Yes, the translation “Ich verstehe nur Bahnhof”
to “I only understand train station” can be mis-
understood. The literal translation of the German
phrase is “I only understand train station”, but it
is actually a colloquialism that means “I don’t un-
derstand anything.” So, if you were to say this to
someone who doesn’t speak German, they might
think that you are literally saying that you only
understand the word “train station” in German. A
more accurate translation of the phrase would be
“I don’t understand anything” or “I’m completely
lost.”

Swahili–English translation

Swahili: Ana hasira za mkizi
English: He has the temper of a mkizi.
Can this translation be misunderstood?
PaLM 2 Technical Report