A Spanish one: Tres tristes tigres tragaban trigo en tres tristes trastos; en tres tristes trastos tragaban trigo tres tristes tigres. It doesn't make any sense but sounds funny :)
Even me get fail with saying it twice or more than on time.. Kids challenge each other with saying it twice time straight : "خيط حرير على حيط ابو خليل" it is in Arabic !. Khet 7arer 3la het khalil Rough translation: Silk string on Khalil’s wall
I also like 生麦、生米、生卵 (nama mugi nama gome nama tamago) - raw wheat, raw rice, raw egg(s) - because it's shorter and thus easier to remember than Mr Niwa's garden (but still good for impressing small children). In Japanese tongue twisters are called 早口言葉, literally "fast mouth words", which seems like a good description!
My favorite, a classic: 四十四，十是十。十是十。十四是十四，四十是四十。四不是十，十不是四。十四不是四十，四十不是十四。 I really advise just putting this in google translate to get the phonetics and the English meaning. I dare your to try and say it, it'll be a real challenge but you'll impress your Chinese friends if you have any if you can say it well. Good luck!
One from Indonesia: Kaki kakek kakakku kaku kaku kena paku (my gramps and brother's toe nail paralyzed from stepping a nail) Satu sate tujuh tusuk (p.s do it 7 times) (one satay seven pieces of meat)
Several examples from Cantonese (transliterations are in Jyutping): 1. 入實驗室撳緊急掣 (jap6 sat6 jim6 sat1 gam6 gan5 gap1 zai3) - enter a laboratory and press the emergency button 2. 一文一隻雞，一文一隻龜，你話雞貴定係龜貴 (jat1 man1 jat1 zek3 gai1, jat1 man1 jat1 zek3 gwai1, nei5 waa6 gai1 gwai3 ding6 hai6 gwai1 gwai3) - $1 for a chicken, $1 for a tortoise. Which one will you say as the more expensive one, chicken or tortoise? 3. 床腳撞牆角 (cong4 gok3 zong6 coeng4 geot3) - bed leg clashes with the wall corner
Here's my favourite Russian one: сиреневенькая глазовыколупывалка с подвыподвернутыми ножками и перевыподвернутыми ручками. It would sound something like "the violet contraption for taking eyes out with oddly twisted legs and arms", if you try to translate it. :)
My favourite Chinese tongue-twister
ReplyDelete吃葡萄不吐葡萄皮，不吃葡萄倒吐葡萄皮。
I wish I could read Chinese :(
DeleteHow is that a tongue twister?
DeleteThe pinyin is
DeleteChī pútáo bù tǔ pútáo pí, bù chī pútáo dào tǔ pútáo pí
A Spanish one:
ReplyDeleteTres tristes tigres tragaban trigo en tres tristes trastos; en tres tristes trastos tragaban trigo tres tristes tigres.
It doesn't make any sense but sounds funny :)
It looks quite funny as well
DeleteHave you tried this one in German: "Fischer's Fritz fischt frische Fische, frische Fische fischt Fischer's Fritz"?
ReplyDeleteOoff, that one's hard!
DeleteΆσπρη πέτρα ξέξασπρη κι απ' τον ήλιο ξεξασπρότερη. Greek one!
ReplyDeleteEven me get fail with saying it twice or more than on time.. Kids challenge each other with saying it twice time straight : "خيط حرير على حيط ابو خليل" it is in Arabic !.
ReplyDeleteKhet 7arer 3la het khalil
Rough translation:
Silk string on Khalil’s wall
One in romanian:
ReplyDelete"Capra neagră calcă-n piatră,
Piatra mare crapă-n patru.
Aşa să crape capul caprei,
Cum a crăpat piatra-n patru."
Nice one!
ReplyDeleteIn Brazil we say "O rato roeu a roupa do rei de Roma"
And the pronunciation of the Korean:
ReplyDeleteGanjang Gongjang Gongjangjangeun Gang Gongjangjangigo, doenjanggongjang gongjangjangeun gong gongjangjangida.
I also like 生麦、生米、生卵 (nama mugi nama gome nama tamago) - raw wheat, raw rice, raw egg(s) - because it's shorter and thus easier to remember than Mr Niwa's garden (but still good for impressing small children). In Japanese tongue twisters are called 早口言葉, literally "fast mouth words", which seems like a good description!
ReplyDelete妈妈骂马吗？
ReplyDeleteMy favorite, a classic:
ReplyDelete四十四，十是十。十是十。十四是十四，四十是四十。四不是十，十不是四。十四不是四十，四十不是十四。
I really advise just putting this in google translate to get the phonetics and the English meaning. I dare your to try and say it, it'll be a real challenge but you'll impress your Chinese friends if you have any if you can say it well. Good luck!
And the one from Poland :)
ReplyDeletehttps://youtu.be/3aVCgV6tIjE
Grzegorz Brzęczyszczykiewicz from Częszczyrzeboszyce in Łękołody district (powiat)
Finnish tongue-twisters can be interesting, here's one:
ReplyDelete"Kokooko Kokko koko kokon kokoon? Kyllä Kokko koko kokon kokoon kokoo!"
"Will Kokko gather up the whole bonfire? Yes, Kokko will gather up the whole bonfire!"
most common finnish one is "vesihiisi sihisi hississä" (there is no translation possible)
ReplyDeleteactually ... water lizard is making noise in elevator
Delete*Lingua Pravarum
ReplyDeleteReally?
DeleteOne from Indonesia:
ReplyDeleteKaki kakek kakakku kaku kaku kena paku
(my gramps and brother's toe nail paralyzed from stepping a nail)
Satu sate tujuh tusuk (p.s do it 7 times)
(one satay seven pieces of meat)
Several examples from Cantonese (transliterations are in Jyutping):
ReplyDelete1. 入實驗室撳緊急掣 (jap6 sat6 jim6 sat1 gam6 gan5 gap1 zai3) - enter a laboratory and press the emergency button
2. 一文一隻雞，一文一隻龜，你話雞貴定係龜貴 (jat1 man1 jat1 zek3 gai1, jat1 man1 jat1 zek3 gwai1, nei5 waa6 gai1 gwai3 ding6 hai6 gwai1 gwai3) - $1 for a chicken, $1 for a tortoise. Which one will you say as the more expensive one, chicken or tortoise?
3. 床腳撞牆角 (cong4 gok3 zong6 coeng4 geot3) - bed leg clashes with the wall corner
Hebrew trans: Its not my turn to clean the locker! Its your turn to lean the locker! The locker can't be cleaned by me! I am not going to clean it!
ReplyDeleteRussian one:
ReplyDeleteCarl stole a coral from Clara and Clara stole a clarinet from Carl.
One from Poland:
ReplyDelete"Król Karol kupił królowej Karolinie korale koloru koralowego."
Here's my favourite Russian one: сиреневенькая глазовыколупывалка с подвыподвернутыми ножками и перевыподвернутыми ручками. It would sound something like "the violet contraption for taking eyes out with oddly twisted legs and arms", if you try to translate it. :)
ReplyDeleteMy favourite Serbian slang one: Na vrh brda mdma mgra
ReplyDeleteA more complete one for Portuguese: O rato roeu a rolha da garrafa de rum do rei da rússia e a rainha com raiva resolveu remendar.
ReplyDeletefinnish one: vesihiisi shihisee hississä
ReplyDelete"коральі" means necklace, not sea creature
ReplyDelete