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Languages used for ending communications | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : General discussion |  | |
| QiuJP Triglot Senior Member Singapore Joined 5852 days ago 428 posts - 597 votes  Speaks: Mandarin*, EnglishC2, French Studies: Czech, GermanB1, Russian, Japanese | Message 1 of 35 20 May 2012 at 9:37am | IP Logged | ||
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I know the title is really ironic, but there are situations that it is a good to reply in
a foreign language in order to end a conversation. For example, I have met potential swindlers, irritating salesmen, and surveying phone calls that attempt to waste my precious time. When I have met these people, I will reply in Russian to them and they will automatically back off. So far, none of these people can understand Russian and carry on doing the irritating things on me. What are the other languages or other situations you have used to end conversations which you do not want to engage? 4 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| Serpent Octoglot Senior Member Russian Federation serpent-849.livejour Joined 6594 days ago 9753 posts - 15779 votes 4 sounds Speaks: Russian*, English, FinnishC1, Latin, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese Studies: Danish, Romanian, Polish, Belarusian, Ukrainian, Croatian, Slovenian, Catalan, Czech, Galician, Dutch, Swedish | Message 2 of 35 20 May 2012 at 11:04am | IP Logged | ||
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If you ever find yourself in Eastern Europe, don't use Russian :) With Romani that's a bad idea even in Finland.
In Poland I just said in English "I don't understand", though I usually at least got the gist :D I haven't tried to do this in Moscow and I don't think I'd convince anyone - I suppose I could say I'm on my way to an Arabic or Chechen class to freak them out :P 3 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| hribecek Triglot Senior Member Czech Republic Joined 5346 days ago 1243 posts - 1458 votes Speaks: English*, Czech, Spanish Studies: Italian, Polish, Slovak, Hungarian, Toki Pona, Russian | Message 3 of 35 20 May 2012 at 11:59am | IP Logged | ||
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In Czech Republic I always say "no entiendo" (Spanish) and then act like I'm trying to start speaking broken English and that always freaks them out and they hang up or almost run away!
I've also started using Hungarian in these cases now. I get stopped in the street or phoned a couple of times a week by these types of people and it's never failed to scare them away. 5 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| Kartof Bilingual Triglot Senior Member United States Joined 5063 days ago 391 posts - 550 votes Speaks: English*, Bulgarian*, Spanish Studies: Danish | Message 4 of 35 20 May 2012 at 1:27pm | IP Logged | ||
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My parents have always resorted to Bulgarian in such situations (anywhere they go except for Bulgaria obviously :P)
and it's never failed them. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| HenryMW Tetraglot Senior Member United States Joined 5171 days ago 125 posts - 179 votes Speaks: English*, German, Spanish, French Studies: Modern Hebrew | Message 6 of 35 20 May 2012 at 5:36pm | IP Logged | ||
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When I was younger I used to get a lot of calls like that. I would almost always answer in angry German. Oh
man, that killed the conversation fast. 10 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| QiuJP Triglot Senior Member Singapore Joined 5852 days ago 428 posts - 597 votes Speaks: Mandarin*, EnglishC2, French Studies: Czech, GermanB1, Russian, Japanese | Message 7 of 35 20 May 2012 at 5:52pm | IP Logged | ||
Of course, it is silly to use Russian in Eastern Europe, but I think Chinese will be good enough..... Arabic and Chechen ? What a nice choice, considering the problem in the Caucasus which is still continuing. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| prz_ Tetraglot Senior Member Poland last.fm/user/prz_rul Joined 4856 days ago 890 posts - 1190 votes Speaks: Polish*, English, Bulgarian, Croatian Studies: Slovenian, Macedonian, Persian, Russian, Turkish, Ukrainian, Dutch, Swedish, German, Italian, Armenian, Kurdish | Message 8 of 35 20 May 2012 at 9:23pm | IP Logged | ||
I would exclude Macedonia, Serbia, Croatia, Montenegro & BiH as well ;) Edited by prz_ on 20 May 2012 at 9:52pm 2 persons have voted this message useful |
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