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Languages used for ending communications

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35 messages over 5 pages: 1 2 3 4 5  Next >>
QiuJP
Triglot
Senior Member
Singapore
Joined 5840 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 
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 6582 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 
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 5334 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 
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 5051 days ago

391 posts - 550 votes 
Speaks: English*, Bulgarian*, Spanish
Studies: Danish

 
 Message 4 of 35
20 May 2012 at 1:27pm | IP Logged 
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 5159 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 
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 5840 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 
Serpent wrote:
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


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 4844 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 
Kartof wrote:
My parents have always resorted to Bulgarian in such situations (anywhere they go except for Bulgaria obviously :P)
and it's never failed them.

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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