THE BORE

General => The Superdeep Borehole => Topic started by: Skidmark on May 12, 2010, 03:03:39 PM

Title: German, Russian or Chinese?
Post by: Skidmark on May 12, 2010, 03:03:39 PM
I am interested in learning a new language but I don't really know which one to choose. I currently speak English, Swedish and Arabic. I am not at all interested in Spanish or French because almost everybody here is studying them.

Russian would help me a lot if I join the military and not many people who speak the languages that I do speak Russian too.

German seems to be pretty popular among students here in Sweden, it seems to be easier than both Russian and Chinese since I speak English and Swedish.

One fifth of the worlds population speaks Chinese so it would open a new world to me. I also have a Swedish friend who learned Chinese in about two years and has moved to China now and he says that it is not as hard as it sounds.

I really can't make my mind. If you were in my place what language would you choose?
Title: Re: German, Russian or Chinese?
Post by: Himu on May 12, 2010, 03:04:51 PM
French

but if not that, Chinese. Ni hao!
Title: Re: German, Russian or Chinese?
Post by: Robo on May 12, 2010, 03:07:55 PM
Think of all the manga you could read and all the anime you could watch if you knew Japanese. :uguu
Title: Re: German, Russian or Chinese?
Post by: Skidmark on May 12, 2010, 03:10:34 PM
I neither read manga nor watch anime.
Title: Re: German, Russian or Chinese?
Post by: HyperZoneWasAwesome on May 12, 2010, 03:15:30 PM
Chinese if you want to curry favor with our new economic overlords 15 years from now.
Title: Re: German, Russian or Chinese?
Post by: Skidmark on May 12, 2010, 03:18:51 PM
Is it something that they look for in the military?
Title: Re: German, Russian or Chinese?
Post by: tiesto on May 12, 2010, 03:29:33 PM
I myself would pick Russian, for very obvious reasons.

spoiler (click to show/hide)
in fact, some cute Russian chick called me over to eat lunch with her on the cruise, unfortunately she barely spoke any English, and I know no Russian, so we couldn't really communicate :(
[close]
Title: Re: German, Russian or Chinese?
Post by: Skidmark on May 12, 2010, 03:33:23 PM
Quote from: jarosh on May 12, 2010, 03:23:23 PM
chinese is gonna be awfully difficult.

considering you already speak swedish and english, german is gonna be the easiest.

so... german! /biased

Yeah, whenever I am in an airport in Germany I always try to understand what is written here and there. sometimes its not hard at all to understand.

I have some friends who speak German, I will ask them about their difficulties learning the language and the amount of time and practice it took them to reach the levels that they are at.
Title: Re: German, Russian or Chinese?
Post by: Skidmark on May 12, 2010, 03:35:45 PM
Quote from: tiesto on May 12, 2010, 03:29:33 PM
I myself would pick Russian, for very obvious reasons.

spoiler (click to show/hide)
in fact, some cute Russian chick called me over to eat lunch with her on the cruise, unfortunately she barely spoke any English, and I know no Russian, so we couldn't really communicate :(
[close]

What are the reasons?
Title: Re: German, Russian or Chinese?
Post by: Mupepe on May 12, 2010, 03:39:19 PM
Tiesto is into Russian and Eastern European chicks.
Title: Re: German, Russian or Chinese?
Post by: cloudwalking on May 12, 2010, 03:42:14 PM
swiss german :swiss
Title: Re: German, Russian or Chinese?
Post by: Diunx on May 12, 2010, 03:56:18 PM
German, its the most badass language.
Title: Re: German, Russian or Chinese?
Post by: lennedsay on May 12, 2010, 03:56:49 PM
German then Russian.

What's the point of learning Chinese? Doesn't each region basically have their own language anyway?
Title: Re: German, Russian or Chinese?
Post by: tehjaybo on May 12, 2010, 04:33:04 PM
I would have to suggest Russian, but that is because I have always thought it was a beautifully written language.  That's really my only reason.  I don't have any argument.  Just that I think it's a beautifully written language. 

Title: Re: German, Russian or Chinese?
Post by: Joe Molotov on May 12, 2010, 05:01:03 PM
Esperanto
Title: Re: German, Russian or Chinese?
Post by: Madrun Badrun on May 12, 2010, 05:09:48 PM
Latin fool
Title: Re: German, Russian or Chinese?
Post by: Akala on May 12, 2010, 05:40:17 PM
Quote from: tiesto on May 12, 2010, 03:29:33 PM
I myself would pick Russian, for very obvious reasons.

spoiler (click to show/hide)
in fact, some cute Russian chick called me over to eat lunch with her on the cruise, unfortunately she barely spoke any English, and I know no Russian, so we couldn't really communicate :(
[close]

she called you to lunch on a cruise? shoulda gone with the universal language. with a side of vodka.

on topic: chinese.
Title: Re: German, Russian or Chinese?
Post by: etiolate on May 12, 2010, 05:44:33 PM
Would it be Mandarin Chinese?

Anyways, I am planning on earning Russian. JOIN ME COMRADE!
Title: Re: German, Russian or Chinese?
Post by: Groogrux on May 13, 2010, 01:41:04 AM
I'd go with Chinese.  But it's only because I want to understand what they're saying half the damn time on Firefly...
Title: Re: German, Russian or Chinese?
Post by: brawndolicious on May 13, 2010, 02:00:30 AM
Keep in mind, that if you have a German or Russian girlfriend, then it always sounds like her parents hate you.  The chinese are too sneaky.
Title: Re: German, Russian or Chinese?
Post by: ManaByte on May 13, 2010, 02:20:49 AM
If toy ever plan to work in the Western US you'd better learn Spanish. You can't even get a job at McDonalds out here unless you're bilingual English/Spanish.
Title: Re: German, Russian or Chinese?
Post by: brob on May 13, 2010, 09:29:02 AM
If it's specifically to use as military cred. then I think you are pretty set with knowing Arabic, granted that your Swedish is good. Russian would obviously be the best of the three if you intend a career in the military or any sort of law enforcement (about 25% of prisoners in Norway use russian as their preferred language). Russian is difficult to learn though.
Title: Re: German, Russian or Chinese?
Post by: Third on May 13, 2010, 10:03:00 AM
You don't want to sound like a communist. So learn German.
Title: Re: German, Russian or Chinese?
Post by: chronovore on May 13, 2010, 11:16:11 AM
Just reading the topic subject, I assumed you'd be asking which girl to go home with.  :P