9 of The Worst Translation Mistakes in History
From global gaffes to political blunders, explore the worst translation mistakes ever made — and how one wrong translation changed history.
Language helps you connect, build relationships, and share ideas. But when words get lost in translation, things can go badly wrong.
Some mistakes are funny. Others are costly. A few even change the course of history. In this article, you’ll discover the worst translation mistakes ever recorded. You’ll find out how one small error can lead to war, death, and international scandal.
These are more than simple mix-ups. They’re lessons in communication gone wrong. So read on, because you won’t believe how much damage a few wrong words can do.
The Worst Translation Mistakes in History
Translation might seem easy — until one wrong word sparks panic, confusion, or laughter. These are the worst translation mistakes in history, and yes, some are hilariously bad, while others prove just how high the stakes can be.
1. The Hiroshima Miscommunication That Cost Thousands of Lives
One of the worst translation mistakes ever happened in 1945, during World War II.
The Allied forces issued the Potsdam Declaration, demanding Japan’s surrender. Japan’s response came from Prime Minister Kantaro Suzuki. He said they would “mokusatsu” the declaration.
The term “mokusatsu” can mean “ignore”, “take no notice of”, or “treat with silent contempt” depending on context. Translators chose the harsher meaning: “We are ignoring it with contempt.”
That translation was sent to the U.S. It painted Japan as defiant. Days later, the U.S. dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Thousands died, all because of a single word interpreted the wrong way.
2. The $10 Million Pepsi Slogan Fail in China
Pepsi wanted to win over Chinese consumers. So they translated their U.S. slogan, “Come alive, you’re in the Pepsi generation” and adapted it for the Chinese market.
Unfortunately, the Chinese version allegedly read, “Pepsi brings your ancestors back from the grave.”
Not exactly the vibe they were going for.
This mistake didn’t just sound ridiculous, it deeply offended Chinese values around family and ancestor respect. It’s one of the worst translations ever in global marketing.
Pepsi spent millions fixing the mistake and rebuilding trust, although this has never been outright confirmed or denied by Pepsi.
3. Jimmy Carter’s Polish Blunder
In 1977, President Jimmy Carter visited Poland. He wanted to make a good impression. Instead, he made history for the wrong reason.
His speech, translated by a non-native speaker, created an international stir.
Carter said he wanted to learn about the Polish people’s desires. The translator told the crowd he desired them sexually.
Then Carter said he had left the U.S. that morning. The translation came out as; “I abandoned America forever.”
Polish reporters burst into laughter. The crowd was confused. The visit became a diplomatic disaster.
4. Confusion in Wales
With over 300,000 Welsh speakers in the UK, you’d expect translations to be spot on. Not always.
In 2012, drivers in the Vale of Glamorgan saw a strange road sign. It told them to “follow the entertainment” instead of following a diversion.
The mistake came from mistranslating the English word “diversion” into Welsh. Instead of helpful directions, drivers got comedy gold.
But the real gem came in 2008. Swansea Council needed a Welsh translation for a road sign. They emailed a request and used the reply they received.
Unfortunately, it was an automated out-of-office response, written in Welsh.
They printed it anyway. The sign went up with the message: “I am not in the office at the moment. Please send any work to be translated.”
Welsh speakers were baffled. Everyone else had a good laugh. Proof that even traffic signs can go viral—for the wrong reasons.
5. The Mars Orbiter That Crashed Because of a Unit Conversion
In 1999, NASA lost a $125 million Mars Climate Orbiter. Why? Because of a translation error of a different kind.
One team used metric units. The other used imperial. That mismatch sent the orbiter crashing into the Martian atmosphere.
It wasn’t a language translation—but it’s still one of the worst translation mistakes in technical history.
NASA learned the hard way that clarity between teams matters, even across units.
6. When Khrushchev’s Interpreter Almost Started World War III
One mistranslation almost set the world on fire, literally.
In 1956, Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev spoke at a reception at the Polish Embassy in Moscow. Among the guests were ambassadors from Western countries.
His interpreter translated one line a “We will bury you.”
That phrase hit like a train. Headlines screamed. Panic spread. Americans saw it as a direct threat of nuclear war.
But the full quote told a different story. Khrushchev had said: “If you don’t like us, don’t invite us. History is on our side. We will bury you.”
Was it still aggressive? Sure. But was it a declaration of war? Not exactly.
Some say the intended meaning was closer to: “We will dig you in,” or more figuratively, “We will outlast you.”
In Russian, it was a common phrase meaning, “We’ll be at your funeral.” In other words, “Your system will collapse before ours.”
Khrushchev tried to clarify years later. In 1959, he explained it wasn’t literal. He meant socialism would outlive capitalism.
Still, the damage was done. A few words, mistranslated, nearly pushed the Cold War over the edge.
7. Trudeau’s Speech Becomes a Gibberish Broadcast
Translation tech has come a long way, but in 2016, it still had a long way to go.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau delivered a speech at the White House in both English and French. Millions watched live, including viewers on ABC.
That’s when things went off the rails.
The broadcast used automatic subtitles to translate Trudeau’s French into English. But the machine didn’t understand his accent or the context.
Viewers were left scratching their heads as Trudeau appeared to praise “Nazi innings,” mention “railroad stations in Motorola,” and refer to “us old guys.”
He said none of those things.
The issue? A flawed machine translation program trying to work in real-time. No human interpreter was involved.
ABC quickly clarified the mess, but the clip had already gone viral. It became another case study on why you can’t rely entirely on machines.
Even world leaders can fall victim to one of the worst translation mistakes, especially when the robots take over the job. Fortunately, translation tools have come a long way and are much more reliable than they used to be!
8. The Ikea Product That Meant Something Rude
IKEA names its products using Swedish words. Sometimes, they forget to check how they sound in other languages.
They once launched a children’s desk called “Fartfull.” In Swedish, it meant “speedy.” In English, well, you get the picture.
Customers found it hilarious. Some were offended. Others thought it was a joke.
While it wasn’t a massive scandal, it was a branding embarrassment. A simple name check could’ve saved them the trouble.
9. The “Do Nothing” HSBC Slogan Disaster
Translation errors don’t just hit politicians, they hit banks too. HSBC learned that the hard way.
Their original slogan, “Assume Nothing,” was bold and clever in English. But when translated globally, it turned into “Do Nothing.”
That’s not the message you want from your financial institution.
Customers were confused. Trust dipped. And HSBC had to act fast. The mistake cost millions in a global rebranding effort.
They dropped the slogan and adopted a safer tagline: “The world’s private bank.” No room for misinterpretation there.
It’s a costly reminder — bad translation can wreck even the best branding.
Why These Mistakes Still Happen
You’d think big companies and governments would know better. But translation mistakes still happen every day.
Sometimes it’s budget cuts. Other times, it’s using unqualified translators. Some rely too much on machines.
These real-world disasters show the cost of getting it wrong. Even small words can carry big meanings.
What You Can Learn From These Mistakes
If you ever plan to translate a message, don’t leave it to chance.
Use professionals. Hire native speakers. Check cultural meanings. Test everything twice.
Whether it’s a slogan, an email, or a product label, precision matters. Avoid becoming the next entry in a list of the worst translations ever.
Final Thoughts
Language bridges cultures, but it can also break them.
These stories prove that even small translation errors can lead to massive fallout. War. Death. Embarrassment. Lost trust.
The worst translation mistakes in history remind us that words matter. Always.
Don’t take language lightly. The next time you write something that needs translating, stop and double-check. Or you might make history for all the wrong reasons.
