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Translation - art & business » Fun with language »
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Off topic: 'strange' in your language
Thread poster: Ramunas Kontrimas
José Henrique Lamensdorf
José Henrique Lamensdorf  Identity Verified
Brazil
Local time: 19:32
English to Portuguese
+ ...
In memoriam
A risky false cognate Feb 6, 2016

expressisverbis wrote:

estranho (strange)

es.tra.nho
[(i)ʃˈtrɐɲu]
adjetivo (adjective)
2. esquisito; anormal (weird; abnormal)


"Esquisito" in PT means really that, "strange".

However ES has a very similar word, "exquisito", with a completely different meaning:

exquisito adj (sabor de alimentos = food taste) exquisite adj / delicious adj / delightful adj / excellent adj
Example: Este dulce tiene un sabor exquisito. (= This sweet is delicious)

As ES and PT (at least PT-BR) are close enough, at some risk we tend to communicate across languages, or in Portuñol, which is a midway pidgin.

Two possible situations:

1. A Brazilian goes to a restaurant in a Spanish-speaking country. S/he tries the food, and the taste is outrageously weird, apparently rotten. S/he summons the waiter, and says:
"Esta comida está muito esquisita."
(In PT = This food is very weird. )
(In ES, it sounds close to = This food is very delicious.)
The waiter brings the chef to the table, and he is all thankful, explaining that it is his specialty, and it's very rare to find a Brazilian who enjoys it, as most do complain.

2. A Spanish-speaker goes to a restaurant in Brazil, finds the food delicious, and tells the headwaiter:
"Eso es increiblemente exquisito!"
(In ES: This is unbelievably delicious!)
(In PT, sounds close to = This is unbelievably weird!)
The waiter immediately takes away the plate with that 'delicious' food, brings the menu, and offers "any plate on the house, with our apologies".

Epilogue: Both customers are equally perplexed.
 
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