Countries names that sound funny

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Guru
<a href="/pt-br/translator/zarina01" class="userpopupinfo" rel="user1295512">Zarina01 <div class="author_icon" title="Page author" ></div></a>
Associou-se em: 13.06.2016
Pending moderation

Hi I was just wondering if there were any names of countries that sound funny in your language?

For me personally, the funniest sounding country name in english would have to be a country in africa called Djibouti
Because it sounds like "the booty" (booty is a slang term in english for someone's butt) xD

Banned User
<a href="/pt-br/translator/%D0%BE%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%B3-%D0%BB" class="userpopupinfo" rel="user1330079">Олег Л. </a>
Associou-se em: 03.03.2017

I'd said Honduras, Jamaica.

Banned User
<a href="/pt-br/translator/igeethecat" class="userpopupinfo" rel="user1365086">Igeethecat </a>
Associou-se em: 16.12.2017
Zarina01 escribió:

Hi I was just wondering if there were any names of countries that sound funny in your language?

I think you should explain “why it is funny/strange” or it might insult natives :)

If we can add cities to the topic, Acapulco always sounds funny to me, because in Russian, ‘pulco’ sounds almost like a ‘bubbling’ sound, like when the bubbles of the air escape from the water - “bul’k, bul’k” :)

Membro
<a href="/pt-br/translator/bacon" class="userpopupinfo" rel="user1392230">Bacon </a>
Associou-se em: 06.08.2018

I though Ireland was funny when I was younger , mainly because "Ire" means "Pe**s" in my native language , therefore means "Pe**sland" , Uruguay sounds funny as well.

Moderador / hippie-abraça-árvore
<a href="/pt-br/translator/maluca" class="userpopupinfo" rel="user1206376">maluca <div class="moderator_icon" title="Модератор" ></div></a>
Associou-se em: 30.04.2014

Not my native language but in English several countries sound funny...

Turkey -> it's the name of an animal
Hungary -> hungry?
Uruguay -> U are gay (The Simpsons)

Convidado
Convidado

In Portuguese:
- Peru is a turkey.
- And it is not exactly country and yes nationality. Rosquinha that is donut, in Bulgarian means Russian female

Editor
<a href="/pt-br/translator/anerneq" class="userpopupinfo" rel="user1112972">Anerneq <div class="editor_icon" title="편집자" ></div></a>
Associou-se em: 10.05.2012
Igeethecat escribió:

If we can add cities to the topic, Acapulco always sounds funny to me, because in Russian, ‘pulco’ sounds almost like a ‘bubbling’ sound, like when the bubbles of the air escape from the water - “bul’k, bul’k” :)

If we're talking about cities, Italians would just laugh at you if you mention Chicago as the pronunciation is the same as "ci cago" ("I shit on it" or "I shit there").

Banned User
<a href="/pt-br/translator/igeethecat" class="userpopupinfo" rel="user1365086">Igeethecat </a>
Associou-se em: 16.12.2017

Jamaica- in Russian is pronounced like “yamaika”, which in Russian sounds like «я-майка» - “I am a tank top/ A-shirt”. :)

Moderador / hippie-abraça-árvore
<a href="/pt-br/translator/maluca" class="userpopupinfo" rel="user1206376">maluca <div class="moderator_icon" title="Модератор" ></div></a>
Associou-se em: 30.04.2014

Okay, in my native dialect, Hessian, "Kanada" sounds like "nobody there".

Expert
<a href="/pt-br/translator/jadis" class="userpopupinfo" rel="user1387945">Jadis </a>
Associou-se em: 01.07.2018
Moderador
<a href="/pt-br/translator/radixice" class="userpopupinfo" rel="user1179431">RadixIce <div class="moderator_icon" title="Уредник" ></div></a>
Associou-se em: 21.06.2013

Oh, Portugal and Egypt probably lol.
Portugal= Portuqaliya
and it is quite similiar to "portağal" which means ' an orange'
Egypt= Misir
"Misir" in Azerbaijani as a noun means 'corn'.

Expert
<a href="/pt-br/translator/safyra" class="userpopupinfo" rel="user1370089">Safyra </a>
Associou-se em: 28.01.2018

Well... :)
The English "Denmark" in Danish means "that field" (Den mark) and,
In Danish/Norwegian/Swedish:
Tyskland (Germany) - Tysk comes from a Proto-Germanic word (something like þiudiskaz) meaning "of people", thus in a way, Tyskland means "country of people".

Editor (Resident Evil)
<a href="/pt-br/translator/magicmulder" class="userpopupinfo" rel="user1264038">magicmulder <div class="editor_icon" title="Éditeur" ></div></a>
Associou-se em: 26.10.2015

(Also don't forget that according to the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, "Belgium" is the rudest word in the universe.)

Guru
<a href="/pt-br/translator/zarina01" class="userpopupinfo" rel="user1295512">Zarina01 <div class="author_icon" title="Page author" ></div></a>
Associou-se em: 13.06.2016

Umm, why?

Editor (Resident Evil)
<a href="/pt-br/translator/magicmulder" class="userpopupinfo" rel="user1264038">magicmulder <div class="editor_icon" title="Éditeur" ></div></a>
Associou-se em: 26.10.2015

Pure coincidence.

Mestre
<a href="/pt-br/translator/sandring" class="userpopupinfo" rel="user1263066">sandring </a>
Associou-se em: 18.10.2015

Morocco which sounds in Russian exactly like "морока" - "endless trouble" :)

Membro Sênior
<a href="/pt-br/translator/silapin1996" class="userpopupinfo" rel="user1262114">Silapin1996 </a>
Associou-se em: 11.10.2015

I thought Finland was funny because I thought there's a land full on fins (appendage of fish and marine animals) and I thought it was weird that there was a language called Finnish and people speak that language there and it reminds me of the English word "finish". Plus I thought Finnish sounded like what Maddie and London were speaking when they were pretending to be Finnish nuns in that one episode in The Suite Life of Zack and Cody. Turns out they were speaking gibberish in a German accent.

Mestre
<a href="/pt-br/translator/sandring" class="userpopupinfo" rel="user1263066">sandring </a>
Associou-se em: 18.10.2015

Chad sounds funny both in English (waste material removed from card or tape by punching) and Russian (чад = fumes or heavy smoke)

Guru
<a href="/pt-br/translator/zarina01" class="userpopupinfo" rel="user1295512">Zarina01 <div class="author_icon" title="Page author" ></div></a>
Associou-se em: 13.06.2016

Why is that?

Expert
<a href="/pt-br/translator/thalyson-teixeira" class="userpopupinfo" rel="user1350027">Thalyson Teixeira </a>
Associou-se em: 21.08.2017

In Portuguese:
Peru (which means "turkey" (animal))

Guru
<a href="/pt-br/translator/zarina01" class="userpopupinfo" rel="user1295512">Zarina01 <div class="author_icon" title="Page author" ></div></a>
Associou-se em: 13.06.2016

So I guess there's two countries that are named after that bird xD

Moderador
<a href="/pt-br/translator/fary" class="userpopupinfo" rel="user1097876">Fary <div class="moderator_icon" title="Уредник" ></div></a>
Associou-se em: 18.11.2011

Speaking of Turkey, in Finnish it's Turkki and "turkki" also means either the language (Turkish) or "fur/fur coat".

Guru
<a href="/pt-br/translator/zarina01" class="userpopupinfo" rel="user1295512">Zarina01 <div class="author_icon" title="Page author" ></div></a>
Associou-se em: 13.06.2016

Also apparently, in your language Nauru means "laughter" or something to that extent

Guru
<a href="/pt-br/translator/zarina01" class="userpopupinfo" rel="user1295512">Zarina01 <div class="author_icon" title="Page author" ></div></a>
Associou-se em: 13.06.2016

Lol, the Spanish have a joke about Guatemala too, I just can't quite remember what it was though

Moderador
<a href="/pt-br/translator/fary" class="userpopupinfo" rel="user1097876">Fary <div class="moderator_icon" title="Уредник" ></div></a>
Associou-se em: 18.11.2011
Zarina01 escribió:

Also apparently, in your language Nauru means "laughter" or something to that extent

Oh yes that's true, "nauru" does mean laughter in Finnish.

Moderador / hippie-abraça-árvore
<a href="/pt-br/translator/maluca" class="userpopupinfo" rel="user1206376">maluca <div class="moderator_icon" title="Модератор" ></div></a>
Associou-se em: 30.04.2014
Zarina01 escribió:

Lol, the spanish have a joke about Guatemala too, I just can't quite remember what it was though

Guatemala - Guatepeor maybe?

Guru
<a href="/pt-br/translator/zarina01" class="userpopupinfo" rel="user1295512">Zarina01 <div class="author_icon" title="Page author" ></div></a>
Associou-se em: 13.06.2016

Yes, that was the one  ;)

Expert
<a href="/pt-br/translator/jadis" class="userpopupinfo" rel="user1387945">Jadis </a>
Associou-se em: 01.07.2018
Banned User
<a href="/pt-br/translator/igeethecat" class="userpopupinfo" rel="user1365086">Igeethecat </a>
Associou-se em: 16.12.2017

Zimbabwe sounds cheerful in Russian too
And I am so sorry for Guatemala to have “mala”=“bad” in the name of the country ;(

Moderador Distanciado
<a href="/pt-br/translator/aldefina" class="userpopupinfo" rel="user1152070">Aldefina </a>
Associou-se em: 16.01.2013

I think it should be rather "Guatepeora", but it isn't. :D

I need to think about it. At the moment I can't recall any country which name would sound funny. The given funny examples don't work in Polish.

Only these can be confused with some Polish words:

- Jamajka may sound like "Ja, Majka" (a girlish name and not a A-shirt, like in Russian),

- Chad (Czad in Polish) - carbon monoxide.

Moderador Distanciado
<a href="/pt-br/translator/aldefina" class="userpopupinfo" rel="user1152070">Aldefina </a>
Associou-se em: 16.01.2013

[@Fary]: And how about the town Turku? I know it comes from tǔrgǔ, the Old East Slavic language, meaning marketplaceTurkki.

Guru
<a href="/pt-br/translator/zarina01" class="userpopupinfo" rel="user1295512">Zarina01 <div class="author_icon" title="Page author" ></div></a>
Associou-se em: 13.06.2016

And funny enough Chad is actually a very common name for males in english speaking countries

Moderador Distanciado
<a href="/pt-br/translator/aldefina" class="userpopupinfo" rel="user1152070">Aldefina </a>
Associou-se em: 16.01.2013

[@Silapin1996]: Some years ago Kimi Räikkönen left the Formula 1 for two years and he entered the NASCAR series (and also WRC). On one of his first races he had driven almost all the time in the second position, but on the final lap he lost lots of positions landing in the middle of all the competitors.

After the race an American TV journalist asked him: “Kimi, don’t you think you should improve your finish?

Kimi replied with no emotions on his face, as always: “No, I don’t think so. My Finish is perfect. You see I was born in Finland.”

Anyway, this anecdote works better when spoken. In a written version part of the joke is not visible.

Banned User
<a href="/pt-br/translator/igeethecat" class="userpopupinfo" rel="user1365086">Igeethecat </a>
Associou-se em: 16.12.2017

OMG, sorry Chads, but in Russian (and apparently in other Slavic languages) it does sound like a fume, not necessarily carbon dioxide, but nasty one for sure :)

Guru
<a href="/pt-br/translator/zarina01" class="userpopupinfo" rel="user1295512">Zarina01 <div class="author_icon" title="Page author" ></div></a>
Associou-se em: 13.06.2016

Oh haha, I get it now!  :P

Editor
<a href="/pt-br/translator/anerneq" class="userpopupinfo" rel="user1112972">Anerneq <div class="editor_icon" title="편집자" ></div></a>
Associou-se em: 10.05.2012

On a second thought, there is a country that might sound funny to Italians... though it's more about its inhabitants rather than the country itself.
"Mongolo" may mean:
- a person affected by the Down syndrome;
- a stupid person (as an insult);
- a person living in Mongolia;
Therefore I heard one or two times people using "Mongolia" as an insult to say something like "you come from that country full of arses". I'm quite sure the pun works in other languages too, though.

Moderador
<a href="/pt-br/translator/fary" class="userpopupinfo" rel="user1097876">Fary <div class="moderator_icon" title="Уредник" ></div></a>
Associou-se em: 18.11.2011
Aldefina escribió:

[@Fary]: And how about the town Turku? I know it comes from tǔrgǔ, the Old East Slavic language, meaning marketplaceTurkki.

[@Aldefina] I've heard some people make fun of Turku for other reasons, but not because of the name. ;)

Moderador Distanciado
<a href="/pt-br/translator/aldefina" class="userpopupinfo" rel="user1152070">Aldefina </a>
Associou-se em: 16.01.2013

[@Fary]: And what are these reasons?

Editor
<a href="/pt-br/translator/sarasvati" class="userpopupinfo" rel="user1349052">Sarasvati <div class="editor_icon" title="Éditeur" ></div></a>
Associou-se em: 13.08.2017

I lived to froidcul (cold-booty)
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Froidcul

After we goes to Miramas....in spain it's (mira más)looking more
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miramas

After we goes to Entressen (between a boob)
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entressen

Moderador Distanciado
<a href="/pt-br/translator/aldefina" class="userpopupinfo" rel="user1152070">Aldefina </a>
Associou-se em: 16.01.2013

[@DarkJoshua]: Mongolian inhabitant is called in Polish "Mongoł", but in official source for Polish language you can find this: https://sjp.pwn.pl/slowniki/Mongo%C5%82.html

As you see it can be written without capitalizing the first letter with a different meaning and all meanings are the same as in Italian.

Moderador
<a href="/pt-br/translator/fary" class="userpopupinfo" rel="user1097876">Fary <div class="moderator_icon" title="Уредник" ></div></a>
Associou-se em: 18.11.2011

[@Aldefina] I live far away from Turku so I don't know that well, but I do know there are many jokes about the place and the people who live there. :D

Guru
<a href="/pt-br/translator/zarina01" class="userpopupinfo" rel="user1295512">Zarina01 <div class="author_icon" title="Page author" ></div></a>
Associou-se em: 13.06.2016

Oh you think that's pathetic? Wait until you hear this.
In english there's a type of fish called "Sardines" and as you know there's an island by Italy called Sardinia. So when I was a teenager, me and my friends would jokingly ask "What are Sardinians favourite type of fish?"..... yeah it was bad

Editor
<a href="/pt-br/translator/anerneq" class="userpopupinfo" rel="user1112972">Anerneq <div class="editor_icon" title="편집자" ></div></a>
Associou-se em: 10.05.2012

Well, when I used to live in London, once I said I came from Sardinia to a guy and he told me: "is it where they make sardines?"...

Moderador of the Moana
<a href="/pt-br/translator/silentrebel83" class="userpopupinfo" rel="user1082168">SilentRebel83 <div class="moderator_icon" title="Moderador" ></div></a>
Associou-se em: 22.04.2011

In the Islands, we jokingly will say, "you want Sāmoa?" (some more?)

In Tongan:
Mali means 'marriage', 'wedding' or 'spouse'
Nauru1 means 'a shower of rain'
Aotearoa2(indigenous name of New Zealand) means 'long white cloud'
Palau means 'to be engaged or betrothed to someone', it's also is the name of the vomer bone.
Qatar3 means to 'laugh' (with emphasis)
Togo4 is a slang word that means 'brother/sister'
Tonga means 'south'

  • 1. rendered as nā'ulu
  • 2. rendered as 'Aotealoa
  • 3. rendered as kataa
  • 4. rendered as toko
Moderador / hippie-abraça-árvore
<a href="/pt-br/translator/maluca" class="userpopupinfo" rel="user1206376">maluca <div class="moderator_icon" title="Модератор" ></div></a>
Associou-se em: 30.04.2014

As you name it, I remember
Katar (Qaṭar) sounds like Katarrh in German, a respiratory disease like a nasty cough

Moderador Distanciado
<a href="/pt-br/translator/aldefina" class="userpopupinfo" rel="user1152070">Aldefina </a>
Associou-se em: 16.01.2013

[@maluca]: Oh, I forgot, it's the same in Polish and it's even written exactly the same way only capitalized.

Moderador
<a href="/pt-br/translator/radixice" class="userpopupinfo" rel="user1179431">RadixIce <div class="moderator_icon" title="Уредник" ></div></a>
Associou-se em: 21.06.2013

Oh, Qatar in Azerbaijani means 'train', but also the country Qatar xD

Editor
<a href="/pt-br/translator/sarasvati" class="userpopupinfo" rel="user1349052">Sarasvati <div class="editor_icon" title="Éditeur" ></div></a>
Associou-se em: 13.08.2017

Andore..with a little accent provençal > on dort > we sleep
Benin........>Bénin..>it's begnin
Cuba.......>cul bas.> pen-pusher
le Gabon >le gars bon.> good guys
Népal..> née pâle..> born pasty or :nez pâle> nose pasty
les seychelles...>les échelles.> scales

ghana ..> Spain :gana.....> was gaining, won....or:In Hinduism the keepers of god shiva

Moderador Distanciado
<a href="/pt-br/translator/aldefina" class="userpopupinfo" rel="user1152070">Aldefina </a>
Associou-se em: 16.01.2013

Another one: Nepal -> Don't smoke. (Actually: Nie pal, but it's pretty close).

Banned User
<a href="/pt-br/translator/saintmark" class="userpopupinfo" rel="user1276610">SaintMark </a>
Associou-se em: 06.02.2016

in bavaria there's a town called "Fucking". some smart person has opened a brewery and they sell a beer called "Fucking Hell".. "Hell" meaning it's a bright colored sort of brew, in contrast to the darker beers. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fucking_Hell

then we have a city called Geilenkirchen, translated something like "Horny town" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geilenkirchen
we also have a town called "Feucht" (wet), and a city that almost sounds like "pig fart" in german (Schweinfurt), and some other stuff.

a list of funny place names is here: http://justwanderlustblog.com/2012/02/50-cities-that-just-sound-dirty/
for the german list look here: https://www.desired.de/lifestyle/lustige-ortsnamen/

5 km from my location theres also a classic, a town called Busenbach, which translates to "tit brook" but once you live here it doesn't sound strange anymore. you get used to it.

Super Membro
<a href="/pt-br/translator/lia-iancu" class="userpopupinfo" rel="user1245439">Lia Iancu </a>
Associou-se em: 09.05.2015

I am not aware of countries that sound funny in Romanian, but there a city in Croatia that provokes giggles among Romanians every time is mentioned. That city is Pula and in my language means "dick".
A few years ago Romanian singer Inna held a concert there and posted on Twitter or FB or whatever that "Pula was amazing tonight". Oh, the jokes Romanians made...

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