What did you just say?

Over the years, I have picked up different languages, some more entirely than others.  In order of how well I know the languages, these are the languages I know: English, French, German, American Sign Language, Spanish.

I have been known to start rambling on in different languages without even noticing it, sometimes even mixing more than one language together.  I guess it is just how my mind works – it spits out the first thing it thinks of.  I have had dreams in other languages before, now that was interesting!

The other day I was visiting my mother who was raised in a home where German and English were both spoken evenly.  I was chatting with my mom and then I asked her something in German.  She answered me in English without even noticing it.  I pointed it out to her saying, “I just asked you something in German, and you replied in English.”  She then said to me, “You didn’t say anything in German.”  Followed quickly by, “Oh wait, you totally did!  That’s weird.”  Interestingly enough, my mother has never spoken French, but with all the babbling I have done in French over the years, she has come to understand me when I say things in French.  The only languages she doesn’t really understand when I speak to her are Spanish and Sign Language.

Sometimes I need to be careful what I say to whom and in what language.  One time I said “gracias” (thank you) habitually to a Latino person who speaks English as their first language.  I got a dirty look.  I guess they thought that I assumed that they spoke Spanish, but really I was just saying it because I speak Spanish, and it was the first thing to come to my mind.

I tend to use certain languages for certain phrases.  When I want to say thank you, I typically will say "gracias".  Also, I have been known to say “Uno momento, por favor” to people when they are rushing me.  When I was at dinner the other night, I said “gracias” to the waitor when he brought my food and the friend I was with said “thank you”.  The interesting part is that the waiter is Vietnamese and barely speaks any English at all, let alone Spanish.  It made me wonder, when I say something in one language, and someone who speaks another language hears me, is it possible that I am saying something rude or offensive?  Or maybe I am saying something that is just silly, or doesn’t make sense in the context.  How weird would it be if gracias meant something like “bubble” in Vietnamese?  I know it doesn’t.  I looked it up.  However, gracias, when pronounced with a horrible accent does sound a lot like “grassy ass” in English.  I learned that one in elementary school! 

Thanks for "listening."