Bonjour, mes amis! Get ready for a wild ride through the streets of Brussels, where languages collide and family drama unfolds! Meet our protagonist, a 31-year-old expat navigating the tricky waters of in-law relationships and linguistic barriers. Her sister-in-law, “Stubborn Sarah,” has been living in Brussels for nearly a decade but refuses to learn a lick of French! Can you believe it? Buckle up, because this story is about to get juicy!
Expat Life in Brussels: A Tale of Two Languages
Sarah’s Stubborn Refusal to Learn French
“Everyone Speaks English, So Why Bother?”
♀️ To Each Their Own, But…
♀️ Guess Who’s Always Stuck Translating? ♀️
The Rest of the Family is Fed Up Too
A Sensitive Conversation Interrupted
Enough is Enough! ♀️
️ Time to Put in Some Effort, Sarah!
Tears and Tantrums
️ Family Dinners Held Hostage
Family Feud Alert: The Great Translation Debacle!
Well, well, well… looks like our protagonist has had enough of playing translator for her stubborn sister-in-law! After years of being the go-between, she finally put her foot down during a sensitive conversation with her mother-in-law. Cue the waterworks and tantrums from “Stubborn Sarah” and her husband! Now they’re holding family dinners hostage until our hero apologizes. The internet has some thoughts on this one, folks! Let’s see what they have to say about this linguistic showdown in Brussels!
RELATED STORIES
Fed-up woman refuses to learn French, suggests husband do translating. NTA
Living in a foreign country without speaking the language? NTA.
Language barrier in marriage – husband should translate. NTA.
Effortlessly not learning French for 8 years?
Fed-up woman refuses to be the family translator. NTA!
Standing up for herself and her language rights.
![Image credit: [deleted] | [deleted]](https://static.diply.com/6d6f9cc8-12ab-4381-b168-f913bbeb04de.png)
No French, No Problem? Commenter defends not translating for woman.
NTA comment: Husband should be her translator, not you.
Respectful or not? NTA commenter shares opinion on language learning.
American woman in Germany calls out woman for not learning French.
After 8 years in Belgium, not knowing French is unacceptable.
American astounded by SIL’s lack of effort to learn French
Learning a partner’s language is a big thing. NTA
NTA. Expecting to not learn French after 8 years?
Fed-up woman takes a stand for language expectations in family
No excuses for not learning the language after 8 years
Standing up against unpaid interpreting. NTA wins!
Friend learned French for fiancé’s family, OP not wrong here
Fed-up commenter calls out entitled behavior and suggests translation apps.
Agreeing comment calls out unnecessary post in NTA situation
Stepson sets an impressive example for language learning ❤️
Translation duties over. NTA. Their loss if no-shows.
Translation troubles at family dinners? NTA takes a stand!
Navigating language barriers in Brussels NTA stands up for herself
Refusing to learn the language after 8 years? NTA says commenter.
NTA! Blatant disrespect and lack of interest towards in-laws
![Image credit: [deleted] | [deleted]](https://static.diply.com/e70acfd7-f993-46fa-89e2-42bbbfc0aa84.png)
No one wants to translate for SIL anymore
Surrounded by French speakers for 8 years and still no effort? NTA
Translation troubles solved with a family dinner ultimatum
Fed-up woman stands up for herself, won’t be a translator
No obligation to translate. SIL may have a learning disability.
![Image credit: [deleted] | [deleted]](https://static.diply.com/3e80ddf7-f5af-4d73-8c52-cbc20b67ed62.png)
Taking a stand for refusing to be a translator
Standing up for herself and refusing unpaid work. NTA
Mother and daughter taking French lessons, OP not obligated to translate
Lazy ex-pat refuses to learn French, not the a**hole.
NTA. Eight years in Belgium and STILL won’t learn French?!
American agrees: not trying to learn French is disrespectful
Dominican woman in building refuses to learn English, but expects help ♀️
Struggling with French in Belgium, empathizing with SIL’s language struggles
Learning the language is important, but so is respecting privacy
Struggling with languages and empathizing with SIL’s inability, NAH.
Refusing to learn French in Belgium? NTA stands up to in-laws
Learning a new language is hard but should she try? NAH
Fed-up commenter suggests petty revenge for uninterested wife. NTA.
Fed-up commenter questions husband’s responsibility to translate for wife.
NTA. Learning French is her responsibility or her husband’s.
Fed-up woman refuses to apologize for not speaking French.
Fed-up commenter suggests woman’s husband should translate for her. ♀️
Woman criticized for not learning French, but NTA according to comment.
NTA stands up to entitled language expectations.
Fed-up commenter stands against SIL’s refusal to learn French
Translation demands are unreasonable. NTA stands firm.
Fed-up commenters call out woman for not learning French
Fed-up woman’s attitude towards learning French questioned by commenter.
NTA takes a stand and problem solves itself
Lazy SIL won’t translate, woman takes a stand. NTA.
Fed-up commenter defends woman for not learning French
Translation drama? No problem, you’re NTA!
NTA! After 8 years, it’s surprising she hasn’t learned French
Refusing to learn French and still attending Friday night dinners? NTA.
Woman in Belgium refuses to learn French, gets called lazy.
Living in a foreign country and not learning the language
Husband’s role as translator questioned. NTA deserves apology.
Canadian defends learning French in in-laws’ country. NTA
Don’t apologize for refusing unpaid labor. NTA
Learning the language is a must when moving abroad.
Translation drama: Commenter defends woman who didn’t need help NTA
Translation refusal makes siblings jerks – NTA comment
