Basic Trope: Two people have a conversation with each other while speaking different languages.
- Straight: Alice speaks in English while Bob speaks in Cantonese, and they are able to have a fluent conversation while speaking in their respective languages.
- Exaggerated: Everyone in Alice and Bob’s group speaks in a different language, resulting in a situation similar to the Self Demonstration page.
- Downplayed: Alice and Bob speak mutually intelligible languages, like Dutch and German.
- Justified:
- Alice and Bob are using a Universal Translator. The conversation is seen by someone without one.
- Alice and Bob can understand each other's languages but prefers to speak in their own.
- Both Alice and Bob are trying to learn the other's languages, so they decide to speak in the languages they are less fluent in as a form of practice (and because they both know the other would have the honesty needed to correct any embarrassing mistakes straight away).
- Bob has a speech impediment that prevents him from speaking fluent English, but he understands Alice perfectly. Alice speaks in English because she's more comfortable with hearing Cantonese than speaking it.
- Inverted: The characters speak the same language, even the same dialect, but really don't understand what the other is talking about.
- Subverted:
- Bob is just speaking in an Asian accent that doesn't sound like English at all.
- Neither of them actually understands the other's language.
- Double Subverted:
- Alice understands him anyway.
- They're using a Universal Translator so it doesn't matter.
- Parodied:
- The show makes up languages for the trope.
- God is weeping because his curse was completely useless in its purpose.
- Zig-Zagged: Alice and Bob use loanwords from each other's languages.
- Averted: Everyone speaks English or Cantonese.
- Enforced: The trope could be used as a form of Bilingual Bonus, or to show the cultural diversity of the cast in action.
- Lampshaded: "Can you guys speak in the same language for 5 minutes?"
- Invoked: Bob is telling Alice a secret, and doesn't want Charlie, who doesn't understand Cantonese, to find out. (Can lead to Bilingual Backfire)
- Exploited: Same as above, with the Bilingual Backfire.
- Deconstructed: The characters know each other's languages well... But this doesn't mean they can communicate perfectly. Misunderstandings happen.
- Reconstructed: Perfect chance to improve communication skills!
"Vart har länken till Bilingual Dialogues huvudsida tagit vägen?"
"Oh, you'll find the link here!"
