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This is a really tough/ intricate language question. 10+1 points for the best answer?
I am looking for a pun joke which works in English AS WELL AS after translating into another language.
For example, "Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana." Here the pun is on the two senses of the word 'flies'. However, if you translate it into any other language, it will no longer be funny.
Can you give me an example of one which would still be funny in another language?
@ Haseeb: Though I agree that out of the pan and into the fire is still funny in Hindi (I don't know Urdu, but I think the Hindi translation will be the same), it is not a pun.
@ Ken: Similarly, 'es würd nicht grüner' is not a pun. You aren't using grüner in more than one sense.
@ Timir: You have given a beautiful and funny example of a pun in Hindi. However, if translated into English, it reads, "You have hope only as long as you have breath." " Where there is a mother-in-law there is hope." which I'm sure you'll agree is not funny in English!
This is because while 'Saans' and 'Saas' are puns in Hindi, 'Breath' and 'Mother-in-law' are not puns in English! Very good try though!
4 Answers
- Anonymous1 decade agoFavorite Answer
"Why are profile pictures almost always frontal?"
This pun works in at least 6 languages (EN, ES, HU, NL, PT, SE).
- 1 decade ago
do you know Hindi or Urdu? if yes, here is one example.
"Saans hai to Aas hai". "Saas hai to Aas hai"
the pun works on two senses of the word "saas". one meaning of 'saas' is 'breath' and the other meaning is 'mother-in-law'. and 'aas' means 'hope'.
the meaning of the first line is that you have hope only till you have breath. but the meaning of second line is a mischievous one and has pun. only a married guy know the real meaning. it means that you have hope only till you have a mother-in-law.
even if you translate it into any other language, it will still be funny.
- Anonymous1 decade ago
Years ago while driving in Germany I was stopped at traffic lights and looking at something else rather than at the lights for them to change. When they did, my girlfriend said after a while, "es würd nicht grüner", which translates as 'it doesn't get any greener'.
Although no-one ever said that to me in in England in English it would be a humourous comment to make to a friend and equally so in German.
Source(s): Included above. - Anonymous1 decade ago
"Out of the pan in the fire" in Urdu language it is still funny.