This Is Why English Is Confusing

[Kamele0N]

This Is Why English Is Confusing

I (and the rest of my class most probably) will never forget one particular english lesson from my high school days

I was called in front of the table to evaluate my english (for a grade).....of course I was slightly nervous...and teacher opens conversation with me about how my day stared in the morning....what I ate for my breakfast...how I came to the school....etc etc

And since I wanted to calm myself down (during the conversation).....I stared to play jokes with my teacher...telling her how I saw UFO on my way to school...and how that little green man waved at me....etc (never mind

)....just to pass

And so she was listening to my [censored] story.....and the rest of my class somehow one half interested in my story and the other half in quiet whisper between school benches ( Highschool classix
When suddenly teacher looked at me ( that [censored] expression on her face...priceless ) and she asked me with a slight nervousness in her voice....Mr. .... ARE YOU PULLING MY LEG???

And

There was instant silence in the class...nobody was talking anymore...not even classmates in the rear benches...

For a second.......or two we could hear crickets outside...and how we are scratching our heads

And I was like (and the rest of my class)...[censored] why would I grab her for her leg

AND THEN THERE WAS IMMENSE LAUGHTER.....whole class was rolling on the ground....and this was the end of that english lesson....15minutes before real end

Oh....and I passed

 

[Ethan1]

Are there no idioms in Slovenian?

 

[Kamele0N]

Of course we have them......but due to different syntax in sentences between english and slovene language....you often can not directly translate sentences into other language

OR you can but it sounds pretty funny!

Or it sounds like in google translate......or it gets completely different meaning...

If you "directly" translate "are you pulling my leg".....it means "(are you)grabbing my leg"

 

[alcyon]

good one.

 

[Kamele0N]

Originally Posted By: Ethan1
Are there no idioms in Slovenian?


For instance if you want to say in slovenian slang that you were lucky.....you can say "Imel sem krompir".....wich directly translated into english would sound "I had a potato"

 

[MONKEYMAN]

My supervisor at work is from Vietnam, arriving to USA in High School. He just does not get the meaning of some idioms. In his case it is not funny. He tends to get bent out of shape when he assigns the wrong meaning to what is said.

 

[Leo99]

Originally Posted By: Kamele0N
Originally Posted By: Ethan1
Are there no idioms in Slovenian?


For instance if you want to say in slovenian slang that you were lucky.....you can say "Imel sem krompir".....wich directly translated into english would sound "I had a potato"

So, if I was studying the Slovenian language and I got lucky, someone might say to me, "Imel sem krompir!"

This is just as confusing as English because I've not eaten a potato.

 

[Squirrelee]

English is a difficult language - it can be understood through tough thorough thought though.

 

[daves87rs]

 

[Ducked]

Originally Posted By: Kamele0N
Originally Posted By: Ethan1
Are there no idioms in Slovenian?


For instance if you want to say in slovenian slang that you were lucky.....you can say "Imel sem krompir".....wich directly translated into english would sound "I had a potato"

I have a pineapple.

 

[ecotourist]

Originally Posted By: Squirrelee
English is a difficult language - it can be understood through tough thorough thought though.

That's very good. Many English speakers would have trouble with that sentence.

 

[Kuato]

Great story!

 

[alcyon]

Originally Posted By: Ducked
Originally Posted By: Kamele0N
Originally Posted By: Ethan1
Are there no idioms in Slovenian?


For instance if you want to say in slovenian slang that you were lucky.....you can say "Imel sem krompir".....wich directly translated into english would sound "I had a potato"

I have a pineapple.





Soooo asian !

 

[Virtus_Probi]

English is a horrifying mishmash of German and Latin with influences from Greek and other languages tossed in just to make it really confusing.
Honestly, it's a terrible choice for a universal language because it's cobbled together so awkwardly.

 

[SuperSalad]

All languages are awful for learners in my experience. Of all the English (native), Spanish, German, and French that I've learned, French is the worst. Written is simple enough, but the spoken language is infuriating. So many silent syllables and letters that everything sounds the same to me. I'm sure I'll eventually get the hang of it once I listen to it long enough, but it is so hard to decipher a native speakers words right now.

German is my favorite though. It is all right there, hardly any silent letters, very pragmatic with little flourish. I actually like listening to it too, although I know a lot of people find it inelegant.

 

[pandus13]

Originally Posted By: MotoTribologist
All languages are awful for learners in my experience. Of all the English (native), Spanish, German, and French that I've learned, French is the worst. Written is simple enough, but the spoken language is infuriating. So many silent syllables and letters that everything sounds the same to me. I'm sure I'll eventually get the hang of it once I listen to it long enough, but it is so hard to decipher a native speakers words right now.

German is my favorite though. It is all right there, hardly any silent letters, very pragmatic with little flourish. I actually like listening to it too, although I know a lot of people find it inelegant.

Believe me when i tell you French, Italian, Spanish would sound differently when you grew up in one of the romanic/latin languages....

Tout va bien, mon ami! (don't hate me for my missing letter accents....)

 

[Virtus_Probi]

Originally Posted By: MotoTribologist
All languages are awful for learners in my experience. Of all the English (native), Spanish, German, and French that I've learned, French is the worst. Written is simple enough, but the spoken language is infuriating. So many silent syllables and letters that everything sounds the same to me. I'm sure I'll eventually get the hang of it once I listen to it long enough, but it is so hard to decipher a native speakers words right now.

German is my favorite though. It is all right there, hardly any silent letters, very pragmatic with little flourish. I actually like listening to it too, although I know a lot of people find it inelegant.


When I hear people speaking German, Hebrew, or Arabic, I usually think they sound angry.

 

[SuperSalad]

Originally Posted By: pandus13
Originally Posted By: MotoTribologist
All languages are awful for learners in my experience. Of all the English (native), Spanish, German, and French that I've learned, French is the worst. Written is simple enough, but the spoken language is infuriating. So many silent syllables and letters that everything sounds the same to me. I'm sure I'll eventually get the hang of it once I listen to it long enough, but it is so hard to decipher a native speakers words right now.

German is my favorite though. It is all right there, hardly any silent letters, very pragmatic with little flourish. I actually like listening to it too, although I know a lot of people find it inelegant.

Believe me when i tell you French, Italian, Spanish would sound differently when you grew up in one of the romanic/latin languages....

Tout va bien, mon ami! (don't hate me for my missing letter accents....)

I never had the problem with Spanish that I do with French though. I could pick out words in Spanish no problem. With French I need to constantly be thinking of the context of the conversation to figure out what words are being spoken.

I have no doubt you are correct though. That's why I think my ears will eventually evolve once I hear it enough.

 

[Kamele0N]

Originally Posted By: MotoTribologist

German is my favorite though. It is all right there, hardly any silent letters, very pragmatic with little flourish. I actually like listening to it too, although I know a lot of people find it inelegant.


I find german language simple......one past one present...one future.....and when you are building sentences you got rules (hence zee Germans

) .....you are practically building sentences like LEGO bricks

What is difficult in their language are declension and gender

You can know how to build sentences and speak their words......but you will not be able to speak it untill you will master these two things

 

[Kamele0N]

Originally Posted By: Virtus_Probi

When I hear people speaking German, Hebrew, or Arabic, I usually think they sound angry.


Hehehehe