French President Emmanuel Macron had some difficulty going from French to English during a joint press conference with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on Tuesday.
Macron, wrapping up his comments, thanked Turnbull and his “delicious wife” for their hospitality. “I want to thank you for your welcome. Thank you and your delicious wife for your warm welcome.”
Emmanuel Macron raises eyebrows after calling Australian Prime Minister’s wife ‘delicious’
Read more: https://t.co/6TZqdsnXMX pic.twitter.com/GVC0Xxb8d9— The Telegraph (@Telegraph) May 2, 2018
Macron’s English is excellent—but slip-ups still happen. He thanked the Australian PM’s “delicious wife.” https://t.co/uCxARnpyTp
— Kelly Jane Torrance (@KJTorrance) May 2, 2018
Lost in translation – French Pres Macron mixes up “delightful” and “delicious” https://t.co/DkFEyy71aF via @YouTube
— John Roberts (@johnrobertsFox) May 2, 2018
Macron, who had recently put his exceptional English on display during his first official state visit to the United States, made one simple error. The French word “délicieux” is literally translated to the English word “delicious.” But while the English word applies almost exclusively to food, its French counterpart is also translated as “charming,” or “delightful.”
Turnbull did not seem to be offended by the remark, but laughed as he shook Macron’s hand, apparently amused by the whole thing.