Tongue Twisters

While I was in Chiang Mai, Thailand in 2009 I did a quick little Thai cooking course. The only participants were me and a German couple. On the ride back to town the woman asked me to write down a couple English tongue twisters for her. She collects tongue twisters in foreign languages. I thought this was fun so I got her to write down some German ones for me too:

Blaukraut bleibt Blaukraut und Brautkleid bleibt Brautkleid.

Blue cabbage remains blue cabbage, and the bride's dress remains bride's dress.

Fischer's Fritz fischt frische Fische,
frische Fische fischt Frischer's Fritz.

Fischer's boy Fritz fishes for fresh fish, fresh fish fishes Fischer's boy Fritz.


Now, tongue twisters are a lot of fun to play with in ESL classes. I dazzle them with selling seashells and baffle them with Betty Botter. This summer I asked some of my teenage international students to share tongue twisters in their language. They aren't usually allowed to make a peep in their own language but I thought this was an OK exception since the other students got to learn a little bit about other languages and cultures. They seemed to enjoy themselves. Here's what I got:

(Catalan) Setʒe jutges d'un jutjat menjen fetge d'un penjat.

Sixteen judges of one courthouse eat the liver of a hanged man. Or something like that.

(Catalan) El pinxo li va dir al ponxo vob que et punxi amb un punxo? I el ponxo li va dir al pinxo que si pero que a la ponxa no!

I didn't get a translation for this one. A translating website is saying something about a bully and a raincoat pricking and punching each other. I don't think I trust it.

(Spanish-Spain) El perro de San Roque no tiene rabo porque Ramon Ramirez sela ha robado.

The dog of San Roque doesn't have a tail because Ramon Ramirez stole it.

(Spanish-Spain) Si Pancha plancha cuatro panchas, cuantas panchas a planchado Pancha?

If Pancha irons four "panchas," how many "panchas" did Pancha iron. I couldn't figure out what "panchas" are.

(Spanish-Mexico) Pepe Pecas pica papas con un pico Pepe Pecas pica papas.

Pepe Freckles chops potatoes with a spade Pepe Freckles chops potatoes. Or something like that.

(Japanese, transliterated) Tonari no kyaku wa yoku kakikuu kyaku da.

Roughly: My neighbour's guest is a guest who eats lots of persimmons.


I could just go to this page, and I have, but it's more fun to share them in person. Please forgive my inaccurate translations and interpretations.