I know for instance, between Japanese & Mandarin there are a few words that are written the same despite them being pronounced differently along with having different meanings altogether:
| Word | Japanese Definition | Mandarin Definition |
|---|---|---|
| 手紙 | Letter (mail) | Toilet Paper |
| 先生 | Teacher | Mister (Mr.) |
| 天井 | Ceiling | Atrium |
| 説話 | Folktale | To Speak |
| 新聞 | Newspaper | News (media) |
| 約束 | Promise | Constrain |
| 文句 | Complain | Phrase |
| 怪我 | Injury | Blame me |
| 白鳥 | Swan | White Bird |
| 皮肉 | Irony | Skin & Flesh |
| 王妃 | Queen | Princess |
| 中古 | Used Product | Medieval Times |
| 氷箱 | Ice Box | Refrigerator |
| 手袋 | Gloves | Handbag |
| 邪魔 | Hinderance | Devil |
| 湯 | Hot Water | Soup |
| 猪 | Boar | Pig |
| 腕 | Arm | Wrist |
| 走 | Run | Walk |
| 棚 | Shelf | Shed |
| 首 | Neck | Head |
| 床 | Floor | Bed |
| 吃 | Scold | To Eat |
| 机 | Desk (Furniture) | Machinery |
| 娘 | Daughter | Mother |
In hindsight: if you are bilingual, do you know any false friends between two languages (i.e. English & French) or (i.e. Spanish & Portuguese) that are spelled the same but have different definitions across both languages?
I’m American. My grandpa was American. After my grandma died, he remarried a British woman.
One time when I was 7, she asked if I wanted pudding with dinner. As a kid I said YES!!! I didn’t even ask what flavor. Chocolate. Vanilla. Tapioca. Banana. Fuck it. I don’t care. You offered pudding, and a fat kids answer is always yes. No further questions needed.
Well, we have this meal with meat and gravy, and potatos, and a biscuit. It was all very good.
But then dinner was over.
And I’m waiting.
Everyone is leaving the table. They’re acting like the meal is over.
Haaaaaaaaang on.
“Um…excuse me…is the pudding ready?”
“Oh. You want another pudding? I think we have some more.”
“…more?”
And then she hands me a teacup plate with another biscuit.
“I mean…ok. I’ll eat this too, but where is the pudding?”
“Dear, this IS your pudding!”
long silence as I realize there is no pudding
“This is why everyone besides papa doesn’t like you.”
42 now. I stand by what I said. You don’t tease a fat kid with sweets, and then give glorified bread.
In general I liked her. I was the only one who did.
In that moment though??? She was dead to me.
I’m from a colony and pudding would normally be dessert unless further specified. I’m curious what specifically it was, was it anything listed in the top-ish section here?
And boudin in French roughly means sausage, which gives its name to a geological formation
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boudinage?wprov=sfla1