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Errabic

28 posts

Real-world mistakes. Errabic (= Error + Arabic) archives translation fails, typos, and linguistic blunders so you can analyze the rule behind the mess.

Colorful protest-style poster with a pink silhouette of a woman on a yellow background and bold blue-and-yellow text reading GRUPPEN-VERGEWALTIGER, go home! ALLAH WIRD EUCH RICHTEN, with a line of Arabic-style script along the bottom.
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Right-Wing, Wrong-Way

The Alternative for Germany (AfD) wants "Gang Rapists" to go home, but their Arabic text is walking backwards. A lesson in layout fails from the far-right.
Blue ATM panel with large Arabic text about withdrawing money, peeling stickers and scuffed areas, a small round lock near the center and vertical metal frames on either side.
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Creaking ATM

In Istanbul's historic district of Eyüp, an ATM offers a masterclass in "Chronic Truncation Syndrome." It turns cash dispensing into a creaking sound and leaves words hanging in mid-air.
Outdoor digital billboard displaying a close-up of a woman's face with colorful paint smudges around her mouth, including text in a non-Latin script at the top and bottom right, and a QR code in the bottom right corner, set against a partly cloudy sky.
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Ad Experts’ Epic Fail

In a spectacular display of irony, Germany’s ad experts (FAW) published a job ad with completely mangled Arabic text. It's not just a glitch; the same broken image is on their website. It's a "how-not-to" guide from the pros themselves.
Two images of the same yellow and white building with multiple windows and a clear blue sky, each paired with Arabic text; the first highlights the phrase 'أم الغضب' in yellow, and the second highlights 'منطقة الغضب' in yellow.
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Rage Against the Machine

A full-blown machine translation meltdown on the official website of the German city of Erlangen officially rebranded the peaceful town as the new global headquarters for rage - at least, according to its own disastrous Arabic version.
Window glass with the word "karşılama" in Latin script and Arabic script below it, with reflections of pinkish flowers and greenery visible through the glass.
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A Roomy Error

“Reception!” isn’t how you greet guests - but that's what many Arabic signs end up saying. ترحیب isn't a friendly hello; it's the verbal noun for "a welcoming", naming the act itself.
Text discussing the concept of risk, deriving its linguistic roots from the Arabic word Rizq and Classical Greek, explaining that Rizq means sustenance attributable to God and suggesting that the term risk should be more inclusive and replaced with Rizq in the context of Muslim consumer behavior.
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Rizq or Qzir?

A simple Arabic error in a scientific journal highlights a delightful irony: It's a mistake an AI would never make.
Arabic calligraphy text on a white signboard mounted above a stone archway.
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God, Girls, and Grammar

Adding final ي changes the imperative: صَلِّ (masc. sg. “send blessings”) vs صَلِّي (fem. sg.). In “صَلِّ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ”, the default general address is masculine; writing صَلِّي restricts it to one woman.
Laundry and drycleaning bag from Golden Tulip with text in English and Arabic, including instructions to use a laundry list and spaces to fill in name and room number.
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Point Taken

A spelling error related to dry cleaning was found in an Arabic text in a hotel in Oman: الباشف instead of the correct spelling الناشف.
A multilingual sign with the word 'please' in various languages, featuring three red prohibition symbols for no food or drink, no mobile phones, and no flash photography.
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Overdose of ي

Even in a sacred space, we all know that mistakes are possible. In a church in Berlin, it happened to the Arabic language.
WhatsApp chat in Arabic where one person asks if the other is available and says they will talk later, while the other confirms they are abroad and says they are enjoying themselves, ending with a heart emoji.
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Listen or Enjoy? That is the ت

Ever sent a text message that went a bit sideways? In Arabic, sometimes a single, tiny letter can be the difference between telling someone to 'Listen up!' and wishing them 'Enjoy!'.