What language do you think in?

[Jernlov]

Speaking English, I think in English.

Speaking Japanese, I think in Japanese.

Speaking French, I think in French.

Speaking German, I think in German.

Speaking Polish, I think in Polish (even though this language is the hardest thing I've ever attempted to learn).

 

Yeah, so it depends on what I am doing.

[Ezz]

English and Swedish during periods of time. For half a year, I think in English, even if I speak a lot of Swedish during that half year. Then for a few months I think in Swedish. It's pretty random really, but it's over somewhat long stretches of time. I'm thinking in Swedish at the moment even though I've been in Switzerland speaking German and English for the past 2 months or so.

[Alg]

I think in almost-thoughts and vaguenesses.

This. Then after a while I put it to English.

[Azvareth]

I think in almost-thoughts and vaguenesses.

This. Then after a while I put it to English.

 

Pretty sure everybody does this. Conversations would be pretty awkward otherwise.

[Socc]

I think it's really fascinating that people can switch languages so easily. I studied french for two years in high school and had to translate all of my thoughts from french to english before understanding them.

[Sentry_Wolf]

I think in English, but I'd like to be able to think in more images than proper language sounds (?), would make it more interesting. XD But yeah, English. Expect if I need to think in French or Irish.

[fastortoise]

I sometimes think in french but mostly it's in English. I'm pretty sure it has to do with how much you've read and written in a language that decides how much you think in it because it's a matter of vocabulary - the more you have the more eloquent your thoughts will be.

 

I learned math in French so I count in French out loud, but in my head it's in English :unsure:

[Guest Mrmegakirby]

I think it's really fascinating that people can switch languages so easily. I studied french for two years in high school and had to translate all of my thoughts from french to english before understanding them.

 

You really need to be fluent, and use the language quite often to begin to 'think' in it. I've been studying it for about 4 years now, and not fluent in it yet, simply too many words to learn.

[ThurinEthir]

In my opinion you don't know a language until you catch yourself thinking in it without trying.

That's what a legendary (and I mean legendary) Latin teacher at my school said. You know a language when you can translate to and from it without having to think, without having to do it word by word, and thus you can think in it.

I'm not really sure where the subconscious translation comes in when I hear Chinese and respond in English though. Do I hear the Chinese, translate it to English, and form a response in English, or do I hear the Chinese, form a response in Chinese, and translate it to English? Or are the two one and the same in my mind? Hmm.

[Napalm]

My mother tongue is spanish, so most of the time I think in it.

 

But frecuently I catch myself thinking (and sometimes talking alone) in English, which doesn't surprise me because I use it as much as Spanish in a daily basis.

[The Runar]

Usually in Finnish, sometimes in English. Sometimes I just... think. :razz:

[The_Gabe]

Some times in Hebrew, some times in English, considering I lived in two countries. Sometimes I think in both o.o

[Skull]

English seeing as it's the only language I can speak.

[The Observer]

English. I find it strange thinking of thinking in a different language tbh considering I've only thought in English, and even if I speak in a different language I tend to think in English still, which shows how limited I am at speaking that language. <_<

[doomy]

I asked a friend this a while back and he told me he doesn't think in any language. Just thinks in thoughts, or something.

I don't really understand but he was being fully serious.

[The Observer]

I asked a friend this a while back and he told me he doesn't think in any language. Just thinks in thoughts, or something.

I don't really understand but he was being fully serious.

 

Well, it could be possible. He could just think visually, meaning eg. instead of thinking of the word pineapple you would think of the image of a pineapple.

[mcneilp]

Heh, I can remember my advanced French class asking the teacher which language he thought in, as he was fluent in French, Italian, Spanish and German and he replied it depended on which language he was currently speaking which I think would be pretty cool, switching between two or three languages pretty much at will.

 

I think in English, as it's my mother tongue. Still use Scottish slang in my thoughts as well as my speech though.

[EarthySun]

If I'm speaking in English (which I am for the vast, vast majority of the time) I'll think in English. However, there have been times where I think in Spanish or German while talking to someone in those languages. :P

 

One time, while I was just starting to learn Spanish, I was alone and thinking to myself, and then for some reason thought a few sentences in Spanish. I actually had to translate them to English afterwards (you'd think I'd be able to grasp it immediately, since I thought it, but no), and it turned out to be exactly relevant to what I was thinking. That was a funny moment for me. :D

 

Edit: Something else that I don't think anyone's mentioned here is how there seems to be (at least for me) a "switch" for different languages. Let's say I'm speaking to someone in German (my mom or somebody) and someone else is walking by and asks me a question in English. I'll understand the question, of course, but I'll respond in the language that I was just talking in. Another thing is true about speaking in another language: When I'm talking in another language, and the other person says something in English but then continues on in the other language, my brain won't understand what they're saying because it keeps trying to process the English as another language. So if I'm talking to someone in Spanish and they go "Entonces quiero ir a la casa... it was boring," I wouldn't understand the "it was boring" part for a few seconds. The same is true for printed text: If I'm reading a book or article in another language and English comes up, I won't understand the English for a little while until my brain recognizes that it isn't Spanish or German (depending on what I'm reading).

[1dedecek]

In my mother tounge ofcourse. But sometimes, I am trying to think in English. That's mostly when there's none who I can talk with and I am in mood to use English :)

[Skeptical]

English, when actually visualizing words, if that's what you mean...

[Pirate_Felix]

Holy [cabbage], i thought about this thread and it was in English.

 

I guess when im typing/talking English i think in English.

[GottaGetDownOnfriday]

I think in Klingon and c++.

[Dizzle229]

I think in English, but since I've been learning Russian, there's a certain few words that always show up in Russian.

[Pirate_Felix]

I sometimes think in french but mostly it's in English. I'm pretty sure it has to do with how much you've read and written in a language that decides how much you think in it because it's a matter of vocabulary - the more you have the more eloquent your thoughts will be.

 

I learned math in French so I count in French out loud, but in my head it's in English :unsure:

I usually count in numbers in my head

Like 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

[Bows]

I think in English. On the topic of thinking - what language do deaf people think in?