I (22M) speak Spanish almost fluently but am white af so most people just assume I don’t. Some Hispanic coworkers were talking in Spanish and they started gossiping about other coworkers. I thought about telling them but I hesitated and a few minutes went by. One of them then mentioned a more, ah, sensitive type of health condition and I felt like it would be too awkward at that point to say anything. I feel a little guilty though because I’m eavesdropping when they think they’re having a private conversation. Thoughts?
31 comments
You aren’t eavesdropping if they are aware that you’re in the vicinity. You aren’t obligated to tell them anything really. Reveal it if/when you feel it’s the right time.
Never
Jaja Pendeja.. dile que si se puede hablar bien y sigue la chismes.. I too know a language others assume I don’t
Don’t say anything.
You don’t owe anyone your life story! I speak other languages but hardly ever reveal it.
It’a like a super power lol. I personally just pretend like I didn’t hear anything and move on.
After they talk shit bout me
Don’t say anything unless they talk shit about you
They are talking in an open space where others can “evesdrop” unvoluntarily, so it’s on them.
When you have something to interject in the conversation, you could join in the language the conversation is.
Yeah I’d keep that in my back pocket until a very good time to use it. This isn’t that time.
You don’t have to say anything if you don’t want to.
I didn’t tell people for years. People assume I have a M.Ed. and I let them think that, but it’s in languages, and I had to know another language also to get it.
There is no expectation of privacy if they are speaking in public’s regardless of the language. There is also no need for you to ever disclose that you are fluent in Spanish.
I get this often & im straight up Mexican but with a beard I look anything but it. I usually don’t tell people until they ask me something in Spanish so I respond back in Spanish.
Usually I go with I know enough too survive…knowing damn well I can speak pretty fluent & read it decent enough.
Don’t tell them shit until you know they are talking shit about you or if they ask you something directly too you in Spanish
Better yet surprise them when they need a translator & step in. I’ve done this & got people happy I did also kinda surprised how well I can speak both languages.
If you’re in the US Spanish is insanely well known. I took Spanish in middle and high school and 20 years later if I focus can often comprehend the gist of a conversation. They’re idiots for assuming nobody but them will understand the second most common language spoken in this country. You’re under no obligation to say anything but if they’re saying things that make you uncomfortable (bad mouthing coworkers, medical stuff, etc) I’d approach one of them privately and just politely say that many people speak Spanish and they might want to consider moving personal conversations to a more private location. If you’re nervous about their reaction, find a trusted coworker or even your boss and ask that they mention something about it as a heads up not a disciplinary matter.
The other ideas here are great fun but require a very specific personality to feel comfortable doing it IRL and could also have serious backlash in work camaraderie and relationships
My mum used to work in a hotel doing the breakfast shift in the cafe they had.
There was an English couple that came in (this was in France) and they started bad mouthing the entire hotel, the staff, the poor management, the state of the cafe and so on, she listened in finding it quite amusing as they came across very snobby.
Eventually they got round to bad mouthing my mum, something along the lines of “oh and look at her, slaving away never getting anywhere, probably lives alone in some run down slum” after a couple of minutes of this she went up to them, smiled and said “is everything to your liking this morning? Would you like me to get you anything else? I could see if we have any caviar for you.”
My mum said they went bright red and didn’t say anything for the rest of their breakfast and then quietly left.
In your case though you don’t have to tell them anything, I went a good 5 years in France without telling anyone I was English.
You shouldn’t. You have no obligation to tell assholes anything. You aren’t eavesdropping. They’re openly talking infront of you. They have no expectation of privacy
“Information, Greg, is like a bottle of fine wine. You store it, you hoard it, you save it for a special occasion, and then you smash someone’s fuckin’ face in with it.” – Tom, Succession
Keep your weapon a secret.
Don’t let them know!!!!
I’m not saying this is the best option for avoiding conflict by any means, but, it would pretty funny if they started talking shit about you and you responded to it in Spanish during a lull in conversation.
Never.
A poker player never reveals his hand until the end.
They are being extremely rude – and unprofessional by loudly trash talking coworkers and assuming their coworkers don’t know one of the most common languages in the world. That their assumptions seems to be based on skin color? Tsk tsk. I would never tell – keep collecting intel until you learn something useful.
You’ve got to be pretty thick if you think Spanish is some kind of indecipherable code, especially if you’re in America where its the most commonly taken foreign language class.
I don’t say anything unless it’s necessary. I’ll translate or help someone out if I’m in public but otherwise no. I’m black American and the shock and surprise when I speak Spanish from people is annoying.
Personally, I wouldn’t reveal it at all unless they struggled to communicate in English. It makes me feel like a cool spy or something lol
My dad speaks fluent Spanish and it only comes out at certain times. One time these Hispanic guys were calling him a “fat old white guy” and he responded back in Spanish.. and they were astonished . Pretty funny story. Just use it when you think it’s necessary. Don’t be embarrassed.
You’re not obligated to disclose anything to anyone. When you feel like communicating to someone in Spanish you can tell them.
Spanish speakers should assume that the majority of people know atleast a little bit of Spanish. That’s on them lol
Yeah it doesn’t count as eavesdropping if they are talking in front of you. If they are wrongly assuming you don’t speak the language then that’s on them! Wait for them to say something mean and then chirp up haha make it a real gotcha moment.
Wait until they talk shit about you, and then in fully fluent Spanish say “that wasn’t a very nice thing to say”