Careful how you say that!!!

Question

My deepest fear is offending someone because I think I know what I'm saying, and misspeak. Are there phrases that you know where a word change turns a simple statement or question into an insult?

Post your phrase - both the correct version, and the incorrect version with its translation.

My example:

Correct: "¡Estás tonto!" "You are (being) silly!" Incorrect: "¡Eres tonto!" "You are a fool!"

Answer 1

My favorite happens at church every few months, most recently spoken by a high school Spanish teacher in Wednesday night Bible class when she said something like

Jesús se murió para pagar por nuestros pescados.

I just shook my head. She meant to say something like

Jesús se murió para pagar por nuestros pecados.

She lives on a local lake and some of the church members fish there.

:) That's really funny! - espanolalumna, Apr 13, 2011

Answer 2

Well, I think we all know the pregnant one, so I won't repeat it.

definitely! - DR1960, Apr 11, 2011

Answer 3

The worst is actually what happens to the meanings of Spanish words with the common mispronunciations of native English speakers.

Examples?

The funniest personal example was when I said patacones in a cevicheria with loud music playing, so they missed the first letter. My California accent turned the t into a d which was heard as an r and the second a into a schwa which was heard as an i, the - lorenzo9, Apr 13, 2011

resulting _aricones was automatically completed with an m. :red: - lorenzo9, Apr 13, 2011

Answer 4

The worst is actually what happens to the meanings of Spanish words with the common mispronunciations of native English speakers.