I once translated a cafe sign in Hongdae that promised “ice cream service” and almost filed it under customer support until the barista laughed — 서비스 just means a freebie. Little borrowings like that remind me how languages shape travel in delightful ways; what other false friends have caught you off guard on the road?
In Seoul I also kept seeing ‘event’ on shop posters — usually a promo/discount, not an actual event — so now I just ask “free or fee?” and it saves me from paying for “free” twice. Small caveat: in Japan, “service” (サービス) often means a free extra too, so the false friend travels with you.
Got burned by that Hongdae ‘ice cream service’ too — now if I see “서비스” on a board I ask once, grab the freebie, and don’t assume anything else is comped. The sneakiest one for me was “one shot,” which isn’t scary at all, just “bottoms up,” though in hotel English “service” really does mean service.