Ask a German: Do You Think in English? | Feli from Germany

Feli, do you think in German or English? Do you have to translate everything in your head? And what language are your dreams in? Let's answer these questions once and for all! :) And let me know in the comments what questions you want me to answer in next week's #askagerman video!

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ABOUT ME: Hallo, Servus, and welcome to my channel! My name is Felicia (Feli), I'm 28, and I'm a German living in the USA! I was born and raised in Munich, Germany but have been living in Cincinnati, Ohio off and on since 2016. I first came here for an exchange semester during my undergrad at LMU Munich, then I returned for an internship, and then I got my master's degree in Cincinnati. I was lucky enough to win the Green Card lottery and have been a permanent resident since 2019! In my videos, I talk about cultural differences between America and Germany, things I like and dislike about living here, and other topics I come across in my everyday life in the States. Let me know what YOU would like to hear about in the comments below. DANKE :)
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[FelifromGermany]

Do you guys think in a language? 🤔 And if you're bilingual, which language do you think and dream in?

[thumper]

My grandmother and her family immigrated to the U.S. when she was 14 years old. Her family spoke Germain in the home but English in public. When she was asked a question about the U.S. she said she would think in English and when she was asked about the time in Germany she would think of the answer in Germain.

[VioletTorch]

I took German in high school and never did anything with the language afterwards. Now at 50, i just started learning it again on Duolingo and reading German articles and watching German YouTube videos. It was about two months in while doing daily German learning exercises that I started having dreams in German. Ich habe sie jetzt ein paar pro Woche.

[gerrya]

had a swedish gf many years ago, after 2 years of living together she started talking in her sleep in english, i thought it was hilarious

[bethany]

Feli, because of you I am on day 100 of learning German. It’s slow progress right now because I am in graduate school and working and have to focus on that more than anything but after graduation I plan to focus more on my language learning and get deeper into it! :)

[davidreece]

I know I’ve had dreams in Dutch an German. The hardest part for me is when we visit my wife’s family in Bulgaria and then come back to the states. In Bulgaria shaking your head means yes and nodding means no. It totally messes me up.

[weylguy]

Dearest Feli -- Great video, as it raises an issue that I've always been fascinated with. My late wife was Egyptian, fluent in her native Arabic but educated from an early age in English. She told me it took several years after arriving in America to begin thinking in English, which I always found amazing because the two languages are so different in terms of translation, grammar, gender variation and noun/verb placement. I studied French for four years and German for two years in college, but I never achieved what you and my wife experienced. To this day, I truly envy people who are equally fluent in several languages.

[fgentry]

My friend was raised in Brazil by Americans so was completely fluent in English and Portuguese and easily switched back and forth in one conversation. She told me she thought in the language she was speaking at the time.
I only recently learned that some people think in pictures or concepts, like you, rather than words, like I do. I really can't even imagine your way, but how fascinating!

[Deviouscoffee]

We think similarly. I usually "think in pictures." Some things pop up quickly in German with no effort, but other things I may not be 100% fluent with, I have to mentally translate. It also depends on to whom I'm talking.

[TheLizardKing]

My first car was a powder blue 1968 VW Beetle. I loved that little car.

[earlewhitcher]

I have always had difficulty in attempting to learn another language. I think you just explained why. In general I describe myself as a "uni-tasker" the opposite of a multi-tasker. I can only do, think about or perform one thing at a time. When trying to learn a language I absolutely think in English and try to translate in my head before speaking. I am in complete awe of multi-lingual individuals.

[Scott_Forsell]

I learned a lot of Swedish swear words from my great grandfather. He would say something in a whisper and tell me to go say that to my grandmother. So I did.

And she was scandalized and shocked, and my great grandfather thought that was the funniest thing ever and he would just roar with laughter. Then she would yell at us.

[theDMLair]

I lived in Central America for 4 years and am fluent in Spanish. I absolutely thought in Spanish when I was around people speaking Spanish, watching Spanish TV, or reading in Spanish. When I was alone or with English speakers, I would think in English. It just depended.

[MsElle]

This topic hits home. My parents emigrated in 1955 when I was 7 from Austria to the midwest. My Dad learned English as he would be out in the working world, it wasn't necessary for my Mom as she was a stay-at-home Mom. She wanted to learn English very much and would ask me to tell her everything I had learned that day in school my Dad wanted to practice his English so in a very short amount of time we were an English-speaking German family. I have forgotten almost all of the German I knew as a child, when I remember something from my Austria days it's in English I don't remember a time when German was my only language. Listening to you has stirred my interest in relearning my first language😊.

[TheQuickSilver]

I also think in concepts and not in a language but I definitely dream in English. Years ago I had a German friend over to live with me for the summer. I remember one morning (after about a month of staying with me) he looked quite perplexed. He told me that this was the first time he dreamt in English.

[woofljh]

Another way to think of it is… When you’re doing math either in your head or on a piece of paper are you doing it in German or English?

[conlon]

I was smiling all through this video! You made it so interesting and engaging and entertaining and amusing!

[martinmarheinecke]

"It doesn't bother me that I dream in English, what's annoying are the German subtitles."
In fact, I am thinking like you: I mostly think and dream in concepts. Only when I write do I "hear" an "inner voice".

[kaelynmiranda]

I’m bilingual; English is my native language and I learned Spanish as a second language in high school/college. I think the “internal monologue” conversation is really interesting. I only recently learned that some people think in actual words with a monologue in their head, whereas others think more in concepts/ideas. I have an internal monologue and I definitely think in English, but I also live a most of my life in English. When I’ve been watching/listening to something in Spanish and I’m in “Spanish mode” I tend to think more in Spanish. I think that you definitely know when you’ve reached proficiency in a language when you stop having to translate in your head! Lastly, I think what you said about being tired is really interesting. Whenever I’m overtired (or have been drinking 😬) my brain starts using both languages at once. 😂

[bethsmith]

Great video and great answers. I am American and only speak English fluently. I love languages and know words in several other languages, mostly Spanish. I understand a lot of what Spanish speakers are saying but can't find the words when trying to speak Spanish. I think in words and concepts, depending on the circumstance or subject. Mostly in my dreams I speak English, but I have had a dream where I understood but my dream self was speaking another language. I don't think I was really speaking another language or I wouldn't have understood, but when I woke up I remember I was surprised in the dream that I could speak another language. I know confusing and hard to explain. I have a lot of German ancestry, but also a lot of nationalities as well, a true mixed background. You've open my eyes about German culture. Thanks!