What languages do you read/write?

[Lynn LeFey]

I write fiction. I occasionally have a need for small pieces of dialogue in languages other than my native (American) English. I was wondering what languages other folks here can read/write. Preferably idiomatic level would be best.

And, I guess secondarily, would folks with other language skills be willing to assist in translating small bits of dialogue? Thanks in advance, and if this derails into a more general discussion of languages, I'm cool with that.

[detron]

Lynn,  I am afraid I cannot help you with translations,  but is your work for sale?  I might be a customer   

[Grant Lamontagne]

I doubt my meager language skills would be of any interest to you (I really only know swear words in different languages) but I'm sure we have a good number of languages covered here.

Def

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[Nhoj]

I know French pretty well but probably not many sci fi words.

[enki_ck]

A few. It's what I do in "real life". Actively Croatian , German, English, Hungarian, Slovenian, Serbian, ... and I can read a few more. My Hungarian is a bit rusty though as I haven't used it In a couple of years but I used to live there and went to college (ELTE BTK) for a semester in Budapest. My German is far better than my English (I count English as my 5th by knowledge of it ), I grew up in a region a few km from the Slovenian border, Croatian and Serbian are about 80% similar and I'm still the generation that learned both.

We have native speakers here for lots of languages though so if you post what languages you need, I'm sure we'll find someone to help you.

[Grathr]

I would be happy to translate some tekst into Norwegian for you. 

[kirk13]

I have a smattering of Afrikaans,but its mostly what you need to tell someone to f**k off

[Whoey]

When I was a teen I was pretty fluent in Canadian French... but it's now long forgotten, mostly due to lack of practice and being replaced by Spanish, which I'm now quite fluent.

There's a second language here (Basque) but I barely know a couple words of that.

My wife is Spanish native, and has excellent English, she's even done a degree in translation, and she's currently studying another in English Philology.

[jph0200]

I can speak and read Afrikaans as a 2nd language but don't write well
Also speak a little chinese

[Pacu]

Just English, east texas hillbilly, and very fluent in southern redneck. My wife speaks speed yankee to me but I can't keep up. When she talks to her family I swear the phone is gonna catch fire.

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

Just English, east texas hillbilly, and very fluent in southern redneck. My wife speaks speed yankee to me but I can't keep up. When she talks to her family I swear the phone is gonna catch fire.

:D:D

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

[lister]

Slovenian adnd english.

[ducttapetech]

English and latin. The later is some what rusty. Nobody speaks it anymore. Its like its a dead language or something. 

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[bmot]

Well, obviously I know Dutch    and English


I know some elementary French, too, but I'd hardly say I'd be useful with that 

[jzmtl]

So the million dollar question is, with all the talent onboard, can anyone translate wtf do those IKEA furniture names mean?

[enki_ck]

English and latin. The later is some what rusty. Nobody speaks it anymore. Its like its a dead language or something. 

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I know.

I learned it for two years in high school but forgot most of it by now. All that is left is some grammar and some dicta et sententiae.

[Grathr]

So the million dollar question is, with all the talent onboard, can anyone translate wtf do those IKEA furniture names mean?

Thats easy. 
They are given classic scandinavian names, named after scandinavian citys/places or just a skaninavian word or phrase.
Like their bed series Tromsø, is named after the city of Tromsø in Northern Norway. The Bathroom cabinet Godmorgon is the word good and morning in swedish put together. And the shelf Ivar is named after the name Ivar.

[mcniac]

My mother tongue is spanish, so let me know if I can be of any help

Cheers!
Esteban

[styx]

English, Croatia and I can talk German but don't ask me to write it if you don't want horror stories. As for Spanish, Dutch and Polis, I know enough to hit on women and cuss

[kkokkolis]

Except English I know few French and I'm fluent in Greek. I also read Ancient Greek and my wife is a teacher of New Greek, Ancient Greek, Latin and French, although active in just the first three.


Ἄφοβον ὁ θεός, ἀνύποπτον ὁ θάνατος· καὶ τ’ ἀγαθὸν μὲν εὔκτητον, τὸ δὲ δεινὸν εὐκαρτέρητον.
Φιλόδημος Γαδαρεύς

[lowtech]

My mother tongue is German, apart from that it´s only what little english I learned at school and from listening to music, reading books and surfing the net.

[AimlessWanderer]

A few years back I reached a level where I could communicate at a basic level albeit clumsily in BSL & SSE (British Sign Language and Sign Supported English). I do consider myself rather better at the written form.



 

[MadPlumbarian]

I went to a votec high school and well never got into another language, so I'm just English, utba oseda igpa atinla ountca?  JR

[jerseydevil]

I have a smattering of Afrikaans,but its mostly what you need to tell someone to f**k off

Sounds just like my command of Spanish, German, Russian, and Greek! 

[kirk13]

I have a smattering of Afrikaans,but its mostly what you need to tell someone to f**k off

Sounds just like my command of Spanish, German, Russian, and Greek! 

I usually found that if I cranked the Ulster accent up,a lot of Afrikaaners suddenly remembered how much English they knew

[pietervn]

I usually found that if I cranked the Ulster accent up,a lot of Afrikaaners suddenly remembered how much English they knew

 

Very well said!!! And a lot will depend on the area, some areas in the Cape have a much more descriptive way of talking.

I can help with Afrikaans and English; reading writing and translating.

Pete

[kirk13]

Peter,I was in Uitenhage,in the Eastern Cape. Didnt work so well in Kimberly though

[sardauker]

I'm better in English to Italian than in Italian to English, I swear.

[N_N_R]

If you ever need some Bulgarian, PM me, as I may not often check this topic

[ducttapetech]

Does pig latin count? I pretty good at it.

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