I call it Crazy English. Others call it Chinglish or Engrish. Whatever you call it, it's hilarious!
When people in China try to use English, disastrous errors often result. Enjoy a chuckle at my collection of crazy English, most of which was captured in China.
All of these photos are uploaded to Flickr. So, if you have an account, I welcome you to log in and leave comments on the photo page. My Crazy English collection is here.
Chinglish or Engrish can be the result of many things. Here is a list.
Misspellings
These are especially funny when the spelling mirrors the common incorrect pronunciation in China or when the spelling changes the meaning dramatically.
Terrible Translations
Sometimes these are so bad that the meaning is totally unclear! I find these to be the funniest examples of Chinglish.
Grammatical Errors
Let's Laugh at Ourselves
These Chinglish mistakes are shared in good humor! I've certainly made my share of mistakes in English and in Chinese. We're all human, and laughter is the best reaction to our errors. (I share some of my biggest blunders in the orange boxes.)
Menu and Restaurant Blunders
A Food Blunder
I was at a friend's house eating dinner. I complimented her excellent pi gu (butt) instead of her pai gu (pork ribs)! How embarrassing!
Chinglish at Amazon
Chinglish
Amazon Price: $7.99 (as of 10/12/2008)
Someone was smart enough to publish a whole book of his funny English found in China. Here it is!
Signspotting
Lonely Planet Signspotting 2 : The World's Most Absurd Signs (Lonely Planet Signspotting)
Amazon Price: $9.99 (as of 10/12/2008)
Wacky Packages
Chinglish and Engrish Sites
- Engrish.com
- You may laugh until you cry at this site. There is a special section just for Chinglish!
Again, beware of the vulgar Engrish. It's there. - Leon's Chinglish Page
- If you're wondering about the reasoning behind so many of the Chinglish problems, this site actually dissects some examples.
Warning -- there is vulgarity on this site. - Do You Speak Chinglish?
- An article about Chinglish with a few blatant examples (warning! some are flagrantly vulgar!) and testimonies from English expatriates living in China.
Engrish Poll
Engrish
The Joys of Engrish
Amazon Price: $9.56 (as of 10/12/2008)
Tones are Important
Chinese is a tonal language, so if you pronounce the syllable with the wrong tone, some disastrous meanings can result. I once said Pig Jesus instead of Lord Jesusjust because of a wrong tone!
Other Examples of Chinglish
Flickr Groups
- Chinglish
- Fine examples of Chinglish (Chinese-english).
- Engrish
- nonsensical translations and oddly named products rather than simple spleling nistakes and bad grammar in native English. Above all, it should make us laugh when we see it! :)
- Bad Menus
- Post bad restaurant menus and signs, food product packages.: Egregious misspellings, lousy visual layout, or disgusting-looking food.
- Spelling Mistakes
- This group is about capturing spelling mistakes around the world that have made their way into the public eye. (Examples include labels, flyers and road signs.)
Asia Travel Guides
Guestbook
So which crazy English example was YOUR favorite? Which one made you laugh outloud?
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OldGrampa
This is an entertaining lens, I worked in a warehouse years ago and we saw quite a few funny phrases on boxes and packing slips. Posted October 08, 2008 |
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clefty
OMG i love chinglish! Posted September 12, 2008 |
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GrowWear
Absolutely hilarious. Reminds me of that old joke about the Japanese buying Kodak: Henceforth, all cameras will go "crick" when you snap a picture. ...I'm laughing with them, that's for sure; I know we all do things that are funny to others, and if we can laugh at ourselves, well, it's a gift! Love this lens. Posted September 08, 2008 |
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carterboylston
From my speaking, my friend told me that when I meant to say "If" I actually said "cleavage." Gotta love a tonal language! Posted July 22, 2008 |
