I often come across articles and blog posts complaining about the bad use of English language in Italian leaflets, shops' signs, road signs, etc…and then, of course, I hear English mother-tongue speakers who live in Italy complain about it too.
My first reaction is 'So what!', Italian is butchered every day on restaurants' menus, shops' names and clothing lines around the world as well! So, unless we all become polyglots, we should just get over it.
However, this does not mean that I do not wish that more Italians would improve their English language skills or, perhaps, simply pay a native speaker to translate their leaflets.
While we wait for this miracle to happen, here is a list of the funniest words or expressions I have come across and that could seriously get you lost in translation in Italy.
Biological - Organic
If they are trying to sell you a 'biological product', they are not selling you a warfare memorabilia or a genetically modified-chemical packed thing, they are actually offering an organic product.
Organic in Italian is Biologico, so like with most false friends, many Italians tend to translate it using Biological.
Touristic - Tourist
The adjective indicating something related to tourism in Italian is 'turistico/a', so obviously here you go with 'touristic office', 'touristic menu', 'touristic card', 'touristic information', etc...
Return Soon - Be back soon
Saw this on a shop's window. The Italian 'torno subito' was literally translated so 'return-soon'.
Typical kitchen - Cucina Tipica
Restaurants serving traditional food from a specific region use the expression 'Cucina Tipica' on their window or menu, so here you go again, with translating word by word you get a 'typical kitchen', rather than 'traditional cuisine'.
Collaborator - Assistant
This is truly first hand experience. I had an assistant who kept introducing himself as 'my collaborator'. I must admit it was really cool, I felt like 007 was going to walk through my door any minute!
Next Opening - Prossima Apertura
This is a national plight, it is not just directed at non-Italian-speakers, but it is used by shops/businesses just as a way to sound cool! All they are trying to say is that a shop/business is 'coming soon' or 'opening soon'.
Outside service - Fuori Servizio
And 'Sweet at the end' (Dulcis in fundo) or 'last but not least', the king of literal translation: 'Outside Service' stands for 'Out of Order'.
