Help your fluency in a nifty way

Discussion of natural languages, or language in general.
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Imralu
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Re: Help your fluency in a nifty way

Post by Imralu »

linguoboy wrote:Ól braon is feic cad a thagann amach!
Drink a little and see what comes out!
Sinywi pombe tena kwa ajili ya afya ya akili na matatizo ya dawa.
I don't drink alcohol anymore both for reasons of mental health and problems with medicine.

Lakini nina pasi ya Ayalandi.
But I have an Irish passport.

__________

Ninamchukia tena baba yangu. Mama yangu iko Berlin na ndugu yangu na leo usiku tulizungumza kumhusu baba na sasa nina hakika kwamba wema wake wote ambao anatuonyesha ni bandia. Anakuwa mzee na anaogopa kuwa pekee. Alimkiria mama kwamba aliacha kumtukana kwa sababu ya mama alipata urithi na anautaka. Vilevile anadhani kwamba nimepita "matatizo yangu" yanayomhusu kwa sababu nilimwandikia nikihitaji kitu.
I hate my father again. My mother's in Berlin with my brother and tonight we talked about my dad and now I'm sure that all of his niceness that he shows us is fake. He's getting old and he's afraid of being alone. He admitted to my mum that he stopped verbally abusing her because she got an inheritance and he wants it. He also thinks I've gotten over "my problems" with him because I wrote to him when I needed something.

Msiniambie nisichukie, kwa sababu siwezi kuacha sasa hivi.
Didn't tell me I shouldn't hate because I can't stop it right now.

Najua hii si thread ya kuandika matatizo — lakini nilitaka kuandika kwa Kiswahili.
I know this is not the venting thread, but I wanted to write in Swahili.
Glossing Abbreviations: COMP = comparative, C = complementiser, ACS / ICS = accessible / inaccessible, GDV = gerundive, SPEC / NSPC = specific / non-specific
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ˈd̪ʲɛ.gɔ kɾuˑl̪
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Re: Help your fluency in a nifty way

Post by ˈd̪ʲɛ.gɔ kɾuˑl̪ »

Ok, I'm back and I think I got over my unability to write in English. I got surprised by how bad my English was because it was really good at least until May - I participated in a voivodeship English competition and I got around 85% in the final stage (which still was lower than required 90%). Hardly ever do I have such blocks but when I do, I have to do something else for some time. Usually I'd recognise it and stop writing after second, maybe third wrong post but that time I wanted to explain everything and it got even worse.
For all of you who feel sorry - it was entirely my fault and I don't blame you, it was actually a nice period of not thinking in English.
Hope this won't happen again,
Diego
In Budapest:
- Hey mate, are you hung-a-ry?

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Viktor77
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Re: Help your fluency in a nifty way

Post by Viktor77 »

Diego, ravi de te revoir. :) Et Imralu, je suis désolé d'apprendre des difficultés avec ton père. Je ne m'y connais pas du tout en relations familiales donc je ne sais pas t'aider mais je te souhaite le meilleur.

Diego, glad to see you back. :) And Imralu, I'm sorry to hear about the difficulties with your father. I'm in no way an expert in family relations so I don't know how to help you but I wish you the best.

Ich habe gerade Halle, Deutschland, entdeckt. Ich mag sehr gerne den Marktplatz dieser Stadt mit seinen Roter Turm und Frauenkirche. Sie erregen den ganze Platz mit ihre beeindruckende Höhe. Die ganze Stadt hat schöne Architektur. Ich würde gerne ein Tag Halle besuchen. Ich war einmal in Magdeburg aber nur für ein paar Minuten zu umsteigen.

I have just discovered Halle, Germany. I really like the market square of this city with its Roter Turm and Frauenkirche. They command the whole square with their impressive height. The whole city has beautiful architecture. I would like to one day visit Halle. I was once in Magdeburg but only for a couple minutes to change trains.
Falgwian and Falgwia!!

Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum videtur.

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KathTheDragon
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Re: Help your fluency in a nifty way

Post by KathTheDragon »

ˈd̪ʲɛ.gɔ kɾuˑl̪ wrote:Ok, I'm back and I think I got over my inability to write in English. I got surprised by how bad my English was because it was really good at least until May - I participated in a voivodeship English competition and I got around 85% in the final stage (which still was lower than required 90%). Hardly ever do I have I hardly ever have such blocks but when I do, I have to do something else for some time. Usually I'd recognise it and stop writing after a second, maybe third wrong post but that time I wanted to explain everything and it got even worse.
For all of you who feel sorry - it was entirely my fault and I don't blame you, it was actually a nice period of not thinking in English.
Hope this won't happen again,
Diego
Ich würde etwas auf Deutsch schreiben, aber ich kann nicht.
I'd like to write something in German, but I can't.

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Imralu
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Re: Help your fluency in a nifty way

Post by Imralu »

"Hardly ever do I have" is also correct. It's just a bit more formal and complicated.
Glossing Abbreviations: COMP = comparative, C = complementiser, ACS / ICS = accessible / inaccessible, GDV = gerundive, SPEC / NSPC = specific / non-specific
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KathTheDragon
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Re: Help your fluency in a nifty way

Post by KathTheDragon »

I'd say it's an archaic construction.

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Imralu
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Re: Help your fluency in a nifty way

Post by Imralu »

I've used it before and my English is not as weird as Viktor's ;-)


... and to me, it's only as formal as "such blocks"

Hardly ever do I have such blocks...
I hardly ever have blocks like that...
Glossing Abbreviations: COMP = comparative, C = complementiser, ACS / ICS = accessible / inaccessible, GDV = gerundive, SPEC / NSPC = specific / non-specific
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Pole, the
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Re: Help your fluency in a nifty way

Post by Pole, the »

Imralu wrote:"Hardly ever do I have" is also correct. It's just a bit more formal and complicated.
I think it's one of the constructions taught in Polish schools.
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Travis B.
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Re: Help your fluency in a nifty way

Post by Travis B. »

For some reason, "hardly ever do I have" sounds particularly marked to me, but "hardly ever have I" does not.
Dibotahamdn duthma jallni agaynni ra hgitn lakrhmi.
Amuhawr jalla vowa vta hlakrhi hdm duthmi xaja.
Irdro. Irdro. Irdro. Irdro. Irdro. Irdro. Irdro.

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ˈd̪ʲɛ.gɔ kɾuˑl̪
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Re: Help your fluency in a nifty way

Post by ˈd̪ʲɛ.gɔ kɾuˑl̪ »

I used this constrution as it is almost word-to-word translation of what I'd say in Polish so it makes more sense for me; it also is required in our English teaching programme and appears frequently in texts and exercises.
KathTheDragon, pourquoi tu ne peux pas écrire (ne peux écrire rien ? :? aidez-me) en allemand ?
KathTheDragon, why can't you write in German?
In Budapest:
- Hey mate, are you hung-a-ry?

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KathTheDragon
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Re: Help your fluency in a nifty way

Post by KathTheDragon »

Ich habe fast* alles verlernt.
I've forgotten almost everything.

It's been a long time since I did any serious German learning, and I never quite got to being able to hold a conversation in text, however slow, so using it never became a viable option. Just these two sentences here took way more time than it should have.

*I know this can't be the right word, but I can't find any other translations for that sense of "almost".

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Re: Help your fluency in a nifty way

Post by jal »

KathTheDragon wrote:Ich habe fast* alles verlernt.
Ich denke, dass "fast" hier kein Problem ist, aber mein Deutsch ist auch nicht gut.
I think that "fast" isn't a problem here, but my German isn't very good either.


JAL

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Imralu
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Re: Help your fluency in a nifty way

Post by Imralu »

Niko kwenye duka ya kujianika nikimngoja mtu nayeishi naye. Anajianika.
I'm in a Sonnenstudio* waiting for my flatmate. He's sunning/irradiating himself.

*I've forgotten what these are called in English.
Glossing Abbreviations: COMP = comparative, C = complementiser, ACS / ICS = accessible / inaccessible, GDV = gerundive, SPEC / NSPC = specific / non-specific
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alynnidalar
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Re: Help your fluency in a nifty way

Post by alynnidalar »

Tanning salon?
I generally forget to say, so if it's relevant and I don't mention it--I'm from Southern Michigan and speak Inland North American English. Yes, I have the Northern Cities Vowel Shift; no, I don't have the cot-caught merger; and it is called pop.

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linguoboy
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Re: Help your fluency in a nifty way

Post by linguoboy »

Stimmt es, dass sie in Australien verboten sind?
An fíor go bhfuil cosc orthu so san Astráil?
Is it true these are banned in Australia?

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Re: Help your fluency in a nifty way

Post by Ziz »

Me parece un poco bobo prohibir tal cosa, pero oigo que hay bastantes problemas con el cáncer de piel allí abajo en Australia.
It seems a little silly to ban something like that, but I hear they have enough problems with skin cancer down in Australia.

¿Se puede usar abajo para referirse a lugares más al sur?
Can you use down there to refer to places further south?

Hoy he presentado la renuncia. Me da un poco miedo, pero es necesario para empezar a moverme hasta la próxima meta.
Today I gave notice that I was quitting my job. It's a little scary, but it's necessary to start moving towards the next goal.

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Imralu
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Re: Help your fluency in a nifty way

Post by Imralu »

Baadaye nilikumbuka kwamba neno ambalo nilikuwa nikijaribu kufikiria ni Solarium.
Later I remembered that the word I was trying to think of is "Solarium".

Nilitazama Valerian
I watched Valerian.
linguoboy wrote:Stimmt es, dass sie in Australien verboten sind?
An fíor go bhfuil cosc orthu so san Astráil?
Is it true these are banned in Australia?
Ndiyo. Ni kweli. Zimepigwa marufuku.
Yeah, it's true. They've been banned.

Serikali ni kama baba.
The government is like a dad.
I couldn't find out how to say "nanny state", so figured that would do.

Nilipoishi Australia, nilikuwa hupita mbele ya duka kama hilo na kuangaliwa na watu wenye kiburi na ngozi ya machungwa.
When I lived in Australia I used to walk past one and get looked at by smug, orange-skinned people.
Ziz wrote:Can you use down there to refer to places further south?
Kwa Kiingereza, ndiyo.
In English, yes.
Glossing Abbreviations: COMP = comparative, C = complementiser, ACS / ICS = accessible / inaccessible, GDV = gerundive, SPEC / NSPC = specific / non-specific
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Re: Help your fluency in a nifty way

Post by Astraios »

Ziz wrote:Today I gave notice that I was quitting my job. It's a little scary, but it's necessary to start moving towards the next goal.
Молодец!


Я полечу завтра в Амстердам в честь дня рождения Друга, который решил вчера объявить, что мы с нём будем летать, произвольно, куда-нибудь в отпуск «на выходные», потому что ему «нужно» побывать в заграницу. Короче говоря, выбрал Амстердам из-за гей-парада, «выходные» превратились шестидневным путешествием, взлёт—уже завтра, у меня денег нет. Итак, какие достопримечательности нам абсолютно нельзя пропустить? Кто ещё раз побывал? Кто-то там живёт?

I’m flying to Amsterdam tomorrow for Friend’s birthday, who decided to announce yesterday that I’m going somewhere with him on an ad hoc holiday “for the weekend”, because he “needs” to go abroad. Long story short, he picked Amsterdam because of the pride parade, the “weekend” turned into a six-day trip, we leave tomorrow, and I have no money left. So, what sights can we absolutely not miss? Who else has been to Amsterdam? Does anyone live there?

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linguoboy
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Re: Help your fluency in a nifty way

Post by linguoboy »

Das deutschsprachige Bärentreffen war ein Erfolg. Schlussendlich haben wir uns nicht im DANK-Haus versammelt, sondern in einem Dachbiergarten in der Gegend. Wir haben vor, uns regelmässig zu treffen, wahrscheinlich montalich.
The German-speaking Bear get-together was a success. In the end we didn't meet in the DANK-Haus but in a rooftop Biergarten in the same neighbourhood. We're planning to meet regularly, probably monthly.

Zu meiner angenehmen Überraschung war ein Freund aus Bonn dabei. Vielleicht hat er es als Spass verstanden, wenn ich ihm zu "a beer and bad German" eingeladen hab. Wie dem auch sei hat er gütig mitgemacht und sogar unser allgemeines Sprachniveau gelobt.
I was pleasantly surprised that a friend of mine from Bonn joined us. Maybe he thought I was joking when I invited him along for "beer and bad German" but he played along anyway and even praised our overall level of fluency.

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Re: Help your fluency in a nifty way

Post by jal »

Astraios wrote:So, what sights can we absolutely not miss? Who else has been to Amsterdam? Does anyone live there?
Frage es mir nicht, ich mag Amsterdam nicht gerne :).
Dont' ask me, I'm not fond of Amsterdam :).
linguoboy wrote:a friend of mine from Bonn joined us
hwhatting ist mitgekommen? :))
hwhatting came along? :))


JAL

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Imralu
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Re: Help your fluency in a nifty way

Post by Imralu »

Astraios wrote:he “needs” to go abroad
Hii iko wapi kwenye ngazi ya mahitaji?
Where is that in the hierarchy of needs?

linguoboy wrote:Das deutschsprachige Bärentreffen war ein Erfolg. Schlussendlich haben wir uns nicht im DANK-Haus versammelt, sondern in einem Dachbiergarten in der Gegend. Wir haben vor, uns regelmässig zu treffen, wahrscheinlich montalich.
The German-speaking Bear get-together was a success. In the end we didn't meet in the DANK-Haus but in a rooftop Biergarten in the same neighbourhood. We're planning to meet regularly, probably monthly.
Nilipoanza kusoma hii, sikuona nani ameiandika na kwa sababu fulani nilifikiri kwamba mkutano ulikuwepo Ujerumani na kukasirika kwa sababu hakuna mtu aliyenialika.
When I first read that, I didn't see who had written it and for some reason I thought that the get-together was in Germany and I got annoyed because no one had invited me.

Ninakusamehe, lakini kwa sababu tu uko Marekani.
I forgive you, but only because you're in America.

Inaelekea nisingalikuja, lakini hili si kusudi langu.
I probably wouldn't have come, but that's not the point. :mrgreen:
Glossing Abbreviations: COMP = comparative, C = complementiser, ACS / ICS = accessible / inaccessible, GDV = gerundive, SPEC / NSPC = specific / non-specific
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linguoboy
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Re: Help your fluency in a nifty way

Post by linguoboy »

Ich lad dich zum nächsten ein, gesprochen.
I'm inviting you to the next one, promise.

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Viktor77
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Re: Help your fluency in a nifty way

Post by Viktor77 »

linguoboy wrote:Ich lad dich zum nächsten ein, gesprochen.
I'm inviting you to the next one, promise.
Ik volge heel veel bear blogs op Tumblr en het lijkt wel of jullie samen veel plezier beleven. Bears weten de boel goed aan de gang te krijgen. Jullie zijn ook Body Positive, in tegenstelling tot andere gay groupen.

I follow a lot of bear blogs on Tumblr and it seems you you all have a lot of fun together. Bears really know how to get the party going. You all are also body positive, as opposed to other gay groups.
Falgwian and Falgwia!!

Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum videtur.

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Imralu
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Re: Help your fluency in a nifty way

Post by Imralu »

linguoboy wrote:Ich lad dich zum nächsten ein, versprochen.
I'm inviting you to the next one, promise.
Heko!
Yay!
Viktor77 wrote:I follow a lot of bear blogs on Tumblr and it seems you you all have a lot of fun together. Bears really know how to get the party going. You all are also body positive, as opposed to other gay groups.
Mtandaoni dubu ndio mashoga mwema zaidi. Sijakutana na kundi la dubu kwenye ulimwengu wa halisi ila dubu wachache walio viziwi.
On the internet, bears are the nicest gay'uns. I've never met up with a group of bears in real life except for a few bears who were deaf.
Glossing Abbreviations: COMP = comparative, C = complementiser, ACS / ICS = accessible / inaccessible, GDV = gerundive, SPEC / NSPC = specific / non-specific
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jal
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Re: Help your fluency in a nifty way

Post by jal »

Viktor77 wrote:Ik volge heel veel* bearblogs** op Tumblr en het lijkt erop dat*** jullie samen veel plezier beleven. Bears weten de boel goed aan de gang te krijgen^. Jullie zijn ook body positive, in tegenstelling tot andere gaygroepen**.
*"heel veel" sounds more to me than "a lot". In very colloquial speech, you could try "een boel", in more formal situations "een groot aantal".
**single word, optionally with a dash between the words
***"het lijkt wel of ..." is more of a "it almost seems like ..." and has counterfactual connotations.
^I'm not too familiar with the exact semantics of the English expression, but in the context, in Dutch I'd say "Bears weten hoe ze een feestje moeten geven" or the like.

Ich bin immer erstaunt, dass es so viele verschiedene Grupen gibt, in ein relativ kleine Untersektion des Zusammenlebens.
I'm always surprised that there are so many different groups in a relatively small subsection of society.


JAL

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