11 Things Only Polyglots Will Understand

How about you? What have been your biggest struggles or frustrations while learning one or more foreign languages? Let me know in the comments below.

⬇️ GET MY FREE STORYLEARNING® KIT:

📖 LEARN A LANGUAGE THROUGH THE POWER OF STORY

📺 POLYGLOT PROFILES & METHOD BREAKDOWNS
Interested in how polyglots acquire so many languages? Check out these videos next:

How Polyglot @Lindie Botes Learned 12+ Languages By Herself

How Moses McCormick learned 50+ languages! RIP @laoshu505000

Polyglot Reacts: Secrets of Learning a New Language? @TED

8 ways polyglots learn languages fast

⏱ TIMESTAMPS

0:00 - #1: Poly-WHAT?
0:15 - #2: The test
0:47 - #3: You've got the language gene
1:24 - #4: When you can't keep other languages out of your English
2:05 - #5: Pretentious or ignorant?
2:57 - #6: Say something in every language!
3:12 - #7: When you forget words in English
3:48 - #8: When they insist on English
4:17 - #9: When you just can't help yourself
4:49 - #10: The identity crisis
5:20 - #11: Are you fluent?

[diegoescobar]

I hate it when they ask me to translate something I actually understand, but simply can't find the 'appropriate' words in the language I have to translate.

[architexturalchaos]

The hardest one so far: explain to a monoglot friend that even though there is a direct translation, the concept is different.

[dustgreylynx]

Also when you stop in the middle of the sentence, because the "stairs" is feminine in three languages, in two others it's masculine, in one more it's neutral, in another there is no word for that and in some others it's only in plural and you forgot which one is correct for the language you are.speaking at the moment but you remember that it's an offensive word if you use it with a wrong article

[gcondado]

My real problem is when people think you're a "real time translator" just because you know both languages, so they watch a movie, a video and want you to translate it as it's showing up...

[michaelrenper]

My first identity crisis: When I was accused of a Japanese accent in my English when booking a table in Honolulu. I'm German.

[berg]

Great video. Monolinguals do have a hard time understanding that there are different levels of fluency, they see language as black or white while polyglots understand that there are numerous shades of grey in language acquisition.

[stephikarolyi]

I never thought I'd forget so much English when learning other languages it's utterly bizarre.

[cristinanovillo]

One more: when you want to lend people your books, but you can't even remember in which language you have them.

[gummiehobi]

The identity crisis was so relatable. When I got back to the states after being in Korea I kept bowing/felt the need to bow and I know 100% that everyone was definitely confused and judging me

[langfun]

People are accusing polyglots of being obsessed with the word "polyglots" while they are so obsessed with the word "fluent". Just because we don't know some words doesn't mean that we are not fluent. Because I learn words in my native language every year. I learned more than 5 words in my native language within the past 3 months, and I still find it difficult to translate (and understand) songs in my native language, so it doesn't mean that it's not my native language and the only language I have been speaking for more than 15 years. People need to stop accusing others of not being fluent because of some small mistakes and focus on their own language learning journey. If somebody criticizes the language ability of a person who is using the language comfortably in day today life, the only definition for this is, "jealousy" what else can it be?

[NathanSkates]

Or when they ask you to interpret a song they heard.. “ah what have you been doing with your time if you can’t tell me what this song is saying?” Sorry I haven’t been practicing my interpretation skills. Then having to explain that there is a difference between being conversationally fluent, being at a level that you can be an interpreter and also that interpretation and translation are two different professions.

[danielcarrillo]

Someone: Oh you speak Russian fluently? So speak to me in Russian
Me: Begins to speak
Someone: Ok stop, I don't understand anything

[Mercure]

"Say something in every language you know"
Something
Quelque chose
Qualcosa
Algo
Etwas

[saraimontserratvazquezlope]

I'm only now learning my third language but this is so relatable lmaoo, especially the part of forgetting words in your own language. De verdad que no quiero presumir, es que estoy medio tonta:´)

[FrenchinPlainSight]

Haha. Reminds of when I am talking about something English in French and I have to pronounce the English things with a French accent, such Harry Potter.
I remind myself that the other person won't understand if I pronounce it like in English, even though I feel daft!

[frankpichardo]

One time I tried to pronounce “hollandaise” correctly at at a restaurant, and the waitress respectfully corrected me saying: “hole-on-THESE.” 😂

[serafima]

Mixing and forgetting words in my native language is always driving me ccrazy, especially when i speak with people who doesnt speak any aditional languages. It feel like my brain is one big chaotic smootie of words xD

[umutaslan]

As a polyglot I can deal with all of these but I absolutely despite people testing you out: say Then they ll judge you, while they did not even put 1 minute of effort to learn any language. You only have right to judge yourself !

[blindbandit]

Then there's speaking the wrong language to the wrong person. Happens especially when switching around too much. And also, being the defacto translator everywhere

[MultilingualMastery]

Hahahha I love it! "You've been learning Spanish for 10+ years? Say something then."

....hola?