i’m (19M) fluent in another language because of my family, my friend "jake" (19M) has been "learning" it forever, he knows a few phrases but he’s not conversational. the problem is jake likes people he *speaks* and then when someone actually starts talking to him, he immediately looks at me to save him.
it started out kind of harmless, we’d be out somewhere, he’d hear someone speaking it and he’d jump in with a sentence. they’d respond normally and he’d just stare at me like "help". i"d translate a bit to keep it from getting awkward for the strangers.
after it happened a few times i told him please stop doing that like if you want to practice just say you’re learning, dont tell people you speak it and then make it your interpreter, he laughed and acted like i was being dramatic. he said its "good practice" for him and its a "cool skill" for me.
last weekend we’re at a birthday thing at a bar. he meets a couple at the next table, finds out they speak the language and immediately goes "oh i speak that too" then he points at me like "and he does too, we can all talk"
the couple gets excited and starts chatting fast and then he starts doing the thing where he turns to me mid-conversation like "tell them…" as if i’m just there to translate his life. i tried to be chill at first and said in english "im not translating tonight" he kinda ignores me and keeps trying to hand me lines to translate while the couple is just sitting there waiting. so i finally just said to the couple (in their language) "sorry im not translating right now" smiled and walked off to get a drink. jake followed me and was pissed, he said i embarrassed him and made him look like a liar. he said i couldve just helped for 2 minutes and corrected him later.
i told him i *have* corrected him later multiple times and he keeps putting me on the spot anyway. he says im petty and that friends dont do that to each other.
aita?
If the friend is going to lie, then they can get caught in the lie. Don’t cover for people who don’t want to do the work. NTA.
I mean, I don’t understand friends logic because he’s already caught in the lie. It’s not like the other people aren’t right there so they don’t realize OP is translating…… This is just weird
NTA he keeps putting himself in these situations and has gotten used to you jumping to help him despite you telling him to stop
nta. friends don’t make friends do work on their nights out. friends also don’t flatly ignore their friends when they tell them straight out “stop doing that to me”.
fun fact, the only way you leaving the conversation could make him look like a liar is if he is one.
NTA. You didn’t do anything mean—just upheld a clear boundary. He’s the one who kept ignoring it and is now embarrassed.
He should take his own advice. Hes right…friends dont do that to eachother….yet he keeps putting you in that exact circumstance you asked gun not to. So the rules only apply to you but not him?
Tell straight to his face that you’ll do it again. And again. And again. Until he gets the clue that you’re just over it.
NTA
He wants to brag but then gets scared when someone calls him out on his bluff. If he wants to brag then he needs to actually learn. I can say I know some Spanish but I can’t hold a conversation. He could do the same (I don’t know what language you guys speak but I used Spanish as an example).
“You *are* a liar, Jake.”
How is it not embarrassing for him to claim he speaks a language but then requires you to translate? I don’t understand how he’s not been embarrassing himself this whole time. But anyway, nta.
make up translations. tell jake you’re going to teach him how to say “i speak fluent [language],” but actually teach him “i dont actually know this language, i’m full of shit.”
I would just tell people in their language he’s practicing but barely knows anything.
I am a polyglot and when friends try what Jake does, I just stare back at them and say “you’re the one claiming to speak the language so have at it” as I walk away or look down on my phone or just sit there staring at them in silence.
They don’t try it again as they realize I’m not their circus act. I speak the language, it’s normal to me, not a cute little act.
Sounds like the only second language he is fluent in is bullshit😂😂
‘Made him look like a liar’, he didn’t look like a liar, he WAS a liar. NTA.