@@MrNiceGuy80x5 yeah he have own methods, second his brain is trained to learn new stuff. Like actors who can easy learn script very fast than normal person. Spend 6 years studying new languages.
Thank you so so much for making my aunt’s day!!! My family owns New Asha Sri Lankan Restaurant. Fun fact: The restaurant is named after me. My middle name is Asha (means hope in our language). My aunt Viji is the one in the video!!! She is super motherly and really got caught off guard when you started talking Tamil! She was so happy and she truly loves feeding anyone that walks into the door. Thank you for taking the time to learn about different cultures and speaking the language. You have definitely made all of us proud and happy. So glad you enjoyed the food as well! LOVE is the secret ingredient to everything. ♥️🇱🇰
Any person who works in the food industry knows this guy just got the served the best food they could and more than likely a larger portion than most customers would get. You can easily tell he made their day and gave these people a memory that would last quite a while.
As a foodservice worker, gotta agree with you there, every little bit of understanding during the day goes a long way . Furthermore, know a cultures food, you'll know the culture, we truly are what we eat.
@@ziyrns I got to learning the writing system (all kana and the principles of kanji) in March last year, starting with the writing system. The language proper I started taking classes on last October, and I'd consider myself late beginner level at best - enough to catch the meaning of a few short uncomplicated sentences but still need to strain my ears and have spotty vocabulary. English has taken me north of 5 years from first contact as a child to mandatory school classes and finally to full immersion in reading and listening to media and content, and practicing my writing. But I started way before I had wide access to the internet, so for me it was harder.
I love how’s she’s in the back and yells,’ Ari, how is it?’ Like an auntie or nana would with a family member. Connecting with people over language and food is pure magic.
Come to Tamil Nadu or most part of India then get to know a family. It’s just pure, fact that few scumbags tarnish the name of Indians makes me so sad man. India welcomes you, Do visit Tamil Nadu❤️
She really did right. I bet anything she let him eat for free also. But knowing him he paid again. He’s a kool dude man. Respect to him. But man that good that lady brought to him look super freaking good. But if it was spicy I wouldn’t eat it. Cuz I’m a bitch when it comes to spicy and having heartburn ❤️🔥 sucks as well lol
I remember being a kid and being so excited to see any labels on foods or anything in my mother language, and I wish someone just suddenly spoke to me in polish. I'd be beyond happy back then.
I am fluent in Malayalam, but I had dealt with a few native Malayalam speakers who keep responding back to me in English despite they understand my Malayalam perfectly.
The daughter probably already has a Husband called James who tries so hard to fit in with the family, so as soon as this guy walks in and starts talking the mother is thinking "SHE MARRIED JAMES!... she Married James!... she married james... I know a James?".
The sheer enthusiasm people display when someone different goes out of their way to learn their language is so enjoyable. There's so much hospitality lost to lingual barriers and cultural confusion when people don't bother to learn or understand one another.
It makes me emotional honestly. People just want to connect and share their culture/history with others. It's beautiful when someone takes the time to do so. Looking outside of ourselves is always more fulfilling.
@annie's big day how do i break it to you that all of "I We You They He She It" are english pronouns? i think it's a little above your level. sorry i shouldn't have used "your", it might offend you. oops sorry.
Yeah and the restaurant owner was chill and tried to make him feel better by saying "its on the house" instead of questioning him why he left without paying.
I was thinking the same thing. Man is an absolute chad. *enters foreign restaurant* *speaks THEIR native language* *gets offered free food but denies and pays anyway*
It's a very thoughtful gesture but maybe he wanted to treat him? I love cooking for my friends and family. Watching them enjoy what I cooked, makes me happy 😊
Never will get tired of seeing the smiles of the people's faces when you talk to them in their native language. As well as when they help you pronounce a word or saying.
@@rikvis What makes you think that they don't speak or know English? Friend from school's grandfather refused to leave France with out his wife and she wanted to be buried in France. When she dies, The grandfather moved in with his family. The 1st thing he did was sighing up for Language classes to learn English. Try as he could he just couldn't learn to speak English but he could read and write English just as much as the other person. He carried around a notebook so he could have a conversation with people. He was a very sweet man. So just because they don't speak English doesn't mean they can't speak or understand the language. I can read French more than I can speak it.
@@rikvis america doesnt have an official language, so they can speak whatever language they feel like. stop being entitled to have people learn a language just because you dont want to learn another language.
Everyone loves that. It's respect to who you are. Especially in a place like NYC where a lot of locals would just be like, ahh, another foreigner. There's so much we miss by just writing people off as some foreigner we can never relate to. All one people, though.
@@dogchaser520 i dislike people that call other foreigners in a country full of and built by them, like for real youre disrespecting most people when you say that even you own family
@@trobtx3538 True. Nation of immigrants. That's what makes the US so strong and complex and interesting. The US will stop being the US when it tries to wall itself off from the world and treat everyone with an us vs them mentality.
I love seeing people smile when they hear you speaking their language. It is such a beautiful thing being able to communicate with someone in their mother tongue.
Xiaoma is the kinda dude the would study a lost 3000 year old language with 763 grammatical cases for just a few months then speak it completely fluently with the small village of 35 people that still know the language
Lost language? What are you kidding me? There are 77 million people who can speak it. It is the 17th most spoken language in the world. The movie industry (called Kollywood) is massive and is well-established too.
As a Tamilian who also likes to learn other languages , I understand the complexity of the language and you are making conversations in 3 weeks of learning. You are an inspiration brother. Love from Madurai, the birthplace of Jigarthanda
@@parthamohan5891 Don't judge every Gujarati and marwadi by some bank robbers,big names and some foolish jokes of stand up comedians. you should always judge if you have been actually there. In every holy places at Saurashtra we don't charge for meals, every other big places in south and north do. also go check his old Gujarati restaurant videos you'll know🙂
@@andyjang6788 Oh yes it is a compliment! The phrase derives from Jesus' Sermon on the Mount: “You are the salt of the earth.” (Matthew 5:13) Jesus meant that his followers he was addressing - fishermen, shepherds, laborers - were worthy and virtuous. He was alluding, not to the tang of salt, but to its value.
Literally the best part about speaking someone's language that didn't really hear that often but especially from a newcomer is like heartwarming. Plus they're going to hook you up with some good good food.
learning languages like this is breaking the language barrier and bringing people together despite their differences! it’s amazing to see the effort you put into making others smile :)
I come for the impressive command of languages I wish I could speak, but I 110% stay for the smiles. Seeing their faces light up and it’s such a real and genuine reaction…that makes me feel good. Everyone should have a chance to feel respected in this way.
I’ve read a psychological review that showed knowing at least two languages (one other than your native), vastly opens your ability to learn things outside of your own society. Supposedly it makes you more understanding and empathetic as well. So…all around…knowing two languages just makes you a better person.
I met a Nigerian in Cambodia who said he doesn't know Khmer after having lived tehre for 8 years, I think it was. Me, 5. :-) Almost gonna start. Just one more youtube video... Just one more... just one more...
As a Tamil Canadian, to pull this with three weeks study is nothing short of incredible. Your accent is distinctly American, however intonation is difficult to master in Tamil, so surround yourself with native Tamil speakers and you will nail it. Also notice the differences between the Indian and Sri Lankan dialects, which are pretty cool in of itself.
@@fritswester2833 lol, firstly to know a language that I was born into isn't a big deal, secondly making videos is not my livelihood, I do actual work. All I'm saying is stuttering a few words here and there isn't "learning" a language, it takes years of effort and talking with natives to master.
There's so many people out there making content from controversial, or negative things. It's such a breath of fresh air to see to the genuine smiles, and good vibes from these videos.
As a SriLankan Tamil, I was really proud when you took the time to learn our language and speak it. I actually understood it. Your accent with it makes it even better. Thank You!
I learn to speak Tamil when I started working in Malaysia. It began in Indian restaurants. "Teh tanni onne" roti canai rende" After that I learn more and more Tamil words "sambar" "kolli kolumbe" and the workers correct my mistakes.
Coming from a native speaker, I can say Tamil is NOT an easy language to learn! For westerners, a North Indian language like Hindi is much easier since it is Indo European and shares a lot of similar rules with Romance languages. Tamil (and other Dravidian languages) are just completely different in every way, from sentence structure to grammar to tone, etc.
Hindi isn't too bad for westerners imo and devnagari is easy enough. Tamil is so difficult though. I'm not sure if Malayalam is harder but it's like reading jalebi :)
So true! My employer has a large factory on the Tamil Naidu / Karnataka border. The most employees there can speak both languages and I have tried to learn but I struggle a lot. Both Tamil and Kanada have local dialects and I get people giving different guidance depending on what part of each state they came from. For anyone considering visiting southern India, I can't recommend it enough. It's been a great experience. I loved getting back there after a two year hiatus from the pandemic.
Idk what this dudes profession is. But I got a funny feeling he has the time to dedicate doing this compared to most people. Now I’m not downgrading his ability just saying I’m sure it helps a good chunk if you really engrain yourself into it and that obviously involves time people might not have. P
@@robosoldier11 He said in the video that learning languages and making videos about it is his full time job for 4 years. However it wouldn't be fair to say it is only because he has time. You don't become Mozart just because you have time to pratice.
Deutsch ist aber auch eine sehr komplizierte Sprache mit all seinen Fällen und ab und zu braucht es etwas übung und Zeit :) I Hope you understand what iam saying
@@robosoldier11 yeah he also has commonly said that he practices with his friends a lot for many different languages. Having that many bilingual friends that he most likely see's often would definitely help a lot as compared to say,, taking a one hour class a few times a week you know? Like you said, not trying to talk down on his ability to learn at all, dude is very clearly incredibly smart. But he also does obviously have the resources to learn these languages at an advanced rate.
I have seen people who are born tamilians who shy away to speak their mother tongue after moving abroad. But you did a really good job learning in 3 weeks and able to hold a conversation with it. Huge respect man!👏🏻 #TamilVazhga! ❤️
Tamilians really are still under colonization mindset. Grow up. Maybe stop going abroad but that's your wish. And speak your mother tongue with pride. Just because an American orders in perfect Tamil yes it's good appreciate it but take your food's money and don't give him/her extra . Do they give you extra or anything for free because you speak English? No right? Get it in your head
What you said may be true in an English speaking country. I live in Norway, where we have Tamil Schools and second generations born and raised here speaking really good Tamil and Norwegian. Tamils here are mostly from Sri Lanka and India. Here I find kids learn Naatiyam (baradhanaatiyam) with Tamil thaalam and muthirais. No Sanskrit songs and mudhras.
As a Tamilian living in the PNW, I can confirm that this guy is absolutely mastering Tamil! He knows some phrases I don't even know yet! I'm very proud of you for taking the time to speak our language. Kudos to this guy ❤
I'm british but was lucky enough to live in Chennai, Tamil Nadu for four years. Honestly, the people there are so amazingly nice with such good food that being back here just can't really compare. So lucky to have been there.
I’m an American born Indian. My parents were born and raised in Delhi, so we would go there very often. But our roots are tamilian and we have family in Chennai and other cities there. You immediately notice the difference when you go from Delhi to TN. Very warm and friendly people. Of course there are exceptions to everywhere, but generally the south of India is much friendlier.
Actually he initially said karumam which means bad, that's why everyone giggled. But the actual word is karam, that's why everyone made him to correct it. Few words similar pronunciation but has different meaning altogether. That's why even few dialects are hard to grasp even for the native speaker.
he used the word that he knew before that interaction, not the word he learned in the interaction. it's possible that that word was a srilankan tamil exclusive word so he double checked it with his friends and they told him a different word to use
As a Tamil srilankan Canadian, watching this melts my heart. We keep Tamil going in our family. My daughter is into learning culture, even she is born here. I love to call myself, Srilankan Tamil Canadian. Amazing video, and I love how you flawlessly saying some words without any problem. Also I'm surprised that some people, when they immigrated to another country, don't keep the language with children, not realizing that the children won't know the value of Tamil language.
@@mightysun89 you know what's the irony here. I'm 35 so you know the timelines i talk about. I'm from a secondary town in Tamil Nadu so when i was in school, teachers used to encourage us to talk in English else it would be difficult for us to pickup spoken English. Sadly, we didn't pick up the language up until end of college. We only speak in Thamizh at home but my nephew picked up fluent spoken English just from school and cartoons 😂. It's the other way around now.
@@lerg12 Yes exactlyy. Considering Tamil is a probably very difficult for english speakers with all the new complex grammatical structures, this guy did extremely well for three weeks. It's just his pronunciation he needs to fine tune. And like you said, 6 months later he's speaking better than Rajini 😂😂.
@@zafyrah.M4R1C4R exactly, it took me a while to fully understand it and to be able to kind of speak it. I was born and raised in the States but my mom spoke half Tamil and half English to me anyways. I learned a lot through Sun TV though at my grandmother’s house
The world needs more of this. Not necessarily the intense language learning but your joy at sharing in other people's cultures and just that simple connection with other people. And the fact that you still paid even when they offered it on the house is very sweet of you. 🖤
Totally agree. My local elementary school used to have an event every year for the fourth graders to put on a sort of "fair" celebrating their heritage. Every kid represented a country of their heritage, and the country groups would get together ahead of time with parents and grandparents to plan decor, authentic food, culturally relevant activities, etc., to showcase in the fair. For two school days, the kids (and some first-generation parents and grandparents) set up in a gathering space (basically the size of a gym), and the students from other grades would come in to visit the different countries, including a lot of native speakers. It's a fairly small school, but the typical representation the years I was involved was about 20-25 countries across 4-6 continents. It was a long-standing tradition for the school that was scaled back and eventually came to an end over the course of the 2010s. Ultimately, the issues that ended it were complaints about the existence of an Israel exhibit, the allowance of European exhibits (even though Europe wasn't even the most-represented continent), and, eventually, allegations that having the children try the food, play games, do activities like sari-wrapping, etc., was cultural appropriation. I was heartbroken. The school was part of a community that celebrated cultural heritage, but never supported enclaves or exclusion because _everyone_ was American (and many had worked very hard to be). It really was the best of what you imagine multi-culturalism to be.
@@jacksyoutubechannel4045 sounds like it was a beautiful event. Very sad that it ended. The idea of cultural appropriation has ruined a lot. It is cultural appreciation.
Seeing their faces light up when you not only speak their language, but express and respect their cultures, is everything. Kudos to you buddy, be well.
As a Tamilian, I can’t express how happy I am to see you speak Tamil, especially since you inspired me to learn Mandarin! Your accent still sounds distinctly American, but you speak really well, considering that you learnt quite a bit of one of the most difficult languages to learn (in my opinion) in just 3 weeks! You should watch some Tamil movies, they’ll help you learn the language and are just pretty good!
A lot of ethnocentrism in these videos. Tamil is not particularly ancient. Only attested in 905 BC. Nowhere near as old as Sanskrit. And not even comparable to Sumerian or Ancient Egyptian which are even older.
@@lookoutforchris there is one thing different. Tamil is still spoken today, those languages you mentioned are already dead, or only used as classical languages. And the guys agree that he speaks really great for someone learning the language for only three weeks, which is fantastic. Would like him to try Persian tho, as I am trying to learn the language and is a bit tricky for me
So happy to see my hometown (Jersey City) get some love. And happy to see the Tamil locals smile after hearing you speak in their native language. It truly is a contagious feeling.
As a native Tamil speaker, this video makes me incredibly happy! For only three weeks of learning, you did so well. I can only imagine how fluent you’ll be in a year from now if you continue learning it!
they are most happiest and generous to see people from other countries 'specially if look european'. Now, when talking about being generous to indians from other cultures or foreign people with dark skin, the story is different.
Tamil Nadu is one of my favourite places too, wish it was actually a separate country and Tamil language should have been already wide like Greek, Korean and Hebrew.
This is a beautiful channel because it shows that the native speakers love their language being spoken by a guy like you. What’s sad though is there are people (not the majority but a lot) that will call this “cultural appropriation”. And what’s funny about that is people who tell others to not appropriate all have their own definition of that word. Keep up the great work!
Exactly!! it pisses me off when non-indians try to play knight and pull the "cultural appropriation" card when most of us love sharing our culture with other people
It is a beautiful channel for sure. But to erect barriers to any culture, to prevent others from embracing the aspects of that culture, is the very definition of bigotry and prejudice. Ari has a gift for language, and he displays respect for not only the language but the cultural foundations of each. THAT is what makes his attitude so wonderful. I cannot imagine that anyone would think that "appropriation", and if one does it only serves to show weak-mindedness.
fr. for cultures and languages to be preserved they must be studied by people that don't natively practice them. People that scream “cultural appropriation” at this kind of thing don't understand the bigger picture and are 99% of the time not even from where they are getting mad for. People from different places love to see other people learning what's most beautiful and important to them. Thank god we have the internet where there is an endless amount of material stored from everywhere in the world so hopefully nothing gets forgotten with time.
Definitely agree, and I feel like I've been seeing barriers getting larger and larger in the west as time goes on. Too many people are worried about who's culture is who's like... everybody on Earth is 100% human. Culture grows and changes, especially now that we have so much potential to connect with people who are different from us or come from somewhere else. I don't see black culture and Indian culture or whatever. Its all human culture to me, and people who are proud of stuff such as their skin color or heritage - without every having done anything at all - are morons. Why be so proud of something you had no control of? And why get angry when people try to share it? People love to share their culture because its a big part of who they are and saying they can't share it with someone because they're different is pretty prejudice.
I agree! I liked how she asked if he liked the food and addressed him by his name. She made me feel right at home even though I’m not even there eating her foods 😂
I like how his video's aren't scripted or overly edited. We get to hear genuine heartfelt conversations and reactions. Non pretentious and very relatable. Wishing him the best. Hope his hard work and determination takes him a lot further.
Native speaker here, I am very happy that you are learning tamil. Keep it up man. I look forward to seeing more conversations in Tamil. Love from Chennai, Tamil Nadu ( India 🇮🇳 )
Language is a difficult barrier to break but once you open yourself up to new people the rewards are endless. You can see this guy spreads so much happiness to people just by speaking to them in their native language
my favorite thing about xiaoma is that hes not only a man of many languages but a total food critic. i mean, hes says everything is delicious but I also believe that it is.
@@tmonie the fact that you called it milk noodle soup in itself says you've never tasted it. Stop judging people's food when you've not even tried it 😒
I think some people learn more easily as adults. English is a 2nd language for me, but learned it at 5 years old. It’s so much more difficult to learn a new language as an adult, but I want to.
Channah NOYB immersion is the best method. When I interact with a language not as a school assignment but as a method of communication, I remember it easier.
@White Beans I used an online program through our local library to try and learn Spanish and you could interact with Spanish speakers and do exercises. I would get so nervous that I would mess it up because it was live and gave up completely. I should’ve kept going regardless of how difficult.
As a Tamilian and a long time subscriber and fan of xiaoma, he is doing so great and it really shows how much work he put into learning Tamil. Thank for trying and thanks for always making our day!
Great 2 see person from different nation making genuine attempt in learning different country's Language where people of India want only 1 language (Hindi) to represent the country, India is more than 1 language 🙂❤️
You are awesome. I’m from Taiwan and speaks fluent Mandarin and English. I have been living in the US for about 40 years. My wife is from Madras India and speaks Tamil. We’ve been married over 20 years but I can never speak Tamil because it’s so hard (and I though Mandarin was hard). I’ve always enjoyed your videos. Keep up the good work.
There's an endearing quality to your Tamil. Your intonations, though far from native, are actually pretty enjoyable to hear. I'm quite impressed with the amount of Tamil you've learned in only three weeks - keep going!
That last lady was so nice, and the concern she had for you walking around in the hot weather - that's such a mom thing. :) I was kinda sad to see how little patronage some of these places had - because they looked immaculate and the food looked so good. More people need to go and try their food. :)
I love how the lady came out to see if he knows Russian and was so excited!!!! 💓💕 The last Indian lady was so kind and motherly to him, instantly saw how hard what he's doing is and making sure he takes care of himself too 🤗❤️
@@Tobi-oi3uf what do you mean? it was good. his pronunciation is clean, I can understand every single word. Yes, he has an accent but it's not that bad tbh. So stop being a hater 😤🚫
What he did was disrespectful. You don't insist on paying for inexpensive food when they gift it to you for brightening their day. Accept the free meal, and leave it all in a tip
I think he took a test to see how smart he actually was, and was slightly above average, but the portion of his brain which learns languages is more developed than others. Such a great guy though.
@@9770G learning languages is time consuming, but only difficult if you want to learn how to read and write them as well. Especially Japanese. はじめまして。私の名前は卵です。 I can read and type that, but only because I practiced it a lot. Just means "Nice to meet you. My name is Egg." Now the rest of the kanji, are a pain to learn because there's thousands of them. 😅
Mind Blowing stuff! The ability to learn and communicate a new language in a span of 3 weeks. Also, amazing was that a Russian chef working at a Tamil restaurant in USA who also happens to speak a bit of Arabic.
Hopefully this encourages people who are considering... just learn a language for its own sake, for the sake of life. Just to bring meaning and intelligence to life. Beautiful.
@@jeremym9739 Do it, it is very satisfying to be able to understand a whole new culture by your own, you comprehend how they feel, what they like, why they are the way they are, it goes beyond understanding what they say, you discover a whole new world of feelings and tastes.
I go to a shop everyday on my way to work and I came to realise there was a Bulgarian lady, Romanian lady and a Polish lady that work there so I decided to learn some simple phases in each of the languages and it definitely broke down the barrier between us and we all have a nice chat each day now and they teach me more of each of their languages. The inspiration was from watching your videos and seeing the joy on people's faces when you talk in their native tongue 😊
Same here! I visit the local chinese once a month and because of this channel i started saying small words. Now when i come to the restaurant the owner walks straight up to me and ask how i am doing and remembers my name. I love it!
People are so relieved seeing natural English speakers making an effort they literally give away free stuff. I’d recommend learning even something simple like ‘hello’ and ‘thank you’ it goes along way!
Its SO crazy to hear a white guy speak tamil but im actually so impressed. There were points where the accent was falling apart but youve been studying for 3 weeks and thats genuinely crazy when then letters are so different from every other language. Super impressive keep up the great vids!
I bet if I studied Tamil for 3 weeks I could barely put a sentence together. I’ve been wanting to learn a more difficult language, and Xiaoma definitely motivates me to try! I love to see people coming together over food and language. 🫶🏼
One thing that always annoys me a bit when English speakers are trying to learn a foreign language is that native speakers always tell the English speakers that their accent isn't correct. Of course it isn't correct, and probably never ever will be... Like, on the flip side, non-native English speakers always have an "incorrect" accent when they speak English. For example, Indian people speak English with an Indian accent, Chinese speak with a Chinese accent, French speak with a French accent and so on. I don't ever hear English speakers telling them that their English/American accent isn't correct. Of course it won't be correct. The only way to have a correct accent is to speak a language for a VERY long time, and even then most people can't speak in a native sounding accent unless it's a language that they started learning when they were really young. I just think telling someone learning a new language that their accent isn't correct is like telling somebody that the sky is blue. An English speaker speaking a foreign language will speak it with an English/American accent just like a non-native speaker will speak English with whatever their native accent is. It's just how it works...
@@xtraspecialj The issue is English speakers seem to maul other language pronunciations way worse than others speakers do, probably due to the nature of the English language being a mess in that regard, so the distorted pronunciation (i.e. English being a strongly non-phonetic language) carries over to all languages they try to speak. The same goes the other way around, when phonetic-language-speakers try to battle with English being so incoherent and unpredictable. An English speaker will be locked in that mode and find it hard to switch out of it, a foreigner will find it tough to tune into it. Tamil being a phonetic language, is hard to mispronounce; literally just read what you see! But the distorsion carry over.
I LOVE how happy you make people. People are always going to be polite but when they hear the effort you put into learning to speak THEIR language it truly brings them joy. Because after all, you are learning so you can speak to them right ? How flattering and special that is cannot be measured.
I am very delighted to see the spreading of the Tamil language throughout the world. It truly is a beautiful language, I am very proud to be a Tamilian.
9:28 Well basically in Tamil when asking a question you add a “aaaaaa” to the end so she was asking if your name was “Xiam, aaaa”. And the thing is, Xiam sounds a lot like the Tamil name (and my cousin’s name 😉) Shyam, so she was surprised that (at least she thought, I think) that you have a Tamil name.
Shyama is not a "Tamil name". It is a Sanskrit name that is also used in Southern India including in Tamil Nadu. Shyama is the name for Lord Krishna. It is used everywhere. In North and South as well. Tamil name would be "Murugan" as this is specific to the region and not used in North or even in other Southern States. Like in Karnataka we rarely have Kannadigas named Murugan. It is typically Tamilians.
9:27 I think the reason she was quite surprised is that among Sri Lankan Tamil communities, Shama/Shyama (which is pronounced somewhat similarly to Xiaoma) is a very common female name.
I like the way that the native speakers subtly correct his pronunciation. That really helps those wanting to learn a language feel more comfortable and make better progress with that language.
i’ve been learning spanish, and hearing them repeat what i said in the natural reaction to the conversation is so nice because it’s like a subtle tip while not feeling like they are directly criticizing your slip up. more of a little nudge but also a “yeah i understand what you are saying” i love it.
We need more of this on UA-cam. Props to Ari for bringing us awareness of Tamil and learning the language. His videos are very friendly and the looks of surprise, curiosity, and happiness on the faces of folks when they see that he can converse with them is always priceless! Thank you (நன்றி)
Hey friend.. I'm from Tamilnadu and I'm so proud of my language as it's the oldest and poetic language ever. And thanks for u to giving respect and trying to learn our language. One of the greatest quote u could find only in tamil is YAATHUM OORE YAAVARUM KELIR.(யாதும் ஊரே யாவரும் கேளிர்). Which means I'm a world citizen and every human are my brothers and friend and sisters. 🙏❤️
I am an indian and i dont understand a single word in tamil or any other South Indian languages, and you learned in just 3 weeks woww🤯 , but I really like it different languages are the beauty of India, like if you go from north to south you will feel like a foreigner ♥️
Well, I can tell you no native spanish speaker enjoy a native english speaker spanish (because of accent), just doesn't happen sorry to blow the bubble.
I am tamil and I'm surprised you managed to get across what you wanted to say while only learning tamil for 3 weeks and only using online resources (which is wild cause there aren't many and they aren't that relevant either) truly a huge W
Ahhh...that was nice mom energy at the end. And you didn't have to sacrifice an animal to eat (Indian food is generally vegetarian) to get a good hearty meal. Good work Ari.
I am SO SO happy from this video. THANK YOU SO MUCH for shedding a slimmer of light to the media about us (I am sri lankan tamil)! After the genocide in Sri Lanka a couple decades ago and unfortunately is still secretly continuing, more than 75% of the tamil population got killed off so now everyone assumes that every person in Sri Lanka are Singhalese, we are "terrorists" and/or we are Indian. All my life l have received hate for what my identity was and l struggle to speak proper Sri Lankan Tamil (my dialect is a bit more Indian due to the only media or movies being from India). This makes me tear up, so thank you for trying our language, our food and supporting an aunties resturant and recognizing that it is Sri Lankan Tamil. Good Job!
The fact that you can have a conversation within 3 weeks of learning it is absolutely mind blowing
hes some kind of genius
It also helps when you already a whole bunch of different languages
@@MrNiceGuy80x5 yeah he have own methods, second his brain is trained to learn new stuff. Like actors who can easy learn script very fast than normal person. Spend 6 years studying new languages.
@@betos-08 how many languages do you speak?
Once you start speaking over 2-3 languages it just becomes easier and easier. Especially if you really want to learn.
Thank you so so much for making my aunt’s day!!! My family owns New Asha Sri Lankan Restaurant. Fun fact: The restaurant is named after me. My middle name is Asha (means hope in our language). My aunt Viji is the one in the video!!! She is super motherly and really got caught off guard when you started talking Tamil! She was so happy and she truly loves feeding anyone that walks into the door. Thank you for taking the time to learn about different cultures and speaking the language. You have definitely made all of us proud and happy. So glad you enjoyed the food as well! LOVE is the secret ingredient to everything. ♥️🇱🇰
Are you tamil or singhalese ?
Great 👍
You have a badass last name holyshit
Why did they name it after you? Were you a miracle baby or something?
10:21 she did that 'hmm' soo perfect that showed how happy she felt 🖤
Any person who works in the food industry knows this guy just got the served the best food they could and more than likely a larger portion than most customers would get. You can easily tell he made their day and gave these people a memory that would last quite a while.
As a foodservice worker, gotta agree with you there, every little bit of understanding during the day goes a long way . Furthermore, know a cultures food, you'll know the culture, we truly are what we eat.
@@friedspyder4571 shit. I guess I'm poutine🤣
@@fankeek at least ya ain't haggis
@@friedspyder4571 yeah.. that doesn't seem nice.
@@friedspyder4571 haggis is glorious you just need to open your mind a little
That “Ari, how is your food?” Felt so homely. It makes me wanna start learning other languages 😭
I'm learning Japanese for my third language, then will learn Russian and Spanish. It's so rewarding that I'm addicted. 😅
@@DinnerForkTonguehow long has it taken you? I agree it is addicting 😭
@@ziyrns
I got to learning the writing system (all kana and the principles of kanji) in March last year, starting with the writing system. The language proper I started taking classes on last October, and I'd consider myself late beginner level at best - enough to catch the meaning of a few short uncomplicated sentences but still need to strain my ears and have spotty vocabulary.
English has taken me north of 5 years from first contact as a child to mandatory school classes and finally to full immersion in reading and listening to media and content, and practicing my writing. But I started way before I had wide access to the internet, so for me it was harder.
I love how’s she’s in the back and yells,’ Ari, how is it?’ Like an auntie or nana would with a family member. Connecting with people over language and food is pure magic.
Yessss 🥹 she seems very genuine!
She was so nice- wanting to know his name and then asking him in person how the food was. Such a kind lady
Come to Tamil Nadu or most part of India then get to know a family. It’s just pure, fact that few scumbags tarnish the name of Indians makes me so sad man. India welcomes you, Do visit Tamil Nadu❤️
literally felt like when I'm in a relatives house and they ask how the food is while they are in the kitchen making the next dish
I stayed in Tamil Nadu in 2009. I wish I could have stayed longer. Absolutely loved it. Great video.
The last woman at the restaurant warmed my heart you could tell she was sincerely touched you took the effort to learn her language. So touching.
She really did right. I bet anything she let him eat for free also. But knowing him he paid again. He’s a kool dude man. Respect to him. But man that good that lady brought to him look super freaking good. But if it was spicy I wouldn’t eat it. Cuz I’m a bitch when it comes to spicy and having heartburn ❤️🔥 sucks as well lol
i hope he studies Konkani language too
Yea and the lady cry
It’s because she’s Sri Lankan 😮💨🇱🇰
@@Anston-wl3vz lol yes.
“If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his own language, that goes to his heart.”
Bruh 💀
That is so true!
Man that just reminded me of Laoshu
@@legm5298 really miss Laoshu, rip 😭
This is so played out every one says that on his videos lmao
I remember being a kid and being so excited to see any labels on foods or anything in my mother language, and I wish someone just suddenly spoke to me in polish. I'd be beyond happy back then.
Hej, mówisz po polsku?
@@_McCormickProductions tak, chociaż czasami czuję, że mój zapas słów jest trochę za mały
I am fluent in Malayalam, but I had dealt with a few native Malayalam speakers who keep responding back to me in English despite they understand my Malayalam perfectly.
The sri lankan restaurant lady really looked at him like he’s the perfect son in law she’s been looking for 😂
The daughter probably already has a Husband called James who tries so hard to fit in with the family, so as soon as this guy walks in and starts talking the mother is thinking "SHE MARRIED JAMES!... she Married James!... she married james... I know a James?".
😂 😂 😂
Wow now 😁
@@christurner7644 james who ,
James Brown 😎
she was so confused when he said his name was xiaoma and she just went with ari
The sheer enthusiasm people display when someone different goes out of their way to learn their language is so enjoyable. There's so much hospitality lost to lingual barriers and cultural confusion when people don't bother to learn or understand one another.
@annie's big day pfp checks out
It makes me emotional honestly. People just want to connect and share their culture/history with others. It's beautiful when someone takes the time to do so. Looking outside of ourselves is always more fulfilling.
@annie's big day Pretty sure they were talking to you.
@annie's big day how do i break it to you that all of "I We You They He She It" are english pronouns? i think it's a little above your level. sorry i shouldn't have used "your", it might offend you. oops sorry.
@annie's big day you new to english?
'Ari, how is it?' almost made me tear up by how kind and sincere she was.
look at the top comment on the video, her family commented :)
Sounded just like a mother calling out to her kid
I know it sounded like a grandmother that'd gone back into the kitchen to get some thirds!
Indians are the warmest and friendliest people ever. I can’t tell you how much free food and tea I had when I was traveling in India.
It was adorable. Felt like an aunt calling to her nephew about dinner.
Xiaoma needs to get his own show or something he is so talented and impressive!
You're kidding aren't you? He's done heaps of these on you tube.
@@mickzammit6794 Yeah I know, that’s part of the reason.
@@mickzammit6794 I think he meant a monetized show like on tv.
@@mickzammit6794 I think they meant like a cable network show
Never understand these takes. Putting it on TV just means meddling producers, scriptwriters etc.
I love that you still paid even though it was offered for free. This is true respect for other people's effort.
Yeah and the restaurant owner was chill and tried to make him feel better by saying "its on the house" instead of questioning him why he left without paying.
I was thinking the same thing. Man is an absolute chad. *enters foreign restaurant* *speaks THEIR native language* *gets offered free food but denies and pays anyway*
It's the right thing to do always. Legend
Paying anyway was the best move imo
It's a very thoughtful gesture but maybe he wanted to treat him? I love cooking for my friends and family. Watching them enjoy what I cooked, makes me happy 😊
Never will get tired of seeing the smiles of the people's faces when you talk to them in their native language. As well as when they help you pronounce a word or saying.
👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
@@rikvis What makes you think that they don't speak or know English? Friend from school's grandfather refused to leave France with out his wife and she wanted to be buried in France. When she dies, The grandfather moved in with his family. The 1st thing he did was sighing up for Language classes to learn English. Try as he could he just couldn't learn to speak English but he could read and write English just as much as the other person. He carried around a notebook so he could have a conversation with people. He was a very sweet man.
So just because they don't speak English doesn't mean they can't speak or understand the language. I can read French more than I can speak it.
@@rikvisYou’re talking like immigrates and tourists in America can speak no English when English is the 2nd most spoken language in the world
@@rikvis All migrants speak English only in America, my nephew who lives in Canada can sadly speak English better than Tamil.
@@rikvis america doesnt have an official language, so they can speak whatever language they feel like. stop being entitled to have people learn a language just because you dont want to learn another language.
I love that people respect the fact that you learned their language and bless you with free food. That’s beautiful.
Everyone loves that. It's respect to who you are. Especially in a place like NYC where a lot of locals would just be like, ahh, another foreigner. There's so much we miss by just writing people off as some foreigner we can never relate to. All one people, though.
@@dogchaser520 i dislike people that call other foreigners in a country full of and built by them, like for real youre disrespecting most people when you say that even you own family
@@trobtx3538 True. Nation of immigrants. That's what makes the US so strong and complex and interesting. The US will stop being the US when it tries to wall itself off from the world and treat everyone with an us vs them mentality.
Italians tend to do this often with discounts but never with outright free
Source: I can speaka da spaghetti language
Sanskrit THE OLDEST ....🇮🇳🇮🇳🇮🇳
Read the comment
I love seeing people smile when they hear you speaking their language. It is such a beautiful thing being able to communicate with someone in their mother tongue.
That’s only if you can speak it decently. Otherwise, they get shocked.
Xiaoma is the kinda dude the would study a lost 3000 year old language with 763 grammatical cases for just a few months then speak it completely fluently with the small village of 35 people that still know the language
Can't wait for Xiaoma to go to Botswana and speak ǃXóõ lol
@@Potato-yd3hv *clickhooo*
Lost language? What are you kidding me? There are 77 million people who can speak it. It is the 17th most spoken language in the world. The movie industry (called Kollywood) is massive and is well-established too.
@@ashmansasa7565 I don't think they meant Tamil specifically
@@titus4440 Oh okay. Gotcha.
As a Tamilian who also likes to learn other languages , I understand the complexity of the language and you are making conversations in 3 weeks of learning. You are an inspiration brother. Love from Madurai, the birthplace of Jigarthanda
Thje fact an indian let money slip away and give a meal for free... mind blowing.
@@Thrrsavea Bro for us Tamils, dignity and friendship come first.
Dude your name is badass
@@Thrrsavea not every Indian is Gujrati or Marwari
@@parthamohan5891 Don't judge every Gujarati and marwadi by some bank robbers,big names and some foolish jokes of stand up comedians. you should always judge if you have been actually there. In every holy places at Saurashtra we don't charge for meals, every other big places in south and north do. also go check his old Gujarati restaurant videos you'll know🙂
this lady was so motherly. she spoke to you like she would speak to her own son.
fr she made my heart melt, few like her ❤️
That sweet lady is the salt of the earth.
@@billjensen401 I’m sure that’s supposed to be a compliment but that’s the first I’ve heard that phrase and it sounds like an insult almost lol
@@andyjang6788 Oh yes it is a compliment! The phrase derives from Jesus' Sermon on the Mount: “You are the salt of the earth.” (Matthew 5:13) Jesus meant that his followers he was addressing - fishermen, shepherds, laborers - were worthy and virtuous. He was alluding, not to the tang of salt, but to its value.
@@moisestorres9475 I work at a store right across from her
Literally the best part about speaking someone's language that didn't really hear that often but especially from a newcomer is like heartwarming. Plus they're going to hook you up with some good good food.
As a person who speaks Tamil... I am so proud to see this. This is indeed an incredibly difficult language - so much respect. Keep on going!
b his tutor
Difficult language??
He's trying yes. But he got jigarthanda wrong. That's the easiest word even we non-tamils can speak.
@@harsharip Difficult to pronounce like Malayalam, Russian, Vietnamese
@Daily Funny Videos not really a genius when he hardly spoke it 😂. But respect the effort
learning languages like this is breaking the language barrier and bringing people together despite their differences! it’s amazing to see the effort you put into making others smile :)
I come for the impressive command of languages I wish I could speak, but I 110% stay for the smiles. Seeing their faces light up and it’s such a real and genuine reaction…that makes me feel good. Everyone should have a chance to feel respected in this way.
Yes! I said the same thing! I love the fact that he gives it his all!
I sometimes wish all people spoke the same language. Any one. Just. The same.
I’ve read a psychological review that showed knowing at least two languages (one other than your native), vastly opens your ability to learn things outside of your own society.
Supposedly it makes you more understanding and empathetic as well.
So…all around…knowing two languages just makes you a better person.
Indeed
I'm literally Tamil myself, and this guy can speak more Tamil after 3 weeks than I can speak after 23 years lmao
enna thala ipdi solliteenga?
@@houtarooreki9802 for some people that's just how it is 🤣
I agree with it MA friend
Bro.. there are a few of us like that .
@@3shyammenon Bro you watched this video too? Can’t believe I found you here (it’s arulraj)😂 I miss Arabs Tamil class in unity😂😂
I love the old lady who came to check what other languages he speaks, she seemed so happy to hear him speak Russian!
Hi
This guy is a genius. Learning their language shows so much respect for their people everyone appreciates it, it's beautiful to see.
I met a Nigerian in Cambodia who said he doesn't know Khmer after having lived tehre for 8 years, I think it was.
Me, 5. :-) Almost gonna start. Just one more youtube video... Just one more... just one more...
well it pays well he gets to eat food and speak things he already learned.... look how many people he prob making 100k a month of the views
10:34 "Ari How is it?" was so cute. What a lovely lady. The food looked so good.
Ari how is iiiiiiit hahaha so cute
She says it so offhanded too like she already knows it's delicious XD
She is mom to all her customers.
As a Tamil Canadian, to pull this with three weeks study is nothing short of incredible. Your accent is distinctly American, however intonation is difficult to master in Tamil, so surround yourself with native Tamil speakers and you will nail it. Also notice the differences between the Indian and Sri Lankan dialects, which are pretty cool in of itself.
I'm a REAL polyglot and native Tamil Iyer, he speaks gibberish quite really, same goes for Hindi, Telugu. Not sure about Chinese though.
@@NoName-bb2pu so make a video then mister im a real polyglot
@@fritswester2833 lol, firstly to know a language that I was born into isn't a big deal, secondly making videos is not my livelihood, I do actual work. All I'm saying is stuttering a few words here and there isn't "learning" a language, it takes years of effort and talking with natives to master.
@@NoName-bb2pu its impressive that he learned that much in 3 weeks
@@NoName-bb2pu this dude knows multiple languages and he has already mastered Chinese and really well at speaking it
The way she said “Ari, how is it?” was adorable. Definitely a caring and kind parent.
There's so many people out there making content from controversial, or negative things. It's such a breath of fresh air to see to the genuine smiles, and good vibes from these videos.
couldn't agree more. so tired of the negativity especially when the positivity outweighs the negative tenfold
agreed!!!
As a SriLankan Tamil, I was really proud when you took the time to learn our language and speak it. I actually understood it. Your accent with it makes it even better. Thank You!
ஸ்ரீலங்கா இந்தியாவைப் போன்றது
Yes. Poor Sri Lankan Tamilians, were mounted by Sinhalese, then by Chinese and it's about time, they are thoroughly enjoyed by US
@@mkt65361 indian army too
@@keralanaturelover196 in your wildest dreams mallu pulakith 🤣
@@ansh2timz293 no it’s not
As a Malaysian who had Tamil speaking friends, I can confirm that we could eat for free if we could speak Tamil.
Order at Restoran Mamak.
I learn to speak Tamil when I started working in Malaysia. It began in Indian restaurants. "Teh tanni onne" roti canai rende" After that I learn more and more Tamil words "sambar" "kolli kolumbe" and the workers correct my mistakes.
@@Alozhatos hello anne! one thosa please
@@prettyep-x7d 🤣
my grandpa could speak tamil to the mamak shops, they all loved him. he spoke nepalese to security guards too
Indians letting people eat for free is actually very common. They are a very generous people for the most part
Coming from a native speaker, I can say Tamil is NOT an easy language to learn! For westerners, a North Indian language like Hindi is much easier since it is Indo European and shares a lot of similar rules with Romance languages. Tamil (and other Dravidian languages) are just completely different in every way, from sentence structure to grammar to tone, etc.
Hindi is more connected with arabic and urdu and some samskrith
chal be
Agree with tone, pronunciation but sentence structure?
Hindi isn't too bad for westerners imo and devnagari is easy enough. Tamil is so difficult though. I'm not sure if Malayalam is harder but it's like reading jalebi :)
So true!
My employer has a large factory on the Tamil Naidu / Karnataka border. The most employees there can speak both languages and I have tried to learn but I struggle a lot. Both Tamil and Kanada have local dialects and I get people giving different guidance depending on what part of each state they came from.
For anyone considering visiting southern India, I can't recommend it enough. It's been a great experience. I loved getting back there after a two year hiatus from the pandemic.
It took me 2 years of German just to be able to hold a small conversation and this guy learns more Tamil in 3 weeks than I learned German in 2 years
Idk what this dudes profession is. But I got a funny feeling he has the time to dedicate doing this compared to most people. Now I’m not downgrading his ability just saying I’m sure it helps a good chunk if you really engrain yourself into it and that obviously involves time people might not have. P
@@robosoldier11 He said in the video that learning languages and making videos about it is his full time job for 4 years.
However it wouldn't be fair to say it is only because he has time. You don't become Mozart just because you have time to pratice.
Deutsch ist aber auch eine sehr komplizierte Sprache mit all seinen Fällen und ab und zu braucht es etwas übung und Zeit :) I Hope you understand what iam saying
@@robosoldier11 yeah he also has commonly said that he practices with his friends a lot for many different languages. Having that many bilingual friends that he most likely see's often would definitely help a lot as compared to say,, taking a one hour class a few times a week you know? Like you said, not trying to talk down on his ability to learn at all, dude is very clearly incredibly smart. But he also does obviously have the resources to learn these languages at an advanced rate.
I gave thumbs down
I have seen people who are born tamilians who shy away to speak their mother tongue after moving abroad. But you did a really good job learning in 3 weeks and able to hold a conversation with it. Huge respect man!👏🏻 #TamilVazhga! ❤️
I can’t speak Tamil well but my understanding is very good
Bro my family bullies the accent my little brother got when speaking tamil... Not surprising he doesnt even speak it now.
same goes for Spanish speakers. smh.
Tamilians really are still under colonization mindset. Grow up. Maybe stop going abroad but that's your wish. And speak your mother tongue with pride. Just because an American orders in perfect Tamil yes it's good appreciate it but take your food's money and don't give him/her extra . Do they give you extra or anything for free because you speak English? No right? Get it in your head
What you said may be true in an English speaking country. I live in Norway, where we have Tamil Schools and second generations born and raised here speaking really good Tamil and Norwegian. Tamils here are mostly from Sri Lanka and India. Here I find kids learn Naatiyam (baradhanaatiyam) with Tamil thaalam and muthirais. No Sanskrit songs and mudhras.
As a Tamilian living in the PNW, I can confirm that this guy is absolutely mastering Tamil! He knows some phrases I don't even know yet! I'm very proud of you for taking the time to speak our language. Kudos to this guy ❤
Bro you killed it, youre a beast learning these languages
did not think id see the boy ttube here 😳 my tamil king
Eyyyy I knew you’d be in the comments
BEAST VIJAY
Fr
I f*cking knew you were either tamilian or srilankan
I'm british but was lucky enough to live in Chennai, Tamil Nadu for four years. Honestly, the people there are so amazingly nice with such good food that being back here just can't really compare. So lucky to have been there.
Thanks for your compliments
I’m an American born Indian. My parents were born and raised in Delhi, so we would go there very often. But our roots are tamilian and we have family in Chennai and other cities there. You immediately notice the difference when you go from Delhi to TN. Very warm and friendly people. Of course there are exceptions to everywhere, but generally the south of India is much friendlier.
@@pstreet2027 ikr part of it is just not as big cities but its very true in my experience the south is always very nice
Wow that's great ! My grandparents live in Chennai so I visit there often from America.
That's what I like about Tamil Nadu, everyone is so much nicer compared to North India (no offense)
The way they smile when he knows their language always gets me🥺
Why do whyte people smell like milk
Same 😁
The last lady was so nice 🥹❤️ her yelling, “Ari! How is it?” That was motherly right there, love these videos
It reminded me of every friend's mom when i went over to thier house... It doesn't get any mom like thn this
That moment put a big goofy smile on my face, she is so precious!
@@sonbicox6638 that's the cultural difference lmao
@@sonbicox6638 nah you're just socially awkward thats why u interpret being friendly as that
@@sonbicox6638 something's wrong w you fr
Learned how to say the term "spicy", and then xiaoma used it in the next shop. Amazing learning!
I honestly would’ve forgotten the word 😂😂
Actually he initially said karumam which means bad, that's why everyone giggled. But the actual word is karam, that's why everyone made him to correct it. Few words similar pronunciation but has different meaning altogether. That's why even few dialects are hard to grasp even for the native speaker.
He's like a sponge of languages
he used the word that he knew before that interaction, not the word he learned in the interaction. it's possible that that word was a srilankan tamil exclusive word so he double checked it with his friends and they told him a different word to use
As a Tamil srilankan Canadian, watching this melts my heart. We keep Tamil going in our family. My daughter is into learning culture, even she is born here. I love to call myself, Srilankan Tamil Canadian. Amazing video, and I love how you flawlessly saying some words without any problem.
Also I'm surprised that some people, when they immigrated to another country, don't keep the language with children, not realizing that the children won't know the value of Tamil language.
Asha take my heart queen 🕺🤌🥂
we can’t let tamil be forgotten 😕 especially the newer generations.
@@prxject1 agreed. I’m so shocked to see many parents don’t speakTamil at home.
@@mightysun89 you know what's the irony here. I'm 35 so you know the timelines i talk about. I'm from a secondary town in Tamil Nadu so when i was in school, teachers used to encourage us to talk in English else it would be difficult for us to pickup spoken English. Sadly, we didn't pick up the language up until end of college. We only speak in Thamizh at home but my nephew picked up fluent spoken English just from school and cartoons 😂. It's the other way around now.
என் தமிழை வெளி நாட்டவர் பேசுகையில் என் தமிழின் பெருமை பற்றி உலகெங்கும் கூற உள்ளம் உல்லாசமடைகிறது. இவரது தமிழ் மிகவும் அருமை.
Unmai sollanumna sumaara pesuran. Enakku purinchathu aana 3/10 thaan kudukka mudiyum
@@TomásAquino-q9j Ana machi yosuchi paru, entha videolay yevuru sonaru munu varam Tamil paduchitiruntharu. Yeppudi fulla Tamil pesamuduyum munu varam thukulla? Yevuroda Tamil avolo mossum illai, aaru massam kudu, rajinikanth mathri passuporaru 😂
@@lerg12 😆😆😆
@@lerg12 Yes exactlyy. Considering Tamil is a probably very difficult for english speakers with all the new complex grammatical structures, this guy did extremely well for three weeks. It's just his pronunciation he needs to fine tune. And like you said, 6 months later he's speaking better than Rajini 😂😂.
@@zafyrah.M4R1C4R exactly, it took me a while to fully understand it and to be able to kind of speak it. I was born and raised in the States but my mom spoke half Tamil and half English to me anyways. I learned a lot through Sun TV though at my grandmother’s house
The world needs more of this. Not necessarily the intense language learning but your joy at sharing in other people's cultures and just that simple connection with other people. And the fact that you still paid even when they offered it on the house is very sweet of you. 🖤
Totally agree. My local elementary school used to have an event every year for the fourth graders to put on a sort of "fair" celebrating their heritage. Every kid represented a country of their heritage, and the country groups would get together ahead of time with parents and grandparents to plan decor, authentic food, culturally relevant activities, etc., to showcase in the fair. For two school days, the kids (and some first-generation parents and grandparents) set up in a gathering space (basically the size of a gym), and the students from other grades would come in to visit the different countries, including a lot of native speakers. It's a fairly small school, but the typical representation the years I was involved was about 20-25 countries across 4-6 continents.
It was a long-standing tradition for the school that was scaled back and eventually came to an end over the course of the 2010s. Ultimately, the issues that ended it were complaints about the existence of an Israel exhibit, the allowance of European exhibits (even though Europe wasn't even the most-represented continent), and, eventually, allegations that having the children try the food, play games, do activities like sari-wrapping, etc., was cultural appropriation. I was heartbroken. The school was part of a community that celebrated cultural heritage, but never supported enclaves or exclusion because _everyone_ was American (and many had worked very hard to be). It really was the best of what you imagine multi-culturalism to be.
@@jacksyoutubechannel4045 sounds like it was a beautiful event. Very sad that it ended. The idea of cultural appropriation has ruined a lot. It is cultural appreciation.
Seeing their faces light up when you not only speak their language, but express and respect their cultures, is everything.
Kudos to you buddy, be well.
Bro at 4:00 was happy as soon as Xiaoma said "Is this a Tamil restaurant."
@@brendo3808 Yeah, it's legit.
Looks like a good dopamine hit
Honestly I wish English speakers would speak to each other. We're so lame and antisocial
As a Tamilian, I can’t express how happy I am to see you speak Tamil, especially since you inspired me to learn Mandarin! Your accent still sounds distinctly American, but you speak really well, considering that you learnt quite a bit of one of the most difficult languages to learn (in my opinion) in just 3 weeks! You should watch some Tamil movies, they’ll help you learn the language and are just pretty good!
His accent is not very good but i respect him for trying :)
@abdur raman, this is after just three weeks of learning Tamil. You should cut him some slack.
Same bro. As a fellow Tamilian, I’m like finally he’s learning the Tamil language now
A lot of ethnocentrism in these videos. Tamil is not particularly ancient. Only attested in 905 BC. Nowhere near as old as Sanskrit. And not even comparable to Sumerian or Ancient Egyptian which are even older.
@@lookoutforchris there is one thing different. Tamil is still spoken today, those languages you mentioned are already dead, or only used as classical languages. And the guys agree that he speaks really great for someone learning the language for only three weeks, which is fantastic.
Would like him to try Persian tho, as I am trying to learn the language and is a bit tricky for me
So happy to see my hometown (Jersey City) get some love. And happy to see the Tamil locals smile after hearing you speak in their native language. It truly is a contagious feeling.
Xiaoman’s confidence to practice new languages with strangers always shocks me
Xiaonan
小男人
I'll try his dosas but I think his history is alittle off.
Its the kindness he has experienced from strangers thats gives him most of his confidence imo
It comes with practice. Imagine how many strangers he has talked to. It's very impressive though, he's always so friendly :)
As a native Tamil speaker, this video makes me incredibly happy! For only three weeks of learning, you did so well. I can only imagine how fluent you’ll be in a year from now if you continue learning it!
Naan onnu kathalikeren
@@irshviralvideo 🤣🤣🤣😂😂
@@irshviralvideo LMAOO 💀😭😭😭
@@irshviralvideo xD
@@batratqqq dei vaiya mudraa
I spent 2 weeks in Tamil Nadu and learned maybe 3 words 😂 I met the kindest, happiest most generous people there. I will forever love Tamil Nadu!
they are most happiest and generous to see people from other countries 'specially if look european'.
Now, when talking about being generous to indians from other cultures or foreign people with dark skin, the story is different.
Tamil Nadu is one of my favourite places too, wish it was actually a separate country and Tamil language should have been already wide like Greek, Korean and Hebrew.
Stupid wish @@shiningstone6771
Why dont americans give me free food when i speak english
Everyone can speak english bro🤐
Because english is the most spoken language in the world
@@hyrule2476no, mandarin is
english is the third most spoken language, behind spanish
@@jkarchived English - 1.456 billions of people
Mandarin Chinese - 1.138 billions
Hindi - 610 millions
Spanish - 559 millions
@@ratseofficial3429 i think my source was outdated, since when did english become the most spoken ?
That “Ari, how is it?” Was the cutest she sounded like a proud and happy mother love her!
I love the last person who’s like, “that’s great that you’re famous dear, but relax and enjoy life sometime.”
Love this channel. 🐁
I think the restaurant owner was so stoked on you being in his actual restaurant, the UA-cam star! You give them so much publicity too, it’s great!
This is a beautiful channel because it shows that the native speakers love their language being spoken by a guy like you. What’s sad though is there are people (not the majority but a lot) that will call this “cultural appropriation”. And what’s funny about that is people who tell others to not appropriate all have their own definition of that word. Keep up the great work!
Exactly!! it pisses me off when non-indians try to play knight and pull the "cultural appropriation" card when most of us love sharing our culture with other people
It is a beautiful channel for sure. But to erect barriers to any culture, to prevent others from embracing the aspects of that culture, is the very definition of bigotry and prejudice. Ari has a gift for language, and he displays respect for not only the language but the cultural foundations of each. THAT is what makes his attitude so wonderful. I cannot imagine that anyone would think that "appropriation", and if one does it only serves to show weak-mindedness.
fr. for cultures and languages to be preserved they must be studied by people that don't natively practice them. People that scream “cultural appropriation” at this kind of thing don't understand the bigger picture and are 99% of the time not even from where they are getting mad for. People from different places love to see other people learning what's most beautiful and important to them. Thank god we have the internet where there is an endless amount of material stored from everywhere in the world so hopefully nothing gets forgotten with time.
Definitely agree, and I feel like I've been seeing barriers getting larger and larger in the west as time goes on. Too many people are worried about who's culture is who's like... everybody on Earth is 100% human. Culture grows and changes, especially now that we have so much potential to connect with people who are different from us or come from somewhere else.
I don't see black culture and Indian culture or whatever. Its all human culture to me, and people who are proud of stuff such as their skin color or heritage - without every having done anything at all - are morons. Why be so proud of something you had no control of? And why get angry when people try to share it? People love to share their culture because its a big part of who they are and saying they can't share it with someone because they're different is pretty prejudice.
No one would call learning another language like this cultural appropriation, you're being silly.
The lady in the last restaurant was so pleasant. They were all nice people, she was exceptional. Thanks for the video Ari. 🙏🏾🇬🇧🇺🇸
Ari means Aryen in Mesopotamian ( Old Middle East ) language.
Mesopotamia is where the first humans come from.
😅😅😅
I agree! I liked how she asked if he liked the food and addressed him by his name. She made me feel right at home even though I’m not even there eating her foods 😂
I like how his video's aren't scripted or overly edited. We get to hear genuine heartfelt conversations and reactions. Non pretentious and very relatable. Wishing him the best. Hope his hard work and determination takes him a lot further.
this should be the videos getting the views... not the pewdishits of the youtube
@@PrograError Absolutely!
Native speaker here,
I am very happy that you are learning tamil. Keep it up man. I look forward to seeing more conversations in Tamil. Love from Chennai, Tamil Nadu ( India 🇮🇳 )
Tamil Nadu is also one of the most accepting states in India right?
As a person from their I’d say yes :3
@@IncredibleLyrics lmao
@@IncredibleLyrics Accepting as in gay?
@@scintillam_dei I’ve seen many transgender and gay couples here in Tamil Nadu, the north is much less accepting than us
Language is a difficult barrier to break but once you open yourself up to new people the rewards are endless. You can see this guy spreads so much happiness to people just by speaking to them in their native language
my favorite thing about xiaoma is that hes not only a man of many languages but a total food critic. i mean, hes says everything is delicious but I also believe that it is.
Yeah I think he’s capping on the food stuff sometimes cause he doesn’t want to offend anyone. ain’t no way every single thing can be good lol.
@@wilsybhoy you can sometimes tell by the way he reacts, but i would say the same thing as well lol
@@jonahchickering4908 naa bro I never seen that one 🤣
@@wilsybhoy I feel like that milk noodle soup he ate in the restaurant wasn't too good.
@@tmonie the fact that you called it milk noodle soup in itself says you've never tasted it. Stop judging people's food when you've not even tried it 😒
I’m from the southern part of India and have been trying to learn Tamil for quite some time. This dude is already killing it 😂💪🏾
I think some people learn more easily as adults. English is a 2nd language for me, but learned it at 5 years old. It’s so much more difficult to learn a new language as an adult, but I want to.
Channah NOYB immersion is the best method. When I interact with a language not as a school assignment but as a method of communication, I remember it easier.
@White Beans
I used an online program through our local library to try and learn Spanish and you could interact with Spanish speakers and do exercises. I would get so nervous that I would mess it up because it was live and gave up completely. I should’ve kept going regardless of how difficult.
Are you from Kerala?
As a Tamilian and a long time subscriber and fan of xiaoma, he is doing so great and it really shows how much work he put into learning Tamil. Thank for trying and thanks for always making our day!
Great 2 see person from different nation making genuine attempt in learning different country's Language where people of India want only 1 language (Hindi) to represent the country, India is more than 1 language 🙂❤️
You are awesome. I’m from Taiwan and speaks fluent Mandarin and English. I have been living in the US for about 40 years. My wife is from Madras India and speaks Tamil. We’ve been married over 20 years but I can never speak Tamil because it’s so hard (and I though Mandarin was hard). I’ve always enjoyed your videos. Keep up the good work.
Tamil is very easy language 😃
Great comment. I am a Tamilian and totally understand. I want to learn Mandarin though... LOL
"It might be me" is such a humble way to respond. Well done at remaining a real person, and not letting the fame go to your head. Love your work.
i mean he's not the only polyglot youtuber in new york, but yeah chances are it was him
as a tamilian from india, this video was so wholesome to watch and put a smile on my face, keep learning xiaoma, love from india!
There's an endearing quality to your Tamil. Your intonations, though far from native, are actually pretty enjoyable to hear. I'm quite impressed with the amount of Tamil you've learned in only three weeks - keep going!
I like how he respects and honors the culture through his normal conversations and create awareness
so true
Damn that final lady stole my heart. “Ari how is it?” Then just being so considerate of the hard work of others. Just stole my heart
no it literally made me want to try her food because she’s too sweet
That last lady was so nice, and the concern she had for you walking around in the hot weather - that's such a mom thing. :) I was kinda sad to see how little patronage some of these places had - because they looked immaculate and the food looked so good. More people need to go and try their food. :)
I think that is because this was during the pandemic
Yep she reminded me of an aunty or grandma always wanting to keep their kids well fed
@@melsin1143 😂
The auntie at the end made me tear up a bit when she told you to relax and take care of yourself, reminded me of my mom
I love how the lady came out to see if he knows Russian and was so excited!!!! 💓💕 The last Indian lady was so kind and motherly to him, instantly saw how hard what he's doing is and making sure he takes care of himself too 🤗❤️
His Russian was terrible
@@Tobi-oi3uf how would his Russian compare to your Tamil?
@@Tobi-oi3uf what do you mean? it was good. his pronunciation is clean, I can understand every single word. Yes, he has an accent but it's not that bad tbh. So stop being a hater 😤🚫
@@Tobi-oi3uf Understood every word.
His russian is OK. I understand everything )
Big respect for not taking the free meal, truely genuine and loves supporting these smaller local cuisines.
What he did was disrespectful.
You don't insist on paying for inexpensive food when they gift it to you for brightening their day. Accept the free meal, and leave it all in a tip
@@gephone4624 I'm sure he left a very decent tip, both of their days were brightened, and nobody felt disrespected.
@@onelove1968 that's fine. But the act is still disrespectful in most places.
Is there...something wrong with accepting a gift of appreciation from someone who offers it of their own free will?
@@eye2500 100% true brother
Xiao is clearly a extremely smart guy. It is not easy learning new languages and he does it like it’s no big deal. Serious brain power in his skull 😂
I think he took a test to see how smart he actually was, and was slightly above average, but the portion of his brain which learns languages is more developed than others.
Such a great guy though.
@@IAmKnightsDawn maybe. All I know is learning languages is very very hard and he makes it look like nothing.
@@9770G learning languages is time consuming, but only difficult if you want to learn how to read and write them as well. Especially Japanese.
はじめまして。私の名前は卵です。
I can read and type that, but only because I practiced it a lot. Just means "Nice to meet you. My name is Egg."
Now the rest of the kanji, are a pain to learn because there's thousands of them. 😅
@@IAmKnightsDawn 今日は全米日本語学習デー！ Japanese Learning Day was a couple of days ago! ❤❤
@@IAmKnightsDawn I recognized "名前" because I'm learning mandarin chinese ahah :P
It’s crazy how people light up and the conversations just because you know their language. So awesome to see!
Mind Blowing stuff! The ability to learn and communicate a new language in a span of 3 weeks.
Also, amazing was that a Russian chef working at a Tamil restaurant in USA who also happens to speak a bit of Arabic.
Haha right? I was thinking that woman has obviously lead an interesting life.
Lot of Russians/Mexicans work in Indian restaurants these days
I love how everyone's face just sparkled once they heard this guy speaking their native language 🤩 you made everyone's day better bro. Keep it up! 👍🏻
Hopefully this encourages people who are considering... just learn a language for its own sake, for the sake of life. Just to bring meaning and intelligence to life. Beautiful.
All I know is English but his videos make me want to learn another language
@@jeremym9739 Hello👋
@@jeremym9739 Do it, it is very satisfying to be able to understand a whole new culture by your own, you comprehend how they feel, what they like, why they are the way they are, it goes beyond understanding what they say, you discover a whole new world of feelings and tastes.
As a Sri Lankan tamil speaker, I am proud of this man
yoo me too
I go to a shop everyday on my way to work and I came to realise there was a Bulgarian lady, Romanian lady and a Polish lady that work there so I decided to learn some simple phases in each of the languages and it definitely broke down the barrier between us and we all have a nice chat each day now and they teach me more of each of their languages. The inspiration was from watching your videos and seeing the joy on people's faces when you talk in their native tongue 😊
Same here! I visit the local chinese once a month and because of this channel i started saying small words. Now when i come to the restaurant the owner walks straight up to me and ask how i am doing and remembers my name. I love it!
I'm sold. Need to try some Dosas.
Those look 🔥
bro you haven’t
Dosas pani puri doubles chicken rice (gyro/middle eastern) lassi butter chicken masala chicken chicken tikka.... go with grace
Same, they look so good and now I’m hungry
. Need
www.youtubecomm.com/watch?v=0Oly8fXlh2E
Need to try some Dosas.
You could make this a food network series. You go around, learn languages, and eat in people's restaurants.
dude. that would be brilliant
Exactly what I was thinking lol "linguist vs food" lol I'd watch this and probably a tv station would air the episodes lol
Why restrict by a TV company when he's doing it on UA-cam with more freedom to upload whatever he wants whenever he wants and everyone has UA-cam
I would watch the crap out of that
You're already watching that series, on this UA-cam Channel.
People are so relieved seeing natural English speakers making an effort they literally give away free stuff. I’d recommend learning even something simple like ‘hello’ and ‘thank you’ it goes along way!
Its SO crazy to hear a white guy speak tamil but im actually so impressed. There were points where the accent was falling apart but youve been studying for 3 weeks and thats genuinely crazy when then letters are so different from every other language. Super impressive keep up the great vids!
I bet if I studied Tamil for 3 weeks I could barely put a sentence together. I’ve been wanting to learn a more difficult language, and Xiaoma definitely motivates me to try! I love to see people coming together over food and language. 🫶🏼
One thing that always annoys me a bit when English speakers are trying to learn a foreign language is that native speakers always tell the English speakers that their accent isn't correct. Of course it isn't correct, and probably never ever will be...
Like, on the flip side, non-native English speakers always have an "incorrect" accent when they speak English. For example, Indian people speak English with an Indian accent, Chinese speak with a Chinese accent, French speak with a French accent and so on. I don't ever hear English speakers telling them that their English/American accent isn't correct. Of course it won't be correct. The only way to have a correct accent is to speak a language for a VERY long time, and even then most people can't speak in a native sounding accent unless it's a language that they started learning when they were really young.
I just think telling someone learning a new language that their accent isn't correct is like telling somebody that the sky is blue. An English speaker speaking a foreign language will speak it with an English/American accent just like a non-native speaker will speak English with whatever their native accent is. It's just how it works...
what does the writing script have to do with him speaking the language?
@@xtraspecialj based.
@@xtraspecialj The issue is English speakers seem to maul other language pronunciations way worse than others speakers do, probably due to the nature of the English language being a mess in that regard, so the distorted pronunciation (i.e. English being a strongly non-phonetic language) carries over to all languages they try to speak.
The same goes the other way around, when phonetic-language-speakers try to battle with English being so incoherent and unpredictable. An English speaker will be locked in that mode and find it hard to switch out of it, a foreigner will find it tough to tune into it.
Tamil being a phonetic language, is hard to mispronounce; literally just read what you see! But the distorsion carry over.
I LOVE how happy you make people. People are always going to be polite but when they hear the effort you put into learning to speak THEIR language it truly brings them joy. Because after all, you are learning so you can speak to them right ? How flattering and special that is cannot be measured.
This! These videos warm my heart. People connecting 💖
I am very delighted to see the spreading of the Tamil language throughout the world. It truly is a beautiful language, I am very proud to be a Tamilian.
And the food looks so delicious!
bro u having a conversation after 3 weeks is ridicoulous actually a talent
9:28 Well basically in Tamil when asking a question you add a “aaaaaa” to the end so she was asking if your name was “Xiam, aaaa”. And the thing is, Xiam sounds a lot like the Tamil name (and my cousin’s name 😉) Shyam, so she was surprised that (at least she thought, I think) that you have a Tamil name.
Haha you're right! Xiaoma does indeed sound like Shyama, which is a common name in many parts of India lol
Same in Telugu
Shyama is not a "Tamil name". It is a Sanskrit name that is also used in Southern India including in Tamil Nadu. Shyama is the name for Lord Krishna. It is used everywhere. In North and South as well.
Tamil name would be "Murugan" as this is specific to the region and not used in North or even in other Southern States. Like in Karnataka we rarely have Kannadigas named Murugan. It is typically Tamilians.
@@Shri Like Murugan Ashwin lol
well done sherlock😂 any hypotheses could be possible
9:27 I think the reason she was quite surprised is that among Sri Lankan Tamil communities, Shama/Shyama (which is pronounced somewhat similarly to Xiaoma) is a very common female name.
Yup
Yea she probably thought Shama, which is a common female name
Also Nandhitha Das's name in Kannathil Muthamittal
@@MrViyasanthanks for repeating what he said just in case someone missed the original comment
I like the way that the native speakers subtly correct his pronunciation. That really helps those wanting to learn a language feel more comfortable and make better progress with that language.
i’ve been learning spanish, and hearing them repeat what i said in the natural reaction to the conversation is so nice because it’s like a subtle tip while not feeling like they are directly criticizing your slip up. more of a little nudge but also a “yeah i understand what you are saying” i love it.
literally the best way to make friends and get a girlfriend is to speak other languages. Communication for the key for everything.
Bc girlfriends are the main reason you should learn a language 💪
We need more of this on UA-cam. Props to Ari for bringing us awareness of Tamil and learning the language. His videos are very friendly and the looks of surprise, curiosity, and happiness on the faces of folks when they see that he can converse with them is always priceless! Thank you (நன்றி)
Omg how do you know tamil ?
👍👍👍
Love that you know Tamil
Hey friend.. I'm from Tamilnadu and I'm so proud of my language as it's the oldest and poetic language ever. And thanks for u to giving respect and trying to learn our language. One of the greatest quote u could find only in tamil is YAATHUM OORE YAAVARUM KELIR.(யாதும் ஊரே யாவரும் கேளிர்). Which means I'm a world citizen and every human are my brothers and friend and sisters. 🙏❤️
beautiful! Salute from France
To my American ears it is a very pretty sounding language.
Tamil is one of the oldest languages. But not the oldest. Sanskrit is the oldest language.
Tamil is a very beautiful language.
I am an indian and i dont understand a single word in tamil or any other South Indian languages, and you learned in just 3 weeks woww🤯 , but I really like it different languages are the beauty of India, like if you go from north to south you will feel like a foreigner ♥️
We can even pronounce it in 2 months but the grammar is the toughest in it
People are often floored when I speak Spanish to them. Imagine their shock when you learn a language like This! Awesome.
If you study new language that is helpful u.unite people
soft flex to us mother tonged only folks
@sonofgod stay mad northie
Well, I can tell you no native spanish speaker enjoy a native english speaker spanish (because of accent), just doesn't happen sorry to blow the bubble.
@sonofgod thouvuujjaaand likes for you saab
I am tamil and I'm surprised you managed to get across what you wanted to say while only learning tamil for 3 weeks and only using online resources (which is wild cause there aren't many and they aren't that relevant either) truly a huge W
As a Tamilan, I have got a huge smile and feel so proud. Lovely to see you learn the culture ☺️
Ahhh...that was nice mom energy at the end. And you didn't have to sacrifice an animal to eat (Indian food is generally vegetarian) to get a good hearty meal. Good work Ari.
Yes! The motherly vibes hit a soft spot indeed.
As a Sri Lankan Tamil speaker, this warmed my heart and my parents also were smiling the entire to while watching this amazing video.
I am SO SO happy from this video. THANK YOU SO MUCH for shedding a slimmer of light to the media about us (I am sri lankan tamil)! After the genocide in Sri Lanka a couple decades ago and unfortunately is still secretly continuing, more than 75% of the tamil population got killed off so now everyone assumes that every person in Sri Lanka are Singhalese, we are "terrorists" and/or we are Indian. All my life l have received hate for what my identity was and l struggle to speak proper Sri Lankan Tamil (my dialect is a bit more Indian due to the only media or movies being from India). This makes me tear up, so thank you for trying our language, our food and supporting an aunties resturant and recognizing that it is Sri Lankan Tamil. Good Job!