When you live in another culture, it’s important to learn not only the right words, but the appropriate responses for different situations. For example, when someone in the US tells us they like our sweater we say, “Thanks.” Not so for the Nahuatl. Take a quick look at the comments below and see if you could have guessed the proper response.
Would you like some coffee?
Who knows…
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Those are beautiful earrings you have.
Yes, they are beautiful.
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Where are you going?
Over there.
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What are you going to be doing?
Who knows…
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Are you going to have a baby?
Probably.
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I’m going to go home now.
Go, then.
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I’m getting use to it, too. I can just picture my next trip to the US. Someone will say, “Good job on your presentation” and I’ll respond, “Yes. It was good, wasn’t it?” A new acquiantance will ask me if I’m married and I’ll shrug and say, “Who knows…” Some sweet church lady will say, “Well, we really need to be going,” and I’ll follow up with, “Fine; go ahead and leave.”