Curse

Juhanah · Nov 22, 2005, 10:42 AM // 10:42

What make french hard is all the stupid grammars rules for everything. Speaking in french is a lot more easier than writing it correctly. There's no less than 22 tenses for each of the 12000+ verbs.

But french doesnt beat middle east and asian language at all..

Thai scares me...

44 Consonants
Low Class
Medium Class
High Class
Sonorant Finals
Stop Finals
Initial Sounds
Final Sounds
32 Vowels
Short Vowels
Long Vowels
18 single vowels
6 compound vowels
8 consonant like vowels
20 words with sara ai

English is a very easy language.. I'm not all that good in english but i'm not scared to say that i learned it on the internet by chatting, reading websites and playing games with english people. Thanks to dictionary.com i learn more every day. Too bad i'm not able to speak english corectly.

Xue Yi Liang · Nov 22, 2005, 04:00 PM // 16:00

French may have many linguistic rules but the problem with teaching/learning English is that we don't follow our own rules of pronunciation, grammar etc. We have several words for "fast" , for example, each of which has a different nuance that can only be learned with experience:

fast = expeditious, prompt, hurried, breakneck, breathless, brisk, dizzy, fleet, hasty, nippy, quick, rapid, snappy, speedy, swift, winged....

And we don't follow our own rules:

house->houses
mouse->mice (mouses(?))

mice->mouse
rice->rice (rouse(?))

The word "quantum" means something very small ... but through common misuse it now is used to describe things that are very big.

How about groups of things?

a group of lions is a pride
a group of sheep is a flock
a group of goats is a tribe
a group of geese is a gaggle
a group of foxes is a skulk or swarm
a group of badgers is a cete
a group of bees is a swarm
a group of leopards is a lepe
a group of horses is a harrass
a group of wolves is a route
a group of swine is a sounder (if they're wild)
a group of swine is a dryft (if they're tame)
a group of oxen is a team
a group of mules is a baren
a group of cats is a clowder
a group of kittens is a kyndyll
a group of rabbits is a nest
a group of apes is a shrewdness

two greyhounds is called a "brace", three is called a "leash"
two spaniels is called a "couple"
many hounds are called a "mute"

and there are many, many more

... of course, most of these animal terms aren't used any more but it's interesting to see

I'm glad English is my first language - otherwise I'd spend a lifetime just figuring it out.

_necroangel_ · Nov 22, 2005, 07:38 PM // 19:38

English is super easy...I don't talk like I know proper grammar but that's just me being retarded...The worst language to learn to speak is gibberish...Try that one on for size... ^,~

entropy · Nov 22, 2005, 08:10 PM // 20:10

Chinese as I'm taking it right now is not that bad. Pronouncing the tones is hard but that's cause I'm new. I can understand my parent's when they talk but writing is beyond me

. Yes xue yi lang you can take certain parts of a word to look at its meaning but some are sort of abstract... Writing isn't to hard as its top, left, to bottom, right. Asian languages have rules but they follow them and don't break them often.

PieXags · Nov 22, 2005, 08:13 PM // 20:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dralspire

Languages - such a great topic. I could write without stopping for about a week. In a nutshell … I studied six and pass as a native speaker in three languages (English is not one of them

). During my studies (speaking/reading/writing), I have come to the conclusion that each language is as easy or as hard as you make it.

Dralspire's got the idea. It makes no difference how many rules, symbols, letters, slangs, or other "bullshit" a language has that makes it difficult. Hell some people think it's harder to learn a language similar to their native language, as opposed to one entirely different!

Xue Yi Liang · Nov 22, 2005, 08:53 PM // 20:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by _necroangel_

English is super easy...I don't talk like I know proper grammar but that's just me being retarded...The worst language to learn to speak is gibberish...Try that one on for size... ^,~

Gibberish is the easiest language of all ... even my 1 year old nephew can speak it fluently.

Gabba goo?

Knido · Nov 22, 2005, 10:33 PM // 22:33

same problem, trying to lean korean but its hard : /

however, back on topic, my french teacher said that English is the hardest language to learn because we have double verbs, like "sit down" or something like that, but i think shes full of crap.

Sir Skullcrasher · Nov 22, 2005, 10:35 PM // 22:35

English is hard to learn.... hell while i was in college.. my English teacher fail me twice and i end up taking the same English Course over again!

Xue Yi Liang · Nov 22, 2005, 11:49 PM // 23:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by Knido

however, back on topic, my french teacher said that English is the hardest language to learn because we have double verbs, like "sit down" or something like that, but i think shes full of crap.

Not only do we have "double verbs" we even have "quadurple verbs."
For example, did you tell her to "STFU"? (j/k)

digimonizm · Nov 24, 2005, 07:34 AM // 07:34

i personally think estonian is hard to learn

d4nowar · Nov 24, 2005, 07:49 AM // 07:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by digimonizm

i personally think estonian is hard to learn

I love that country.

SOT · Nov 24, 2005, 08:41 AM // 08:41

Yiddish.

TheOneAndOnlyX · Nov 24, 2005, 04:29 PM // 16:29

Quit babbling all of you dutch is very complicated and so is english I do not know what fauck when you mean spanish is hard

Auntie I · Nov 24, 2005, 08:54 PM // 20:54

I would have to place English as a language that is easy to learn but difficult to master. Learning enough english to function in an english community is relatively easy but developing your skill to the point where you have a solid grasp of how it works (or doesn't) takes time and effort. I can't really comment on what language may be more difficult as the only other language I've tried to learn is French. My success was less than total but that's due to me not putting the effort in to develop what I've been taught. Although I've got to say French has WAY too many verbs and verb tenses!

Xue Yi Liang · Nov 24, 2005, 09:32 PM // 21:32

Spanish has a fair share of verb conjugations, too.

master_ranger_matt · Nov 25, 2005, 01:48 AM // 01:48

english is hard because there are so many exceptions to its own rules. asian languages are hard too though, i tried to learn japanese once and got frustrated and gave up

Divinitys Creature · Nov 25, 2005, 10:00 AM // 10:00

After you learn the very basics it is better to learn a launguage through lots of reading and listening. I don't think it's optimal to learn all the grammar and vocabulary of a language in a systematic way. Stories are more fun. Also you can just find a translated version of a book you know well.

SOT · Nov 25, 2005, 10:31 AM // 10:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheOneAndOnlyX

Quit babbling all of you dutch is very complicated and so is english I do not know what fauck when you mean spanish is hard

Anyone with a blueberry muffin avatar and trick spellings of the word RED ENGINE GORED ENGINE GORED ENGINE GORED ENGINE GO is not worth getting irate over.

Back in the baking pan with you

Soulstice · Dec 14, 2005, 11:33 PM // 23:33

I always hear Dutch is such a hard language, because of the gramar
English is eeeeasy btw

French and Asian languages are weeeeeeeeird

Soulstice · Dec 14, 2005, 11:42 PM // 23:42

lol didnt read the last posts