# "I don't speak..." **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 1, 2012, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-speak/611399 "2012-02-01T07:25:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![jovan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/0ea827/32.png) [@jovan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jovan)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2012, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-speak/611399/61 "2012-02-04T14:03:07Z")
> [@Onomatopoeia](#): > > Actually, what I wrote does mean “I don’t speak Japanese”, but you are correct. > > ‘Hanesemasen’ as the negative potential conjugation of hanasu (to speak) means the inability to speak, where as ‘hanashimasen’ as the negative present indicative conjugation means to choose not to speak, therefore, ‘nihon go ga hanasemasen’ is correct use for someone who does not currently have the ability to speak Japanese. He pointed out that you used the wrong particle. You say “_nihongo ga hanasenai_” but “_nihongo wo hanasanai_”. ---
**Author:** ![CJJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecc23a/32.png) [@CJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CJJ)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2012, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-speak/611399/62 "2012-02-04T19:21:46Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > Not in the least, no. > I’m reasonably certain you don’t need to add “lingua”, “latinus” is its own word. However, I’m confused by Wiktionary - apparently, there’s a specific construct, which is not part of the regular declension of “latinus”, to mean “in Latin” or “in the Latin tongue”- Latine. This is the adverbial suffix -e; not really a part of a declension, just roughly equivalent to the English suffix -ly. However–like in English–note that not all adjectives can be made into adverbs this way in Latin. “I do not speak Latin” is _Latine non loquor_. Without native speakers, classicists often appeal to the remaining literature, and we have a pretty clear example from Livy (XL.43), where between the 2nd and 3rd Macedonian wars he notes that: _Cumanis eo anno petentibus permissum, ut publice Latine loquerentur et praeconibus Latine vendendi ius esset._ - “In that same year the citizens of Cumae sought the right to _speak Latin_ in matters of law and commerce.” ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2012, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-speak/611399/63 "2012-02-04T20:37:02Z")
Your Turkish sentence needs correction. _Türkçe bilmiyorum._ Literally, ‘I don’t know Turkish’ is how you’d say it. But the negative first person present tense of the verb “to speak” would be _konuşmuyorum_. Bonus languages Modern Standard Arabic: لا أعرف اللغة العربية _Lā a‘rifu al-lughah al-‘Arabīyah._ (literally, “I don’t know” again instead of “I don’t speak”) Egyptian Arabic: أنا مش بتكلم عربي _Ana mish batkallem ‘Arabī._ Hindi: मैं हिन्दी बोलता नहीं हूँ. _Maiṁ Hindī bolt **ā** nahīṁ hūṁ_. (male speaker) मैं हिन्दी बोलती नहीं हूँ. M_aiṁ Hindī bolt **ī** nahīṁ hūṁ_. (female speaker) Indonesian and Malay: _Saya tidak bercakap Bahasa Indonesia._ _Saya tidak bercakap Bahasa Melayu._ Italian: _Non parlo italiano._ Tamil: நான் தமிழ் பேச தெரியாது. _Nān Tamil pēca teriyātu._ Telugu: నేను తెలుగు మాట్లాడటం లేదు. Nēnu Telugu māṭlāḍaṭaṁ lēdu. Uzbek: _O’zbekcha gapirmayman._ ---
**Author:** ![hibernicus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hibernicus/32/2802_2.png) [@hibernicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hibernicus)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2012, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-speak/611399/64 "2012-02-04T22:49:13Z")
Bonus language: _(aš) nekalbu lietuviškai_ - I don’t speak Lithuanian ---
**Author:** ![Dahnlor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dahnlor/32/533_2.png) [@Dahnlor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dahnlor)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2012, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-speak/611399/65 "2012-02-05T00:57:56Z")
In Russian, you can also use “Я не понима́ю по-русски” - _Ya nee ponimayu po-russki_ - which means “I don’t understand Russian”. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2012, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-speak/611399/66 "2012-02-05T00:59:31Z")
Nemluvím česky - I don’t speak Czech. No parlo català - I don’t speak Catalan. Jeg taler ikke dansk - I don’t speak Danish. Mi ne parolas Esperanton - I don’t speak Esperanto. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2012, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-speak/611399/67 "2012-02-05T01:23:18Z")
I don’t speak Breton: Brezhoneg ne gomzan ket _or_ Brezhoneg ne ran ket. (brezonek negomzan ket / brezonek neran ket) I don’t speak Welsh: Dydw i ddim yn siarad Cymraeg / Dw i ddim yn siarad Cymraeg (dud-oo ee thim un sharad kum-rye·gg / doo ee thim un sharad kum-rye·gg, thim with th as in them and rye·gg meant to rhyme with _tig_ in _tig_er) ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2012, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-speak/611399/68 "2012-02-05T01:36:01Z")
_Sindarin_: Ú-bedin edhellen _Pronunciation_: 'uˑ.bɛ.din ɛ.'ðɛl̡.lɛn _English_: I don’t speak Elvish ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2012, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-speak/611399/69 "2012-02-05T02:08:50Z")
No one has done Klingon yet? I’m shocked! ---
**Author:** ![Kataskopo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/aca169/32.png) [@Kataskopo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kataskopo)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2012, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-speak/611399/70 "2012-02-05T02:14:43Z")
I would say “No hablo español” Literally “Don’t speak spanish” In an interesting twist of the language, you don’t need to put the personal pronoun, because that information is stored in the conjugation of the verb. Verb: hablar “Yo hablo” It’s a way of knowing if the speaker is not native in the language (especially english) because they’ll use the pronoun “Yo” (which means “I”, by the way) And about the german, it is correct to say “Ich kann nicht Deutsch”, it’s like saying “I know no german”. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2012, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-speak/611399/71 "2012-02-05T02:22:29Z")
> [@Kataskopo](#): > > I would say > > “No hablo español” > > Literally “Don’t speak spanish” No. Literally “I don’t speak Spanish”. There is no way to treat _hablo_ as not incorporating “I”. ---
**Author:** ![Kataskopo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/aca169/32.png) [@Kataskopo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kataskopo)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2012, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-speak/611399/72 "2012-02-06T03:56:27Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > No. Literally “I don’t speak Spanish”. There is no way to treat _hablo_ as not incorporating “I”. Well… yes, but I meant you don’t need to write a separate word for the pronoun “I”. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2012, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-speak/611399/73 "2012-02-06T04:44:57Z")
If this were a linguistics class, we’d write it: ```auto no habl-o español **not speak** -PR.1SG **Spanish** ``` ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2012, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-speak/611399/74 "2012-02-06T07:06:26Z")
> [@Dahnlor](#): > > In Russian, you can also use “Я не понима́ю по-русски” - _Ya nee ponimayu po-russki_ - which means “I don’t understand Russian”. With Russian, I also wanted to find out how to say “You clumsy fool!” and “Frank [as in “Sinatra”], what are _you_ doing here?” Thanks. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2012, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-speak/611399/75 "2012-02-06T07:08:32Z")
> [@jovan](#): > > He pointed out that you used the wrong particle. You say “_nihongo ga hanasenai_” but “_nihongo wo hanasanai_”. While I agree that ‘nihongo ga hanasanai’ is in the wrong, as you may very well know there are instances of wo being used instead of ga with the potential form of the verb. I personally am not aware of the difference in nuance between ‘nihongo ga hanasenai’ (the proper way to say it) and ‘nihongo wo hanasenai’. An example of the latter usage is found [here, in the first paragraph.](http://business.nikkeibp.co.jp/article/world/20111011/223122/?rt=nocnt). If I was speaking this phrase out loud to describe somebody, I would probably leave the particle out altogether. For example, ‘kare sa, nihongo hanasenai yo.’ On further thought, I would probably use ‘wakaranai’ instead as well. Getting back to grammar, IIRC, I believe I have also even heard ‘nantoka wo wakaru’ before.. I could swear some old Japanese people have asked me ‘nihongo wo wakarimasu ka?’ a few times… But now I’ve gotten really off track! ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2012, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-speak/611399/76 "2012-02-06T07:18:52Z")
> [@dougie\_monty](#): > > Polish _[Nie mówim po polsku]._ This is wrong, too. It’s _nie mówię po polsku_ ---
**Author:** ![jovan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/0ea827/32.png) [@jovan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jovan)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2012, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-speak/611399/77 "2012-02-06T12:54:39Z")
> [@Autolycus](#): > > I personally am not aware of the difference in nuance between ‘nihongo ga hanasenai’ (the proper way to say it) and ‘nihongo wo hanasenai’. If you want to know more than you possibly thought possible to know about this question, I direct you to this 17-page paper: [可能動詞の助詞に関する一考察](http://www.tulips.tsukuba.ac.jp/limedio/dlam/M18/M180943/2.pdf) (big pdf!) One of the factor the author highlights is the strength of the speaker’s intent. For instance, if you search for “英語を話せる”, you will find that a very large proportion of the hits are for the phrases like “英語を話せるようになる” (literally, “becoming so that English can be spoken”). The same phrase with “_ga_” used instead is also common, but by putting “English” or “Japanese” as an object rather than a subject, the speaker is putting the subject in a more assertive position. If you look at actual usage of “_eigo wo hanasenai_”, you will find that in almost every case, the subject is important. Examples: _Nihon-jin ga eigo wo hanasenai riyuu_ (The reason why Japanese can’t speak English.) _Anata ga eigo wo hanasenai nara_ (Should you not be able to speak English) _Eigo wo hanasenai joushi ga iru_ (I have a supervisor who can’t speak English) The first sentence above can’t be written with _ga_, because it would break the clause modifying _riyuu_. To use _ga_ in the second sentence, you would need to make _anata_ (you) the theme: “_Anata wa eigo ga hanasenai nara_”. However, if you do this, you are strongly insinuating that other people can speak English. The original sentence is neutral and doesn’t single out the subject. The last sentence is the only one where _ga_ and _wo_ can be used interchangeably. This is because the person in question is mentioned outside of the verbal clause. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2012, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-speak/611399/78 "2012-02-06T13:04:40Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > No. Literally “I don’t speak Spanish”. There is no way to treat _hablo_ as not incorporating “I”. > [@Kataskopo](#): > > Well… yes, but I meant you don’t need to write a separate word for the pronoun “I”. Yeah, but like **Matt** and **John** say, it’s because _hablo_ means “I speak”, it doesn’t mean “speak”. Not only is having too many explicit subjects a way to tell that a text has been written/translated into Spanish by someone who wasn’t thinking in Spanish, but the opposite is a common mistake of Hispanics when speaking languages which require explicit subjects. We have a real big problem when speaking in the first person singular in English, because in Spanish expliciting _yo_ more than once per conversation sounds horribly self-centered and impolite. ---
**Author:** ![ruh-roh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ruh-roh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruh-roh)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2012, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-speak/611399/79 "2012-02-06T20:38:29Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > No one has done Klingon yet? I’m shocked! I was going to but then I realized that “I don’t speak Klingon” 😉 ---
**Author:** ![ruh-roh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ruh-roh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruh-roh)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2012, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-speak/611399/80 "2012-02-06T20:41:21Z")
I realize that the members of this group are of an international nature, but why learn a long list of phrases. Any good red-blooded American knows that if you just say it in English but very slowly and loudly that anybody can understand what you are saying. :rolleyes: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-speak/611399.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-speak/611399.md?page=5)