I often reply under Japanese posts, and I always assume users will use a translator as I do, but maybe in the context of a Japanese instance or conversation this may look rude?
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If that’s the only language you have to communicate, I’d say more power to you. If you can translate what you’re saying using online tools, that might better facilitate communication and conversation.
If you answer in the language you know best, it’ll be easier to others to understand or translate, especially if it’s English.
You could translate your message to match the language of the comment, but if you don’t know the language, how can you know if it conveys your message correctly?
Overall, I’d say it depends on the specific community. If you try to inject yourself into a conversation in a Japanese language community, it may indeed come off as rude or ignorant.
The best solution may be to post in both languages?
I often see people reply in other languages, even under English posts (usually in German over here).
Hmmm… I thought it would be rude, but considering the consensus here, people speaking other languages should just respond using their languages to English comments and posts. There are way more non-English speaking people on the planet than English speakers. It would make the fediverse truly international if people did what you did!
Thanks for possibly starting a movement :)
I tried translating something before posting it to the same language (Thai) and apparently nobody understood what I was talking about. But enough people understood English, so at least some people would have understood me if I just posted it in English. The others could try translating.
Responding in English, if this is your language, is not Anglo domination. A lot of people learn English as a second language, so many know it. If you translate to Japanese and post it, then when people translate it to English, or Spanish, whatever, it will make no sense whatsoever.
When I traveled to France, a Middle Eastern family came into the restaurant and asked for the English menu. They couldn’t read the French menu. But they knew enough English. That’s when I realized that restaurants in France offered English menus, not for Westerners, but because more people in the world were likely to understand it rather than French.
I post in English. Translating from English to Spanish is better than English to Japanese to Spanish.
Mer chönd das scho probiere, aber denn müsst mer ja di ganz Ziit en Übersetzer zur Hand ha, wär denn doch nöd die best UX würdi säge. Das würd d’Neuakömmlige nur no meh verschüüche.
That’s not a language, it’s a dialect and nowhere near standard. I think there’s quite a difference between responding in a language that can be translated by existing translation tools vs whatever offshoot of a dialect you wrote that in. After all, people from the UK will respond in English, not Cockney, Geordi, Brummie or whatever else. And they don’t write words how they sound when spoken, which is what you’re doing.
Surprisingly your text was translatable by DeeplL
As to the UX, I don’t see the problem. Lemmy allows you to select which languages you want to see and if people consistently respond in a language you don’t wan to see, you can always block them. It’s a pity Lemmy doesn’t allow deselecting “Undetermined” because it would turn this into a non-issue.
I just used the TWP plugin to translate that comment inline and got, “We could try it, but then we’d have to have a translator on hand the whole time, which wouldn’t be the best UX, I think. That would only alienate newcomers even more.”
Is that not correct?
That’s perfect, exactly what I meant to say.
Neat!
My only complaint with the TWP translator - it doesn’t tell me the language/dialect that it translated from. Mind telling me what dialect (of what language) you wrote in?
The point is that languages without large speakerbases might consider barging in with the most recognized languages rude, while languages with similar status might find it normal.
drawing your conclusions from Lemmy demographics??
My personal opinion is that it’s 2025 and translation is free.
Just don’t expect nuance or depth. Or, in case of languages that aren’t closely related to yours, to be understood.
Dos’t thou thinks’t that the wiley mechanicist can not create an operator that can plumb the depths of language with ease? Our language is as unchanging as the mountains, and shall ever be so.
Nay, I daresay I judge it not possible, goode Sir or Lady, notte now nor e’er.
Varlet! I bite my thumb at thee!
thanks for literally devaluing all the work of my fellow translators and i that was stolen by Google and Bing and all the other crawlers/thieves.
it’s the same as with artists’ work being stolen by Stupid Diffusion and the rest.
not mad at you of course. but calling it free was too good a match for devaluing to pass up.
Think of it this way.
There’s an actual medical condition known as Chauffeur’s fracture.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chauffeur's_fracture
Back in the day, before the invention of the self starting engine, drivers would have to hand crank the cars, and sometimes a backfire would cause a particular type of injury.
Also, there’s a great line in the movie “The Interpreter” with Nicole Kidman.
Two UN interpreters are chatting about work. "I had a good one today. The American said it was “pie in the sky.” "
“Oh, that’s a tough one. What did you use?”
“Castles in Spain.”
“Nice.”
coincidentally, i hate the phrase “think of it this way”
I don’t think it’s a major offense to reply in your own language but since most of Lemmy is English speaking I try to respect the spaces that are clearly meant for something else.
I like to translate what I’m posting to whatever language the community is using. If I mention I’m using a translator the OP or another commenter will reply in English if they feel comfortable. [email protected] is one that comes to mind where this has happened in the past.
I’m not sure about other places, but in mod comments on Nexus it’s fairly standard to just reply in your native language and have the other person translate.
You’ll often see discussions with one half in English and the other in Chinese, for example.
Yeah, this is the way. It’s better to let the other person do the translating, rather than presenting maybe your ideas by using a translator. It would be like running everything you post through an AI first. Best to give as much intent as possible
Je ne pense pas
Don’t do this in [email protected]
https://feddit.org/post/2221909?scrollToComments=trueI’ve had more conversations than I can count with people I would never be able to talk to in person, all using our own native languages.
The original posts are in English, people comment in their native language, and I use a translator, then respond in my own language. Is the translator perfect? No! Neither is theirs.
With the way most translators I’ve used work, it’s easier for the non-native speaker to try translating, since the translator might try and use different words that entirely change the meaning, but likely list possible alternatives. A native e speaker will understand the alternatives while a non-native speaker probably won’t.
That’s my thought process anyway.
Never had anyone who wasn’t pearl-clutching or virtue-signaling complain about it. And I’ve had tons of conversations with people I’d never have talked to otherwise.
I don’t think most people would care unless the community rules forbid it. Some might be curious, some might skip it, and you might get a nettouyo being a racist twat every now and again.
Are you learning japanese? You might enjoy trying. Duolingo has a free tier which is annoying but the annual sub is reasonable (c. £60) if you look for offers.
Firefox will offer translations. On both sides.
Given the choice between not knowing an answer and having to translate it (using a built-in translator) I’d prefer the answer, but you could always use the translator for them even if the output is garbage-Japanese.
Taking offence is a choice.
For learning japanese I would not recommend Duolingo, people often recommend using The Moe Way, Tae Kim and Organic Japanese with Cure Dolly. I’m just a beginner, but I tried learning with duo and it was not good. Learning using The Moe Way was way more faster and logical
While I agree, the best practice is one you can do regularly. If duo’s gamification helps you keep actively studying, then while maybe not the best way, it’s better than nothing.
Ideally the best use of duo is minimally, as a springboard to keep you doing other more immersive studying.
I’d be wary about using a translator, even if you use one that accounts for grammar and double meanings like deepL. Tho that’s based on a comment I saw from game developer Katsuhiro Harada. He says he prefers English speaking players just type in English so he can translate himself cause oftentimes the player will translate something incorrectly and confuse him. All in all it really depends on who I guess.
Only if I have to, and I include the Google translate so they know I’m clueless.
I wouldn’t consider it rude in the Danish communities we have in Feddit.dk, but that’s also cause basically all danes are fluent in English, so it shouldn’t be an issue.
