List of tongue-twisters

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The following is a list of tongue-twisters, or difficult-to-repeat verses.

[edit] List of tongue-twisters

Hard Tongue Twister Phrases

A big bug bit a bold bald bear and the bold bald bear bled blood badly.

Brisk brave brigadiers brandished broad bright blades, blunderbusses, and bludgeons -- Balancing them badly.

Can you can a canned can into an uncanned can like a canner can can a canned can into an uncanned can?

Which wristwatches are Swiss wristwatches?

I am a mother pheasant plucker. I pluck mother pheasants. I am the most pleasant mother pheasant plucker who ever plucked mother pheasants.

If you must cross a coarse cross cow across a crowded cow crossing, cross the cross coarse cow across the crowded cow crossing carefully.

Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager managing an imaginary menagerie.

Six swift Swiss ships swiftly shift.

There are two minutes difference from four to two to two to two, from two to two to two, too.

Does the rapid rabid rabbit wrap it?

The sixth sick sheik's sixth sheep's sick. (This is the World's Hardest Tongue Twister, according to Guinness World Records.) [citation needed]


Unique New York Unique New York You know you need Unique New York

Give Papa a proper cup of coffee in a proper copper coffee cup.

How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? A woodchuck would chuck as much wood as a woodchuck could chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood.

I shot the city sheriff with the city sheriff's gun. (3 times fast)

Peter piper pick a peck of pickled pepper, A peck of pickled pepper Peter piper pick, If Peter pick a peck of pepper, Where's the peck of pickled pepper.

Two tall boys, Take two tie, To tie two poles, Two to tall trees.

Hard Tongue Twister Poems:

I'm not the pheasant plucker, I'm the pheasant plucker's mate, And I'm only plucking pheasants 'cause the pheasant plucker's late. I'm not the pheasant plucker, I'm the pheasant plucker's son, And I'm only plucking pheasants till the pheasant pluckers come.

A tutor who tooted the flute Tried to tutor two tooters to toot Said the two to the tutor "Is it tougher to toot Or to tutor two tooters to toot?"

Silly Sally swiftly shooed seven silly sheep. The seven silly sheep Silly Sally shooed Shilly-shallied south. These sheep shouldn't sleep in a shack; Sheep should sleep in a shed.

Three sweet switched Swiss witches Watch three washed Swiss witch Swatch watch switches. Which sweet switched Swiss witch watches Which washed Swiss witch Swatch watch switch?

Theophilus Thadeus Thistledown, The successful thistle-sifter, While sifting a sieve-full of unsifted thistles, Thrust three thousand thistles through the thick of his thumb.

Now, if Theophilus Thadeus Thistledown, The successful thistle-sifter, Thrust three thousand thistles through the thick of his thumb, See that thou, while sifting a sieve-full of unsifted thistles, Thrust not three thousand thistles through the thick of thy thumb.

Betty Botter bought some butter. "But," she said, "this butter's bitter. If I put it in my batter it will make my batter bitter. But a bit of better butter will make my batter better." So she bought a bit of butter better than her bitter butter and she put it in her batter and it made her batter better. So, 'twas better Betty Botter bought a bit of better butter.

[edit] Tongue twisters in languages other than English

[edit] Albanian

  • Karikaturisti karikaturon karikatura karakteristike. listen (help·info)
The caricaturist caricatures characteristic caricatures. (Coincidentally kari is the definitive form of a vulgar term for penis.)
The cup with a lid the cup without a lid
The hen of Lleshi laid an egg in a wool basket.
  • Pirdh o prift ne prill pirdh.
Fart, priest in April, fart.
  • Plaka lau pllakat.
The old woman washed the tiles.
  • I papashaportizuar
You don't have a passport.

[edit] Arabic (اللغة العربية)

': '== * خيط حرير على حيط خليل

  • أرنب تـرنـدبـنـدقـت جـوهـا الـمـتـرنـدبـنـدقـيـن تـرنـدبـنـدقـوهـا
  • دربيل دربلنا به ودربيل ما دربلنا به
  • طلعت الشمس واستغطلمطلست واسودت والوديان واستمديست على علاء الدين بن المستغطلمطلسين
  • خالتي بركة عندها بقرة لما ذبحنا يقرتنا طلعت مركة رقبة بقرتنا اطيب من مركة رقبة بقرة عمتي بركة
  • بطتنا بطّت بطن بطتتكم بطتين وبطة يا هل ترى بتقدر بطتكم تبط بطن بطتنا بطتين وبطة
  • بطتنا بطّت بطن بطتكم بطتكم ما بطت بطن بطتنا تقدر بطتكم تبط بطن بطتنا مثل ما بطتنا بطّت بطن بطتكم
  • بشتي نشف ومشطي نشب بالشنطة
  • ليرة ورا ليرة
  • طبق رطب ولبن بقر

''''* عنزتنا الحلطة الملطة القرعة القرطة جابت ستة حلط ملط قرع قرط اجا الذيب الاحلط الاملط الاقرع الاقرط اكل الست الحلت الملط القرع القرط''''''

[edit] خمشت خشمي خمس خمشات

[edit] Armenian

For the full listing, see Armenian tongue twisters.

  • Գառը գարնան, ձյունը ձմռան:
  • Դոյլերուն կոթերը թուլ են. թոյլ տո՛ւր դոյլերը փոխեն:
  • Երէկ, երեք երգ գրեցի. եկո՛ւր երթանք Երնէկին՝ երկուքս մէկտեղ երգենք:
  • Զարթուցիչը ջեռուցիչից հեռու դիր:
  • Խաշէ՛ նուշը Սիրանուշ
    Ուշ կ'եփի նուշի անուշ:
  • Ծիտը ծառին ծլվլում է՝ ծիվ, ծիվ, ծիվ:
  • Ծտի ճուտը՝ ճմբան ծերին, ծտի ճտի ճիտը՝ ծուռ։
  • Կար–չկար մի գաճաճ արջ կար, այդ գաճաճ արջի աջ աչքը չկար։
  • Համով, համով, համով, համով,
    Համով ծամոն ունի Համոն,
    Համով ծամոն ծախող Համոն
    Իր ծամոնն է ծամում համով:
  • Հացագործը՝ հացերը փուռէն հանեց, տաք-տաք հացերէն ձեռքերը այրեց:
  • Ձին ձորում, Ջորին ջրում:
  • Ճայը ճկեց ճիտը, կծեց ճտի ճիտը:
  • Մարդը Աստծու մոտ եղավ –
    Մարդուց Աստծու հոտ եկավ,
    Մարդը մարդու մոտ եղավ –
    Մարդուց մարդու հոտ եկավ,
    Մարդը վարդի մոտ եղավ -
    Մարդուց վարդի հոտ եկավ:
    Որտե՞ղ եղար, տմարդի,
    Որ նամարդի հոտ եկավ:
  • Մկրատ տուր մտրակ տամ:
  • Մուկ թողեմ ձուկ ուտեմ, ձուկ թողեմ մուկ ուտեմ:
  • Սարի ուսին սիրուն լուսին, սիրուն լուսին` սարի ուսին:
  • Փայտփորիկը փորեց փայտի փտած փորը:

[edit] Bulgarian

  • Крал Карл и кралица Клара крали кларинети от кралските кларинетисти.
  • Kral Karl i kralitsa Klara krali klarineti ot kralskite klarinetisti.

(They say) the king Carl and the queen Clara stole clarinets from the royal clarinettists.

  • Петър плет плете, през три пръта преплита. Плети Петре плета, през три пръта преплитай.
  • Petur plet plete, prez tri pruta preplita. Pleti, Petre, pleta, prez tri pruta preplitai.

Peter knits a wattle-fence, weaves three times through. Weave, Peter, the wattle-fence; weave three times through.

  • На чичко Чочко чичковите червенотиквеничковчета.
  • Na Chichko Chochko chichkovite chervenotikvenichkovcheta.

Uncle Chochko's little uncle's red pumpkinheads.

  • Шест шишета се сушат на шест шосета от шест сешуара.
  • Shest shisheta se sushat na shest shoseta ot shest seshuara.

Six bottles are being dried on six highways by six blowdriers.

  • Непротивоконституционствувателствувайте!
  • Ne-protivo-konstitutsi-on-stvu-va-tel-stvu-vay-te!

Do not act against the constitution!

[edit] Catalan

  • Setze jutges d'un jutjat mengen fetge de penjat, si el penjat es despengues, es menjaria els setze fetges dels setze jutges que el van penjar
Sixteen judges from a court eat a hanged man's liver, but if the hanged man gets down, he'll eat the sixteen livers from the sixteen judges who hanged him.
  • En cap cap cap el que cap en aquest cap
In no head fits what fits in this head
  • Un plat pla ple de pebre està
A flat plate full of pepper is

[edit] Serbian, Bosnian, or Croatian

  • Бело јаре пролајало
    • Latin: Belo jare prolajalo.
White goat kid started to bark.
  • Cvrči cvrči cvrčak na čvoru crne smrče. (V. Nazor)
Chirping chirping cricket on the knot of a black spruce.
  • Raskiseliše li ti se ti opanci? Razveseliše li ti se gosti? Rasentimentalisaše li ti se osećanja?
    • Cyrillic: Раскиселише ли ти се ти опанци? Развеселише ли ти се гости? Расентименталисаше ли ти се осећања?
Have these opanci (kind of shoes) of yours been well soaked? Have your guests became jolly? Have your feelings become sentimental?
  • Туре буре ваља, була буре гура. Брже туре буре ваља но што була буре гура.
    • Latin: Ture bure valja; bula bure gura. Brže ture bure valja no što bula bure gura.
      • Variant: Ture bure valja; bula bure gura. Bolje ture bure valja nego bula bure gura.
A Turk rolls a barrel; a Turk damsel (lit. woman wearing a hijab) pushes a barrel. Turk faster (or better) rolls a barrel than Turk damsel pushes a barrel.
  • Na vrh brda vrba mrda, na vrh brda vrba mrda, na vrh brda vrba mrda...(ad nauseam).
    • Cyrillic: на врх брда врба мрда, на врх брда врба мрда, на врх брда врба мрда...
Atop the hill the willow stirs, atop the hill the willow stirs, atop the hill the willow stirs, ad nauseam.
  • Šaš devetorošaš al se razdevetorošašio.
    • Cyrillic: Шаш деветорошаш, ал' се раздеветорошашио.
  • Четири чавчића на чунчићу чучећи цијучу.
    • Latin: Četiri čavčića na čunčiću čučeći cijuču.
Four jackdaw chicks, on chimney perched, chirp.
  • Bela kuja prolajala, zalajala i odlajala.
    • Cyrillic: Бела куја пролајала, залајала и одлајала.
  • Пиле пикће док до куће не допикће.
    • Latin: Pile pikće dok do kuće ne dopikće.
Chicken clucks until /to the house/ it clucks.
  • Riba ribi grize rep.
    • Cyrillic: Риба риби гризе реп.
One fish bites another fishes tail.
  • На врх брда врба мрда.
    • Latin: Na vrh brda vrba mrda.
On top of the hill a willow swings.
  • Легитимиши ми се.
    • Latin: Legitimiši mi se.
Identify your self to me
  • Petar Petru pleo petlju pokraj puta po sto puta.
    • Cyrillic: Петар Петру плео петљу покрај пута по сто пута.
Petar made a loop for Peter by the road, hundreds of times.
  • Сједи стари Злокотлокрп и стара Злокотлокрпа и њихових двоје троје злоkоtloкрпчади.
    • Latin: Sjedi stari Zlokotlokrp i stara Zlokotlokrpa i njihovih dvoje troje zlokotlokrpčadi.
Sits an old cauldron-mender and his old cauldron-mendress (wife) and their two or three cauldron-menderlings (children)

The following is written with syllable accents although one does not normally write them down as they are usually implied by context. However, writing this sentence without accents would make it unintelligible.

  • Gȍre gȍrē gȍre gòrē, no što gȍre gòrē dolje.
    • Cyrillic, without accents: Горе горе горе горе, но што горе горе доље.
/Up there/ /worse/ mountains are burning, than mountains are burning down there.
  • Cyrillic: Mиш уз пушку, миш низ пушку.
    • (Latin: Miš uz pušku, miš niz pušku)
Down the rifle mouse goes, up the rifle mouse goes.
  • Latin: prijestolonásljednikovičičinima (longest word in Croatian language; only one accent)
to those who belong to a little throne heiress

[edit] Chinese (Cantonese)

(known as 急口令)

  • ming5 ding2 bing1 ding1 ting4 ding6 ting3 (酩酊兵丁停定聽)
The drunken soldier stopped and listened.
  • fu3 fu5 fu4 fu1 fu6 fu6 fu2 (富婦扶夫赴傅府)
A rich woman carried her husband to Fu's mansion.
  • yap9 sat9 yim6 sat1 gam6 gan2 gap7 dzai3, gwat9 gai1 gwat9 gwat7 gwat9 gai1 gwat9 (入實驗室襟緊急掣，掘雞掘骨掘雞骨)
Go to the laboratory and press the emergency button, dig for the chicken, dig for the bone, and dig for the chicken bone.
  • ling5 ding2 ying7 ming4 ging7 sing2 bing1 ding7 ting4 ding6 ting3
[translation]
  • saan1 gaan7 ngaan6 faan2 laan5 maan6 faan7 maan4 waan5 daan6 taan4
[translation]

[edit] Chinese (Mandarin)

(known as 繞口令)

  • 西施死時四十四
  • xī shī sǐ shí sì shí sì
  • Xi Shi died at age 44.

The following is Lion Eating Poet in the Stone Den, a famous tongue twister written by Yuen Ren Chao. It is a short story written exclusively with various tones of one syllable (shi), and composed in the literary Chinese style.

  • 施氏食獅史
石室詩士施氏，嗜獅，誓食十獅。氏時時適市視獅。十時，適十獅適市。是時，適施氏適是市。氏視十獅，恃矢勢，使是十獅逝世。氏拾是十獅屍，適石室。食時，始識十獅實十石獅屍。試釋是事。
  • shī shì shí shī shǐ
Shí shì shī shì shī shì, shì shī, shì shí shí shī. Shì shí shí shì shì shì shī. Shí shí, shì shí shī shì shì. Shì shí, shì shī shì shì shì. Shì shì shì shí shī, shì shǐ shì, shǐ shì shí shī shì shì. Shì shí shì shí shī shī, shì shí shì. Shí shì shī, shì shǐ shì shì shí shì. Shí shì shì, shì shǐ shì shí shí shī shī. Shí shí, shǐ shì shì shí shī shī, shí shí shí shī shī. Shì shì shì shì.
  • In a stone house, lived a poet who loved lions, he swore to eat ten lions. In the morning, he went to the market. In a coincidence, ten lions arrived at the market. When the poet spotted the lions, he shot arrows, and 10 lions died. In return he received 10 lion carcasses and returned to his house. When he ate the dead lions, he realized it was ten stone lions.

The following is tongue-twister because it's difficult to pronounce so many s and sh without mixing:

  • 四是四，十是十，十四是十四，四十是四十。你不要把十四说成四十，四十说成十四。
  • Sì shì sì, shí shì shí, shí sì shì shí sì, sì shí shì sì shí. Nǐ bú yào bǎ shí sì shuō chéng sì shí, sì shí shuō chéng shí sì.
  • Four is four, ten is ten, fourteen is fourteen, forty is forty. You shouldn't say 'fourteen' as 'forty' or 'forty' as 'fourteen'.

This phrase can be used to tell if someone is drunk or not:

  • 四十四头死的石狮子
  • Sì shí sì tǒu sǐ de shí shī zi
  • Forty-four dead stone lions


  • 吃葡萄不吐葡萄皮
  • chī pú tāo bù tù pú tāo pì
  • When you eat grapes, don't spit out grape peels

[edit] Czech

Stick a finger through your throat.
  • Nesnese se se sestrou.
He doesn't get on with his sister.
  • Roli lorda Rolfa hrál Vladimír Leraus.
The role of Lord Rolf was played by VL.
  • Nenaolejuje-li koleje Julie, naolejuji je já.
If Julie doesn't oil rails, I will oil them.
  • Třistatřicetři stříbrných stříkaček stříkalo přes třistatřicet tři stříbrných střech.
Three hundred and thirty three silver fire-engines were spraying over three hundred and thirty three silver roofs.
  • Zalyžařivší si lyžař potkal lyžaře nezalyžařivšího si.
A skier who had had a fun time skiing met a skier who had not had a fun time skiing.
  • Podkopeme my ten Popocatépetl tunelem, nebo nepodkopeme my ten Popocatépetl tunelem?
Are we going to dig a tunnel under that Popocatépetl, or are we not going to dig a tunnel under that Popocatépetl?
  • Šel pštros s pštrosicí a pštrosáčaty.
There went an ostrich [male] with an ostrichess and ostrichlets.
  • Pan kaplan v kapli plakal
Mr. curate wept in a chappel.
  • Salám ála másala mlsala malá lama Amála a lláma sám.
  • Bratře Petře, nepřepepři toho vepře. Jestli ho přepepříš, tak si toho vepře, bratře Petře, sám sníš.
Brother Peter, don't overpepper the pig. If you overpepper it, so the pig, brother Peter, eat yourself.

[edit] Danish

Red pudding with cream (it is made from stewed berries and served cold with cream). Only a tongue-twister for almost anyone but native Danes because of the letter "ø" and the soft Danish "d" which are difficult to pronounce for non-Danes.
  • Fem flade flødeboller på et fladt flødebollefad
Five flat cream puffs on a flat cream puff plate
  • Bispens gipsbisps gipsgebis gisper
The dentures of the bishop's plaster bishop (statuette) clatter
  • Da de hvide kom til de vilde, ville de vilde vide hvad de hvide ville vide om de vilde
When the white (men) came to the wild (men), the wild wanted to know what the white wanted to know about the wild
  • Stakit, stativ, kasket
Paling, rack, cap
  • Kæmpe kæppe knækker næppe
Giant rods hardly crack
  • Titusinde tossede troldeunger trillede til trylleteatrets trappetrin
10,000 crazy young trolls rolled to the steps (of the stairs) of the magical theatre.

Fem flade flyndere fra Fladbro/ 5 flat soles from Fladbro

[edit] Dialectal

Western Jutlandic

  • A æ u å æ ø i æ å! (answer:) A æ å u å æ ø i æ å!
I am out on the island in the river! I am also out on the island in the river!

[edit] Dutch

  • De poes kotst in de postkoets.
The cat pukes in the stagecoach.
  • De koetsier poetst de postkoets met postkoetspoets.
The coachman cleans the stagecoach with stagecoach cleaner.
  • De kat krabt de krullen van de trap met drie droge doeken.
The cat scratches the woodcurls of the stairs with three dry cloths.
  • De knappe kapper kapt knap, maar de knappe knecht van de knappe kapper kapt knapper dan de knappe kapper kappen kan.
The clever barber cuts hair cleverly, but the clever helper of the clever barber cuts hair more cleverly than the clever barber can cut it.
  • De knecht snijdt recht en de meid snijdt scheef.
The servant cuts straight and the maid cuts crooked.
  • Liesje leerde Lotje lopen langs de lange lindenlaan.
Liesje taught Lotje how to walk along the long lime tree lane.
  • Moeder snijdt zeven scheve sneden brood.
Mother slices seven skew slices of bread.
  • Een pet met een platte klep is een plattekleppet.
A cap with a flat flap is a flat flap cap.
  • Wanneer een potvis in een pispot pist heb je een pispot vol met potvissenpis.
When a sperm whale pisses into a chamber pot, one has a chamber pot full of sperm whale piss.
  • Jeukt jouw jeukende neus ook zoals mijn jeukende neus jeukt?
Does your itching nose itch like my itching nose is itching? (when you pronounce jeukende neus jeukt incorrect you get jeukende jeus neukt which means something like itching j/nose fucks.)
  • Zeven zwarte zwanen zwemmen in de Zuiderzee.
Seven black swans swim in the Southern Sea.
  • Als vliegen achter vliegen vliegen, vliegen vliegen vliegensvlug.
If flies fly behind flies, flies will fly like lightning.
  • Als achter vliegen vliegen vliegen, vliegen vliegen vliegen achterna.
If behind flies fly flies, flies are flying in pursuit of flies.
  • Toen was was was, was was was.
When wash was wash, wash was wash.
  • Wij wouden witte was wassen waneer wij wisten waar warm water was.
We would wash white wash when we knew where warm water was.
  • Als in Graven graven gravengraven graven, graven graven gravengraven.
If counts are digging count-graves in Graven, counts dig count-graves.
  • Zeven Zaventemse zotten zwommen zes zomerse zondagen zonder zwembroek. "Ze zijn zekers zot zeg!", zei Zuster Zulma zuchtend. Ze zullen zinken.
Seven nuts from Zaventem were swimming on six sundays without bathingsuit."They are crazy for sure!", replied Sister Zulma sighing. They will sink
  • Hottentottententententoonstelling
  • Hottentottensoldatententententoonstelling

[edit] Esperanto

  • Ĉu ŝi scias, ĉu ĉi-scene la sklavo ŝtelas la sceptron?
Does she know if the slave steals the sceptre during this scene?
  • Serpo servu cin por ĉerpo el cerbo de serba cervo.
May a billhook serve thee to scoop out a Serbian deer's brain.

[edit] Estonian

  • Pagari piparkook (repeated).
Baker's ginger biscuit
  • Musta lehma saba valge lehma taga, valge lehma saba musta lehma taga (repeated).
Black cow's tail behind a white cow, white cow's tail behind a black cow.
  • Kabli klubi (repeated)
Club of Kabli
  • Habemeajaja, majarajaja ja jaamaülem (repeated, sobriety test)
Barber, house builder and stationmaster
  • Habemeajaja ja jaamaülem jalutasid honorari järele.
The barber and the station-master walked for the fee.
  • Kummikutes kummitus kummitas kummutis (repeated, sobriety test)
A ghost with rubberboots haunted in the chest of drawers
  • Eminemi esimene esinemine
Eminem's first performance
  • Jüriöö ülestõus (jokingly used to determine if a non-native speaker has mastered the difficult accented vowels)
The Jüriöö uprising, in the night of April 23, 1343 peasants in Northern Estonia rebelled against their Danish overlords and cleansed much of the country of the foreign rulers.
  • Õunapuu õitseaeg on Jüriöö ülestõusust jõululaupäevani
Blossom-time of an apple-tree is from the Jüriöö uprising until the Christmas Eve.
  • Kuulilennuteetunneliluuk
The hatch of the tunnel of ballistic trajectory
This word is also a palindrome.
  • Õueaiaäär
Edge of a yard fence
  • Jäääär
Edge of ice
  • korstnapühkija teeb kortsus korstnad korda
the chimney sweeper will fix the wrinkled chimneys
  • Kuuuurija
Explorer of the Moon
  • Töööö
Night of work, night shift
  • Südaööelu
Midnight life
  • Ööbik nöögib (repeated)
A nightingale is mocking
  • Kõueööaimdus
Surmise of thunder-night
  • Hauaööõudused
Horrors of a night in grave
  • Lampjalgadega stampvambilgi on rambikramp.
  • Roo-loorkull
Marsh harrier bird (Circus aeruginosus). Enormously hard to pronounce if you are drunk.

[edit] Filipino

  • Kabilugan ng buwan, buwan ng kabilugan
Fullness of the moon, month of roundness (i.e.: pregnancy).
This tongue-twister is also a Spoonerism, intending the speaker to say "kalibugan" (the state of being horny).
  • Minikaniko ni Monico ang makina ng minicar ni Monica
Monico is working on ("mechanic-ing") Monica's mini-car's engine.
  • Pasko, paksiw
"Pasko" is the Filipino word for Christmas and "paksiw" is meat stewed in vinegar.
  • Pitumpu't pitong puting putong ipinirito ng puting patong papito-pito
Seventy-seventy white rice cakes fried by a whistling white duck.
  • Puting tupa, tupang puti
Featuring the two ways to say "white sheep" in Filipino, this Spoonerism intends the speaker to say "puta" (bitch).
  • Tumalon si Tonton sa malalim na balon sa ilalim ng talon sa taniman ng talong
Tonton jumped into the deep well under the waterfalls by the eggplant plantation.
  • Ang relo ni Leroy Rolex
Leroy's watch is a Rolex.
  • Bituka, butiki, botika
Intestine, lizard, drugstore.
  • batong pagong pagong na bato
rock turtle turtle rock
  • Naka kapag kaba gabag
flaming

[edit] Finnish

  • Alavilla mailla hallan vaaraa (This is an actual weather report)
Risk of frost on low-lying lands
  • Appilan pappilan apupapin paksuposkipiski pisti poskeensa paksun papupurkin.
The thick-cheeked dog of the deacon of the rectory of Appila (a name of a place) ate a thick bean can.
  • Appilan pappilan apupapin papupata pankolla kiehuu ja kuohuu.
Bean casserole of the deacon of the rectory of Appila (a name of a place) boils and bubbles on the oven.
  • Appilan pappilan piski paksuposki pakkas kapsäkin ja pinkaisi juoksuun.
The thick-cheeked dog of the rectory of Appila (a name of a place) packed up a travelling-bag and started running.
  • Kokoo kokoon koko kokko! Koko kokkoko? Koko kokko.
Gather up a full bonfire! A full bonfire? A full bonfire.
  • Vie fiestaan hienon miekkamiehen tie (Tie vie!)
The way of the fine swordsman leads to fiesta (Road leads!)
(from "My Fair Lady", as Finnish translation for "The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain.")
  • Lauri löysi ruplanrahan jyrkän penkereen reunalta.
Lauri (a man's name) found a one ruble coin from the brink of a steep cliff.
  • Mustan kissan paksut posket (repeated)
Black cat's thick cheeks
  • Pappilan apupapin papupata pankolla kiehuu.
The rectory's deacon's bean casserole boils on the oven.
  • Presidenttipari pariloi Floridan kolesterolitonta broileria.
The presidential couple is barbequing cholesterol-less Florida broiler.
  • Vesihiisi sihisi hississä.
The water pixie hissed in an elevator. (tease or practice for people with a lisp)
  • Yksikseskös yskiskelet? - Itsekseskös itkeskelet?
Are you coughing alone? - Are you crying by yourself?
  • Ärrän kierrän ympäri orren, ässän pistän taskuun.
I twine an 'R' around a purline, I put the 'S' into the pocket. (Tease or practice for people with problems pronouncing 'r' or 's')
  • Ääliö, älä lyö, ööliä läikkyy!
Idiot, don't hit, beer spills!
  • Yötyö vie työmiehen myöhään syömään
Night shift gets the worker late for dinner
  • Nuoret työmiehet vievät Suomen tietyöt päätökseen
Young workers finalize the Finnish road works
  • Enenenen, en enenene.
I may increase, I may not increase.
  • Gödöllön pöllö töllöttää, möllöttää, köllöttää ja ööliä löllöttää
The owl of town Gödöllő (in Hungary) watches around, sulks, idles and consumes beer.
  • Kersantti Pippuri rannalla tappeli (to tease or practice people who confuse 'r' and 'l')
Sergeant Pepper fought at beach
  • Käki söi keksiä keskellä keskioksaa
Cuckoo ate cookie in the middle of the mid-branch
  • Etsivät etsivät etsivät etsivät etsivät
Detectives who are detecting find (other) detectives who are detecting
Variant: Etsivät etsivät etsivät etsittävät etsivät etsivät
The detecting detectives detect the (other) detecting detectives to be detected
  • Ettette te tee
So that you won't do
  • Kumpi ja Kampi tappelivat - Kumpi voitti (ambiguous meaning, either a question or statement)
Which and Other (two persons) fought. The other one won. - Literally: Which and Handle fought. Which won./Which one won?
  • Puutavara? Traktori vetää, metsuri vedättää, urakoitsija vedätyttää, saha vedätätyttää
Lumber? Tractor pulls, lumberjack has it pulled, lumber company lets it have pulled and sawmill asks it to let to be pulled
(an example of indirection in the Finnish language)

[edit] Dialectal

  • - Kokko, kokkoo kokkoo koko kokko! - Koko kokkoko? - Koko kokko. Kokkookko? (Savo dialect)
Kokko (a surname), gather up the whole bonfire! - The entire bonfire? - The entire bonfire. Now will you gather it up?
Grandma, pack grandpa's suitcase - this is also almost verbatim the same in Swedish.
  • Olin sedälläni seitsemän vuotta kodossa renkinä (to tease Eastern Tavastians, who pronounce 'd' as 'l')
I was my uncle's servant at his home for seven years; mispronounced becomes "I was seven years a servant in a hole laying on my back"
  • Hieno piano (repeated) (To tease people from Finland proper, who pronounce the diphthong 'ie' as 'ia')
Fine piano
  • Fiesta Kiasmassa (to tease people from Savo, who pronounce the diphthong 'ia' as 'ie')
Fiesta in Kiasma (Helsinki museum of modern arts)

[edit] Special words

  • Lentokonesuihkuturbiinimoottoriapumekaanikkoaliupseerioppilas (The longest Finnish word in actual usage, a military term in Air Force)
Airplane jet turbine engine auxiliary mechanic non-commissioned officer student
  • Hääyöaieuutinen
literally "Wedding night intention news"(very literally "The good night news") - something about celebrities and certainly yellow press stuff. Nine consecutive vowels.
  • Epäjärjestelmällistyttämättömyydellänsäkäänköhän
Wonder if even with his/her lack of capacity to create disorganisation
  • Pientalokolmivaihevaihtovirtakilowattituntimittari (The longest everyday Finnish word)
Small house three phase alternative current kilowatt-hour meter
  • Kaksitariffikolmivaihevaihtovirtakilowattituntimittariasennuspalvelu
Two-tariff three phase alternative current kilowatt hour meter installing service
  • Saippuakauppias
Soap vendor, 15 letters, longest everyday palindrome
  • Saippuakalasalakauppias
Soapfish smuggler, 23 letters, longest meaningful palindrome
  • Solutomaattimittaamotulos
Cell tomato laboratory report, 25 letters, longest palindrome

[edit] French

  • La pie niche haut, l'oie niche bas, l'hibou niche ni haut ni bas, mais où l'hibou niche?
The magpie nests high-up, the goose nests low-down, the owl nests neither high-up nor low down, but where does the owl nest?
  • Je suis ce que je suis, et si je suis ce que je suis, qu'est-ce que je suis?
I am what I am, and if I am what I am, What am I?
  • Mon père est mon maire et mon frère est masseur.
My dad is my mayor and my brother is a massager. (sounds like my dad is my mother [mère] and my brother is my sister [ma soeur])
  • La roue sur la rue roule ; la rue sous la roue reste. listen (help·info)
The wheel on the road rolls; the road under the wheel stays.
  • Un chasseur sachant chasser doit savoir chasser sans son chien de chasse. listen (help·info)
A hunter who knows how to hunt has to know how to hunt without his hunting dog.
  • La pipe au papa du Pape Pipe pue (Prévert).
Pope Pius' dad's pipe stinks.
  • Si ces saucissons sont bons, ces saucissons-ci sont aussi bons.
If those sausages are good, these sausages here are also good.
  • Monsieur Sanssouci, combien coutent ces saucissons-ci? Ces saucissons-ci coutent six sous. Si ces saucissons-ci coutent six sous, ces saucissons-ci sont fort chers.
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