Talkin: Learn Languages, Make Friends

I never imagined I’d end up talking to a Spanish guy who doesn’t speak any Chinese, and eventually…

It started like this. I was bored one evening, scrolling through a language exchange app, thinking I could brush up on my Spanish. I just signed up and, to my surprise, I got a message from him: “Hola, cómo estás?” At that moment, I could only understand part of it–“Hello, how are you?”–so I replied in English: “I’m good, how about you?”

In my head, I was wondering: Does he want to learn Chinese? Or does he not speak it at all?

He replied, “I’m good. I like China.” His Chinese was pretty rough, obviously from using a translation app. I couldn’t help but laugh, thinking his Chinese might actually be worse than my Spanish. Still, I replied, “Haha, cool! What do you like about China?”

And that’s how it all started. Casual, simple, and a little awkward–but it worked.

Over the next couple of weeks, our conversations became more natural.

There was nothing too deep at first–just basic questions like, “What kind of movies do you like?”–getting to know each other a little better. It was easy and lighthearted. Honestly, I had a lot on my plate with school, so having these mall talks helped me unwind.

Then one day, the conversation took a turn. I asked him, “Have you ever thought about coming to China?” He paused for a second and then replied, “Yeah, I want to go.” Then he added, “Not for travel, though. I want to understand you better.”

I was caught off guard. We’d never met, and here he was talking about coming to China for me… I wasn’t sure how to react. Was he joking? Was he just saying that? I replied, “Well, I’d like to visit Spain too someday.”

And then came the “misunderstandings.”

The more we talked, the more little miscommunications happened. Language and cultural differences started to pop up. I remember once, he asked me, “Why don’t you video call me more?” I got a little defensive and said, “I’ve just been busy.” He went quiet for a while, and I thought he was upset with me. A couple of days went by with barely any contact.

Then, out of the blue, he messaged me :“I wasn’t mad, I just… I guess I’m not used to people not telling me when they’re busy.”

It hit me–this was a cultural thing. In his country, people tend to be more open about expressing their feelings, while I’m the type who likes to deal with things on my own. We had to adjust to each other’s styles, and honestly, I realized that these misunderstandings were just part of learning how to communicate.

As time went on, I found myself liking him more and more.

We started to use simple Spanish words in our chats. It was messy, but every time I could say something in Spanish and he understood, I felt accomplished. One day, I finally gathered the courage to tell him, “Te quiero.” He replied, “What? What did you say?” So I used my translator to say, “I like you.”

He read it and smiled, trying back, “I like you too.”

It wasn’t perfect, but somehow, that felt more real.

Six months later, I decided to meet him in Spain.

Honestly, I never imagined myself developing a relationship with someone from another country, let alone someone I couldn’t even communicate with properly in the beginning. But as strange as it seemed, the connection had become real, and I couldn’t ignore it anymore. So, I booked my flight to Spain.

When I finally met him, I was nervous. We’d been talking on video for months, but meeting face-to-face was different. He came up to me with a smile and said, “Hola, mi amor.” It didn’t sound awkward like I thought it might. In fact, it felt… natural.
We talked about small things, but I’ll never forget what he said: “Saying I miss you in Chinese is hard, but I miss you.”

His accent was off, but I understood every word. In that moment, I didn’t care about pronunciation or grammar. I realized that we had made it through so many obstacles to get here.

Closing Thoughts

We’d been through a lot together–translation apps, misunderstandings, and the challenge of learning each other’s languages. But through it all, we realized that what mattered wasn’t the perfect language, but the genuine connection we shared.

Looking back, I can’t help but think: None of this would have been possible without the Talkin app. Without it, I wouldn’t have been able to connect with him in the first place. The translation feature helped us break down language barriers and actually gave us the chance to understand each other. If it weren’t for that, we might never have even had that first conversation.

If you’re trying to connect with someone from a different culture and language, Talkin could be your bridge. It’s not just about words–it’s about building connections, no matter the distance.