Which language most relies on idiomatic usage, play on words, sayings, etc, as standard means of speaking, to the extent where if you don't learn all the idioms and sayings you will find it very difficult to understand the language naturally spoken?
Which language is the most idiomatic in standard speech?
French is a close winner I think. It basic grammar isn't that hard, but it's the idioms that makes it such a challenge.
English, hands down.
English is all made of idioms. The language is quite simple, but you can't claim you get a command of it without having to understand thousands of idioms that you've got to learn one by one, like Chinese ideograms. And those idioms are evolving and changing all the time, it's quite a challenge
<< French is a close winner I think. It basic grammar isn't that hard, but it's the idioms that makes it such a challenge. >>
-- I would say French is a close second. I'm aware we're switching all the time between an extremely standardized form of speech and a lot of humorous double entente expressions that offer a feeling of unlimited freedom. Nearly fluent non-native French speakers are often amazed that they perfectly understand one sentence, and suddenly can't grasp anything from the following. I know.
I think this doesn't exist with German and Italian, cause until recently those languages consisted of poorly mutually intelligible dialects. When people speak Hochdeutsch or Buon' Italiano, they stick to it to the point of being utterly pompous.
English is all made of idioms. The language is quite simple, but you can't claim you get a command of it without having to understand thousands of idioms that you've got to learn one by one, like Chinese ideograms. And those idioms are evolving and changing all the time, it's quite a challenge
<< French is a close winner I think. It basic grammar isn't that hard, but it's the idioms that makes it such a challenge. >>
-- I would say French is a close second. I'm aware we're switching all the time between an extremely standardized form of speech and a lot of humorous double entente expressions that offer a feeling of unlimited freedom. Nearly fluent non-native French speakers are often amazed that they perfectly understand one sentence, and suddenly can't grasp anything from the following. I know.
I think this doesn't exist with German and Italian, cause until recently those languages consisted of poorly mutually intelligible dialects. When people speak Hochdeutsch or Buon' Italiano, they stick to it to the point of being utterly pompous.
Chinese languages. You won't understand a sentence if it contains an idiom you don't know. Sometimes, you can find a matching English and Chinese idioms.
For example,
Chinese idiom: 一石二島(one stone two bird)
English idiom: to kill two birds with one stone
Even more messy, many people love using riddle in their speeches. Sometimes when an older person uses an outdated riddle, you won't understand him at all.
Riddle in Cantonese: (These are the easiest ones)
1 Oil mixes water - can't get along
2. Mud Buddha cross river - can't even save himself
3. King's daughter - don't need to worry about getting a husband
4. eat soft rice - depend on woman for livelihood.
For example,
Chinese idiom: 一石二島(one stone two bird)
English idiom: to kill two birds with one stone
Even more messy, many people love using riddle in their speeches. Sometimes when an older person uses an outdated riddle, you won't understand him at all.
Riddle in Cantonese: (These are the easiest ones)
1 Oil mixes water - can't get along
2. Mud Buddha cross river - can't even save himself
3. King's daughter - don't need to worry about getting a husband
4. eat soft rice - depend on woman for livelihood.