Language Quotes (General discussion) Language Learning Forum

Language Quotes
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20 messages over 3 pages: 1 2 3

away-with-words
Triglot
Newbie
Australia
Joined 5029 days ago
4 posts - 13 votes
Speaks: English*, Spanish, French
Studies: Turkish

Message 17 of 20

18 February 2011 at 3:26pm | IP Logged

Kounotori wrote:

alang wrote:

stelingo wrote:

Kolik jazyků znáš, tolikrát jsi
člověkem

A Czech proverb meaning: the more languages you know, the more times a person you are.
Not a great translation but hopefully you get the meaning.

I remember this it, is one of my favorites. A Bulgarian quote is similar also.

Човекът е толкова пъти човек, колкото езика знае
(Čovekãt e tolkova pãti čovek, kolkoto ezika znae)
the more languages you know, the more you are a person

That seems to be a very popular adage among Slavic peoples. The Russians also say
"Сколько ты знаешь языков, столько раз ты человек" (Skól'ko tý znáesh' jazykóv, stól'ko
ráz tý chelovék).

I have seen this Czech proverb translated as "Learn a new language, get a new soul" -
one of my favourite quotes!
1 person has voted this message useful

Abdalan
Triglot
Senior Member
Brazil
abdalan.wordpress.co
Joined 5047 days ago
120 posts - 194 votes

Speaks: Portuguese*, French, English
Studies: German

Message 19 of 20

23 March 2011 at 2:57pm | IP Logged

I once heard a Californian student in Heidelberg say, in one of his calmest moods, that
he would rather decline two drinks than one German adjective. Mark Twain (1835-1910)

Waiting for the German verb is surely the ultimate thrill. Flann O'Brien (1911-66)

I am not like a lady at the court of Versailles, who said: 'What a dreadful pity that the
bother at the tower of Babel should have got language all mixed up; but for that,
everyone would always have spoken French.' Voltaire (1694-1778): [letter to Catherine the
Great, 26 May 1767]
1 person has voted this message useful

Thatzright
Diglot
Senior Member
Finland
Joined 5673 days ago
202 posts - 311 votes

Speaks: Finnish*, English
Studies: French, Swedish, German, Russian

Message 20 of 20

23 March 2011 at 3:01pm | IP Logged

Abdalan wrote:

I once heard a Californian student in Heidelberg say, in one of his calmest moods, that
he would rather decline two drinks than one German adjective. Mark Twain (1835-1910)

Some student he must have been...

1 person has voted this message useful

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