourist with my wife in 2019. I have always been impressed with the underlying kindness the Japanese show by their use of English signage and instructions to help gaijin like me move around and enjoy Japan. Are the results sometimes Engrish? Yes. But I bow in respect and thanks to this sign of friendship and great courtesy in your wonderful country. I feel embarrassed at my ignorance of the Japanese language. I also chuckle when I encounter Engrish, another pleasant part of a great culture. It's so good to laugh together. Thanks, Shogo.
Melts in the mouth is a saying for something delicious. Imagine the flavour melting and coating your mouth sort of thing. And I think the second bit is about enjoying the small things in life, like sweet desserts!
Amazingly (Sadly?) Japanese to English isn't the only translation "oopsie". I recall a sign in Wales metioning that the entrance is for certain vehicles enterance, but the "Translation" in Welsh is something to the extent of "the translator is out of the office. Please leave a message and we'll call you back as soon as possible."
No, it would be helpful for them. 😀I would appreciate your advice on correcting our embarrassing Engrish. As they will often not be able to hear English well, it may be useful to write it down in a memo for giving them to facilitate communication.
This is one of your best videos. When I was a young boy, we lived in Tokyo (1954-56) We had a Japanese maid who would try to say my first name. It was Ricky. However when she said it, it was always, "Rittle Licky" ....same stuff
could the second one be something like "let go of your guilt and enjoy, but still follow the rules" or "have fun without guilt"? it's from a restaurant, after all
That does make sense. I interpreted it as a "jail-themed" restaurant like "Sinners/Prisoners, take off your shoes and follow the rules!" as if they were going to treat the customers as inmates
I like the concept of "lets protect manners" that "manaa o mamorimashou" presents. Maybe a better translation would be "mind your manners. please don't take pictures"
Obeying the rules and in a line = "in an orderly fashion." Enter the building in an orderly fashion. "Warn a pervert" was so close to "Warning: perverts!" which would've been *comprehensible* at least. They were so close... and yet so far.
While living with my grandma for a few months, I went to an Aeon Mall in Japan and saw a glorious shirt in pink and white that said, “It’s Your Call; Believe in Yourgh Strength” 🤣😂🤣💀
This was hilarious haha. I remember I saw a sign at a restaurant in Kyoto which said "We accept foreigners." which got me scratching my head so hard. It's as if they're saying foreigners are some type of currency/money that you can use to pay the bill because usually when signs here (in the US) say they accept stuff it refers to methods of payment (ie. credit cards, food stamps, etc.)
I wonder, surely some Japanese businesses must be aware of this? Maybe there is room for a business in Japan where you help restaurants and other tourist oriented businesses to polish their english translations for a modest fee?
I love how cultural nuances makes a difference in the translation. I adore how you even laugh at translations and yourselves. I love the learning and thought provoking subjects in this channel. I adore this episode of heartwarming humor between friends.
I was able to go to Japan for a short exchange trip in high school (less than 2 weeks), and the only engrish I saw/remember (all but two days were spent in Yamanashi, the last two were spent in Tokyo) was at a ¥100 store in which I saw a mini handheld battery-operated fan labelled "mini skeleton fan" 😂
I love Engrish! If you squint at it a little, you can see what they meant to say. And part of it is language grammar construction. English is Subject-Verb-Object while in Japanese I've detected Object-Verb -Subject. But my favorite Engrish is by far the sign pointing out the trash can saying, "Poisonous Evil Rubbish." 😆😆😆😆 I think I need to print that and put it on my wall! 😊
My favourite sign in Japan read: "Please use hot water in the pan freely. Caution: hot water." It was a tea kettle by the door of a store, which you could use freely.
Or for the buffet one it could be "Only people who paid can eat at the buffet" meaning no moochers/people who go with others to eat at the buffet (without paying) with the person/people who are paying. Usually only kids get to eat for free or a reduced rate, not adults, if you see an adult trying to eat at these places for free with a customer that's actually paying let the staff know.
I still have trouble believing you have only lived in the US for 6 years. You really have mastered it so well. I have so much respect for anyone that has learned more than one language
I just subscribed, and the culture/etiquette videos have to be my absolute favorite. They definitely help take away some of my anxiety while I'm planning and prepping for my inevitable trip to Japan.
I have found that I recognise so much from my own swedish culture. There are plenty of differences but they mwke sense in context. The video about table manners are extremly similar thou we use forks, knives and spoons but apart from that it just made sense in context.
I was having a bad day until this video came along! While the Engrish was funny on all of them, the sign saying "Give a damn" killed me. 😆 Edit: Thinking about it again... the Engrish could have been telling the slippery floors to "give a damn". 😆 That being said... Good job on the editing, Kazu-san!
I enjoyed this! I'd like to see more. As a native English speaker, I feel confident that I could machine-translate most Japanese phrases, then correct the output into proper English. I'd be willing to do this for a very low fee. It's too bad I can't easily help.
Best engrish I've seen are ''Do not kick the carpet while wet, choke to beat instead'' and ''If your pussy dirty, let it lick itself'' And there are so many other variations about this, which is hilarious XD XD but also concerning
I'd add that the part "be inconvenienced by other customers" should mean that other customers may interfere as you start taking pictures (like, jump in front of your camera for lulz). There should be a warning: "Caution, inconveniencing customers!" UPD: and "Distrub the neighbourhood" should mean "Go and make noise elsewhere around, not here" :D
This is so funny but so true. Being an avid video game player and anime lover, I have seen Engrish examples for decades, starting with the infamous "All your base are belong to us."
It's offical, I watch an english channel about Japan as a Hungarian. And I feel comforted as I hear Japanese but I don't know why.😅 And the Engrish, well, just like my Japanese language knowledge. But I can say that I'm a hero and some general things: thank you, wait a minute, Hello, Goodbye.
my Japanese relatives including my mom cannot pronounce the letter "R", it would come out as "AWLU" or "AWDU". And if they would say "English" it would come out as "Engulish" (short U)
The addition of english punctuation would help a lot of these! There's a popular english phrase about the importance of commas ( , ), and how it can change "Let's eat, Grandma" (inviting grandma to a meal) to "Let's eat Grandma" (literally offering to eat your grandma). I interpreted the first one as, 'only the staff are allowed to touch the guests', but an invitation to touch the staff is way funnier 😭
The organic dessert & cafe sign, here in Chicago in the USA, in our Chinatown, there is a similar sign for a tea shop, but written better: Sometimes the little treats in life can change you for the better. I think this maybe what they were going for possibly.
Lots of them were pretty off, but my favorite was that you can only touch the staff. However, as someone who has been to Japan as a student, I can say that it is usually okay to sort of figure out what they meant. The worst ones are actually where they don't try to directly translate, but also don't speak much English. Because when that happens unless you can read the kanji you just have to find an employee or Japanese person and ask for help reading it out loud in Japanese. But that also may have just been me since my understanding of spoken Japanese was MUCH better than my ability to read or write kanji.
@@kinjoko yeah, furigana showed up more in the newspaper than it did out in town. I guessed at them a lot, and then would break down and use the dreaded Google translate app 😅
Terrible Japanese-English is awesome, I love it especially at restaurants. I’ve had exchange students and my experience is that girls are typically much better speakers of English.
I laughed SO hard at this!! Don’t worry, I think I understood everything I read, and as a tourist I don’t expect anyone to know my language, only their own! It this was funny!
I respect anyone brave enough to even attempt speaking english. Especially when I am in their country as a guest. We all make mistakes. And being anything other happy about the effort serves no purpose.
I had a very stressful week at work and this video just brought me back to life! Love your lifesaving videos and hope to see more of your great content! 👍👍👍
10:06 Actually, a lot of ads about chocolate in Greece say "Σοκολάτα που λυώνει στο στόμα" which means "Chocolate that melts in the mouth". It is a way to say that the chocolate is really sweet.
These Engrish examples add to life’s rich pageant of the absurd. They may not be 100% accurate but at least they’ve had a go! 👍 There must be some funny examples from English speakers making similar mistakes - as in the famous “My hovercraft is full of eels!”
I remember coming to Tokyo for a university exchange, expecting to see lots of Engrish and somehow noticing more... French and German! Little Swiss me was not ready for that much information My first memory of Japan was extremely faulty French... Imagine being an extremely jetlagged and kinda lost native French speaker in Ikebukuro station and suddenly facing... "Place de la gourcieux marché" (maybe "place du gracieux marché", gracious market square?!?) I also love Japan's obsession for slapping the word "petit/プチ" on anything remotely diminutive, and keep a fond memory for the english muffin from Tokyuu Store, by the brand... L'Oven
I read some game rules translated into Japanese and then back to English. Almost every page had errors, some quite embarrassing. We did this deliberately (I was a proof reader for the game company) in order to make sure the translation was good. All I can say is, good thing we had people who spoke both languages on staff in order to work well with the Japanese publisher.
The cafe line could have maybe said, “enjoy the little things in life”. I see phrases like that a lot advertised on shops all around my area and its’s often a tactic to imply you ordering the food and drink from said cafe is a “little thing”, a step in self-care that you can enjoy, thus making the experience more enjoyable and memorable and possibly meaning you’d return to that location another time.
Regarding the university sign, it should probably say something along the lines of "beware of suspicious individuals", as at least in the US we tend to avoid using words like "pervert" in official writing (even in areas where we probably should) because it is considered inappropriate or unprofessional.
This was really funny 🤣, but would absolutely love to see a video from English translated poorly to Japanese. Would be super funny to see some of ya'lls reactions.
My neighbours speak Spanglish and we have to communicate sometimes in French because usually between the two we can figure each other out. Or better yet we talk to their youngest daughter, (my wife can’t speak French so that’s how she communicates). Hilariously their son can’t speak any Spanish so he too has to use his sister to communicate. 🤣
It happens even in Europe, with famous "Follow Kashubian" in Poland. A herring is "śledź" in Polish. But "śledź!" is also the imperative form of the verb "śledzić" ("to follow"), even though there's no direct link between the meanings. Kashubian is just a way of serving the herring as per local custom. And there you go, "Follow Kashubian" in the restaurant's menu ;)
The instructions in the elevator of a rather nice hotel in Kyoto we stayed at a couple of years ago (just pre-covid) said to slide the card in the slot on your back side.
My favourite bit of Engrish ever is "Do not disturb, tiny grass is dreaming" which just sounds wholesome and adorable.
Dreaming grass... That would be something I really longed to see if I ever went to Japan.
Sounds like a Studio Ghibli character
probably "do not step at the lawn"?
Someone said that was a meme tho but still doesn't mean that Japanese people write enlgish well or speak it well.
Oh that is SO sweet!!!!! I can imagine little sleeping chibi grass faces
I think a lot of Japanese businesses should hire people who are fluent in Japanese and English on a freelance basis to translate their signs correctly.
Where'd be the fun in that, though? The Japanese aren't the only ones providing these 'gems' of English. I remember something classic about some hotel having their elevator out of order and regretting that until it gets repaired the guests are going to be 'unbearable'.
@@Katoshi_Takagumi yeah some of it is just funny but, some of it can be very cringey.
Basically just commission a professional translator. Doesn’t need to be full hires.
Same with multiple language user guides. Some are poorly translated.
Well think about how other countries put signs in non-native languages. If they are adjacent countries they are pretty decent but otherwise they go to the lowest bidder to be translated.
Shogo flexing his Mandarin. He would be a tremendous benefit to any tourism business.
And poor Kazu-san has no idea what it is... ;^^
@@mb2001 he did understand tho
Just in his imagination😂
After saying “free wife”, it’s actually a saving grace that they misspelled “massage.”
i know, something else could’ve went down 😳
I've seen that video from a certain site.
@@Miguel23887 sauce
@@hyejusleftlung *something else could've stood up and then went down
Hey, I wouldn't mind me a free wife.
One of the most memorable Engrish I remember from my trips to Japan was a clothing shop in my brothers home town of Fukuyama.
Japanese have a playful way of shortening words then combining them together to make a word. The most common known are Star Bucks is Staba and First Kitchen is Fukkin. This store wanted to shorten Star and Innovation and came up with Starvation. 😂
That is Brilliant!
Muahahaaa! 🤣😂👍
I didn't know that words are shortened. I'm trying to learn Japanese and this was a very helpful realization. I kmow this is by no means a shortcut, but it helps to underatand the overall structure of why yhey language is the way it is. For me. So, arigatou gozaimas.
@@miffedcuttlefish6139 You probably know at least one word that's shortened, without realising it: anime. Short for animeishon (animation, loan word).
would've personally expected something like "stavati/staveshi" or something, like how in staba it's only "sta" and "ba/bu", but this does make it better...
Hello everyone, thank you so much for watching this video!
This video is actually the first video that Kazu edited✨ It took him about a month... Please give him a "Good Job Kazu"😂
Kazu you did fantastic!
Loooved the editing!!!
Otsukare sama desu, Kazu san
Fantastic job Kasu.
Awesome job Kazu!😄
I love the “Give a Damn” 😂
I also feel that there is nothing wrong with “melts in your mouth” maybe just not “melting” in your mouth
Melting in the mouth
mM tHe fLavOrS aRe mElTiNg oN mY tOnGuE
Mouth watering.
Yeah my problem with "the." what mouth?
The university one could've said Stranger danger, it would encapule the feeling of being careful. I do find Engrish adorable though because the mistakes are so childlike innocent ^^
Yea so true but i was thinking of beware of your surrounding.
Beware of suspicious individuals in the area.
Beware of molesters on the area? Maybe
@@KaoruMzk you just gotta molest them first. Easy.
There's imposter among us
Don't worry guys. Engrish is great fun for native speakers. It's just another awesome aspect of Japan. Don't change! I think it's the same everywhere. In the UK we've a brand called SUPERDRY, which has "Japanese" all over it, it's very cool.... Or at least it was untill it became so popular, it's probably too ubiquitous to be cool now. However it had my Japanese friend in stitches laughing at what was written all over it. It didn't make sense haha.
yeah, the brand makes no sense. Most of their clothing isn't waterproof so they wouldn't stay (or keep the wearer) "Superdry".
I'd have done a literary reference for the jail restaurant. A little Dante's inferno joke
Sinners, abandon your shoes all you who enter here.
Haha, nice!
Criminals, remove your shoes and get in line! Sounds exactly prison enough and is still polite.
Hilarious!!!
The one about the guilty shoes needs more understanding of how foreigners customs are.
Kazu translated it as “Sinners, Please take off shoes and follow the rules”. Westerners often come into certain Japanese restaurants wearing their shoes into places where they shouldn’t. The thing is that many westerners who don’t know about Asian culture are used to wearing shoes indoors, even in their own home. Even when visiting family and friends home, they wouldn’t take off shoes. So it’s completely odd for them to be treated as a rule breaker when its completely normal to wear shoes indoors back home.
The sign should say “Please Remove your shoes before entering. It is considered disrespectful to wear shoes in this area. Thank you for being considerate”
The one about perverts can also be worded differently. It also shows the difference in how Japan deals with sexual harassment than other countries. The sign should say. “Be aware of high occurrence of Sexual Harassment”. They should also have information on who to contact to report the incident.
Sexual Harassment doesn’t always happen in a dark alley, it can happen between students, between teacher and students, teacher and faculty staff. It can happen in broad daylight in classrooms or dorms. Japan wants people to avoid being victims rather than punishing the perpetrators. But they can’t be avoided most of the time.
I agree with you 100% about the sexual harassment sign. That would be a big improvement, especially having contact information. When they were talking about the a better translation for the “guilty shoes” sign though, Kazu suggested using the word “sinner” only because it’s a prison themed restaurant. Though I agree that if it had been a regular restaurant than that definitely wouldn’t have been the right way to go.
The taking off shoes has nothing to do with the “sinner” or “rule breaking”, it seems to be a specific “prison” themed entertainment place like a restaurant where the guests role play as an inmate by default. So the taking off shoes would be added just to make it sound more rigid and formal. It would probably translate better into like “inmates, please enter in an orderly manner”.
In Finland, and probably many other European countries, it's normal to take off your shoes at someone's home, but not at a restaurant.
I was in Japan on a jamboree once, and there was a sexual harassment case there. After that, we were told not to walk around after dark. It was impossible, because my shift ended at 8 pm, when it was totally dark. I sprinted to the canteen to get dinner before closing time and looking over my shoulder. I was a girl who had just turned 18.
I always made it just barely before closing and the canteen staff were punctual. Once one of the staff who was serving food looked at the time and said 'sorry, closing time' or something like that. I snuck into another line when he wasn't looking. Another staff member gave me a portion. I'm grateful for that rebel Japanese staffmember. We were always hungry because we were a lot bigger than the Japanese staff. (I'm 170 cm tall, the men in our group were of course taller)
@@raapyna8544 what kind of “jamboree” forces barely 18 teens to go around in a foreign place at night? Even real jobs would usually finish at 6-7 the latest.
You know... im imagining Shogo and his great friend here, going around kyoto, helping people fix their engrish signs, and explaining to them what it conveys in english, vs what they hoped it conveyd.
How do they do that without seeming to disrespect people?
@@garryferrington811 Easy, kind conversation?
Rare moment of Shogo flexing his Mandarin here! I think this format suits Kazu and Shogo very well, since it's probably easier to shoot without a script and your personalities get a chance to shine through.
As a subscriber from Malaysia, the sign with the free wife, coffee brick and message made me laugh and facepalm. 😂🤦🏻♀️
It's funny and also embarrassing at the same time 🤣😭
I would request all Japanese to not use something like free wife in India for doing business unless you want the NCW, Judiciary, Police and some hardcore feminist coming after you like hungry sharks
Anyone knows where in Malaysia? Which expressway? I haven't seen Malaysian road signs in English ever...
@@chiangweytan5937 same here
@@tachibanariine I guess there would be embarrassing English signs in Germany as well. Do not worry....
The 'warn a pervert' one at a university, I would think that an English teacher probably did say something. However, the person who made it probably thought they were 100% right and refused to listen. I've heard of this issue on other traveler UA-cam videos.
I think it's great to warn a pervert that you have a coffee brick in your purse. He should get the massage that there aren't any free wifes here. 😁
I have had teachers refuse to believe me when I have pointed out mistakes in the textbook, editors are not infallible... even natives can make mistakes!
Plot twist: The English teacher was the pervert the whole time!
I'd have to imagine a lot of these people quickly find out, but just don't feel like investing in fixing it.
@@harriet2114 The books are invariably written by non-native English speakers... SIGH
As a native English speaker, the coffee shop sign doesn’t actually bother me at all. I don’t know about Japanese, but “melt in the mouth” is a common English phrase to describe really rich desserts, the bottom slogan makes perfect sense (and matches my life philosophy!) so I’d probably be more inclined to visit this cafe with the sign
"Melting in the mouth" is totally fine, but "with a little thing" immediately makes it sound weirdly sexual.
In most contexts we specify what we're talking about (the subject), and use the phrase "melt in your mouth." So something like: "Try our melt-in-your-mouth chicken!" When you use 'the' instead of 'your' in the sentence it sounds unnatural and kind of creepy. Almost like it's hinting at the existence of a disembodied mouth that they're melting things in. That's of course ignoring the last line which makes things even more confusing.
The bottom line reminded me of the idiom "enioy the little things in life." That would've totally worked perfectly, imo. 😋
@@Billy4321able I like that you mentioned chicken because I feel like they maybe haven't encountered this expression a lot before and watching this video and seeing how the first food they thought of was ice cream made me realize how confusing this expression could be for a non native speaker 😆 like I've heard everything from steaks to rolls referred to as "melt in your mouth" since it usually means tender, soft, flaky, delicate but the figurative meaning of "melt" probably doesn't translate well so I can see how the first thing they thought of was ice cream!
@@Billy4321able I think even something like "Melt-in-your-mouth goodness!" wouldn't be questioned as an Engish slogan.
The "give a damn" broke me, I laughed so much 😂
More Engrish videos in the future, please. This was hilarious!
I suspect, in the context of a prison theme, that “convicts” might be better than “sinners.” It’s not very literal, but perhaps “convicts, remove your shoes and toe the line!” would be a clever interpretation of what you seem to be saying is the idea.
@@dubuyajay9964 “Tow a line” is something you might do with a truck or, especially, a boat. “Toe the line” is an expression meaning to conform tightly to a set of rules; literally, it suggests lining up in a formation using a painted line to align positioning. It could derive from military usage, but more likely from penal practice, making it a suitable expression for the purpose. Also, taking off the shoes in order to “toe” a line is a bit of a pun. It’s meant to be clever. 😉
This comment is a bit off-topic, but I wish to thank you for taking the time to explain Japanese customs, music, and art to the UA-cam multiverse.
ありがとうございました
Whilst Japan is superb on so many fronts, the lack of proofreading at times baffles me.
Who would proofread it?
@@charles2703 native speakers
@@charles2703 a fluent English speaker
@@charles2703 maybe get someone from the Jet Program to proofread it
Part of the issue I’ve heard is that corrective measures are too direct, and could cause embarrassment. The embarrassment of this action is worse than the actual problem of the improper grammar, and so even if the problem is known, it is unaddressed or unmentioned.
I have been to Japan seven times since 1973: two times in the Navy (training with Japanese counterparts), four working trips while at Toshiba, and as a tourist with my wife in 2019. I have always been impressed with the underlying kindness the Japanese show by their use of English signage and instructions to help gaijin like me move around and enjoy Japan. Are the results sometimes Engrish? Yes. But I bow in respect and thanks to this sign of friendship and great courtesy in your wonderful country. I feel embarrassed at my ignorance of the Japanese language. I also chuckle when I encounter Engrish, another pleasant part of a great culture. It's so good to laugh together. Thanks, Shogo.
Well said!
I honestly love Engrish. I hope to visit Japan one day and see at least a few cases of it here and there.
Melts in the mouth is a saying for something delicious. Imagine the flavour melting and coating your mouth sort of thing. And I think the second bit is about enjoying the small things in life, like sweet desserts!
Melting in the mouth?
Yeah, it's just an awkward way to phrase it.
I suppose a slick, advertisey-way to say it might be "The best things in life melt in your mouth."
Amazingly (Sadly?) Japanese to English isn't the only translation "oopsie". I recall a sign in Wales metioning that the entrance is for certain vehicles enterance, but the "Translation" in Welsh is something to the extent of "the translator is out of the office. Please leave a message and we'll call you back as soon as possible."
Sounds like a typical government office nowadays.
I love the slippery floor sign! They shouldn't change a thing! 😆
By the way, would it be rude to tell the manager how they should fix their sign?
No, it would be helpful for them. 😀I would appreciate your advice on correcting our embarrassing Engrish.
As they will often not be able to hear English well, it may be useful to write it down in a memo for giving them to facilitate communication.
This is one of your best videos. When I was a young boy, we lived in Tokyo (1954-56) We had a Japanese maid who would try to say my first name. It was Ricky. However when she said it, it was always, "Rittle Licky" ....same stuff
Oh dear
Your giggles and laughing is as fun as the messed up translations 😄🤣
could the second one be something like "let go of your guilt and enjoy, but still follow the rules" or "have fun without guilt"? it's from a restaurant, after all
It could
Even sounds way more unique than a proper translate
That does make sense. I interpreted it as a "jail-themed" restaurant like "Sinners/Prisoners, take off your shoes and follow the rules!" as if they were going to treat the customers as inmates
I would have interpreted it as guilty=dirty, so "take off your dirty shoes and be polite". Which, fair enough: when in Rome..."
I like the concept of "lets protect manners" that "manaa o mamorimashou" presents. Maybe a better translation would be "mind your manners. please don't take pictures"
Obeying the rules and in a line = "in an orderly fashion." Enter the building in an orderly fashion.
"Warn a pervert" was so close to "Warning: perverts!" which would've been *comprehensible* at least. They were so close... and yet so far.
While living with my grandma for a few months, I went to an Aeon Mall in Japan and saw a glorious shirt in pink and white that said, “It’s Your Call; Believe in Yourgh Strength” 🤣😂🤣💀
The problem is katakana. Instead of learning to pronounce words correctly, they put it in katakana, which causes the mispronunciation.
Add some intefering Japanese grammar and you have all the ingredients for a disaster.
from what I'm hearing I also think its how they teach english?
@@cetriyasArtnComicsChannel Whereas practically everyone else is using the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA).
This was hilarious haha. I remember I saw a sign at a restaurant in Kyoto which said "We accept foreigners." which got me scratching my head so hard. It's as if they're saying foreigners are some type of currency/money that you can use to pay the bill because usually when signs here (in the US) say they accept stuff it refers to methods of payment (ie. credit cards, food stamps, etc.)
I wonder, surely some Japanese businesses must be aware of this?
Maybe there is room for a business in Japan where you help restaurants and other tourist oriented businesses to polish their english translations for a modest fee?
I love how cultural nuances makes a difference in the translation. I adore how you even laugh at translations and yourselves.
I love the learning and thought provoking subjects in this channel. I adore this episode of heartwarming humor between friends.
I think the jail themed izakaya could have used "in an orderly fashion" instead of politely.
Ate at a restaurant once that had a menu section titled "herf & herf." Took me a bit to realize they meant "half & half."
I was able to go to Japan for a short exchange trip in high school (less than 2 weeks), and the only engrish I saw/remember (all but two days were spent in Yamanashi, the last two were spent in Tokyo) was at a ¥100 store in which I saw a mini handheld battery-operated fan labelled "mini skeleton fan" 😂
I love Engrish! If you squint at it a little, you can see what they meant to say. And part of it is language grammar construction. English is Subject-Verb-Object while in Japanese I've detected Object-Verb -Subject.
But my favorite Engrish is by far the sign pointing out the trash can saying, "Poisonous Evil Rubbish."
😆😆😆😆
I think I need to print that and put it on my wall! 😊
My favourite sign in Japan read: "Please use hot water in the pan freely. Caution: hot water."
It was a tea kettle by the door of a store, which you could use freely.
5:40 "Sinners" has such a strong religious connotation. I would probably say "inmates" or "convicts" instead if the restaurant's theme is jail.
"Melting in your Mouth" - maybe they mean "mouth watering" which is how we describe something tasty looking.
"Melts in your mouth" is how you describe something that's rich or fatty.
Melting in your mouth is a legit phrase for delicious.
What's making me laugh is that they are having way to much fun over this. 🤣
Or for the buffet one it could be "Only people who paid can eat at the buffet" meaning no moochers/people who go with others to eat at the buffet (without paying) with the person/people who are paying.
Usually only kids get to eat for free or a reduced rate, not adults, if you see an adult trying to eat at these places for free with a customer that's actually paying let the staff know.
I still have trouble believing you have only lived in the US for 6 years. You really have mastered it so well. I have so much respect for anyone that has learned more than one language
I just subscribed, and the culture/etiquette videos have to be my absolute favorite. They definitely help take away some of my anxiety while I'm planning and prepping for my inevitable trip to Japan.
I have found that I recognise so much from my own swedish culture. There are plenty of differences but they mwke sense in context. The video about table manners are extremly similar thou we use forks, knives and spoons but apart from that it just made sense in context.
Please make a vol. 2 in the future, it was so funny :)
We need a colab with Sora the Troll, he is the master of all things Engrish.
I love his videos
I enjoyed listening to you laugh! So much fun! Thank you!
I was having a bad day until this video came along! While the Engrish was funny on all of them, the sign saying "Give a damn" killed me. 😆
Edit: Thinking about it again... the Engrish could have been telling the slippery floors to "give a damn". 😆
That being said...
Good job on the editing, Kazu-san!
I enjoyed this! I'd like to see more. As a native English speaker, I feel confident that I could machine-translate most Japanese phrases, then correct the output into proper English. I'd be willing to do this for a very low fee. It's too bad I can't easily help.
Kazu, you did a great job editing this video!
One of the funniest video yet! 😂... Thank you Shogo and Kazu for the laughs 🤣!
Best engrish I've seen are ''Do not kick the carpet while wet, choke to beat instead'' and ''If your pussy dirty, let it lick itself''
And there are so many other variations about this, which is hilarious XD XD but also concerning
I'd add that the part "be inconvenienced by other customers" should mean that other customers may interfere as you start taking pictures (like, jump in front of your camera for lulz).
There should be a warning: "Caution, inconveniencing customers!"
UPD: and "Distrub the neighbourhood" should mean "Go and make noise elsewhere around, not here" :D
This is so funny but so true. Being an avid video game player and anime lover, I have seen Engrish examples for decades, starting with the infamous "All your base are belong to us."
I love your unique perspective on this subject! You're probably the UA-cam team best-suited to comment on this with experience from both sides.
It's offical, I watch an english channel about Japan as a Hungarian. And I feel comforted as I hear Japanese but I don't know why.😅 And the Engrish, well, just like my Japanese language knowledge. But I can say that I'm a hero and some general things: thank you, wait a minute, Hello, Goodbye.
This happens a lot in India too it is called Inglis
This made me giggle. Thanks for making my day a little brighter❤️
More Engrish reaction videos please!! This video is hilarious😂
my Japanese relatives including my mom cannot pronounce the letter "R", it would come out as "AWLU" or "AWDU". And if they would say "English" it would come out as "Engulish" (short U)
The addition of english punctuation would help a lot of these! There's a popular english phrase about the importance of commas ( , ), and how it can change "Let's eat, Grandma" (inviting grandma to a meal) to "Let's eat Grandma" (literally offering to eat your grandma).
I interpreted the first one as, 'only the staff are allowed to touch the guests', but an invitation to touch the staff is way funnier 😭
The organic dessert & cafe sign, here in Chicago in the USA, in our Chinatown, there is a similar sign for a tea shop, but written better: Sometimes the little treats in life can change you for the better.
I think this maybe what they were going for possibly.
I do want to see more videos with you guys reacting to engrish ;)
Omg. 😂🤣I laughed so hard. God bless the Japanese people for even trying to speak and write English.
So funny to see you guys laughing so genuinely! Thanks for sharing these funny translations with us! 😂 so funny!
Lots of them were pretty off, but my favorite was that you can only touch the staff. However, as someone who has been to Japan as a student, I can say that it is usually okay to sort of figure out what they meant. The worst ones are actually where they don't try to directly translate, but also don't speak much English. Because when that happens unless you can read the kanji you just have to find an employee or Japanese person and ask for help reading it out loud in Japanese. But that also may have just been me since my understanding of spoken Japanese was MUCH better than my ability to read or write kanji.
Am I the only person who almost always studies the kanji of a word along with the meaning? In 7 months, furigana had helped me only 2 times.
@@kinjoko yeah, furigana showed up more in the newspaper than it did out in town. I guessed at them a lot, and then would break down and use the dreaded Google translate app 😅
The last one about the buffet was the funniest and the scariest... I think I want to watch this horror movie.
Terrible Japanese-English is awesome, I love it especially at restaurants. I’ve had exchange students and my experience is that girls are typically much better speakers of English.
I laughed SO hard at this!!
Don’t worry, I think I understood everything I read, and as a tourist I don’t expect anyone to know my language, only their own! It this was funny!
I respect anyone brave enough to even attempt speaking english. Especially when I am in their country as a guest. We all make mistakes. And being anything other happy about the effort serves no purpose.
This was hilarious, please do more sometime!
You can possibly roast misused Japanese, too.
I'd totally watch Shogo and Kazu roast misused Japanese.
It's like Yusuke from Karate Dojo WaKu rating MMA fighters' Japanese tattoos.
What service! You not only get a message from your free wife, but a cofee brick too, amazing!
I'm for it
DOWN
nice engrish. great reactions.
I had a very stressful week at work and this video just brought me back to life! Love your lifesaving videos and hope to see more of your great content! 👍👍👍
10:06 Actually, a lot of ads about chocolate in Greece say "Σοκολάτα που λυώνει στο στόμα" which means "Chocolate that melts in the mouth". It is a way to say that the chocolate is really sweet.
That was funny indeed 😄 I would love to see more of this occasionally.
These Engrish examples add to life’s rich pageant of the absurd. They may not be 100% accurate but at least they’ve had a go! 👍 There must be some funny examples from English speakers making similar mistakes - as in the famous “My hovercraft is full of eels!”
Thanks for today's video! It was fun to see your reaction after a long day of exams
I remember coming to Tokyo for a university exchange, expecting to see lots of Engrish and somehow noticing more... French and German! Little Swiss me was not ready for that much information
My first memory of Japan was extremely faulty French... Imagine being an extremely jetlagged and kinda lost native French speaker in Ikebukuro station and suddenly facing... "Place de la gourcieux marché" (maybe "place du gracieux marché", gracious market square?!?)
I also love Japan's obsession for slapping the word "petit/プチ" on anything remotely diminutive, and keep a fond memory for the english muffin from Tokyuu Store, by the brand... L'Oven
16:14 made me laugh unreasonably hard 🤣
If "?!" was a facial expression
I moved to Osaka a month ago and the apartment I am staying at has a sign at the entrance that says "NO SMORKING!".
I read some game rules translated into Japanese and then back to English. Almost every page had errors, some quite embarrassing.
We did this deliberately (I was a proof reader for the game company) in order to make sure the translation was good. All I can say is, good thing we had people who spoke both languages on staff in order to work well with the Japanese publisher.
The cafe line could have maybe said, “enjoy the little things in life”. I see phrases like that a lot advertised on shops all around my area and its’s often a tactic to imply you ordering the food and drink from said cafe is a “little thing”, a step in self-care that you can enjoy, thus making the experience more enjoyable and memorable and possibly meaning you’d return to that location another time.
Regarding the university sign, it should probably say something along the lines of "beware of suspicious individuals", as at least in the US we tend to avoid using words like "pervert" in official writing (even in areas where we probably should) because it is considered inappropriate or unprofessional.
Laughed so hard I nearly died... 🤣 but it was worth it.
Funniest video you've made so far! Really enjoyed it. Thanks for making such enjoyable content!
This was really funny 🤣, but would absolutely love to see a video from English translated poorly to Japanese. Would be super funny to see some of ya'lls reactions.
I love these in depth longer videos!
Imagine a world when english is spoken like japanese, spanish or italian 🤧🤧🤧
A beautiful world
Don't forget Indian accent.
Spoken.
My neighbours speak Spanglish and we have to communicate sometimes in French because usually between the two we can figure each other out. Or better yet we talk to their youngest daughter, (my wife can’t speak French so that’s how she communicates). Hilariously their son can’t speak any Spanish so he too has to use his sister to communicate. 🤣
@@ioannes.DCCXXII ok ok thx
I loved this video. You two made me laugh so much. Please do more like this.
It happens even in Europe, with famous "Follow Kashubian" in Poland. A herring is "śledź" in Polish. But "śledź!" is also the imperative form of the verb "śledzić" ("to follow"), even though there's no direct link between the meanings. Kashubian is just a way of serving the herring as per local custom. And there you go, "Follow Kashubian" in the restaurant's menu ;)
You should do "Engrish reversal" where you translate the Engrish to Japanese as it is written.
16:15 I almost passed out from laughter because of Shogo’s “surprised anime face” moment 😨😂
The instructions in the elevator of a rather nice hotel in Kyoto we stayed at a couple of years ago (just pre-covid) said to slide the card in the slot on your back side.
These are hilarious, please do more!
Thanks for making me lough. I had quite a stressful day and if I can lough on such a day, it always refreshes me.
Your horror movie prompt at the last one actually sounded like a great idea. I would definitely watch that!
If engrish was a series here l'll watch each episode...