Signification
To be dishonest or hypocritical.
Contexte culturel
In Denmark, honesty is often prioritized over politeness. Accusing someone of 'talking with two tongues' is a serious social sanction and can end a friendship or damage a professional reputation permanently. In Greenlandic culture, which is part of the Danish Realm, silence and directness are valued. The Danish idiom is used in political contexts in Nuuk just as in Copenhagen to criticize double-talk regarding independence or fishing rights. Across Norway and Sweden, similar versions exist (snakke med to tunger / tala med kluven tunga). It reflects a shared Lutheran heritage where 'your word is your bond'. In the age of 'influencer marketing', this phrase is making a comeback among young Danes to describe 'deceptive' sponsored content where the influencer's private opinion differs from their paid one.
Strong Accusation
This is a strong idiom. Don't use it lightly with friends unless you are prepared for a serious talk.
Political Context
If you use this in a Danish essay about politics, you will sound very native and sophisticated.
Signification
To be dishonest or hypocritical.
Strong Accusation
This is a strong idiom. Don't use it lightly with friends unless you are prepared for a serious talk.
Political Context
If you use this in a Danish essay about politics, you will sound very native and sophisticated.
Directness
Remember that Danes value 'rent mel i posen' (honesty). This idiom is the ultimate 'anti-value' in Denmark.
Teste-toi
Udfyld det manglende ord i sætningen.
Jeg stoler ikke på ham, for han taler altid med to ______.
Idiomet er 'at tale med to tunger'.
Hvilken situation passer bedst til udtrykket?
Hvornår taler man med to tunger?
Det handler om at være uærlig og give forskellige beskeder til forskellige mennesker.
Færdiggør dialogen.
A: 'Chefen sagde, jeg var den bedste medarbejder.' B: 'Virkelig? Han sagde til mig, at han ville fyre dig.' A: 'Hvad?! Han ______.'
Chefen giver to helt forskellige beskeder, hvilket er definitionen på at tale med to tunger.
Match udtrykket med den korrekte betydning.
Hvad betyder 'at tale med to tunger'?
Det er den figurative betydning af idiomet.
🎉 Score : /4
Aides visuelles
Banque d exercices
4 exercicesJeg stoler ikke på ham, for han taler altid med to ______.
Idiomet er 'at tale med to tunger'.
Hvornår taler man med to tunger?
Det handler om at være uærlig og give forskellige beskeder til forskellige mennesker.
A: 'Chefen sagde, jeg var den bedste medarbejder.' B: 'Virkelig? Han sagde til mig, at han ville fyre dig.' A: 'Hvad?! Han ______.'
Chefen giver to helt forskellige beskeder, hvilket er definitionen på at tale med to tunger.
Hvad betyder 'at tale med to tunger'?
Det er den figurative betydning af idiomet.
🎉 Score : /4
Questions fréquentes
10 questionsYes, it is the linguistic equivalent. While 'two-faced' refers to the person's character, 'talking with two tongues' refers to their specific act of lying.
Not really. It implies a more serious, calculated form of deception where you tell different stories to different people.
It's neutral. You can use it with friends, but you'll also see it in serious newspaper headlines.
The opposite would be 'at have rent mel i posen' (to be honest) or 'at være ærlig'.
Yes, the number is fixed. You cannot say 'three tongues' even if the person is lying to many people.
No! That would be 'tosproget'. Using this idiom for a bilingual person would imply they are a liar.
Yes, very often to describe companies that say they are ethical but act otherwise.
Taler (present), talte (past), har talt (perfect).
Yes, it is a very common idiom that every native speaker knows.
You can, but 'tale' is much more common for this specific idiom as it sounds more serious.
Expressions liées
at have to ansigter
synonymTo be two-faced.
at stikke en plade
similarTo tell a lie.
at have rent mel i posen
contrastTo have clean flour in the bag (to be honest).
at sige tingene ligeud
contrastTo say things straight.
at tale udenom
similarTo beat around the bush / avoid the question.
