Chinglish Shop Signs

In China, the English language is a fickle thing where the normal rules of grammar, punctuation and general comprehensible sentence structure do not seem to apply. So prolific is this phenomenon that they even have a name for it: Chinglish. Today’s post is a homage to this most wonderful of Frankenstein languages which keeps foreigners chuckling all day long and undoubtedly has sign makers busy when hapless proprietors realise their English faux pas (or not as the case is usually).

The following collection of shop sign shots was taken around the Haiya area of Nanshan District, Shenzhen nearby where I live:

No Right Just Suitable

No Right Just Suitable – a clothes shop where you’ll never find exactly what you’re looking for but it’ll be suitable nevertheless.

Hot Enticement

Hot Enticement – selling all manner of spicy foods to entice you into its fiery lair. Very reasonable prices too!

A Slight Fever

A Slight Fever – just what this is supposed to mean I don’t know. Is that a dog? A place to catch Swine Flu? Confusing.

Dolci & Vita

Dolci & Vita – not content with getting the spelling wrong the use of “&” also seems rather unnecessary but when you’re living the sweet life who cares (it’s a cake shop).

King Kong

King Kong – shoes for people with big feet perhaps or just a homage to the fictitious ape?

Hello Good

Hello Good – say no more.

Money Worship

Money Worship – ironically appropriate for China but probably lost on its owner.

Xin An Easy Money

Xin An Easy Money – perhaps not strictly Chinglish but clearly the money at this particular bank was a bit too easy!

This is just the tip of the iceberg – Chinglish can be found on t-shirts, advertisements, books, you name it… I could start a whole blog on this subject but I think you’ve got the picture. If/when I start my own company in China I’m going to give it an equally wacky name. Any suggestions?

David avatar

9 responses

  1. Shuo avatar
    Shuo

    I showed this post to my roommates.We laughed incredibly hard,and correspondingly felt embarrassesed.^^Yea,like you said,”say no more”.

    1. With an English major you’ll be made for life in China 🙂 I sometimes wonder if those dodgy foreign teachers do this sort of thing on purpose just for a laugh!

  2. Tom F avatar
    Tom F

    You could have at least got your own spelling correct! Perhaps Chinglish is catching? 🙂

    1. Well done for spotting my deliberate mistakes 😛

  3. great stuff! i’ve been meaning to put together a chinglish photo essay for a while now. coming soon…

  4. I’ve seen an Indian restaurant with the name “Gaylord”. It obviously made lots of sense to the owner to call his restaurant that. Languages and cultures mixed together often yield quite a conondrum.
    These were so funny that I decided to look for more and I found yet another great collection:
    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-497544/Chinglish-Hilarious-examples-signs-lost-translation.html

  5. keefe avatar
    keefe

    i’ve got a name for u, dav. good good study, day day up…

  6. Rich avatar
    Rich

    Love them especially ‘A Slight Fever’. What on earth is the thing next to it!

  7. The shop with Italian name Dolci & Vita, i think it is not that bad. 甜点生活 (DOLCI&VITA).

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