A Lie in Another Language: Why Truth Feels Different When We Translate It

Imagine saying the same sentence twice.

First, you say it in your first language. Then, you say it in a language you learned later. The words may mean the same thing, but somehow they do not feel exactly the same. For many bilingual or multilingual people, this difference is familiar. Some sentences feel heavier in one language and strangely lighter in another. “I love you,” “I’m sorry,” or even a simple insult can carry a different emotional weight depending on the language used.

This raises an interesting question: does lying feel different in another language?

At first, lying seems like it should be the same everywhere. If a sentence is false and the speaker knows it is false, then the moral meaning should not change just because the language changes. But language is not just a neutral container for meaning. It is connected to memory, emotion, family, culture, and the body. Because of this, the same lie may not feel the same in every language.

One reason is emotional distance. A first language is often tied to childhood, family, discipline, comfort, embarrassment, and early memory. It may be the language in which we were scolded, praised, comforted, or called by name. A second language, especially one learned in school, may feel more academic or controlled. It may be connected to textbooks, presentations, grammar exercises, and carefully chosen words. This does not mean a second language cannot become emotional, but for many people, it begins with more distance.

Research supports this difference. In a study of Turkish-English bilingual speakers, Harris, Aycicegi, and Gleason found that taboo words and childhood reprimands created stronger autonomic reactions in the first language than in the second language (Harris, Aycicegi, & Gleason, 2003). In simpler words, the body reacted more strongly when emotional language appeared in the language connected to earlier life. This helps explain why a rude word in a second language may feel less shocking, or why an apology in a first language may feel more vulnerable.

This emotional distance may also affect moral judgment. Costa and colleagues found that people using a foreign language made more utilitarian choices in moral dilemmas, possibly because the foreign language reduced emotional reaction and created psychological distance (Costa et al., 2014). Keysar, Hayakawa, and An also found that using a foreign language reduced certain decision-making biases, including framing effects and loss aversion (Keysar, Hayakawa, & An, 2012). These studies do not mean that second-language speakers are less moral. They suggest that language can change how close or distant a decision feels.

Lying adds another layer because it involves both emotion and cognitive effort. A lie is not just a sentence. To lie, a person must know the truth, suppress it, create an alternative version, and make that version sound believable. If the lie is told in a second language, the speaker may also need to search for vocabulary, monitor grammar, and control pronunciation. This creates two forces at the same time. The second language may reduce emotional guilt, but it may also increase mental effort.

This is why research on lying in a foreign language is complicated. Duñabeitia and colleagues found that false statements created larger pupil dilation and longer response times than truthful statements, and foreign-language statements also created more processing effort. However, the two effects did not strongly interact, suggesting that lying and using a foreign language may each add their own kind of difficulty (Duñabeitia et al., 2015). Other studies suggest that whether lying feels easier or harder in a foreign language may depend on the kind of lie, the person’s fluency, and whether the lie is selfish or prosocial.

This is important because not all lies feel the same. Saying “I’m fine” when you are not fine is different from lying to avoid responsibility. Saying “I like your outfit” to protect someone’s feelings is different from creating a false story to hurt someone. Language may change the emotional feeling of the lie, but the social meaning still matters.

For bilingual people, this topic can feel personal because different languages often bring out different versions of the self. In one language, a person may feel more direct. In another, more careful. In one, more emotional. In another, more distant or analytical. This does not mean bilingual people have separate personalities in a dramatic way. It means each language carries a different emotional history.

Maybe the deeper question is not only whether lying changes in another language. Maybe the question is why truth itself feels different when translated. A confession in one language may feel exposed. An apology in another may feel rehearsed. A lie may feel less frightening in a second language because the words do not touch the same memories. Or it may feel harder because the speaker is more self-conscious.

In the end, a lie is still a lie. Translation does not erase responsibility. But it can change the distance between the speaker and the sentence. Language does not only express what we think. It also shapes how close we feel to what we say.

Sources

Costa, A., Foucart, A., Hayakawa, S., Aparici, M., Apesteguia, J., Heafner, J., & Keysar, B. (2014). Your morals depend on language. PLOS ONE, 9(4), e94842.

Duñabeitia, J. A., & colleagues. (2015). Lying in a native and foreign language. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 22, 1124-1129.

Harris, C. L., Aycicegi, A., & Gleason, J. B. (2003). Taboo words and reprimands elicit greater autonomic reactivity in a first language than in a second language. Applied Psycholinguistics, 24(4), 561-579.

Keysar, B., Hayakawa, S. L., & An, S. G. (2012). The foreign-language effect: Thinking in a foreign tongue reduces decision biases. Psychological Science, 23(6), 661-668.