--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I have a funny relationship to language…" description: "\"I have a funny relationship to language. When I came to California when I was three I spoke Urdu fluently and I didn't speak a word of English. Within ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4a/mohsin-hamid-798_california_i-have-a-funny-relationship-to-language_533594.jpg" --- # I have a funny relationship to language. When I came to… ![“I have a funny relationship to language. When I came to California when I was three I spoke Urdu fluently and I didn't speak a word of English. Within a few months I lost all my Urdu and spoke only English and then I learned Urdu all over again when I was nine. Urdu is my first language but it's…” quote by Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4a/mohsin-hamid-798_california_i-have-a-funny-relationship-to-language_533594.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4a/mohsin-hamid-798_california_i-have-a-funny-relationship-to-language_533594.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4a/mohsin-hamid-798_california_i-have-a-funny-relationship-to-language_533594.jpg) > “I have a funny relationship to language. When I came to California when I was three I spoke Urdu fluently and I didn't speak a word of English. Within a few months I lost all my Urdu and spoke only English and then I learned Urdu all over again when I was nine. Urdu is my first language but it's not as good as my English and it's sort of become my third language. English is my best language but was the second language I learned.” [Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The narrator recounts a complex linguistic journey: arriving in California as a child speaking Urdu, quickly shifting to English, then relearning Urdu later, resulting in a layered multilingual identity. **In simple terms:** Multilingual identity shaped by migration and language loss/relearning. Key Takeaway Adapt to new languages while honoring roots. Themes language identity migration adaptation memory Mood introspective hopeful Type cultural educational When to use this quote - immigration - school - family communication - career - personal growth Key Concepts Bilingualism cultural integration cognitive flexibility Questions to Reflect On - How does each language influence your thinking? - What strategies help maintain fluency across languages? A Different Perspective Language shift can cause cultural disconnection or identity conflict. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [California](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/california/) [Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [Funny relationship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny-relationship/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Learned Urdu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learned-urdu-4476975/) [Lost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lost/) [Months](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/months/) [Nine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nine/) [Speak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speak/) [Spokes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spokes/) [Thirds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thirds/) [Three](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/three/) [Urdu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/urdu/) [Urdu Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/urdu-language-2709370/) [Urdu Spoke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/urdu-spoke-4476976/) [Urdu Urdu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/urdu-urdu-4476977/) ## Related quotes > [Why should I just limit myself to the Urdu language? Why not sing in different languages?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junaid-jamshed/why-should-i-just-limit-myself-to-the-urdu-language-why-not-sing-in/) [Junaid Jamshed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junaid-jamshed/) > [“...the fact that Urdu was spoken by taxicab drivers; the presence, only two blocks from my East Village apartment, of a samosa- and channa-serving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/the-fact-that-urdu-was-spoken-by-taxicab-drivers-the-presence-only/) [Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/) > [Pride! In English it is a Deadly Sin. But in Urdu it is fakhr and nazish - both names that you can find more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamila-shamsie/pride-in-english-it-is-a-deadly-sin-but-in-urdu-it-is-fakhr-and/) [Kamila Shamsie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamila-shamsie/) > [“Mr Earbrass escaped from Messrs Scuffle and Dustcough, who were most anxious to go into all the ramifications of a scheme for having his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gorey/mr-earbrass-escaped-from-messrs-scuffle-and-dustcough-who-were-most/) [Edward Gorey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gorey/) > [“Buht se dukh hamari qismat men likhy hoty hain. woh hamen milny hoty hain. ba'az sach'chaaiyan aisi hoti hain ky woh chahy hamen jitni…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/farhat-ishtiaq/buht-se-dukh-hamari-qismat-men-likhy-hoty-hain-woh-hamen-milny-hoty/) [Farhat Ishtiaq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/farhat-ishtiaq/) > [I feel Urdu and Punjabi are quite similar and therefore, I mostly make my songs in Punjabi.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-khan/i-feel-urdu-and-punjabi-are-quite-similar-and-therefore-i-mostly-make/) [Sara Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-khan/) > [I feel French is very close to Urdu. Both languages are beautiful. Sadly, their beauty is lost in translation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amisha-patel/i-feel-french-is-very-close-to-urdu-both-languages-are-beautiful/) [Amisha Patel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amisha-patel/) > [There were a lot of unique challenges in producing the film, such as the logistical issues inherent in producing a long-term verite film in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharmeen-obaid-chinoy/there-were-a-lot-of-unique-challenges-in-producing-the-film-such-as/) [Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharmeen-obaid-chinoy/) > [I speak Urdu quite a lot, too, and I read a lot of Persian.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juan-cole/i-speak-urdu-quite-a-lot-too-and-i-read-a-lot-of-persian/) [Juan Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juan-cole/) > [“She tries to maintain a nondescript exterior; she learns the sideways glance instead of looking at people directly. She speaks in practised, precise sentences…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohammed-hanif/she-tries-to-maintain-a-nondescript-exterior-she-learns-the-sideways/) [Mohammed Hanif](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohammed-hanif/) > [When I write a poem, I do not have to worry about using a higher Urdu vocabulary because I know the reader knows Urdu…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gulzar/when-i-write-a-poem-i-do-not-have-to-worry-about-using-a-higher-urdu/) [Gulzar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gulzar/) > [I write in Urdu and everything is written by my hand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gulzar/i-write-in-urdu-and-everything-is-written-by-my-hand/) [Gulzar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gulzar/) > [Being master of Urdu doesn't interest me, being part of the global society does, breathing hope into that society matters to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gulzar/being-master-of-urdu-doesn-t-interest-me-being-part-of-the-global/) [Gulzar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gulzar/) > [“Insaano ky, insaano ky saath baahemi tamaam jazbon ko jab Allah ny Roz-e-Awwal takhleeq kia to muhabbat hi woh waahid jazba tha jis ki…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/farhat-ishtiaq/insaano-ky-insaano-ky-saath-baahemi-tamaam-jazbon-ko-jab-allah-ny-roz/) [Farhat Ishtiaq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/farhat-ishtiaq/) > [My mother tongue is Punjabi, but my first language is Urdu, which was the case with the people in undivided Punjab.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gulzar/my-mother-tongue-is-punjabi-but-my-first-language-is-urdu-which-was/) [Gulzar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gulzar/) ## More by Mohsin Hamid > [Pakistan now is like a horror film franchise. You know, it's 'Friday the 13th, Episode 63: The Terrorist from Pakistan.' And each time we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/pakistan-now-is-like-a-horror-film-franchise-you-know-it-s-friday-the/) [Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/) > [A beard is something that is almost like a mirror to the viewer. When someone sees you wearing a beard, they're seeing something in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/a-beard-is-something-that-is-almost-like-a-mirror-to-the-viewer-when/) [Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/) > [And also I think the rise of other, you could say, destinations for international jihadis mean that Pakistan isn't necessarily the place where people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/and-also-i-think-the-rise-of-other-you-could-say-destinations-for/) [Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/) > [“I met her eyes, and for the first time I perceived that there was something broken behind them, like a tiny crack in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/i-met-her-eyes-and-for-the-first-time-i-perceived-that-there-was/) [Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/) > [“muscularity, made more pronounced by her gauntness, and the near-inanimate”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/muscularity-made-more-pronounced-by-her-gauntness-and-the-near/) [Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/) > [“In this group, everyone was foreign, and so, in a sense, no one was.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/in-this-group-everyone-was-foreign-and-so-in-a-sense-no-one-was/) [Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/) > [“It seemed to me then - and to be honest, sir, seems to me still - that America was engaged only in posturing. As…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/it-seemed-to-me-then-and-to-be-honest-sir-seems-to-me-still-that/) [Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/) > [When the uncertain future becomes the past, the past in turn becomes uncertain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/when-the-uncertain-future-becomes-the-past-the-past-in-turn-becomes/) [Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/) > [When the machine of a human being is turned on, it seems to produce a protagonist, just as a television produces an image.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/when-the-machine-of-a-human-being-is-turned-on-it-seems-to-produce-a/) [Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/) > [I think fiction allows you to inhabit new domains and it's you, the reader living in that domain for a few days that results…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/i-think-fiction-allows-you-to-inhabit-new-domains-and-it-s-you-the/) [Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/) > [“Often, during my stay in your country, such comparisons troubled me. In fact, they did more than trouble me: they made me resentful. Four…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/often-during-my-stay-in-your-country-such-comparisons-troubled-me-in/) [Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/) > [Americans need to educate themselves, from elementary school onward, about what their country has done abroad. And they need to play a more active…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/americans-need-to-educate-themselves-from-elementary-school-onward/) [Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/) > [I'm not a representative of Pakistan; I'm just an example that Pakistanis are different from each other. I believe it in my fiction and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/i-m-not-a-representative-of-pakistan-i-m-just-an-example-that/) [Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/) > [“end of a couple is like a death, and the notion of death, of temporariness, can remind us of the value of things,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/end-of-a-couple-is-like-a-death-and-the-notion-of-death-of/) [Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/) > [NYC doesn't have a big sign saying "You must love diversity and the rights of all people." And that's not what makes you love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/nyc-doesn-t-have-a-big-sign-saying-you-must-love-diversity-and-the/) [Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/) [Explore all 361 Mohsin Hamid quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/) ## More California quotes > [Everyone in California is from somewhere else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wright-morris/everyone-in-california-is-from-somewhere-else/) [Wright Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wright-morris/) > [Even with clothing naked animals, there were people who wanted to send in money. A woman in Santa Barbara, California, sent a $40,000 check.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-abel/even-with-clothing-naked-animals-there-were-people-who-wanted-to-send/) [Alan Abel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-abel/) > [We need to incorporate that age-old concept of redemption into the work that we do in the criminal justice system in California.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamala-harris/we-need-to-incorporate-that-age-old-concept-of-redemption-into-the/) [Kamala Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamala-harris/) > [The Urban Literate Southern California Sub-Group of the Early Atomic Period has not yet produced a distinct body of folk music of its own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-hinton/the-urban-literate-southern-california-sub-group-of-the-early-atomic/) [Sam Hinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-hinton/) > [California is a place in which a boom mentality and a sense of Chekhovian loss meet in uneasy suspension.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/california-is-a-place-in-which-a-boom-mentality-and-a-sense-of/) [Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/) > [Many militarists would like to see California's votes vanish from the national electoral system, which would then become more Republican.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-swanson/many-militarists-would-like-to-see-california-s-votes-vanish-from-the/) [David Swanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-swanson/) > [When I started in California, people would say, 'Enterprise who?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pamela-nicholson/when-i-started-in-california-people-would-say-enterprise-who/) [Pamela Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pamela-nicholson/) > [Take one round-trip flight between New York and California, and you've generated about 20 percent of the greenhouse gases that your car emits over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tatiana-schlossberg/take-one-round-trip-flight-between-new-york-and-california-and-you-ve/) [Tatiana Schlossberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tatiana-schlossberg/) > [These French-style caramels are handmade in California. It's always hard to give them away!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/these-french-style-caramels-are-handmade-in-california-it-s-always/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) > [The D.C. playbook is obsolete. It's time for the people of California to bring the agenda to Washington, not the other way around.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-de-leon/the-d-c-playbook-is-obsolete-it-s-time-for-the-people-of-california/) [Kevin de Leon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-de-leon/) > [While there is an attempt by the Trump people to say that California isn't really America. California certainly seems like America to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-frum/while-there-is-an-attempt-by-the-trump-people-to-say-that-california/) [David Frum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-frum/) > [I'm from California, but my father, who passed away when I was young, was from Newark. When I was kid, we would go back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carson-daly/i-m-from-california-but-my-father-who-passed-away-when-i-was-young/) [Carson Daly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carson-daly/) > [“God will break California from the surface of the continent like someone breaking off a piece of chocolate. It will become its own floating…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-ruby/god-will-break-california-from-the-surface-of-the-continent-like/) [Laura Ruby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-ruby/) > [You could have a hit in California that no one had heard of in Oklahoma.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wanda-jackson/you-could-have-a-hit-in-california-that-no-one-had-heard-of-in/) [Wanda Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wanda-jackson/) > [My first encounter with yoga was in 1969 with my older brother Doug. I was thirteen years old, and he was eighteen. He'd learned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-f-swensen/my-first-encounter-with-yoga-was-in-1969-with-my-older-brother-doug-i/) [David F. Swensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-f-swensen/) [Browse all 2,036 California quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/california/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I have a funny relationship to language. When I came to California when I was three I spoke Urdu fluently and I didn't speak a word of English. Within a few months I lost all my Urdu and spoke only English and then I learned Urdu all over again when I was nine. Urdu is my first language but it's not as good as my English and it's sort of become my third language. 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