Ok, Lemmy, let’s play a game!
Post how many languages in which you can count to ten, including your native language. If you like, provide which languages. I’m going to make a guess; after you’ve replied, come back and open the spoiler. If I’m right: upvote; if I’m wrong: downvote!
My guess, and my answer...
My guess is that it’s more than the number of languages you speak, read, and/or write.
Do you feel cheated because I didn’t pick a number? Vote how you want to, or don’t vote! I’m just interested in the count.
I can count to ten in five languages, but I only speak two. I can read a third, and I once was able to converse in a fourth, but have long since lost that skill. I know only some pick-up/borrow words from the 5th, including counting to 10.
- My native language is English
- I lived in Germany for a couple of years; because I never took classes, I can’t write in German, but I spoke fluently by the time I left.
- I studied French in college for three years; I can read French, but I’ve yet to meet a French person who can understand what I’m trying to say, and I have a hard time comprehending it.
- I taught myself Esperanto a couple of decades ago, and used to hang out in Esperanto chat rooms. I haven’t kept up.
- I can count to ten in Japanese because I took Aikido classes for a decade or so, and my instructor counted out loud in Japanese, and the various movements are numbered.
I can almost count to ten in Spanish, because I grew up in mid-California and there was a lot of Spanish thrown around. But French interferes, and I start in Spanish and find myself switching to French in the middle, so I’m not sure I could really do it.
Bonus question: do you ever do your counting in a non-native language, just to make it more interesting?
Eins, Zwei, Drei, Vier, Fünf, Sechs, Sieben, Acht, Neun, Zehn (German, Native)
One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten (English, know this pretty well)
Un, Deux, Trois, Quatre, Cinq, Six, Sept, Huit, Neuf, Dix (French, least sure about this one)
いち、に、さん、よん、ご、ろく、なな、はち、きゅう、じゅう (日本語, I love it but it’s still hard)
一、二、三、四、後、六、七、八、九、十 (also 日本語 but with kanji)
In Japanese it’s customary to use shi and shichi for 4 and 7 when counting, because they can’t be confused when appearing in order. So you can sound a bit more like a native counting that way :)
From my experience, in lower grades Germans generally get offered French or English as a second language, so most Germans I’ve ever met spoke one of those passably. I’m not surprised that you’d pick up both.
I had some French in Grundschule, and some more as secondary language years later. English was the primary secondary (?) language. Besides… English is kind of the international language nowadays.