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I can think of about four-twenty-ten-seven reasons not to learn French.
Four-twenty-seventeen
Norway might not be accurately described in this map. While walking through the airport, every airport worker kept trying to speak to me in Norwegian. I don’t know any words in their language. It would be cool if I did, but I don’t. Anyway, they always looked confused, repeated themselves more slowly, and waited for a response from me. Eventually, I realized one of them was asking me about my backpack.
Not all Germany is like that. I was in Freiburg last winter and the can’t/don’t want to speak English. Only the most tourist places would speak English, I guess.
This doesn’t reflect my housemate’s experience in Italy at all. Evidently if they detect an American accent in your “buongiorno” they’ll just spend the rest of the day mocking you in Italian and occasionally just yelling “DONALD TRUMP HAMBURGER TRANSGENDER” at you.
“Je ne parle pas français” There you go, everything you need.
I can say “I don’t speak [language], sorry.” in about 10 languages, just so if someone tries to speak to me I can say that to them.
So far only one person has said any follow up things in that language. I like to think it was “but you’re speaking it now!” but probably just about work stuff.
Is it weird that I get a very tiny kick out of the slight confusion I can see on some people’s faces?
Nope, i also get that kick out of it haha. Love it.
Though, i must say that my french is really terrible so i might as wel just not speak it
“Pardon my French”
Absolutely not
Is that you, Werner Herzog?
This is what one of Edmond Dantes alter egos did in the Count of Monte Cristo. “Lord Wilmore” was an eccentric Englishman who understood French perfectly well, but refused to speak it:
… Lord Wilmore appeared….His first remark on entering was, “You know, sir, I do not speak French?”
“I know you do not like to converse in our language,” replied the envoy.
“But you may use it,” replied Lord Wilmore; “I understand it.”
Imagine if French people learned English and chose to speak it online/in-game instead of assuming everyone speaks French as if it is still the lingua franca.
Hey, an Anglo-Québecois!
J’ai dû apprendre le français à l’école. L’alternative aurait été le latin. Je déteste tellement cette langue.
You can keep all mistakes I made in that sorry excuse of a garbage language.
Ok I’m biased but Latin and Greek are so much worse (yes I’ve been there).
Friend of mine went to a school which fashioned itself as “the old school” (as in historically old school). They learned latin and old greek instead of anything useful. He was furious when he came back from vacation in Greece and he only found one person, an old professor in Greek history, who he could talk to.
Joke’s on you, there is no mistake in your comment.
I mean, this is what you call a power move.
This may be the most Canadian meme ever made, even if unintentionally.
The weird thing about knowing a foreign language is sometimes u might offend people for trying to speak their mother tongue when they’re working on their English, so like unless you are in a country where that’s the spoken language, it’s super awkward any time you want to actually use that language that you learned.
Croissant, baguette du fromage, rien rien.
C’est la vie
Parle vu English…
z
If a French-speaking person gives you shit for pronouncing words in French wrong, dare them to say “LinkedIn” in the presence of your English-speaking fluency and try to not humiliate themselves. Maybe first bait then with one they can do, like “Facebook” before crushing their spirits.
Like we could get mean with “squirrel” or “thorough” or “hedgehog”, but those are less reasonable that they’d have fucking consistent practice with.
Ha ha ask a yank to pronounce “squirrel” or “mirror” you’ll get sqwrrrrrrl and meeeeer
I just have them speak my name. Lived in France for 12 years now and not 1 has got it right.
I have a Scottish name that starts with “Mc”
Every bank and government institution in France separates the “Mc” from the second part, resulting in lost records, odd looking bank cards, fucked up tax returns etc etc
Wouldn’t change it for the world 😂
