In which language are you thinking?

 

I like what Arsenka wrote:

We think in the language we try to express our ideas at the moment. That's much easier than translate it from your native language in your mind. That's most obvious when you have to translate from one non-native language to another non-native.  You wouldn't copy with that if you had your own language as necessary point of transmission. 

But I also agree with Serge about thought process in �mages and feelings.  I think the question we are answering here is what language do we talk to ourselves in?  not what language do we think in.

 There are some thoughts that I can only think in Turkish even though my Turkish is far from adequate.  Situations trigger memories in a specific language and therefore we 'think' in that language.

When I am in the mountains I think in Italian.  When I am at school ort thinking politics I think English.  And the same goes for dreams-- I used to dream in Portuguese when I lived in Brazil tho now I cannot string together a coherent portuguese sentence. 

Originally posted by Halevi I've also developed the (somewhat irksome) habit of swearing under my breath in other languages (i often use Arabic swear words, which i picked up from living in Israel, and Russian, which i picked up from local Russian friends, and Israel. They just sound especially dirty, and stuck in my brain). I realize that may seem really lame, but im thus far unwilling to bother altering this already-learned behaviour.

I learnt Russian in the Army  (British) and as part of the course we had special lectures in learning how to swear. I don't know of any other formal course in a language that has included a similar speciality

there may be 6 billion forms of red and everybody would call the color red

there might be a topic about this before, i donno

I learnt English,I will also learn German and Ital�an.I also know Turkish so in the future it will be a very hard question to answer..

I think in both Turkish and English when I am in this forum. If I lived abroad I would think both English and Turkish.But in my daily life I am thinking Turkish because I am in Turkiye

I think either in English or symbolic giberrish, but often dream in languages in which i have been immersed at various points in time... mainly Hebrew, Cantonese and Farsi, although usually my dreams involve me trying in vain to communicate with someone in one of those languages! lol  ... when living in Israel, i often thought and dreamt in (elementary) Hebrew.

I've also developed the (somewhat irksome) habit of swearing under my breath in other languages (i often use Arabic swear words, which i picked up from living in Israel, and Russian, which i picked up from local Russian friends, and Israel. They just sound especially dirty, and stuck in my brain). I realize that may seem really lame, but im thus far unwilling to bother altering this already-learned behaviour.

Originally posted by Digenis I think that if u get used to speaking another language,u start thinking in this language. I m Greek and my mother tongue is Greek.When some months ago,i hosted a friend of mine from Poland,we were constantly speaking English. So although,she has just stayed for 4 days,i realised that i started thinking some phrases in English ! It seems like the brain to change mode of language,after some time of use.

Very interesting in fact, i agree. Always i am reading the forum or writing a post i notice that i am thinking in English, although my English isn't that good.

Hellenic and English.

I think Turkish but it's damn hard to express my feelings in other languages then Turkish  

Somethimes i got real headache of trying to express me how i feel about something, and exspecially when i should write something in dutch, english and somethimes french...

Definitely Arabic.  It has a richer vocabulary, I think (and I may be wrong). 

Not that I speak many languages, anyhow!  I intend to learn Persian in order to read Omar al-Khayyam's poetry in its original language.  That's enough a motivation for me.

Most of the time I think in English, but after 20 years living here (and a lot of time in Europe before then) I easily switch to thinking in French/German when I'm in conversation, or reading a book.