Beware, it’s gum syrup!

Posted on 25. Apr, 2006 @ 11:31 pm by in Humor, Language Views: 572

Let’s learn Japanese through warning labels!


よくお水と間違えられるのですが

yoku omizu to machigaerarerunodesuga
While often mistaken for water,

これはガムシロップ “Gum Syrup”です

koreha gamushiroppu desu
This is Gum Syrup

まぎらわしくてごめんなさい

magirawashikutegomenasai
Sorry it’s so confusing.

Now magirawashii is a adjective we can stop to take a moment to look at.  According to my trusty Breen dictionary, まぎらわしい means…

紛らわしい 【まぎらわしい】 (adj) confusing; misleading; equivocal; ambiguous;

Good word!

I’m glad I got a picture of this jug of gum syrup that is often mistaken for water.

I’m also glad the store apologies for it so readily. If I could only get a picture of someone in the process of making the mistake though… It must have happened quite a few times before the owners finally put up the sign…

Must have been great for a laugh…

- Harvey

  • mdchachi

    Well thanks to this I learned a new word. I never knew until tonight that omizu had two meanings kind of like ame (rain) and ame (candy). Of course I knew about omizushoubai etc but I didn’t know “omizu” alone can mean something like “hostess”. All these years I was probably asking for an oneesan instead of water…

  • http://www.japannewbie.com harvey

    Dude. Does “omizu” alone really mean hostess? And if so… why did this post lead you to figure that out!?

    I’m so confused. Or, you’re so crazy.

    I dare someone to drink a cup of gum syrup.

    Hey actually, McDonalds in Japan (maybe US too, dunno) hands out small cups of liquid sugar with orders of ice tea, or ice coffee. I have a friend who would collect these and drink them while we were bumming around Japan a few years ago.

    Hilarious. Sugar High.

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