Smart Tetraglot Senior Member United States Joined 5338 days ago 352 posts - 398 votes Speaks: Spanish, English*, Latin, French Studies: German
| Message 257 of 297 13 April 2010 at 7:54am | IP Logged |
Hard to say for sure. I would have to say Dutch. If it is really well-spoken :)
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aabram Pentaglot Senior Member Estonia Joined 5532 days ago 138 posts - 263 votes Speaks: Estonian*, English, Spanish, Russian, Finnish Studies: Mandarin, French
| Message 258 of 297 13 April 2010 at 8:39am | IP Logged |
Carisma wrote:
For example, I don't know anybody who thinks that German is the most
beautiful spoken language, but to see a piece of German written in good cursive is
marvellous. |
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Good cursive German like this? This is actual style example from 1922 textbook I have.
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nescafe Senior Member Japan Joined 5408 days ago 137 posts - 227 votes
| Message 259 of 297 13 April 2010 at 11:37am | IP Logged |
I am very glad to know many people here say Japanese is a beautiful language. Let me ask you. How dose Japanese sound like to you (who love Japanese language)? I remember there is a thread like "how English sounds to foreigners" anywhere on this forum (I could not find it), I am curios to know the same thing about Japanese. I gusee Japanese sounds like Korean, because I often mistake Koreas for Japanese when hearing it on subway, but is it so...?
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ennime Tetraglot Senior Member South Africa universityofbrokengl Joined 5903 days ago 397 posts - 507 votes Speaks: English, Dutch*, Esperanto, Afrikaans Studies: Xhosa, French, Korean, Portuguese, Zulu
| Message 260 of 297 13 April 2010 at 1:57pm | IP Logged |
Smart wrote:
Hard to say for sure. I would have to say Dutch. If it is really well-
spoken :) |
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hmmm I don't know... I find it all a bit too rough, same with German...
Gaelic is number one for me, but apart from that I say I'd go for Nama/khoekhoegowab...
or a Berber language...
in terms of writing... Finnish... (not as in writing system, but just in terms of how the
words "look")
Edited by ennime on 13 April 2010 at 1:57pm
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apatch3 Diglot Groupie United Kingdom Joined 6184 days ago 80 posts - 99 votes Speaks: Pashto, English* Studies: Japanese, FrenchA2
| Message 261 of 297 13 April 2010 at 9:59pm | IP Logged |
to me japanese has two distinct sounds when spoken normally it sounds monotonous (thanks to the grammar being expressive enough not to require a change of intonation) so much so that it almost feels like everyone is discussing something of utmost importance. The second type is more lively (ie the type used in music and casual conversation) tends to sound very flowing, almost soothing. Anyway Japanese doesn't have the same novelty It presented me with before I started learning but then thats the case with all languages .. their "coolness" wears off when you actually begin to understand them for instance french doesn't sound snobbish to me any longer.
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nescafe Senior Member Japan Joined 5408 days ago 137 posts - 227 votes
| Message 262 of 297 14 April 2010 at 7:50am | IP Logged |
Thank you very much, Apatch3
apatch3 wrote:
to me japanese has two distinct sounds when spoken normally it sounds monotonous (thanks to the grammar being expressive enough not to require a change of intonation) so much so that it almost feels like everyone is discussing something of utmost importance. |
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Hehhh, it is interesting. I did not know Japanese sounds as if "discussion utmost important things". I remember a Chinese lady said Japanese speak in lower voice than Chinese so that we sounds very serious ans she felt on a train as if in a library.
English sounded to me as,
Dis ez ummum&$"!$%&&ummmum rolling rolling hhmmmmm$'(($## ...???
Now it sounds right to me, A language.
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apatch3 Diglot Groupie United Kingdom Joined 6184 days ago 80 posts - 99 votes Speaks: Pashto, English* Studies: Japanese, FrenchA2
| Message 263 of 297 16 April 2010 at 1:13am | IP Logged |
By the way you have you trade brains with me now, I've been slacking off my kanji study lately and I've come to the conclusion that a brain transplant would be an easier option.
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ericspinelli Diglot Senior Member Japan Joined 5782 days ago 249 posts - 493 votes Speaks: English*, Japanese Studies: Korean, Italian
| Message 264 of 297 16 April 2010 at 5:24am | IP Logged |
nescafe wrote:
I am very glad to know many people here say Japanese is a beautiful language. Let me ask you. How dose Japanese sound like to you (who love Japanese language)? I remember there is a thread like "how English sounds to foreigners" anywhere on this forum (I could not find it), I am curios to know the same thing about Japanese. I gusee Japanese sounds like Korean, because I often mistake Koreas for Japanese when hearing it on subway, but is it so...? |
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I thought Korean sounded like whiny Japanese until I went to Korea. While I still found the language full of drawn out vowels and incredibly whiny, comparing it to Japanese is a stretch. Japanese speakers in Korea definitely stand out. I wonder if the reverse is not true because most Koreans in Japan also speak Japanese?
I don't think Japanese is beautiful, nor did I before I learned it. At best it is gruff and badass (Tomisaburo Wakayama!) and worst incredibly annoying. What passes for cute in Japan makes my blood boil. On the other hand, without even trying, Hakata-ben (Fukuoka dialect) is incredibly cute. 取っとーと?
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