An example of what I mean:

I, in China, told an English speaking Chinese friend I needed to stop off in the bathroom to “take a shit.”

He looked appalled and after I asked why he had that look, he asked what I was going to do with someone’s shit.

I had not laughed so hard in a while, and it totally makes sense.

I explained it was an expression for pooping, and he comes back with, “wouldn’t that be giving a shit?”

I then got to explain that to give a shit means you care and I realized how fucked some of our expressions are.

What misunderstandings made you laugh?

  • @ComradeMiao
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    37 days ago

    But kuchi means mouth… seems not too hard to remind yourself that? Awkward nonetheless haha

    • tiredofsametab
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      67 days ago

      My brain isn’t consciously thinking about the constituent parts of words as I’m saying them. I definitely don’t think “milk neck” when I think nipple, either.

      • @ComradeMiao
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        37 days ago

        Kubi means head or top in that case… milk head is a pretty good etymology for nipple ;)