What languages do you know?

**Oberst Hajj** · 09-10-2009 05:10

Just trying to get a feel for what languages we all know and use out there. Please break it down to Read, Write, Speak and Understand.

I'll go first...

Japanese
Read - very little
Write - none
Speak - some
Understand - some

**usmc1855** · 09-10-2009 05:15

Arabic
Read-Limited
Write-Practically none
Speak-Some, almost conversational level
Understand-Some, almost conversational level

Hungarian
Read-Limited
Write-Practically none
Speak-Limited
Understand-Limited

**WilliamBarkerVC** · 09-10-2009 06:04

French
read - almost fluent
spoken - almost fluent
written - almost fluent

German
read - a little
spoken - a little
written - not very well

**WilliamBarkerVC** · 09-10-2009 06:33

Psst... languages is typo'd "lanuages" in the topic header!

**Oberst Hajj** · 09-10-2009 08:23

Originally Posted by WilliamBarkerVC

Psst... languages is typo'd "lanuages" in the topic header!

Whatever on earth are you talking about

**WilliamBarkerVC** · 09-10-2009 11:38

Originally Posted by Col. Hajj

Whatever on earth are you talking about

Nice catch!

**nachinus** · 09-10-2009 08:12

Spanish - native

English
read-fluent
write-almost fluent
spoken-good enough for traveling anywhere :P
understand- good (depending on the speaker

)

French (barely enough for some basic survival interaction)
read- limited
write- pathetic
spoken -pathetic
understand - very limited

**Zeppelin** · 09-10-2009 12:15

French
Read-Little
Write-None
Speak-Little
Understand-Little

**Setarius** · 09-10-2009 21:26

Spanish--learned in 2nd grade used for maybe 2 months
Speak--little
Read--little
Understand--none
Write--none

German--2 yrs in High School
Speak--little
Read--none
Understand--minimal
Write--none

**Doug** · 09-12-2009 22:53

Only Australian, but can understand Scottish

Iron Squid · 09-18-2009 08:34

Originally Posted by Doug

Only Australian, but can understand Scottish

Hahaha!

I'm about the same, but I can speak a little English and American too!

As for Deutsche:
Read - a little
Write - a little
Speak - nothing polite
Understand - very little

**kaufschtick** · 09-18-2009 10:12

Originally Posted by Iron Squid

I'm about the same, but I can speak a little English and American too!

Ah, you beat me to the punch, I was going to go with English & American too!

England and America are two countries separated by a common language.
--George Bernard Shaw

Funny quote!

**von.rybnik** · 07-21-2011 13:47

Originally Posted by Iron Squid

Hahaha!
I'm about the same, but I can speak a little English and American too!

It is funny that you write about Amarican, Australian and English language.
For us (non-native english speakers) are those languages (above) just... English with some differencies in grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation... but still English. :-)

But back to me...

English
speaking: fluent
Reading: fluent
writing: good

German
speaking: a little bit
reading: a little bit
writing: with problems

Russian
speaking: fluent
reading: am able to
writing: with problems

**Niclas** · 07-23-2011 03:06

Originally Posted by von.rybnik

It is funny that you write about Amarican, Australian and English language.
For us (non-native english speakers) are those languages (above) just... English with some differencies in grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation... but still English. :-)
s

Well, you know what Professor Higgins said: "There even are places where English completely disappears; in America they haven't used it for years."

/Niclas

**Flying Officer Kyte** · 07-23-2011 08:13

Originally Posted by Niclas

Well, you know what Professor Higgins said: "There even are places where English completely disappears; in America they haven't used it for years."

/Niclas

There are even some parts of Nottinghamshire where this is true. See the welcome message on my profile page.
Rob.

**Ed2** · 07-23-2011 11:34

Originally Posted by Niclas

Well, you know what Professor Higgins said: "There even are places where English completely disappears; in America they haven't used it for years."

/Niclas

You do know it was a Cockney girl Higgins was trying to help.

**Belis4rius** · 10-20-2009 00:30

Originally Posted by Doug

Only Australian, but can understand Scottish

I doubt very much you would understand broad Doric (Aberdeen) or Glaswegian i.e. Gawn tae the shoaps furra punna burra fur the murra - spoken in a high pitched nasal twang at speed. Translation "the gentleman is being asked to make his way to the local shop to transact a commercial enterprise for a pound of butter for his mater."

I have survived well in Italy, Mexico and France but failed in Turkey.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0rgETg2Hoo try this if you want to learn Scottish

**Christophe** · 10-07-2010 04:57

Originally Posted by Doug

Only Australian, but can understand Scottish

LOL... You missed out English lol

**Mike George** · 08-24-2011 12:17

Originally Posted by Doug

Only Australian, but can understand Scottish

THAT WAS GOOD but I'll match you and throw in a little Irish, and Canadian also.

**7eat51** · 01-14-2013 22:59

Originally Posted by Doug

Only Australian, but can understand Scottish

Made me think of this skit (Burnistoun S1E1 - Voice Recognition Elevator - ELEVEN!):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FFRoYhTJQQ

**Gnaeusmorosus** · 01-19-2013 05:45

English -- Native tongue

Russian
Read-fluent
Write-nearly fluent (my spelling is off)
Speak-fluent
Understand-fluent

Serbo-Croatian
Read-Proficient
Write-not quite proficient (again, spelling is the trick)
Speak-Proficient
Understand-Proficient

French
Read-Proficient
Write-not quite proficient (again, spelling is the trick)
Speak-Proficient for everyday use (no major business deals!)
Understand-Proficient for everyday use (no major business deals!)

German
Read-Limited
Write-Limited
Speak-Limited
Understand-Limited

Latvian
Read-Limited
Write-Please don't make me!
Speak-Limited
Understand-Limited

And now the "Dead Languages" -- learned for that long-ago Archaeology/Ancient History degree.

Latin
Read-Proficient
Write-No. Just...no.
Speak-No. Just...no.
Understand-No. Just...no.

Ancient Greek
Read-Proficient
Write-No. Just...no.
Speak-No. Just...no.
Understand-No. Just...no.

**Desaix** · 09-18-2009 12:13

French
Read - native
Write - native
Speak - native
Understand - native

English
Read - fluent
Write - fluent
Speak - fluent
Understand - fluent

Spanish
Read - some
Write - little
Speak - some
Understand - conversation

**kaufschtick** · 09-18-2009 18:59

I suppose profane language wouldn't count as a second one, would it?

Because I'm pretty fluent on the whole Read, Write, Speak & Understand part if it does...

I know, I'm going to loose reputation points for this post...

**Oberst Hajj** · 09-18-2009 19:08

If you start talking like a sailor, I'm going to change your avatar to a Hellcat!

mlsergey · 09-21-2009 05:29

Hi everyone!

Russian - native

English
Read - fluent
Write - fluent
Speak - fluent
Understand - fluent

Latvian
Read - fluent
Write - fluent
Speak - fluent
Understand - fluent

German
Read - limited
Write - limited
Speak - limited
Understand - limited

**Baron** · 09-21-2009 09:19

English/US English, Italian, Romanian - all good to very good/native
German - medium (wretched in writing though)
Russian - minimal
other Latin Languages: French, Spanish or related - Understand & Read medium, rest wretched.

**bsmith13** · 09-24-2009 08:48

German
Read - fluent
Speak - fluent

**muzfish4** · 04-17-2013 03:45

Japanese
Read - a little (can read a menu but not a newspaper or novel) maybe around 400 characters*
Write - a little (can write a postcard or simple letter but not much more than that)
Speak - good conversational
Understand - good conversational

* sounds a lot, but it isn't. Maybe around 4th grader level.

Miguel Antao · 10-07-2009 01:25

Portuguese
Read - native
Write - native
Speak - native
Understand - native

English
Read - fluent
Write - fluent
Speak - fluent
Understand - fluent

**Carlos Lopes** · 10-09-2009 03:42

Portuguese - native

English
read-fluent
write-almost good
understand- good

French
read- fluent
write- very limited
spoken - almost fluent
understand - good

Miguel Lopes · 10-10-2009 09:09

Portuguese - native

English
read-fluent
write-almost good
understand- good

**Tallyho** · 10-19-2009 19:36

English
Read: Native
Write: Native
Speak: Native
Understand: Native

Japanese
Read: Basic
Write: Intermediate
Speak: Conversational
Understand: Conversational

**Dathbain** · 10-20-2009 09:06

English- Native

I can arrest someone in Spanish, write a traffic citation in Spanish and fight in Spanish...mostly because I memorized all the phrases I need to know! Oh and I know if someone speaking Spanish wants to hurt/kill me. I was once a Police Officer for quite a while, and took lots of Spanish courses!

Wnax_98 · 11-16-2009 10:36

Italian:

Native (but I can't understand Mr. Berlusconi, I'm very sorry!)

English:

Speak: quite fluent
Read: fluent
Write: quite fluent
Undestand: fluent (with some troubles with guys from Yorkshire)

French:

Speak: fluent
Read: fluent
Write: quite fluent
Understand: fluent

Spanish:

Speak: limited
Read: quite fluent
Write: very limited
Understand: quite fluent

Sandro

**The Blue Baron** · 11-16-2009 23:50

German:
native

English:
Speak:almost fluent
Read: fluent
Write:almost fluent
Understand: almost fluent

Frensh:
Speak: none
Read: little
Write: none
Understand: little

**aarondpjames** · 11-17-2009 06:04

You lot are quite an bright bunch, ar'nt you!

English
Speek: Pretty good until I'm drunk, then turn into a babbling baffoon!
Read: Can do, right up until the words get complicated, then I revert back to just looking a the pictures in my comic books!
Write: I give it a good go...........thank the lord for spellchecker though!
Understand: Sometimes, level varieys depending on how interesting i think the subject is!

Basicaly, I'm like your average 7 year old, the down side is I'm actualy 37 and English is my primary/only language.....God help me!!!

**ste_marthe** · 11-17-2009 07:35

My father is Autrian, but he always speaks to me in english so I am native english and zero german.

my mother is french canadian, so i am native french.

I was born here in Quebec.

Soooo

Read, write, speak fluent english and french...but that is it. I can say El nino witch is spanish and a couple of german words but thats it! hehe

**Oberst Hajj** · 11-17-2009 09:09

Originally Posted by ste_marthe

I can say El nino witch is spanish

That's Spanish for "The Nino". LOL

Hueg · 11-17-2009 12:09

English
Native

German
Read - no problems
Write - no problems
Speak - fluent
Understand - yes, only occasional dialect problems

Norwegian
Read - Intermediate/good
Write - Intermediate plenty of room for improvement
Speak - rusty, very rusty
Understand - most things (except the Bergen accent)

A few other languages too, but they're only beginner/survival level only so, I won't mention them.

**Vigfus** · 11-25-2009 04:44

Dutch (Flemish accent though) - Native

English - fluent as native

French - Fluent both read, write, speak (understand is a different matter ... only joking)

German - understand the basics due to similarity in tones and words with Dutch.

Scandinavian Languages I do pick up more than people think I'm picking up, especially swedish. (Our local dialect has a strong scandinavian influence).

epsilon_wing · 11-25-2009 06:06

I am native for English (American), and can read a tiny bit of German. Otherwise I can understand US Southern drawl, most English, Scottish and Welsh accents (including commonwealth countries) ans mathematics/science jargon

**Scoop** · 11-25-2009 08:09

German: mother language

English:
Read - no problems
Write - no problems
Speak - fluent
Understand - no problems

Swedish:
Read - good
Write - acceptable
Speak - acceptable
Understand - depends on the dialect

Danish:
Read - good
Write - acceptable
Speak - acceptable
Understand - depends on the dialect and how drunk people are :-)

French:
Read - acceptable
Write - bad
Speak - surviving
Understand - surviving

Russian:
Read - surviving (the letters are no problem)
Write - bad
Speak - hardly nothing
Understand - hardly nothing

Norwegian:
Read - good
Write - bad
Speak - acceptable
Understand - good

Leuchtturm · 11-26-2009 09:34

Italian: Native

English:
Speak: quite fluent with italian accent embedded
Read: no problem
Write: you have to judge!
Undestand: ok with Uk english , little less american an australian

german:
speak: very emigrant-style
write: poor
read: basic
understand: basic

spanish:
speak: as an italian can do trying to match it to italian grammar rules
write: poor
read: no problem
understand: no problems, to be italian helps this time...

**Greywolf** · 11-26-2009 17:28

English:
Speak: native
Read: native
Write: native
Understand: native [but then who can really understand the english language]

Maori:
Speak: limited
Read: limited [place and town names]
Write: limited
Understand: limited

Cheers
GW

**bravofour** · 12-29-2009 20:56

Born in the UK so I understand the following
Pompey:
Speak: native
Read: native (But honestly who really knows how to read half the crap written on the walls?)
Write: native (iz aesy jost mispel evory woord) yes im cracking on myself…
Understand: only half of it.

American Southern:
Speak: well enough
Read: I cant read that slow
Write: same issue as above, I write to fast.
Understand: limited to when im not being bored to death.

Irish English: (An oxy-moron if I ever heard one)
Speak: little to none
Read: enough to know it aint pretty
Write: just enough to get shot.
Understand: enough to stay out of that pub.

German:
Speak: enough to get by
Read: enough not to get lost
Write: enough to get a date
Understand: that I spent way to much on beer…

Arabic:
Speak: enough to get blown up or shot at (two tours in Iraq)
Read: not enough to know that the funny looking box had bomb written on the side of it.
Write: none but the word stop does look like a couple of dudes in a boat with an engine.
Understand: enough to know I wasn’t welcome.

US Army:
Speak: rgr
read: rgr GC
Write: rgr can do
Understand: say again, over.

Cheers (no offence meant to anyone)

**Jäger** · 12-31-2009 20:38

Finnish: native

Swedish:
Speak: good
Read: acceptable
Write: acceptable
Understand: good

German:
Speak: little to none
Read: limited
Write: poor
Understand: bad

English:
Speak: good
Read: acceptable
Write: acceptable
Understand: good

**franc3555** · 12-31-2009 21:21

French
Read - native
Write - native
Speak - native
Understand - native

English
Read - fluent
Write - fluent
Speak - fluent
Understand - fluent

Driesfield · 01-03-2010 10:21

Dutch:
Read - native
Write - native
Speak - native
Understand - native

French:
Read - very good
Write - very good
Speak - very good
Understand - very good

English:
Read - fluent
Write - fluent
Speak - fluent
Understand - fluent

German:
Read - some
Write - very little
Speak - some
Understand - some
It has a lot of wordsin common with Dutch

I also understand a few words spanish and Italian.

**Headhunter** · 01-12-2010 07:37

Dutch: (Flemish but another dialect then my fellow countrymen over here. I don't unterstand them

)
Read - native
Write - native
Speak - native
Understand - native

French:
Read - average
Write - average
Speak - average
Understand - average

English:
Read - very good
Write - very good
Speak - very good
Understand - very good

German:
Read - some
Write - very little
Speak - some
Understand - some

I do understand some Spaninsh and Italian because of it's relation to french.

**Fokker Fan** · 01-12-2010 08:51

English
Read - very good
Write - average
Speak - average
Understand - very good

Southern (American, below the Mason-Dixon)
Read - native
Write - native
Speak - native
Understand - native

Yankee (American, north of the Mason-Dixon)
Read - average
Write - some
Speak - some
Understand – very little