I know for instance, between Japanese & Mandarin there are a few words that are written the same despite them being pronounced differently along with having different meanings altogether:
| Word | Japanese Definition | Mandarin Definition |
|---|---|---|
| 手紙 | Letter (mail) | Toilet Paper |
| 先生 | Teacher | Mister (Mr.) |
| 天井 | Ceiling | Atrium |
| 説話 | Folktale | To Speak |
| 新聞 | Newspaper | News (media) |
| 約束 | Promise | Constrain |
| 文句 | Complain | Phrase |
| 怪我 | Injury | Blame me |
| 白鳥 | Swan | White Bird |
| 皮肉 | Irony | Skin & Flesh |
| 王妃 | Queen | Princess |
| 中古 | Used Product | Medieval Times |
| 氷箱 | Ice Box | Refrigerator |
| 手袋 | Gloves | Handbag |
| 邪魔 | Hinderance | Devil |
| 湯 | Hot Water | Soup |
| 猪 | Boar | Pig |
| 腕 | Arm | Wrist |
| 走 | Run | Walk |
| 棚 | Shelf | Shed |
| 首 | Neck | Head |
| 床 | Floor | Bed |
| 吃 | Scold | To Eat |
| 机 | Desk (Furniture) | Machinery |
| 娘 | Daughter | Mother |
In hindsight: if you are bilingual, do you know any false friends between two languages (i.e. English & French) or (i.e. Spanish & Portuguese) that are spelled the same but have different definitions across both languages?
The English slang word “bumf” - generally meaning unnecessary bits of paper like adverts , health and safety warnings and TFM - originated from the armed forces, where toilet paper may have often been rationed. Any loose paper was therefore considered “bum fodder”.
‘Bum’ of course meaning ‘arse’ in this case - not ‘homeless person’.
When my mom left my dad, there was a day my mom was picking me up. This was the late 80s/early 90s. She was wearing a sweatshirt from the clothing brand “BUM”. For those of you who are younger, you might be able to find pictures of your grandparents wearing clothing with the word “BUM” written in a basic font across their chest. This was for a very short time, a very popular brand that nobody questioned why it was called “BUM”.
So, my mom is wearing that sweatshirt. My mom has recently left my dad, and my dad is in a very negative head space where he just wants to belittle and insult my mom any way that he can. Shocking she’d ever leave him, I know. But his comment was "Oh yeah? You wearing that BUM sweatshirt? You know what BUM means? Black Urban Male! Your sweatshirt makes you a black man!
My dad was/is a pretty racist person. There’s a reason he has no friends, and his only child (me) doesn’t even really talk to him. He’s all alone now. Let that be a lesson to everybody. Don’t be a racist. Nobody likes racists.