The early days of a relationship are magical. There’s so much unspoken understanding, so much trust and chemistry, that it almost feels telepathic at times. It’s not until the couple starts to get to know one another a little better that things start to get complicated.
Communication becomes difficult and misunderstandings are frequent. This is especially true when you’re dating someone who doesn’t speak your language fluently or at all.
If you’re in this situation, then you know how challenging it can be to communicate with someone who speaks a different primary language than you do. You may feel like speaking the same language is essential for love to grow between you and your partner.
But as we all know from personal experience and bitter comedies about dating – love finds a way regardless of any possible language barriers.
So if you have met someone special and they don’t speak your language fluently or at all – here are some tips on how to make things work between the two of you as smoothly as possible…
Communicate Often
When you’re first dating someone who doesn’t speak your language, it can be tempting to avoid talking about serious subjects until you’re absolutely certain that you’re in a long-term relationship.
But communicating often will help you to avoid misunderstandings, awkward situations, and hurt feelings that could come from a lack of clarity between you and your partner.
It’s also important to communicate often so that you can both gauge how much time you’ll need to create a foundation of trust and understanding between you. Communication is a two-way street – so don’t forget to ask your partner what they’re looking for in a relationship and what their deal breakers are.
This will help you to avoid situations where you may unknowingly overstep your boundaries with your partner and help you to understand what your partner is expecting from the relationship.
Be Patient
Communication is a two-way street, and when you’re starting a relationship with someone who doesn’t speak your language, you may need to be more patient than you’ve ever been before in your life.
Your partner may stumble and stumble again while they try to communicate with you, and they may feel frustrated that they can’t tell you what they’re feeling without you feeling like they’re being impatient with you.
If you find yourself feeling frustrated with your partner, take a step back and assess the situation. Chances are, your partner doesn’t want to be as slow with communicating with you as they are, they just don’t know how to let you know that.
Be patient with your partner and help them to navigate the complex social rules of your language as best as you can.
Don’t Assume Understanding
When you’re dating someone who doesn’t speak your language, it’s easy to make assumptions about what they mean when they communicate with you. You may also inadvertently assume that you understand what they’re trying to communicate with you.
However, these assumptions could cause harm to your relationship if there’s an important misunderstanding between the two of you.
Make sure that you avoid assuming that you understand what your partner is saying, even if it’s something as simple as “I like you” or “I’m hungry.” Instead, always ask your partner to clarify and confirm that you understand.
Watch Body Language And Facial Expressions
Body language and facial expressions are very important parts of non-verbal communication, even in verbal language. Watch your partner’s facial expressions and body language and see if you can determine what they’re trying to say to you even if you don’t speak their language.
You can also keep a journal of your partner’s non-verbal cues so that you can become better at recognising them and reading what your partner is trying to tell you without them even having to say a word.
Imply Words By Using Actions Or Objects
If you want to express something that would be difficult to convey to your partner without words, try to use actions or objects to imply the same meaning that you would want to.
For example, if your partner asks you what your favourite colour is and you want to say “green” but they don’t speak your language, try to indicate green by using other objects around you to represent your favourite colour.
You could use a green book, a green pen, or green stationery to represent your favourite colour. With time, your partner will pick up on this and be able to understand your favourite colours or expressions just by associating these objects with them.
You can also use this tactic when your partner asks you about your family, friends, or likes and dislikes so that you don’t have to rely on words to communicate with each other.
Always Have A Translation App Handy
You may have noticed a trend in the tips on how to make your relationship with someone who doesn’t speak your language easier. Almost all of them involve being patient, understanding, and open to your partner’s way of communication.
However, there will be times when you want to talk about something serious with your partner and you don’t have the language skills to do so.
In these situations, there are translation apps that can help you to bridge the communication gap.
There are a variety of apps that cover a wide range of languages. Some of these apps even have voice recognition that can translate your speech into another language as you speak it.
Always have one of these translation apps handy so that you can easily communicate with your partner whenever necessary.
Have Short, Simple Conversations
When you’re starting to date someone who doesn’t speak your language, it’s easy to get impatient and want to dive into long, complex discussions about your feelings for one another. You may want to discuss your past relationships or your hopes for your future together. You may want to dive straight into talking about your feelings for each other.
This can be a bad idea. Instead of diving into long, in-depth conversations, try to keep your conversations with your partner short and simple. If you’re having a date, keep it light and casual. Don’t bring up anything serious unless your partner brings it up first.
This will help you to avoid any misunderstandings that may arise from a language barrier. With time, you and your partner will learn how to communicate with each other more effectively and easily, and you’ll be able to dive into more complex discussions as you become more comfortable with each other.
Final Notes and Considerations
Communication is the foundation of any relationship, romantic or not. When you first start dating someone who doesn’t speak your language, it can be tempting to feel frustrated by the fact that you can’t understand your partner. But if you follow these tips – you’ll be able to navigate any language barriers with ease.
Communicate often, use body language and facial expressions to understand what your partner is trying to say, keep your conversations short and simple, and always have a translation app handy so that you can easily communicate with your partner. These tips will help you to fall in love with someone who doesn’t speak your language.
