What language do you dream in ?

@thezone (9394)
Ireland
February 11, 2009 5:43pm CST
So this is sweet and to the point. My native tongue is Gaeilge or Gaelic but it is a dead language and only spoken here by a small minority. I have never had a dream in my native tounge So if English is not your first language, do you dream in your own ? Or is it a mix of both ?
5 people like this
17 responses
• United States
11 Feb 09
I dream in english lol. I speak chinese at home but dont dream talking it. Its just what you are use to when you are in America. My little cousin 6 years old and cant speak chinese or descent english. His words are like mixed up sadly.
3 people like this
@thezone (9394)
• Ireland
11 Feb 09
I know what you mean you mean it is strange when you dont dream in another language that you know.
2 people like this
@max1950 (2306)
• United States
11 Feb 09
Oidhche mhath MY GRANDPARENTS WERE FROM CORK, I DO REMEMBER THEM SPEAKING WHAT I THOUGHT WAS JUST PLAIN IRISH BUT KNOW I'M NOT SURE, I DO WISH I HAD A SECOND LANGUAGE,, I DID FRENCH BUT WHAT FOR I DON;T KNOW POINTS IN H.S. I GUESS
2 people like this
@max1950 (2306)
• United States
12 Feb 09
yes since i never made it to europe or lets say made it yet french was wasted. some day i;ll get to my grandparents country, heck i have enough video's of ireland but i'll get there. hey maybe a 60th birthday present to himself. enjoy the evening
1 person likes this
@thezone (9394)
• Ireland
11 Feb 09
Hello my Irish brother. Its a shame the Irish laguage is dying out, I also studied French in School but it was a more valuble language than Irish at the time.
1 person likes this
@ehlana88 (330)
• United States
12 Feb 09
I dream in English most often. It is my native language. However, probably about once a week I'll dream in either German or Spanish. Typically Spanish as its the one I'm most fluent in.
1 person likes this
@thezone (9394)
• Ireland
12 Feb 09
Maybe that is the key. The more you are familiar with a language, the more likely you are to speak in the language in the dream.
2 people like this
@ehlana88 (330)
• United States
12 Feb 09
I agree also immersion helps. My family is Puertorican. I watch novellas (spanish soap operas) listen to latin music, and often read books in the language. When I baby-sat 3 small boys who only spoke German, I dreamed more in German because then I was totally immersed in the culture. As an experiment you might want to try listening to music in Gaelic before going to sleep a couple nights a week. See if that affects your dreams?
@thezone (9394)
• Ireland
12 Feb 09
I have tried listening to music but no joy.
1 person likes this
@dreamy1 (3811)
• United States
12 Feb 09
I dream in English (native tongue) but I have had a dream in part in Chinese. I speak a little and trying to learn more. I was asking my boyfriend about this before about what he dreams in. His native tongue is Chinese but he also speaks excellent English. He said depending on who is in his dream then that's what he will dream in so if he's dreaming about someone and all they speak is English then he will dream in English but if he dreams about people he knows who speak Chinese then he will dream in Chinese. I once had a dream that my dog could talk. I wasn't surprised she could speak but I was more surprised that she could speak German. She was a Doberman Pinscher.
2 people like this
@thezone (9394)
• Ireland
12 Feb 09
I have alot of friends from various nationalities and do pop up in my dreams alot but they always speak english, maybe it is because they speak in English and not in their native tongue most days.
@loveyevi (513)
• United States
11 Feb 09
I speak Russian and English. My English is by far my better tongue, even though it is not my native. I will almost always dream in English. The only time I actually dream in Russian is when I am having a dream about a relative who only speaks Russian. This happens actually more than I thought it ever would. Sometimes it seems like in my dreams I am speaking Russian words that I do not actually know, but understand as russian. It is very weird to me.
@thezone (9394)
• Ireland
11 Feb 09
So Russian is your native tongue but most of your dreams are in English, I thought it would have been the other way round. It is really weird the way the dream state works and also weird the way you speak Russian words that you dont know. Thak for the reply.
1 person likes this
• United States
11 Feb 09
I've had many dreams in which I spoke another language, and fluently in the dream. Yet, in my awake world I only knew a few.
2 people like this
@thezone (9394)
• Ireland
12 Feb 09
It is amazing the ways dreams work. I have yet to dream in another language. I find it interesting the way you were fluent in the dream but not in the waking world.
1 person likes this
@ElicBxn (63235)
• United States
15 Feb 09
I had a friend who took years and years of Spanish and she was thrilled the first time she had a dream in Spanish.
1 person likes this
@thezone (9394)
• Ireland
15 Feb 09
I can imagine that was thrilling for her, after studying another language for so long.
1 person likes this
@mysdianait (66009)
• Italy
12 Feb 09
I dream in Italian though I am English. I moved to Italy and talk Italian all day so I guess I do everything now in Italian - except sums! For some weird reason I still add up in English
1 person likes this
@mysdianait (66009)
• Italy
12 Feb 09
I guess my brain was trained to do sums in English and has remained that wasy ever since. That's the only explanation I have for it
1 person likes this
@thezone (9394)
• Ireland
12 Feb 09
Maybe dreams react to which ever language you use daily. That is a weird one about the sums. Have a great evening.
1 person likes this
@magojordan (3252)
• Philippines
12 Feb 09
Well besides my native tongue Filipino. I speak English, French and Spanish. I dream usually in my native language but often I dream also in the other three languages. They say that if you dream in a language other than your native tongue it shows your mastery in the language because even at sleep you could speak it.
1 person likes this
@thezone (9394)
• Ireland
12 Feb 09
That is a very good point. I like the idea of being so fluent that one could talk in their sleep.
1 person likes this
• United States
13 Feb 09
exactly
@sunil_008 (1269)
• India
13 Feb 09
Hi, my native language is oriya.a lot of people speak this language.since we all need to communicate with other to stay in this world,i think that's why the language thing developed. but i wonder why there are so many different languages?...
1 person likes this
@thezone (9394)
• Ireland
13 Feb 09
Hi sunil. That is another very good question you thought of there. I wonder why there are so many differnt languages and variations. I think you may have a whole new discussion with that one. Thanks for the reply.
@ljbinkop (744)
• United States
13 Feb 09
Since I speak Engilsh (or American if you will!) I will say that my dreams are mainly in English, but I have taken a few languages in my life, and when I was studying them, I had a few dreams in other languages. Or should I say that I had dreams where I was TRYING to speak a language. I think it must all be connected somehow, and what you are thinking about is the language you will dream in, but thoughtful question, Zone...
1 person likes this
@thezone (9394)
• Ireland
13 Feb 09
American English lol, I love it. Its interesting with some of the American spelling variations and pronunciations of various words. I think us Irish here have our own way of using the English language as well. That is also worth a whole new discussion.
• United States
13 Feb 09
I'm going to sneak in here, even though English is my first language. I have studied three other languages: German (in school), and Macedonian and Arabic, by living in those cultures. I have definitely dreamed in Macedonian, a language I learned very well. I haven't dreamed in Arabic, and probably won't. I don't remember if I ever dreamed in German as a student. That is wild about you though!!
@thezone (9394)
• Ireland
13 Feb 09
I know I have had dreams were the dream is so incohearent it made no sense. But I do find it very strange that I have never dreamed in any other language that I ever studied.
• China
13 Feb 09
I am a Chinese and my native tongue is Cantonese. I speak Cantonese, Mandarin (official language in China) and English. In most of my dream I use Cantonese. but also I had several dreams that I spoke English, never dream in Mandarin. I remember a few years ago when I just know a little English I spoke fluent English in my dream.
1 person likes this
@thezone (9394)
• Ireland
13 Feb 09
That is amazing that when you knew very little English, you spoke it fluently in the dream. I guess in dreams we can do almost anything.
• United States
13 Feb 09
I dream in english. Seems like a simplier language.
1 person likes this
@thezone (9394)
• Ireland
13 Feb 09
Same as me. Dreams can be confusing at the best of times.
@mz_Ira (1090)
• Philippines
12 Feb 09
Gaelic is wales' language am i right? Wow.. If it is then yes It is Gaelic that I want to learn. It sounds and interesting to speak Gaelic. Sad I did not get the chance to learn during my stay in the UK..
1 person likes this
@thezone (9394)
• Ireland
12 Feb 09
Welsh language is Cymraeg a form of Celtic spoken in Wales. I should have been more specific as in, Irish Gaelic or Gaeilge. It is always good to learn a new language it can be very interesting.
@missybear (11391)
• United States
13 Feb 09
Good question my native language is German but I always dream in English. Very strange now that I think about it
@thezone (9394)
• Ireland
13 Feb 09
Yes it is strange when you dont dream in your native tongue. Or for that matter other languages you know.
@rya729 (22)
12 Feb 09
I've only ever know english so i allways dream in english but it never sounds it
@thezone (9394)
• Ireland
12 Feb 09
I know what you mean some dreams can be so weird.