There is a Czech tongue twister “Strč prst skrz krk” (meaning “stick your finger through your throat”) which doesn’t contain any vowel. It’s difficult to pronounce this sentence, especially for foreigners. So it’s used as a challenge for those learning Czech as a foreign language if they can pronounce it.
Someone told me that this sentence is even used by the Czechs as a test of sobriety.
Here is an example of a longer Czech tongue twister without a vowel.
Škrt plch z mlh Brd pln skvrn z mrv prv hrd scvrnkl z brzd skrz trs chrp v krs vrb mls mrch srn čtvrthrst zrn.
which translates as
A cheapskate dormouse, richly dotted by manure, who hails from the mists of Brdy (mountain range in Czech Republic) at first proudly flicked a snack for those goddamn deers – consisting of a quarter of a cupped hand of corn – from brakes through a tuft of cornflowers into dwarf willows.
Can you give some difficult tongue twisters from your language?
Here’s mine.
《施氏食獅史》
石室詩士施氏，嗜獅，誓食十獅。
氏時時適市視獅。
十時，適十獅適市。
是時，適施氏適市。
氏視是十獅，恃矢勢，使是十獅逝世。
氏拾是十獅屍，適石室。
石室濕，氏使侍拭石室。
石室拭，氏始試食是十獅。
食時，始識是十獅屍，實十石獅屍。
試釋是事。
(Note: Read it in Mandarin since Cantonese is easier though it’s still pretty hard.)
Nicolas Slonimsky (1894-1995) was an eccentric russian-american musician and lexicographer who edited Baker’s Biographical Dictionary of Musicians from 1958 until his death. In the preface to the 6th edition, Slonimsky talks about a fake entry for one «Krsto Zyžik» (an inexistent czech composer) that he had created for an earlier edition – but killed it in page proofs. Among Zyžik’s compositions Slonimsky included «a belcanto work, Strč prst skrz krk, using only consonants in consonant harmony» :D
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s an interesting trivia. Thanks for sharing.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Funny. We used to talk about airlifting vowels to Bosnia … until we learned the war was no joke.
LikeLike
Just tried this and failed. I guess I’m gonna warm up with Peter Piper first! 😅
LikeLiked by 1 person
You can also try this. It’s a lot shorter.
Greek grapes.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I will try, though I have a problem with r’s. I’m not sure what it is called (rhotatism, maybe?) but my r’s sound a lot like w’s hahaha.
Gweek gwapes. 😂
LikeLiked by 2 people
It’s rhotacism
Most Chinese can’t pronounce the letter “r” since there is no trilling r sound in the Chinese language. They tend to substitute the r sound with l sound :D.
And in Hong Kong, we use British English which is non-rhotic (e.g. water is pronounced as wɔːtə).
LikeLiked by 1 person
That explains it! I often hear Chinese-Filipinos here in the country speak to each other with that distinct l sound.
The British English pronunciation is brought mostly by Britain’s colonization of Hong Kong, is that correct?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yeah, they’re pretty funny…
Yes, but they didn’t adapt it completely. For example, despite pronouncing the letter “z” as “zed”, we don’t pronounce “zero” and “zebra” as “ze-ro” and “ze-bra”. Instead, we use the American pronunciations “zi-ro” and “ze-bra”. There are also several British English words and usage not adapted like “speciality”, “lorry”, “loo”, “telly” and “pub”.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Mandarin is just as easy as Cantonese…when you speak neither! ;) ;)
And what does “stick your finger through your throat” even mean?
You’re making my brain hurt, Edmark! ;)
LikeLiked by 1 person
The truth is, foreigners find that Mandarin is lot easier to learn. I have seen many foreigners who are fluent at Mandarin. However, I seldom see any foreigner who is good at Cantonese. While they may be able to understand and speak it, they just can’t get the tone right unlike in the case of Mandarin.
Yeah, it’s weird…
LikeLiked by 2 people
Hmm. Interesting.
LikeLike
To my knowledge, “stick your finger through your throat” isn’t supposed to mean anything. It’s not an idiom. I believe it was just created for the benefit of the tongue twister, since there aren’t that many vowel-less words to choose from, and this particular combination of consonant blends and vowel-less words gives quite a good challenge and workout.
LikeLiked by 1 person
By the way, a fun fact you might want to look at is why “Czech” is written in neither the Czech sound system nor English. We never use cz in written Czech. That’s Polish or something.
We say Česká republika or Česko (Czech Republic), or Čechy (Bohemia). The “ch” doesn’t even have the “k” sound, and the English “ch” is č.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Thanks for the info.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Omg! My father taught me this one! The thing about Czech is it’s great gymnastics for one’s tongue.
LikeLiked by 1 person
In France it would be this :
Les chaussettes de l’archi duchesse sont-elles sèches ?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wonderful. Thx For posting
LikeLiked by 1 person
Glad you liked it :)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ummm….yeah. I have enough difficulty with “She sells seashells by the seashore.”
With my redneck accent though, I still sound drunk 😳
LikeLiked by 2 people
ROFLMAO! :D :D
LikeLiked by 1 person
If you make a Chinese with a strong Beijing accent read it, it would sound like Mandarin :D
LikeLiked by 1 person
I wish 😂😂😂 my brain is too small 🤤
LikeLike