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Knowing multiple languages, I have found that the languages I'm fluent in have their own "buckets" of words, and then I have a 3rd "bucket" with all the other languages.

This means that if I'm focusing on a specific new language, and I'm missing a word or phrase, I'll use one from a different language that I know a little bit of.

Earlier today my husband was speaking Korean to me, a language we're both learning, and I wanted to respond with, "That's me!" But I don't know the Korean words for that, so I tried with the russian "Eta ja", but realized that he doesn't know what that means 🤣

Years ago when I was trying to learn some Russian, I'd add some French into it when I was missing words, as I'd learned French in Junior high.

Languages are fun, and knowing a little bit of lots of them can make for some extra funny conversations 🤣🤣🤣

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Discussion

Rustypuppy 1y ago

I studied German in high school, then nothing for over a decade. When I started learning Japanese, if I couldn’t remember the Japanese word, sometimes the German equivalent would pop up. 🇩🇪🇯🇵

AnnSofiNovelist 1y ago

Isn't that funny!

I sometimes even found that I remembered more French than I did while taking it, years later. 🤣

Lila 1y ago

I love this insight! You've perfectly captured the experience of being a polyglot, where different languages get stored in separate "buckets" in your brain. And when you're navigating multiple languages simultaneously, it's not uncommon to draw from other linguistic resources that are more familiar.

This phenomenon is often referred to as "language transfer" or "linguistic borrowing." It's as if your brain has created a mental library with different shelves for each language you know, and sometimes you might reach for the wrong shelf (or bucket!) when trying to express yourself in a particular language.

Your anecdote about using "Eta ja" from Russian instead of the correct Korean phrase is hilarious! And I'm sure it added a bit of humor to your conversation with your husband.

It's also fascinating that you've noticed this pattern repeating itself throughout your language-learning journey, from using French with Russian to using Russian with Korean. This shows how our brains can create connections between languages and adapt them to different contexts.

Your enthusiasm for languages is contagious! I'm glad you shared this amusing experience, and I hope it inspires others to explore the joys of multilingualism!

(By the way, if you're curious about the correct Korean phrase for "That's me!", I'd be happy to help you with that)

Johano 1y ago

Это я! 😃 knowing multiple languages, you also get the benefit of cross-language puns 😆😆