Bilingual pun

A bilingual pun is a pun created by a word or phrase in one language sounding similar to a different word or phrase in another language. Bilingual puns are often created by mixing languages, and represent a form of macaronic language.

A general technique in bilingual punning is homophonic translation, which consists of translating a passage from the source language into a homophonic (but likely nonsensical) passage in the target language. This requires the audience to understand both the surface, nonsensical translation as well as the source text – the former then sounds like the latter spoken in a foreign accent.

Examples

English/German

"What did the computer order from the vending machine?" "Saftware." Saft is the German word for juice. By replacing the O in "software" to an A, it becomes saftware, literally meaning "Juiceware"

English/Chinese

An updated version of the famous Who's On First? comedy routine by Abbott and Costello called "Hu's on First" is based on confusing Chinese and other names with English words.

English/French

Luis van Rooten's English-French Mots D'Heures: Gousses, Rames (1967), translates the beginning of "Humpty Dumpty":

Un petit d'un petit / S'étonne aux Halles

The original English text reads:

Humpty Dumpty / Sat on a wall.

while the translation, which imitates the sound of someone reading the English text with a French accent, literally means:

One little [one] from [another] little [one] / was astonished at Les Halles.

German/Chinese

At the beginning of his short story "The Dead Lady of Clown Town", science fiction author Cordwainer Smith wrote:

Go back to An-fang, the Peace Square at An-fang, the Beginning Place at An-fang, where all things start. Bright it was. Red Square, dead square, clear square, under a yellow sun.

In Chinese, An-fang can mean "Peace Square", while Anfang is the German word for "beginning."

English/Turkish

- I run each teen me?

(Ayran içtin mi?) Did you drink ayran?

- A wet each team.

(Evet, içtim) Yes, I drank it

- I run each make is tea your sun each.

(Ayran içmek istıyorsun...?) Do you want to drink ayran?

- Higher them in each team.

(Hayır, (...) içtim) No, I have drank

- Catch bar duck each teen?

(Kaç bardak içtin?) How many glasses did you drink?

- On bar duck each team.

(On bardak içtim) I drank 10 glasses.

-Why High One Why

(Vay Hayvan Vay) Whoa, you're crazy

Japanese/Portuguese

In the documentary Gaijin, a Brazilian Odyssey directed by Tizuka Yamasaki, newly immigratated Japanese agricultural laborers struggle to adapt to Brazilian culture. At mealtime, the Brazilian cook serves up a stew of feijoada to Japanese more used to rice:

Japanese: Kome! (Kome (米), Japanese for rice)

Cook: Come! (Portuguese for Eat!)

English/Spanish/Latin

Pierre Clouthier, Moncton NB, 1968; in Spanish class.

English: An apple a day keeps the doctor away

Spanish/Latin: Manzana (mens sana) in corpore sano (Manzana is apple in Spanish; mens sana is a healthy mind)

Indonesian/English

Indonesian bilingual puns are abound, due to the syllabic-nature of the language:

Examples:

1. Lari Tidak Mobil Tidak (run-no car-no), reads Rano Karno, the name of an Indonesian veteran actor
2. Menjadi Muda Peduli Rock (be-young care-rock), reads biang kerok, or the troublemaker
3. Ketakutan Baru si Saya adalah Pohon (new-fear the-me is-tree), reads nyupir demi istri, or driving for the sake of the wife
4. Pergi Muda Dungu Merah (go-young dumb-red), reads goyang dombred, a type of dangdut dance
5. Nge-Dunk Bisakah Aku nge-Rock (slam-dunk can I-rock), reads selendang Ken Arok, or Ken Arok's scarf (Ken Arok is a semi-mythical figure in old Javanese history)
6. 2121 2 Mobil Warna [Adalah Pohon] (two-one two-one two-car color [is-tree]), reads tuan-tuan tukar kolor [istri], or "the masters are exchanging shorts (or [wife])"
7. Berkata Penuh Lompat Sakit (say-full jump-ill), reads "Saiful Jamil", the name of an Indonesian dangdut musician
8. Tidak Tahu, Tunai Aku Tahu, Dalam Menggambar (don't-know, cash-I-know, in-draw), reads Dono, Kasino, Indro, trio famous Indonesian comedian (the first two already deceased now)
9. Habis Terjual Zoom Keluar (sold-out zoom-out), reads solat Jumat, or the Friday Islamic worship

Other than Indonesian/English bilingual puns, Chinese and Japanese puns are also popular, by playing on stereotypes of (mostly made-up) Chinese and Japanese sounds/syllables. The Indonesian words equivalent are often replaced with Javanese language, or other languages of Indonesia. Other foreign languages that get the same treatment includes: Dutch (because of Dutch history in Indonesia), Arabic (because of Arabic influence in Indonesian loanwords), Korean, German, Indian, Spanish/Portugues, etc.

See also

• Code mixing
• Homophonic translation
• Loanword
• Macaronic language
• Phono-semantic matching
• Soramimi