If you can understand a language but not speak it, what is that called?

Question

For example, you can understand the gist of a conversation but you couldn't participate in it.

Answer 1

It is called language comprehension.

Language fluency has 4 components:

Reading: the ability to easily read and understand texts written in the language;

Writing: the ability to formulate written texts in the language;

Comprehension: the ability to follow and understand speech in the language;

Speaking: the ability to speak in the language and be understood by its speakers.  

Answer 2

mutual intelligence?

francis, in italian, we don't say 'comprendere' we say 'capire'. capire is not from the latin root 'comprehendere'

english: to understand

italian: capire

spanish: comprender

french: comprendre

and spanish speakers FOR THE MOST PART can not completely understand italian if they have not studied it. they can surely understand a bit of it if it is spoken slower and clearer. you make it sound like we COMPLETELY understand eachother. noooo! not completely.  i have a mexican friend named Adán and i speak to him in italian and he speaks to me in spanish, and for the most part he kinda shrugs at what i say in italian (of course i remember using words like spaventare, schiaffi, mi piace, faccia...which are completely different in spanish) i could understand him more i think...idk.

even though spanish and italian are very similar, they still have too many differences for them to be completely understood by the other speaker w/out any prior study.  

Answer 3

Thats what my friend does. she pretty much gets what people are sayn in japenese but cant answers bac. im not sure that there is a specific name for that tho

Answer 4

im almost like that. i can usually and understand regular spoken french if i pay close attention. but when im gonna speak to someone im all nervous and dont wanna make a mistake and i start to trip and all that

i like to call that half fluent

Answer 5

I call it french.

Answer 6

The old Romans sayed.." comprensionem ad sensum" from verb "comprendo-is.compresus -comprendere" (to understand)

In italian language is " Comprendere a senso"

in English is " Comprehension..with sense (on sensation) ???

Ex.. Italian people and Spanish They undertand in this manner..

by.by Francis-Florence town -Italy...

Answer 7

it means you're not fluent haha.