<p>These below are not exactly embarassing, but nonetheless funny words that have different meanings when pronounced with different tones.</p>

<ul>
<li>看書 (read book) kàn shū / 砍樹 (chuck wood) kǎn shù</li>
<li>湯水 (soup) tāng shuǐ / 糖水 (syrup/sweet soup) táng shuǐ</li>
<li>號碼 (number) hào mǎ / 好嗎 (okay?) hǎo ma</li>
<li>大人 (adult) dàrén / 打人 (beat somebody) dǎ rén</li>
<li>火車 (train) huǒchē / 貨車 (truck) huòchē</li>
<li>好帥 (handsome) hǎo shuài / 好衰 (mean) hǎo shuāi</li>
<li>美麗 (beautiful) měilì / 沒理 (unreasonable) méilǐ</li>
<li>妻子 (wife) qīzi / 棋子 (chest piece) qízi </li>
<li>梨子蛋糕 (pear cake) lí zi dàn gāo / 李子蛋糕 (plum cake) lĭ zi dàn gāo / 栗子蛋糕 (chestnut cake) lì zi dàn gāo</li>
<li>搭便車 (hitchhiking) dā biàn chē / 大便車 (stool vehicle) dà biàn chē / 打扁車 (flatten a car) dă biăn chē</li>
<li>杯子 (cup) bēi zi / 被子 (quilt) bèi zi</li>
<li>禿子 (bald guy) tū zi / 兔子 (rabbit) tù zĭ</li>
<li>消化 (digest) xiāo huà / 笑話 (joke) xiào hua</li>
<li>珠子 (bead) zhū zi / 柱子 (pillar) zhù zi</li>
<li>進攻 (attack) jìn gōng / 進貢 (tribute) jìn gòng</li>
<li>歌星 (singer) gē xīng / 個性 (personality) gè xìng</li>
<li>獅子 (lion) shī zi / 柿子 (persimmon)shì zi</li>
<li>大官 (high official) dà guān / 大罐 (big can or pot) dà guàn</li>
<li>司機 (chauffeur) sī jī / 四季 (four seasons) sì jì</li>
<li>相思 (lovesick) xiāng sī / 相似 (similar) xiāng sì</li>
<li>通信 (send letters) tōng xìn / 痛心 (broken-hearted) tòng xīn</li>
<li>包紙 (wrap) bāo zhĭ / 報紙 (newspaper) bào zhĭ</li>
<li>推銷 (sell) tuī xiāo / 退燒 (reduce fever) tuì shāo</li>
<li>搬家 (move home) bān jiā / 半價 (half price) bàn jià</li>
<li>兵士 (soldier) bīng shì / 病逝 (die with illness) bìng shì</li>
<li>徒弟 (apprentice) tú dì / 土地 (land) tŭ dì</li>
<li>留條 (leave a note) liú tiáo / 柳條 (wicker/willow) liŭ tiáo</li>
<li>研習 (learn) yán xí / 演習 (rehearsal/drill) yăn xí</li>
<li>涼台 (veranda) liáng tái / 兩台 (two sets) liăng tái</li>
<li>零錢 (change money) líng qián / 領錢 (receive money) lĭng qián </li>
<li>圖畫 (picture) tú huà / 土話 (dialect) tŭ huà </li>
<li>竹蓆 (bamboo mat) zhú xí / 主席 (chairman) zhŭ xí </li>
<li>完了 (finished) wán le / 晚了 (late) wăn le </li>
<li>毒氣 (poisonous gas) dú qì / 賭氣 (pique) dŭ qì </li>
<li>飛機 (aircraft) fēi jī / 肥雞 (fat chicken) féi jī / 匪機 (bandit plane) fěi jī</li>
<li>支援 (support) zhī yuán / 職員 (staff) zhí yuán / 只願 (only desire) zhĭ yuàn / 志願 (volunteer) zhì yuàn</li>
</ul>

<p>A few more on the web:</p>

<p><a href="http://www.hellouk.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=90874" rel="nofollow">http://www.hellouk.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=90874</a></p>

<p><a href="http://susanfat.mysinablog.com/index.php?op=ViewArticle&amp;articleId=4444909" rel="nofollow">http://susanfat.mysinablog.com/index.php?op=ViewArticle&amp;articleId=4444909</a></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-06-18T20:21:01.623Z
2015-06-18T20:27:39.530Z
2015-06-18T20:27:39.530Z
leo4jc
<p>For example: </p>

<p>"问(wèn) ask" and "吻(wěn) kiss"
我可以问你吗？ wǒ kěyǐ wèn nǐ ma? It means "Can I ask you?"<br>
我可以吻你吗？ wǒ kěyǐ wěn nǐ ma? It means "Can I kiss you?"</p>

<p>Could you please give me more examples?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-06-18T03:49:07.013Z
When cao (first, second, third, neutral) becomes cào!
Mou某
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-06-18T05:21:41.807Z
Reddit: Are there any Chinese phrases that have an embarrassing meaning if you mis-pronounce the tones? http://www.reddit.com/r/ChineseLanguage/comments/1yytqj/are_there_any_chinese_phrases_that_have_an/
imrek
<word><phrase>
Are there any Chinese phrases that have embarrassing meanings if their tones are mispronounced?
# Are there any Chinese phrases that have embarrassing meanings if their tones are mispronounced?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-06-18)

For example:

"问(wèn) ask" and "吻(wěn) kiss"
我可以问你吗？ wǒ kěyǐ wèn nǐ ma? It means "Can I ask you?"  
我可以吻你吗？ wǒ kěyǐ wěn nǐ ma? It means "Can I kiss you?"

Could you please give me more examples?

**Tags:** word, phrase

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: When cao (first, second, third, neutral) becomes cào!  
> **username_2**: Reddit: Are there any Chinese phrases that have an embarrassing meaning if you mis-pronounce the tones? http://www.reddit.com/r/ChineseLanguage/comments/1yytqj/are_there_any_chinese_phrases_that_have_an/  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2015-06-18. Score: 3

These below are not exactly embarassing, but nonetheless funny words that have different meanings when pronounced with different tones.

* 看書 (read book) kàn shū / 砍樹 (chuck wood) kǎn shù
* 湯水 (soup) tāng shuǐ / 糖水 (syrup/sweet soup) táng shuǐ
* 號碼 (number) hào mǎ / 好嗎 (okay?) hǎo ma
* 大人 (adult) dàrén / 打人 (beat somebody) dǎ rén
* 火車 (train) huǒchē / 貨車 (truck) huòchē
* 好帥 (handsome) hǎo shuài / 好衰 (mean) hǎo shuāi
* 美麗 (beautiful) měilì / 沒理 (unreasonable) méilǐ
* 妻子 (wife) qīzi / 棋子 (chest piece) qízi
* 梨子蛋糕 (pear cake) lí zi dàn gāo / 李子蛋糕 (plum cake) lĭ zi dàn gāo / 栗子蛋糕 (chestnut cake) lì zi dàn gāo
* 搭便車 (hitchhiking) dā biàn chē / 大便車 (stool vehicle) dà biàn chē / 打扁車 (flatten a car) dă biăn chē
* 杯子 (cup) bēi zi / 被子 (quilt) bèi zi
* 禿子 (bald guy) tū zi / 兔子 (rabbit) tù zĭ
* 消化 (digest) xiāo huà / 笑話 (joke) xiào hua
* 珠子 (bead) zhū zi / 柱子 (pillar) zhù zi
* 進攻 (attack) jìn gōng / 進貢 (tribute) jìn gòng
* 歌星 (singer) gē xīng / 個性 (personality) gè xìng
* 獅子 (lion) shī zi / 柿子 (persimmon)shì zi
* 大官 (high official) dà guān / 大罐 (big can or pot) dà guàn
* 司機 (chauffeur) sī jī / 四季 (four seasons) sì jì
* 相思 (lovesick) xiāng sī / 相似 (similar) xiāng sì
* 通信 (send letters) tōng xìn / 痛心 (broken-hearted) tòng xīn
* 包紙 (wrap) bāo zhĭ / 報紙 (newspaper) bào zhĭ
* 推銷 (sell) tuī xiāo / 退燒 (reduce fever) tuì shāo
* 搬家 (move home) bān jiā / 半價 (half price) bàn jià
* 兵士 (soldier) bīng shì / 病逝 (die with illness) bìng shì
* 徒弟 (apprentice) tú dì / 土地 (land) tŭ dì
* 留條 (leave a note) liú tiáo / 柳條 (wicker/willow) liŭ tiáo
* 研習 (learn) yán xí / 演習 (rehearsal/drill) yăn xí
* 涼台 (veranda) liáng tái / 兩台 (two sets) liăng tái
* 零錢 (change money) líng qián / 領錢 (receive money) lĭng qián
* 圖畫 (picture) tú huà / 土話 (dialect) tŭ huà
* 竹蓆 (bamboo mat) zhú xí / 主席 (chairman) zhŭ xí
* 完了 (finished) wán le / 晚了 (late) wăn le
* 毒氣 (poisonous gas) dú qì / 賭氣 (pique) dŭ qì
* 飛機 (aircraft) fēi jī / 肥雞 (fat chicken) féi jī / 匪機 (bandit plane) fěi jī
* 支援 (support) zhī yuán / 職員 (staff) zhí yuán / 只願 (only desire) zhĭ yuàn / 志願 (volunteer) zhì yuàn

A few more on the web:

<http://www.hellouk.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=90874>

<http://susanfat.mysinablog.com/index.php?op=ViewArticle&articleId=4444909>


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