What languages do you use the most in a given day? Buying my cigarettes in French.

@TheHorse (240785)

Walnut Creek, California

July 12, 2025 10:30am CST

I am a decent English speaker, as it is my first language. I was close to fluent in Italian (for a 4-year-old) when we lived in Italy for a year. But I have forgotten most of the Italian I learned. I speak a tiny bit of Spanish, as I have lived in California for many years. I even know few words of Hebrew. But the language I learned in school was French. I can carry on a Very Basic conversation in French. The guy who runs my local gas station is from Algeria. He speaks Berber, French and English. He may speak other languages as well. When I buy my cigs from him, we speak only in French. It is actually really fun. Plus I can ask him questions (in English) if there is something I do not understand. We both get a kick out of our interactions. What languages do you speak? If you are Filipino, or Indian, where English is taught in the schools, do you speak some English on a daily basis? Do you mostly speak Tagalog, or Hindi? Or your native dialect? What language(s) were you "forced" to learn in school?

16 people like this

17 responses

@marguicha (230608)

• Chile

12 Jul 25

I know French and English besides my native Spanish. I was very glad when we went to France and could "eat" in French.

My husband did not know a single word of French as his teacher in school sent him to play soccer while she taught the rest of the students.

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@TheHorse (240785)

• Walnut Creek, California

12 Jul 25

Well,it sounds like he had a decent soccer career. I would have enjoyed being told to go play basaeball during Frech class.

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@marguicha (230608)

• Chile

12 Jul 25

@TheHorse He was part of the best soccer team of his time.

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@TheHorse (240785)

• Walnut Creek, California

12 Jul 25

@marguicha Have you ever watched "South Park"?

@xFiacre (15390)

• Ireland

12 Jul 25

@thehorse I was kicked out of German class by a German witch after 6 weeks. French is no problem and I can survive in Italian and Spanish. My second language is ciTumbuku (northern Malawi) and I get by in Irish.

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@xFiacre (15390)

• Ireland

14 Jul 25

@TheHorse No, nothing like it and we don’t have words for yes and no!!

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@TheHorse (240785)

• Walnut Creek, California

14 Jul 25

@xFiacre Well boy howdy! Just use Hebrew..Ken = yes. Lo = no.

@TheHorse (240785)

• Walnut Creek, California

14 Jul 25

Is Irish kind of like English?

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@LadyDuck (509322)

• Italy

12 Jul 25

The official languages of Algeria are Arabic and Berber, but most people also speak French, it's the same in Morocco. I speak Italian all the time with my husband, but we also use French a lot, because we lived 31 years in Monte Carlo, where French is the official language.

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@TheHorse (240785)

• Walnut Creek, California

12 Jul 25

I wondered if my friend might also speak Arabic.

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@AliCanary (4925)

•

12 Jul 25

@TheHorse probably. The North Africans I worked with were mostly from Morocco and spoke French fluently as well as Arabic, but there were also two from Algeria. One spoke French well and the other didn't, so I guess it depends on where you're from. They all speak Arabic, though. Next time he sells to you, say "shukran" instead of "merci" and see what he does. Bet you get a big smile!

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@TheHorse (240785)

• Walnut Creek, California

12 Jul 25

@AliCanary Oh oh. I dare not. "shukran"

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@RasmaSandra (101205)

• Daytona Beach, Florida

12 Jul 25

I am fluent in English and Latvian, At home I think in both languages and pray in Latvian,

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@RasmaSandra (101205)

• Daytona Beach, Florida

13 Jul 25

@TheHorse the Lord understands me one way or another

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@TheHorse (240785)

• Walnut Creek, California

14 Jul 25

@RasmaSandra God can see into our hearts.

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@TheHorse (240785)

• Walnut Creek, California

13 Jul 25

Interesting! "pray in Latvian"

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@cabuyogty (4486)

• Philippines

12 Jul 25

I usually speak in Tagalog , I'm a Filipino and we were forced to speak or write in English when it was the subject is English in school.

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@TheHorse (240785)

• Walnut Creek, California

13 Jul 25

Makes sense. Were you exposed to a local dialect as well?

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@TheHorse (240785)

• Walnut Creek, California

13 Jul 25

@cabuyogty Local languages?

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@cabuyogty (4486)

• Philippines

13 Jul 25

@TheHorse I can understand and speak Cebuano or Bisaya just a little bit

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Nocturnal Writer

@Nakitakona (60280)

• Philippines

13 Jul 25

Our medium of instruction is in English and our nationsl language is Filipino and it's also referring to our nationality. I know a little about Spanidh which I studied in college as one of my subjrcts.

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@TheHorse (240785)

• Walnut Creek, California

13 Jul 25

My Filipino friend Ric mixes in bits of Spanish with Tagalog when he talks to his Filipino friends on the phone.

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Nocturnal Writer

@Nakitakona (60280)

• Philippines

15 Jul 25

@TheHorse And it sounds funny. Isn't it?

Anne Marie Guyer

@LeaPea2417 (40027)

• Toccoa, Georgia

13 Jul 25

English

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Anne Marie Guyer

@LeaPea2417 (40027)

• Toccoa, Georgia

13 Jul 25

@TheHorse Yes, I had to take a language in Highschool for College Prep. I took French.

@TheHorse (240785)

• Walnut Creek, California

13 Jul 25

Were you "forced" to take courses in other languages in High School or College?

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@DaddyEvil (178598)

• United States

12 Jul 25

I know some words/phrases in Spanish but I speak English the most... I took 4 years of French in high school but don't have anyone to practice with so have forgotten most of it now.

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@TheHorse (240785)

• Walnut Creek, California

12 Jul 25

I wish I had someone here to practice French with.

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@wolfgirl569 (140918)

• Marion, Ohio

12 Jul 25

Only English here

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@TheHorse (240785)

• Walnut Creek, California

14 Jul 25

English is a decent language.

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@JudyEv (388892)

• Rockingham, Australia

13 Jul 25

I did five years of French at school and two years of German. I tried to refresh my French through Duolingo before we went overseas and I managed quite well in France. I always loved the language.

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@TheHorse (240785)

• Walnut Creek, California

14 Jul 25

I like the sound of it as well.

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@Traceyjayne (14022)

• United Kingdom

12 Jul 25

I only use English although if needed I can use sign language….i used to work in a school supporting hearing impaired children, and I was a regular at the local deaf club too.

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@TheHorse (240785)

• Walnut Creek, California

12 Jul 25

Cool. I never did learn sign language.

@AliCanary (4925)

•

12 Jul 25

English is my native language, but I use Spanish very often at my job (I'm in HR). I also studied French in school - three years of it, actually. Was in French Honor and everything. I got a chance to practice when a lot of North Africans were hired at my job (they spoke only Arabic and French, and only I and an English gentleman had ANY French, so we were elected to help communicate). However, with no practice for several years, I can't hold much of a conversation in French. At least having studied French made learning Spanish easier. I have also studied German, Portuguese, Zulu, and Japanese, and I know various words and phrases in Arabic, Chinese, Amharic, Serbian, Russian, Vietnamese, and Urdu.

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@TheHorse (240785)

• Walnut Creek, California

14 Jul 25

It's interesting to see the overlaps between languages.

@LindaOHio (223802)

• United States

12 Jul 25

I speak English. I knew some Italian when I was younger; but I only remember a few phrases. I took Latin in high school. So stupid. I should have taken French. Would have loved to have learned Spanish; but they only offered Latin, German and French.

@AliCanary (4925)

•

12 Jul 25

Having studied Latin will give you a big boost in French, Italian, Spanish, or Portuguese! You can go on Duolingo and learn for free - that's what I do!

2 people like this

@TheHorse (240785)

• Walnut Creek, California

12 Jul 25

@AliCanary I enjoy noting the similarities between Italian, French, and Spanish words. But I have never studied Latin.

@LindaOHio (223802)

• United States

12 Jul 25

@AliCanary I never would have thought that Latin would help. I only remember one word!!!

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@Ineeddentures (45671)

•

12 Jul 25

English And I can hold a conversation in French with ease.

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@TheHorse (240785)

• Walnut Creek, California

13 Jul 25

I would like to spend a year in France and try to get better at the language. I can hear myself saying "Parle lentemente, s'il vous plait." And no, I am not responsible for my spelling in French..

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@Ineeddentures (45671)

•

13 Jul 25

@TheHorse Aye Speak more slowly if you please

@celticeagle (194230)

• Boise, Idaho

13 Jul 25

I learned some Spanish in high school. I can count and know a few colors. I would love to learn French. I think it is such a pretty language. But, alas I only know English. The one character on the Star Trek series I am watching knows 37 languages. I can't even imagine this old brain of mine keeping all that info in it.

@BACONSTRIPSXXX (19053)

• West Haven, Connecticut

15 Jul 25

English as my primary and Spanish second

@JESSY3236 (22712)

• United States

15 Jul 25

I chose to learn French in high school, but I wasn't fluent in it.