If the languages I learned are my friends....

Energetic Vietnamese, Knowledgeable English, Sociable Spanish, Fashionable Chinese, and Lowkey Hindi

Energetic Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt)

Vietnamese has been my friend since birth. An actress, she looks classy, and she loves accessories in her outfit, either a hat or an earring. Even though she looks attractive, Vietnamese is that girl you find so hard to approach, because her mood changes in minutes. If you want to get to know her, you must be patient, so you can tune to her attentively, and not give up when you misunderstand her.

Contrary to her erratic personality, the way she works is surprisingly straightforward. She always has a constant pattern of doing things, whether it is something she did in the past or something she will do in the future. She knows how to behave around people, and knows her place. If you are older than her, she makes sure you get the respect. When she talks to her friends, Vietnamese is very informal, and she makes you feel comfortable immediately. You could not recognize her when she is with her parents and when she is in the bar with you.

We grew up together, so I am most comfortable with Vietnamese, and I never have to put a mask on when I am with her. Maybe because of her sensitivity to my tone and mood, I find myself conveying emotions with her so easily. She is the one I always come to when I have something to confide in, and she knows my most authentic self, more than anyone else.

Knowledgeable English (English)

My mother was the one who introduced me to English, but it is not that I had never heard of him. English is popular, and everyone wants to be his friend. He is a professor, a serious one. On the outside, he looks formal and put together; but on the inside, he has an interesting personal life. Sometimes when we hang out, he would bring his girlfriend "S" to join, and sometimes even her sister "E"; but he never brings them when there are large gatherings. Actually, he might still be in love with his ex, "D," as he always mentions her when we talk about the past. I am sure with his unpredictable nature, he will be all by himself in the future.

Despite his confusing couple situation, English is an extremely knowledgeable guy. He introduced me to Backstreet Boys, Powerpuff Girls, and Harry Potter. Whenever I meet a new person, as long as we have him as a common friend, we will get along. He accompanied me pretty much the time when I was in school, so we became very close. Even though I am not as close to him as I am to Vietnamese, he helped me become more knowledgeable about the world, gave me really cool books, and helped me connect with many people. While I take my emotions out with Vietnamese, English aids me in absorbing knowledge of the world.

Sociable Spanish (Español)

I knew Spanish for a brief time. Because he is close to English, I thought I could also be a good friend with Spanish.

That was not really the case.

Spanish is a Dj. When I first got to know him, he seemed like a chill guy, way more fun than his formal, stiff friend English. He has a charming personality, and is very fun to be around. His energy is bubbly, and his speaking even sounds lyrical to me. I love hanging out with Spanish, but when the night comes, when I meet his friends, it changes drastically. With me, he is chill and simple. He introduced me to his friends "-amos," "-an," "-ís," and so many more, and the group is...chaotic. Spanish and his friends are a pack, and without getting along with his friend group, I can't get along with him. I don't blame him, because he does have that charm, but his group of friends is too overwhelming.

I hung out with Spanish for 2 years, then stopped contacting him. I still very much enjoy listening to his music, though. I sometimes wonder if I had tried to get to know his group of friends better, we might have gotten along. Who knows?

Fashionable Chinese (中文)

Chinese is the friend I met in college, and we instantly clicked because she shares some similarities with my childhood friend, Vietnamese. I got her moody personality right away, and she is a bit more stable than Vietnamese. Her way of working is also simple and constant.

One difference between Vietnamese and Chinese is what they like to wear. While Vietnamese likes to wear simple clothing with accessories here and there, Chinese is a true fashionista, and she goes all out. She is a designer, so no surprise that her clothes are very intricate and edgy. She is not afraid to try out different styles, has some cool tattoos, and I think that makes her stand out. Others might feel overwhelmed by her badass appearance, but I find it so fascinating. We still hang out very often, and I am happy to get to know each other more every day (my goal is to finally be able to go to karaoke with her).

My name in Chinese!

Lowkey Hindi (हिन्दी)

The most recent friend I met is Hindi. While Chinese shares some similarities to my childhood friend Vietnamese, and Spanish is similar to my good friend English, Hindi opens a whole new door for me to explore. Hindi embraces both the feminine and masculine aspects in their appearance, and both flow together seamlessly. Hindi is very subtle. While Vietnamese is chaotic, and English is formal, Hindi is lowkey, and their mood shifts like a breath of air. If you want to be their friend, you need to be attentive enough to notice that change in mood. I cannot say much about Hindi yet, as there are so many things to learn and unpack. We are on an adventure to get to know each other together, and I am thrilled to get to know them.

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For the past 3 weeks of writing, I have noticed that I sound differently in English and Vietnamese, and that amazed me. It is interesting how each language seems to have their own auras! How about you? What languages are you learning and what are their personalities? Let me know in the comment ;)