# Where did you learn English so well?



## Encolpius

Hello, would you please translate this sentence into your language? Please replace the word English with your language. Thank you in advance. Enc.

*Hungarian*: Hol tanultál meg ilyen jól magyarul? 
*Czech*: Kde ses naučil tak dobře česky? 
*Italian*: Dove hai imparato così bene l'italiano?


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## sakvaka

*Finnish*: _Missä opit puhumaan suomea noin hyvin? _
(I added one word: to speak)

_puhumaan _= III infinitive illative of _to speak_
_kirjoittamaan _= III infinitive illative of _to write_


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## MaxJ

In *Dutch*: Waar heb jij zo goed Nederlands geleerd?(informal) or Waar heeft u zo goed Nederlands geleerd?(formal)


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## Prima Facie

Spanish: ¿Dónde aprendiste a hablar inglés tan bien?


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## Encolpius

MaxJ said:


> In *Dutch*: Waar heb jij zo goed Nederlands geleerd?(informal) or Waar heeft u zo goed Nederlands geleerd?(formal)



*German*: Wo hast du so gut Deutsch gelernt?


sakvaka said:


> *Finnish*: _Missä opit puhumaan suomea noin hyvin? _
> (I added one word: to speak)
> 
> _puhumaan _= III infinitive illative of _to speak
> kirjoittamaan _= III infinitive illative of _to write_



Well, that's the point. So you can't say the sentence without the verb speak? So how about "missä opit noin hyvin suomea?" ? Thanks.


Prima Facie said:


> Spanish: ¿Dónde aprendiste a hablar inglés tan bien?



Thanks, and how about: dónde aprendiste tan bien el español? Not correct? Thanks.


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## Prima Facie

Yep, it's correct as well.


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## sakvaka

Encolpius said:


> Well, that's the point. So you can't say the sentence without the verb speak? So how about "missä opit noin hyvin suomea?" ? Thanks.



It's correct as well.  I just decided to make it a bit clearer.


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## Encolpius

Well, the goal of my question is the phrase: Where did you learn .... so well? (it could be where did you learn to dance / to kiss... so well? etc


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## sakvaka

Was it? Great. ;-) So: _Missä opit [verb in III inf. illat.] noin hyvin?_


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## Orlin

Bulgarian: Къде научи (2nd. p. sg.)/научихте (2nd p. pl. or polite) английски толкова добре?
Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian: Gd(j)e* si naučio (m.)/naučila (f.) bosanski/hrvatski/srpski toliko dobro? (2nd p. sg.)
Gd(j)e* ste naučili bosanski/hrvatski/srpski toliko dobro? (2nd p. pl. or polite)
*Gde - ekavian, gdje - ijekavian, the difference in the yat reflex.


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## jazyk

In Portuguese: Onde (você) aprendeu/aprendeste inglês tão bem?


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## Rallino

In *Turkish*:  It sounds weird with the question word "where", we almost always say: "how".

*Türkçeyi nasıl bu kadar iyi öğrendin?*

_Türkçe: Turkish
Tüykçeyi:  Turkish (in accusative)
nasıl: how
bu kadar: this much
iyi: good
öğren(-mek): to learn
öğrendin:  you learnt_


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## WondererCarvalho

jazyk said:


> In Portuguese: Onde (você) aprendeu/aprendeste inglês tão bem?


 
Just to add some information:

"Onde *aprendeste*(...)" (conjugation of past form of "aprender" [learn]) is found both in Brazilian and Portuguese grammar. Although, in Brazilian Portuguese the most common is that form also shown by Jazyk: "Onde (você) *aprendeu*(...)"

I really am not sure whether "aprendeu" is acceptable in other Portuguese dialects, so that's all I can tell for now.


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## enoo

*French*: 
Où as-tu si bien appris _le français_ ? 

or with the a verb:
Où as-tu si bien appris à <verb, infinitive> ?
Où as-tu si bien appris _à parler_ français ? (Where did you learn _to speak_ French so well?)

(the "si bien"/"so well" part can be put at the very end, too)


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## Encolpius

Rallino said:


> In *Turkish*:  It sounds weird with the question word "where", we almost always say: "how"....



I think the question word *where *is a little bit idiomatic. It sounds completely natural in Hungarian. It seems to be normal in other languages, too.


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## Rallino

Yes I understood that. I can translate it using "where" if you want. But it doesn't sound natural. On the other hand, we also use "where" in some expressions where English uses "how". For example:

*Nereden biliyorsun? *lit. Where do you know it from? = How do you know that?


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## phosphore

Orlin said:


> Bulgarian: Къде научи (2nd. p. sg.)/научихте (2nd p. pl. or polite) английски толкова добре?
> Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian: Gd(j)e* si naučio (m.)/naučila (f.) bosanski/hrvatski/srpski toliko dobro? (2nd p. sg.)
> Gd(j)e* ste naučili bosanski/hrvatski/srpski toliko dobro? (2nd p. pl. or polite)
> *Gde - ekavian, gdje - ijekavian, the difference in the yat reflex.


 
I think we would say "tako dobro" rather than "toliko dobro". 

"Gde si naučio srpski tako dobro?" or "Gde si tako dobro naučio srpski?"


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## Orlin

Hvala, phosphore, ja nisam izvorni govornik i zato ne bih mogao da znam šta preferirate - podsetili ste me da na bugarskom така добре=толкова добре (mislim da nema razlike, obe verzije su moguće za prevod engleskog "so well") i vidim da vi preferirate konstrukciju prvog tipa.


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## apmoy70

In Greek:
«Πού έμαθες ελληνικά τόσο καλά;»
Pu 'emaθes elini'ka 'toso ka'la?
lit. "Where did you learn Greek so well?"

[θ] is a voiceless dental non-sibilant fricative


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## Elvus

*Gdzie nauczyłeś się/nauczyłaś się/nauczył się Pan/nauczyła się Pani tak dobrze polskiego? 
*_Where did you _[M inf./F inf./M form./F form.] _learn Polish so well?_

or

*Skąd znasz/zna Pan/zna Pani tak dobrze polski?
*_Where you_ [inf./M form./F form.] _know Polish so well from?_

My answer: *Mówię nim od urodzenia. *_(I speak it since my birth.)_


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## Encolpius

Elvus said:


> ...*Skąd znasz/zna Pan/zna Pani tak dobrze polski?*_Where you_ [inf./M form./F form.] _know Polish so well from?_...



Hello, Elvus and welcome to this forum. Thank you for your answer. The second one is another very interesting phrase. Feel free to check the other threads in the All Languages forum and reply to them. We need the Polish vocabulary here, too. Bye. Enc.


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## sakvaka

Elvus said:


> My answer: *Mówię nim od urodzenia. *_(I speak it since my birth.)_



People don't usually speak languages, even their native one, that young...  Nice saying!


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## L'irlandais

enoo said:


> ...Où as-tu si bien appris _à parler_ français ? (Where did you learn _to speak_ French so well?)...


Hello,
To be honest, I feel that the English version could benefit from adding the verb *to speak* as well ;  
ie. _Where did you learn *to speak *(or perhaps *to write*) English so well?
Answer : I learnt to speak English in my native Ireland._


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## Elvus

sakvaka said:


> People don't usually speak languages, even their native one, that young...  Nice saying!


Well, that's right, but I might be sure that many Poles would say as I've written without a second thought. Such a cliché.


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## Encolpius

L'irlandais said:


> Hello,
> To be honest, I feel that the English version could benefit from adding the verb *to speak* as well ;
> ie. _Where did you learn *to speak *(or perhaps *to write*) English so well?
> Answer : I learnt to speak English in my native Ireland._



I understand you, but is it only about speaking?  How about writing or other extra knowledge?


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## L'irlandais

You tell me.  The phrasing of _"Where did you learn English so well?" _feels awkward ;  I cannot imagine a situation when I would use this question in this form.


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## Encolpius

Yes, I know idioms / sentences like that are really complicated. As you can see many languages seem to use the "wrong English phrase". The idiom with the verb speak exists in Hungarian, too. The point is now, if other members here haven't been influenced by the bad English idiom. I'm sure the Hungarian one is entirely idiomatic.
Then how about: _Where did you learn such good English?_ 
But I have the feeling not many native English speakers visit this forum, we foreigners just speak and translate our "lingua franca" English and as one of the topic has said, understand each other very well.


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## PABLO DE SOTO

¿Dónde has aprendido un inglés tan bueno?


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## Dymn

*Catalan*: _On has après tan bé el català?_


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## Messquito

*Chinese:* 你在/去哪裡把英文學得這麼好的？
(I added an alternative 去, meaning "go"-->"Where did you go to learn English so well?" It sounds more natural IMO.)


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## Panceltic

Slovene:

formal: Kje ste se tako dobro naučili _(govoriti)_ slovensko?
informal: Kje si se tako dobro naučil(a) _(govoriti)_ slovensko?


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