TIFU by asking my father in law if he liked rapists…

Submitted by [deleted] t3_zn17vi in tifu

Hello everyone.

I am not a native English speaker, actually I started to learn proper English once I moved to the US.

My girlfriend and friends speak to me in my mother language so I have little to none social skills on English.

Today I had lunch with my girlfriend’s family and I was super nervous because they mainly speak in English but I managed to communicate with them and even crossed a couple of jokes with my father in law.

My mind was going at 200mph trying to not be weird with my broken English and I was beginning to leave my awkwardness behind.

That until I heard them talking about 2Pac and other famous RAPPERS.

My father in law was saying how he liked 2pac and for him he was the greatest rap icon or something like that.

Me being a big Spanish rap fan, I started to panic thinking about something cool to say about a topic I enjoy.

And naturally I said “I didn’t’ knew you liked rapists”

Everybody became silent and my father in law made the most disgusted expression I’ve ever seen.

He just said “what?” And I answered “I didn’t thought you liked rap artists”

After that my girlfriend explained me what I did wrong, I was really nervous and between shifting from conversations in Spanish with my girlfriend and his brother and conversations in English I committed my most stupid mistake in my entire life.

Didn’t talked much for the rest of the afternoon.

Will never forget the shame I felt once I realized what I said.

I hazte my broken English.

TL;DR: Said “rapist” instead of “rapper”, because I thought that was the English translation for “rapero”.

809

Comments

You must log in or register to comment.

JayAllOverYourBees t1_j0ed1th wrote

Tupac was literally convicted of two counts of first-degree sexual abuse and served time for them

Just saying, added layer of irony.

903

[deleted] OP t1_j0fczwi wrote

Oh God that explains his reaction, I can’t feel more ashamed now

257

jcgreen_72 t1_j0fqbtn wrote

Do not feel ashamed! When a person is learning a new language, mistakes always happen. The men should have corrected you, with kindness and understanding, and explained the mistake, and you all could have had a laugh.

118

HarryPottersElbows t1_j0gpbky wrote

This! It was a failure in their reaction. If I'm speaking to someone and I know English isn't their first language, I'm not going to be a dick if they mess a word up!! Hell, even if English WAS their first, I won't be a dick lol.

16

TroublesomeFox t1_j0g4gpy wrote

My russian flatmate once enthusiastically said he couldn't wait to see the sea cats. Turns out he meant sealions 😂

Your learning a whole other language and that's really cool! Don't let anyone make you feel bad about mistakes.

58

Serephucus t1_j0g7alf wrote

My Chinese girlfriend does this quite a bit.

Eagle beans = chickpeas

Passionate fruit = passionfruit

Metal cloth = tinfoil

They're always hilarious, and definitely not something to be worried about.

51

starfox_priebe t1_j0gkt2w wrote

I lived in a house with a French exchange student who once came home from a house party and proudly told us that he'd "pet an octopus!" He meant opossum.

5

Lunakitty93 t1_j0g7ada wrote

I really admire people that can speak 2 languages! Mistakes will happen! I only speak English and I still get muddled up lol

7

Jarko314 t1_j0f5ei5 wrote

Oooh! Maybe that’s way they didn’t realize right away that is was a mistake and they though OP was pointing out 2pac actions.

209

Halucinogenije t1_j0gdi5i wrote

  • Goes to prison for sexual assault, but found innocent of rape. Released after 11 months when new evidence helping prove his innocence is found. The prosecution states they "lost it" and it was not deliberate.

​

From a great post about 2pac found here, so I hope people give it a read, it has a lot of info on him.

21

Gottacatch_7777 t1_j0g8n3o wrote

And thats the whole reason the dude took to heart. On the otherhand if they cant have a giggle with u saying funny shit, I’d chose a new family if I was you. Fuck that tight up, proud of who we are bs. We are all human we all cry and shit the same. Big fucking rap fan huh 😂 2pAc bruh 😭😂

8

MorgainofAvalon t1_j0ei9w6 wrote

You made a rather simple mistake, they should have just laughed. I'm sorry he made you feel bad.

432

Stetzj18 t1_j0f4849 wrote

Right? I would've asked if he knew what he just said with a large smile lol. My family would be dying

107

[deleted] OP t1_j0fu33i wrote

[deleted]

2

PDNH t1_j0fxk48 wrote

He did make an attempt to properly speak their language. Probably better than most others who speak two or more languages. I don't get what you're trying to say here, so I'll just assume that you're monolingual and don't get how difficult it is to learn another language

12

[deleted] OP t1_j0fxsut wrote

[deleted]

2

PDNH t1_j0g0nlt wrote

I see, I misread your comment's tone as negative, my apologies about that

4

Dad2DnA t1_j0hexgy wrote

When I was learning Spanish, I once said that I was pregnant (emberazada) instead of embarrassed, also I told a coworker to go in the closet and jack off, instead of put on his jacket. It happens

3

Jarko314 t1_j0f59in wrote

No biggie, is a totally understandable mistake.

The other way around happened to my wife. We were in a family lunch with my grandma and she said In Spanish “quiero comer polla!” (I want to eat dick) instead of “quiero comer pollo” (I want to eat chicken). Everyone laugh, she blushed and then I made fun of her for a bit. And now we just laugh about that every now and then.

261

moshthun t1_j0fap8j wrote

I see your pun, so Smalls, you could almost miss it.

35

Retax7 t1_j0g5ndj wrote

To be fair, polla only means dick in spain and not in any other spanish speaking country. Globalization though has spread this understanding of "polla".

In chilean, pico is dick as well, and most other spanish speaking country uses the word normally. So, even though chilean is sort of their own language, you should always be carefull with spanish.

8

St3phiroth t1_j0gh33d wrote

I once told our bus driver in Spanish that I was horny instead of that it was warm in the bus and I was hot.

7

abumchuk t1_j0hupum wrote

i was taught to say chupa mi verga (spelling) at a bar in mexico... I didn't speak any spanish at the time and that is NOT what they told me it meant

1

[deleted] OP t1_j0gatzf wrote

[deleted]

−5

ViscountBurrito t1_j0go7pe wrote

As an American, if someone made the equivalent mistake in English (“I want to eat cock”—that is, male chicken), I would expect the same sort of reaction to occur. Nobody would take it as a literal request, absent some very specific context clues.

The problem for OP is that the dad may be sensitive to this sort of thing because it is actually possible that OP meant what he said—it’s not like it’s unheard of for someone to mention a celebrity and someone else to bring up that celebrity’s problematic or criminal history. And the dad wouldn’t necessarily have put together it was a translation issue.

7

Juuuunkt t1_j0ezrhr wrote

My grandpa's Filipino wife once said he had a beautiful condom. She meant condo. Nobody made her feel bad for complimenting his condom though. Sorry your in-laws have no sense of humor.

181

4ever_lost t1_j0g0v46 wrote

I was in Malaysia and a singer sung Katy Perry, taste of your cherry chop stick, had to explain to her what chapstick was

13

saph_pearl t1_j0k1snz wrote

I had a teacher who told us a story about being in france with some friends. One of them was talking to a local and said she likes French jam better because ours has too many “préservatif.” He started laughing because in French that means condom and preservatives are called “conservatrices.”

It definitely happens haha but poor OP for being made to feel bad. Languages are hard!

1

spenserhicks123 t1_j0eadxl wrote

Thats a common mistake haha that guy needs to chill the fuck out and give you a break

91

Fester_The_DJ_1 t1_j0f9ev8 wrote

Yeah, her father is acting like his daughter'boyfriend / fiancé is raping his dsughter!!

I hope the others explained to the father what happened, tempers have since calmed, and things are getting back to normal.

10

Blackeststool t1_j0ea3up wrote

No need to feel shame. English is not an easy language and frankly I would have found that mispronunciation hysterical.

63

sylvvxx t1_j0edl9z wrote

I used to talk to a lot of spanish speakers and would always get a good chuckle out of these kinds of situations, as they would when I made mispronunciations in spanish. Its all fun. We're all just here on earth learning together

18

AskingAndQuestioning t1_j0gs4la wrote

I started working in a cheese factory out of high school and there are a lot of Spanish speakers there, I had some experience from Spanish class and working in a restaurant. I had just got done reading Shadow of the Giant and didn’t realize/remember that pequeño (used in the book - it’s very good btw, part of the Enders Game series) means little one(boy). They were surprised when I spoke a bit of Spanish and asked if I knew it well so I responded with “ehh, pequeño mas” or something to that effect, got a good laugh from the 6 other people on the line, then they corrected the mispronunciation. I was a bit embarrassed obviously but I had to laugh as well.

Language is fun and trying to communicate between different languages, people and cultures is what makes us human.

3

HYThrowaway1980 t1_j0fqzh6 wrote

Oh, that’s nothing. My (Spanish) mother to this day continues to make horrendous blunders in English. Mostly while out shopping.

Imagine the following in a full sentence for context:

  • Raping paper (wrapping paper)
  • Orange Jews (orange juice)
  • Turkey goblins (giblets)
  • Testicles (witnesses, ie testigos)
  • Robber globs (rubber gloves)
  • Cheek pies (chick peas)

And many many more.

51

haverchuck22 t1_j0ekqd9 wrote

if they didn't laugh its a red flag honestly. thats just purely funny

21

sudomatrix t1_j0fjbg8 wrote

My Filipino girlfriend introduced me to a sweet rice cake dessert called ‘puto’. I told her parents I like ‘puta’.

18

ElectricClub2 t1_j0fsv6i wrote

Another word is don’t say “pedo” randomly, because in Spanish it’s a fart (natural gases from your bum), in English it’s labelling someone who’s sexually attracted to children

10

Cooleric19 t1_j0ftasz wrote

A person who creates arts is an artist. A person who makes rap music is a rapper. Pretty confusing for someone new to English to be honest.

10

tgwud t1_j0ejmgv wrote

*didn't talk ( con didn't ya estas diciendo que fue algo en pasado, el verbo que sigue va en presente, salvo por eso re bien)

8

inkybutterfly t1_j0eagl0 wrote

One day you will laugh about it brother, unfortunate but not really your fault and definitely not as big a deal as you might think. The fact that you can speak a second language is impressive on its own and I'm sure everyone makes mistakes like this. Language is hard. Don't stress man, learn and grow :)

7

BangBangMeatMachine t1_j0fbd0c wrote

That's a totally understandable mistake. It's nothing to be ashamed of. These things happen when learning a new language. Keep at it.

5

Dimtri-The-Anarchist t1_j0fdcuu wrote

dont worry dude, its a common mistake that they most likely wont think about in about a day. On a side note you're english is amazing! keep up the good work

3

batch1972 t1_j0fjm3m wrote

French exam ... question - where is the station. gare and guerre sound similar. Asked where the war was

3

TheOldMancunian t1_j0fsqt0 wrote

Simple Mistake to make. Now you know that the person making rap music is a rapper, not a rapist.

Though thinking about it, may be you were right first time. Favorite description by a DJ: "He is rap artist and has made several hit records. ...... Thats rap with a silent C and hit with a silent S".

3

YoshiandAims t1_j0gb2rm wrote

Hey! Honestly, I AM a native English speaker... and I fumble up my words now and again! Particularly when I'm anxious, in a new situation and my mind is processing 100,000 things at a rapid speed! I've said some of the dumbest things! Particularly with similar sounding words!

It was OBVIOUS what you meant. If English is not your strong suit while speaking, it should have caused a pause, followed by understanding. It should not have ruined the day.
Her father's overreaction is more on him than you.
It'll be a funny memory one day, I promise. It's not a big deal!

3

WasabiIsSpicy t1_j0ge0xt wrote

LOL this reminds me of when I wrote “shit” instead of “sheet” as a title for a paper quiz. The teacher made fun of me in front of the entire class lol it was so embarrassing.

I think he realized that I was in the English Learning program sometime after because he started treating me extra carefully lol and mentioned something nice about my English.

3

Donebrach t1_j0fkvr8 wrote

The proper word is “rappist” when you’re speaking in the passive triplepardthirdcipal so it’s really on them for being so tightup with your’n mistake.

2

Nurberry t1_j0g7yjf wrote

Yeah… u thought it would be rappist-instead of rapper. This is an obvious mistake and it’s ok. This is their test. If they really are fond of you and like you, they d consider this as a cute babish mistake… If he doesnt like you then good luck, this will come before you every once a while. Best of luck. Nonetheless, this is going to renain as avery funny damily memory

2

banananases t1_j0gc19c wrote

Oh don't worry! It's fine, a simple mistake. Don't feel too embarrassed. Totally understandable if English isn't your first language. I've even seen English speakers write they want to be a "raper" when they meant rapper.

2

banananases t1_j0gcebf wrote

Am an English speaker and I said orgasm instead of organism. It happens :)

3

tommy_trip t1_j0gncq5 wrote

Man forget them. If theyre so thick skulled they cant see u made an honest mistake who needs them.

2

Squigglepig52 t1_j0gqwmw wrote

Hahaha. Seriously, dude, it shouldn't be a big deal. Even native English speakers fuck up pronouncing words.

I have a Colombian friend who speaks English very well, but still gets a few words wrong, usually by stressing the wrong part. so I'll correct her to spare her an experience like yours.

Also - a lot of us just take into account an accent, and learn to consider what the person meant from context.

2

TheRealNap0le0n t1_j0grxal wrote

To be fair, English is really hard and a mistake made will be forgiven and prob laughed about later

2

randomnickname99 t1_j0gs5ck wrote

I bet he was muy embarazado by the whole thing

2

dkelly256 t1_j0gxqcq wrote

The mistake isn’t shameful, but the fact that didn’t get laughed off is. People can be so miserable sometimes

2

le_bi0_n00b t1_j0i19e6 wrote

If he or they cant find humor in a simple mistake like that and laugh it off they arent good ppl.

2

Cool-Fish1 t1_j0ffani wrote

You made a mistake, it happens when you're learning. Sorry that happened to you

1

noodleq t1_j0fhphc wrote

Your English is pretty good the way you wrote that out....you seem to have a pretty good grasp on it

1

IanFoxOfficial t1_j0flxx0 wrote

Don't feel bad about trying your best!

Looks like they don't have a sense of humour. It's a funny mistake. No worries.

1

Its_Mills t1_j0fr9yl wrote

You made a simple Mistake, also it's normal for English learners, no matter how long you've been learning it.

1

ForestJam t1_j0ft36c wrote

What a stupid reaction from your father in law. Especially if he's not some old conservative fuck, but listening to 2pac. I'd laugh my ass off and explain it to you. No need for a disgusted look.

1

Squadala1337 t1_j0g5nie wrote

My family would had laughed and be like “here comes the celebrity cynic me too champion like a wrecking ball! Daamn” obviously knowing you meant rappers

They seem uptight.

1

saltyholty t1_j0g5o8i wrote

This kind of thing is common when not speaking your native language, don't worry about it. There are so many false friends and near misses that are going to trip you up along the way.

The worst thing you can do when you embarrass yourself speaking another language is to shut down and stop speaking. It's easier said than done, but if you can find a healthy way to deal with this kind of embarrassing situation, it'll serve you really well long term.

Some people are very earnest and like to ask for feedback on their mistakes, and other people like to just laugh it off, but what's important is just to not to internalise it too much.

Don't think "I'm saying the wrong things because I'm bad at English", think "these situations will happen when someone is learning a new language".

I know this is just a TIFU, and you're probably not really beating yourself up about it in reality, but I'm kinda speaking to the gallery here. I know a lot of ESL people irl and this kind of thing will occasionally seriously knocks someone's confidence, and ends up halting their progress for weeks.

1

PurpleDancer t1_j0g6d9l wrote

You gotta chill out. Being that nervous is your FU. That was a funny mispronunciation nothing more and if English is your second language there will be plenty more. Just relax, speak a bit, listen more, let people absorb your calmness. If you are all weird and nervous that's the energy they'll absorb from you and it will be awkward.

1

Renjoh t1_j0g70zg wrote

They will have understood you. No need for face making in my opinion. Just let it go, and be glad someone tries to speak a language and adapt.

1

Doe966 t1_j0g7fpm wrote

You write English pretty well for someone who doesn’t speak the Language properly. 🤔

1

fire_butterf1y t1_j0g9wgg wrote

Be proud you speak more than one language and are trying. You got this. Never be ashamed of your native language. He could have been kind and understanding and laughed with you. Hugs.

1

CaseyTS t1_j0gbmg1 wrote

I don't know any other languages, but I can say that it's easy for most people to laugh off misunderstandings when someond else says something wrong. Sounds like they know it was a mistake, so I think it will be forgotten in no time. I get the embarrassment tho lol.

1

drummerboy01123 t1_j0gkh3i wrote

Did you pronounce it “Rah-pist” or “Ray-pist”? The first one is easier to claim as a misunderstanding

1

Jay_The_One_And_Only t1_j0heix4 wrote

Take some time to learn English with your girlfriend! Ask her to speak to you in more English and when you feel confident, explain to him that you have been practicing English and crack a joke that hopefully there won't be any more mix ups like that :)

1

Minky29 t1_j0hkbh6 wrote

Reminds me of the guy who was very enthusiastic about being a proud "racist" turns out he just liked fast race cars

1

SteadyTag t1_j0hm975 wrote

Reminds me of my friend back when I was around 11. We were at the local bmx track and some kids had just arrived all dressed up in racing gear. The first thing my friend asked was “Hey are you guys racists?!”

I knew he meant racers but the those kids were like “What? No way man!”

Except my friend was a white canadian kid

1

Neither-Candy-545 t1_j0hx3zj wrote

Lol I taught English as a second language for a couple of years and this mistake is waaaay more common than you'd think

1

lrw1951 t1_j0jp62f wrote

You are to be honored for trying. I have 2 languages fluent and now…yo es estudiante por comprende espanol

1

marinex t1_j0fo25b wrote

Not sure what’s the difference

−1