"Say something to me in Spanish," said my date in the small Catalan city where I've lived since 2016. It's an inevitable part of the first date scenario I've come to hate while dating in Spain. Navigating the apps with my level of Spanish is easy, and I can even manage whole dates. But it wasn't the first time I've been mocked for speaking Spanish in a supposedly romantic context. Debating something complex in Spanish is beyond my language level, but I also know I'll sound rude if I disagree using the blunt language tools I do have.

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Persons: I've, It's, I'm, it's, I'd, There's, Nate Young, Marie Sklodowska, Young, Queen Mary , Organizations: Curie, University of Oslo, Queen Mary, Queen Mary , University of London Locations: Spain, Madrid, Barcelona, Mexican, Queen