Getting volunteered for things you never signed up for can get really old, really fast.

So, what would you do if your friend kept telling people he spoke a language fluently, only to turn and expect you to translate when the conversation got real? Would you keep playing along for his sake? Or would you finally call him out in front of people in hopes that he would stop doing it?

In the following story, one friend finds himself in this situation and is forced into the latter. Here’s how it played out.

AITA for refusing to translate on the spot after my friend keeps using me as his proof he speaks the language?

I’m (19M) fluent in another language because of my family.

My friend “Jake” (19M) has been “learning” it forever. He knows a few phrases, but he’s not conversational.

The problem is that Jake likes to talk to people who speak the language, and when someone actually starts talking to him, he immediately looks to me to save him.

It wasn’t a big deal when it first happened.

It started out kind of harmless. We’d be out somewhere, he’d hear someone speaking it, and he’d jump in with a sentence. They’d respond normally, and he’d just stare at me like “help.” I would translate a bit to keep it from getting awkward for the strangers.

After it happened a few times, I asked him to please stop doing that. I told him that if he wanted to practice, he should just say he’s learning.  But he shouldn’t tell people he speaks it, and then make me his interpreter.

He laughed and acted like I was being dramatic. He said it’s “good practice” for him, and it’s a “cool skill” for me.

Then, he did it again.

Last weekend, we were at a birthday thing at a bar. He met a couple at the next table and found out they spoke the language, and immediately said, “Oh, I speak that too.”

Then he pointed at me and told them, “And he does too, so we can all talk.”

The couple got excited and started chatting fast, and then he started doing the thing where he turns to me mid-conversation like “tell them…” as if I’m just there to translate his life.

At first, he tried to play it cool, but his friend wouldn’t let it go.

I tried to be chill at first and said in English, “I’m not translating tonight.”

He kinda ignored me and kept trying to hand me lines to translate while the couple was just sitting there waiting. So, I finally just said to the couple (in their language), “Sorry, I’m not translating right now,” smiled, and walked off to get a drink.

Jake followed me and was mad. He said I embarrassed him and made him look like a liar. He said I could’ve just helped for 2 minutes and corrected him later.

I told him that I’ve corrected him multiple times, and he keeps putting me on the spot anyway. He says im petty and that friends don’t do that to each other.

AITA?

Yikes! He’s not alone because most people wouldn’t like that.

Let’s check out how the readers over at Reddit say he should handle this.

This reader thinks he needs to actually learn the language.

Here’s someone who dealt with something similar.

This guy wouldn’t play around.

For this reader, he’s embarrassing himself.

His friend needs to stop because that’s a little embarrassing for both of them.

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