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by thegeomaster 1287 days ago
Yeah, Google absolutely butchering street names in non-English languages is a common theme. I no longer use the audio directions, they're that useless.
2 comments

When I was first learning German, I set my Google account (and phone) to it, despite being in the U.S.

Google Maps' decision as to which street names to translate to German when using voice directions seemed completely arbitrary. Numbered streets I could kinda understand (e.g. First Street was called out as "Erste Straße"), but others were perplexing: it insisted on calling Rainbow Blvd. "Regenboden Boulevard" despite using (non-translated, but German-accented) English for every other nearby street.

If I was a German-only speaker, looking at street signs, I would have been lost.

(This was also an educational experience re: dark patterns. I eventually had to switch back to English, because I repeatedly almost got tricked into clicking "yes" instead of "not now" on things I didn't ever want to enable. Despite my having repeatedly opted out in English, Google almost got me to "consent" in German because my language skills there weren't as good.)

Street names in Denmark are often "so-and-so way" or "such-and-such street". Way is vej. Street is gade, pronounced a bit like 'girl'.

A typical Danish name might be Ny Munkegade -- new monk's street. Google maps directions produce "noy mun keg ade", which is utterly incomprehensible.

Eh, you get used to it. Certainly the lessor evil compared to living with Danish voice assistants/text to speech...