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Can bilinguals think in both of their languages?

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Original post by Plantagenet Crown

I learnt them simultaneously from birth. Yes, changing which language I think in is very easy and quick.

I don't prefer either one, it depends on the situation. I live in England so most of the time I think in English because I'm surrounded by the language, but I've lived for periods in Spain and spent virtually half my childhood there on holidays where I'd think exclusively in Spanish.

So if someone asked you, "what language do you think in?"....how would you answer?

Reply 21

kkboyk

Original post by fg45344

So here is my question....

If you speak only english, you will think in english. If you speak only spanish, you will think in spanish. If you speak spanish and english fluently, say being bilingual from birth, can you think in both languages?

Yes. Usually the language you're more fluent and confident in will be the one you will think with (unless you're fully fluent in both).

I think in English simply because everything around me is in English, so no point in translating from Portuguese or Spanish to English.

Reply 22

childofthesun

Yes! I'm trilingual in French, Arabic and English and can think in all 3. Most of the time I think in French, but it changes depending on who I'm with/where I am

Reply 23

fg45344

Original post by Plantagenet Crown

I'd say the truth: it depends on the context and usually in which country I'm in.

You wouldn't say, "Spanish and English" ?

Reply 24

nucdev

Yep, I usually think in 3 languages - English, Gujarati and Hindi.

Reply 25

Maetras

Yeah I can think in French and in English. It depends on the country I'm in. I generally prefer to think in English now that I live in England but back when I was in France I used to think in French more often.

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 26

fg45344

Original post by childofthesun

Yes! I'm trilingual in French, Arabic and English and can think in all 3. Most of the time I think in French, but it changes depending on who I'm with/where I am

What age did you learn all your languages? If someone asked you, "What language do you think in?"....how would you answer?

Reply 27

FrenchUnicorn

Yes I can, it depends on the context A LOT. For example when I'm with my friends - I live in France - I mostly think in French, but when I study - in English - I start to think in English and it lasts a few hours
Also sometimes it's kind of a mixture, some sentences in my head are literally French+English mixed :lol:

Reply 28

FrenchUnicorn

Original post by childofthesun

Yes! I'm trilingual in French, Arabic and English and can think in all 3. Most of the time I think in French, but it changes depending on who I'm with/where I am

Exact same as me :awesome:

Reply 29

username1942323

Original post by childofthesun

Yes! I'm trilingual in French, Arabic and English and can think in all 3. Most of the time I think in French, but it changes depending on who I'm with/where I am

Last line applies to me too

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 30

fg45344

Original post by target21859

Yeah I can think in French and in English.

What age did you learn all your languages? If someone asked you, "What language do you think in?"....how would you answer?

Reply 31

fg45344

Original post by nucdev

Yep, I usually think in 3 languages - English, Gujarati and Hindi.

What age did you learn all your languages? If someone asked you, "What language do you think in?"....how would you answer?

Reply 32

Hirondelle127

I'm bilingual French and English, and have slowly added a few more languages over the years. When I say I'm bilingual English-French, I mean that both languages are just as easy and this has been the case for as long as I can remember. I only 'think' in a language if I'm planning to communicate my thoughts to an 'audience' in that language i.e. thinking in English when writing an English essay, thinking in French when writing an email to my grandfather etc. Otherwise, it's more thinking in concepts. It's a little difficult to explain, and I'm sure most people do that anyway, but otherwise I don't 'think' with words as such, unless I'm planning to communicate them. I could choose to think in one language or the other but it requires more effort than simply working through the concepts in my mind then 'thinking' verbally if I must communicate them. If I'm thinking about something verbal pertaining to one language i.e. a French book, and am trying to explain it to someone in another language i.e. an English friend - then occasionally things can get a bit strange as I might slip into the other language or accent for a few words without realising.

I've now added Spanish and German too - I can think in those too, but do realise that my grammar isn't always perfect when I'm doing the thinking.

So basically - it's influenced by intent and environment.

Reply 33

childofthesun

Original post by fg45344

What age did you learn all your languages? If someone asked you, "What language do you think in?"....how would you answer?

I grew up in a Francophone country so French was the first language I picked up. At home French was mostly spoken but my parents used Arabic here and there so I began to pick it up from a young age. However my Arabic was pretty poor(I could understand it but couldn't speak it well) and it was when we moved to Lebanon for a few years that it improved and I became fluent. French is spoken in Lebanon too but I tried to use Arabic as much as possible instead of French and I got better.I started learning English in school when I was maybe around 7 but it was really basic. A few years later I started to read lots of English books and watch English shows/films and my English improved a lot as a result.

I'd say that I think mostly in French, but sometimes Arabic and English depending on the context.

Reply 34

ZuluK

Original post by nucdev

Yep, I usually think in 3 languages - English, Gujarati and Hindi.

And the language of pyar with me :wink:

Reply 35

nucdev

Original post by fg45344

What age did you learn all your languages? If someone asked you, "What language do you think in?"....how would you answer?

Started learning English and Gujarati together from a very young age; Hindi from the age of 12 or something.

I think in all 3 depending on context, but I'd say I think more in English than the other 2. Kinda complicated :lol:

Reply 36

fg45344

Original post by nucdev

Can you consciously make yourself think in any of your 3 languages? So like....hey, I'm going to think in Gujarati for a bit.

Reply 37

Asolare

I wasn't raised bilingual and I am still learning German, but yes I can think in German and English.

Quite often I do ''accidentally'' think in German because then I end up speaking German instead of English by mistake.

Reply 38

Indeterminate

I speak more than two languages but I always think in English before translating it all into whichever language I want to use. :biggrin:

At least that's what I think happens in my brain :lol:

Reply 39

Maetras

Original post by fg45344

What age did you learn all your languages? If someone asked you, "What language do you think in?"....how would you answer?

I was 4 when I moved to France and it took me about a year to become fluent in French. Whilst I was here I would think in French when I was around my friends or when I was at school but I would think in English when I was at home with my family. I would say I think in English since I now live in England.