Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

YouTube Video Demonstrates How Foreign Languages Sound to Nonspeakers
Yahoo ^

Posted on 03/05/2014 6:16:34 PM PST by Perdogg

click here to read article


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-35 last
To: Sherman Logan
I’ve watched a number of Swedish movies recently. The me Swedish sounds very much like English, if you don’t pay attention to the words.

I noticed that recently myself, but couldn't get my wife to agree to it.

Also, predictably, my wife who speaks Hindi didn't think the Hindi impression in the video sounded anything like Hindi (I assume because she was listening for actual words which the rest of us weren't).

I thought the Spanish and Portuguese and UK English and East Asian were very good.

21 posted on 03/05/2014 9:04:57 PM PST by steve86 (Some things aren't really true but you wouldn't be half surprised if they were.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: steve86

Italian, too.


22 posted on 03/05/2014 9:05:12 PM PST by steve86 (Some things aren't really true but you wouldn't be half surprised if they were.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]

To: Perdogg

That’s it!

I’m moving to Finland.


23 posted on 03/05/2014 9:28:32 PM PST by BenLurkin (This is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion or satire; or both.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: DManA

A large percentage of adults from both Russia and japan display asian features. One is lead to presume that the Russian language was likely influenced by Chinese or Japanese dialects. Many Russians have the asian shaped head and high cheekbones.


24 posted on 03/06/2014 12:24:53 AM PST by lee martell
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Sherman Logan

Is Liv Ullman still around? If she is, she may be tired of talking about what it was like working under the direction of Ingmar Bergman. I think that really old guy who was in the Seventh Seal is still alive. He had the look of a Prometheus in much of his work. Who knows, the man could have been a total clown off camera.


25 posted on 03/06/2014 12:33:50 AM PST by lee martell
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: Perdogg

This is funny, and yes, she’s cute - pulls it off nicely.

I like this idea very much, because I’ve often wondered what (American) English “sounds like” to the foreign ear...

For me, I can’t “hear it” as foreign - my understanding of the actual words get in the way.

It’s and interesting thing to me. I would like to “hear it”.


26 posted on 03/06/2014 2:25:11 AM PST by spankalib ("I freed a thousand slaves. I could have freed a thousand more if only they knew they were slaves.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Perdogg; GOPsterinMA; fieldmarshaldj; NFHale

Epic. Does she speak the language of love?


27 posted on 03/06/2014 5:05:58 AM PST by Impy (RED=COMMUNIST, NOT REPUBLICAN)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Impy; Perdogg; GOPsterinMA; fieldmarshaldj

One time, years ago, when I was a young lad in me 20’s, I worked at this place where the employer hired folks “right off the boat”.

It was a regular riot of languages - Polish, Laotian, Rumanian, Russian, Spanish, Vietnamese. He had ALL of these disparate cultures working there (for minimum wage of course) and it was a hilarious madhouse of broken English and f**ed up pronunciation...

I learned a lot working there, how to speak with foreigners, joking around, learning their views.

That was back in the 80s. Reagan was President.

Almost universally among these LEGAL immigrants was their absolute gratitude and PRIDE at being new Americans. I guess that made it easier for me to talk with them - especially this one particular gentleman from Poland - he’d gotten out right after the GDansk shipyard strike, had been a part of the group that was organizing it, and the security people were looking for him. So he escaped to here.

That’s how HE put it - he “escaped to here”. And he would always say “God BLESS Reagan...God BLESS Reagan!”


28 posted on 03/06/2014 6:32:26 AM PST by NFHale (The Second Amendment - By Any Means Necessary.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 27 | View Replies]

To: NFHale; Impy; Perdogg; GOPsterinMA; fieldmarshaldj

And one of the funniest things you’ll EVER here is when two guys from completely countries, with completely different languages, get into an argument with each other in broken “Engrish” and start yelling at each other, complete with the hands waving and gesticulating, each breaking into their native languages alternating with “Engrish” curses and swear words.

The Rumanian guys didn’t get along with the Russians (hate is a mild word in this case), and the Vietnamese and Laotian guys didn’t care much for each other each.

Sometimes, all me and the other native Americans (native as in “born here”) did was laugh all day long watching the interplay with these guys. It was a riot.

Somehow, every one of these foreign folks KNEW what “F*** YOU” meant, though... and pronounced it QUITE well!!! hahah!


29 posted on 03/06/2014 6:48:35 AM PST by NFHale (The Second Amendment - By Any Means Necessary.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 28 | View Replies]

To: Impy; Perdogg; NFHale; KC_Lion; BillyBoy; Clintonfatigued; Bender2

“Epic. Does she speak the language of love?”

Does she take credit cards along with cash?

“Somehow, every one of these foreign folks KNEW what “F*** YOU” meant, though... and pronounced it QUITE well!!! hahah!”

You bet; the swear words translate almost universally.


30 posted on 03/06/2014 7:59:20 AM PST by GOPsterinMA (You're a very weird person, Yossarian.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 27 | View Replies]

To: GOPsterinMA; Impy; Perdogg; KC_Lion; BillyBoy; Clintonfatigued; Bender2

It was hilarious listening to them...
“G*d-DAMN for you!!!”
“NO... Damn for YOU!” You Damn! You No good!!!”
Hey! F** you man, you damn...”
“No - YOU f***! “

And so forth and so on. It was entertaining. Usually started because someone “borrowed” someone elses tools, socket sets, grinders, etc., and didn’t return them.

And of course, WE had wise-guy jokers who would put someone elses stuff on another guy’s work bench and the run away... just to egg it on.

Yeah, I know.. Childish, immature, but funnier than hell.


31 posted on 03/06/2014 8:43:32 AM PST by NFHale (The Second Amendment - By Any Means Necessary.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 30 | View Replies]

To: NFHale; Impy; Perdogg; GOPsterinMA; fieldmarshaldj; KC_Lion; Clintonfatigued; Bender2
That's some funny stuff! No doubt it would be considered "offensive" by the standards of most TV shows these days. I'm nowhere near as talented as her when it comes to mimicking the sounds of foreign languages, though I've annoyed my native Spanish speaking and Russian speaking friends by writing fake sentences in their languages, like:

Refórmó Españól es un vastó impróvemeñte óveró regularó españól.

I ДM Д ЯЦSSIДИ GЦУ. DЯIЙК VФDКД!

Some old Italian TV show managed to reproduce the sounds of 60s American pop songs by speaking in gibberish. They got the accent down perfectly, but the only phrase that makes any sense is the refrain "All right!" Check it out:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZXcRqFmFa8

32 posted on 03/06/2014 10:43:41 AM PST by BillyBoy (Looking at the weather lately, I could really use some 'global warming' right now!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 31 | View Replies]

To: BillyBoy

That video is hilarious...


33 posted on 03/06/2014 10:48:49 AM PST by NFHale (The Second Amendment - By Any Means Necessary.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 32 | View Replies]

To: NFHale

F*** is always the first word they learn.

Makes sense, I imagine I would wish to swiftly learn the equivalent if I moved to another country. ;d


34 posted on 03/06/2014 8:19:20 PM PST by Impy (RED=COMMUNIST, NOT REPUBLICAN)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 29 | View Replies]

To: Impy

It’s extremely funny when they start using that word -in English- in an argument...


35 posted on 03/07/2014 1:29:49 PM PST by NFHale (The Second Amendment - By Any Means Necessary.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 34 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-35 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson