Are you able to trill the Spanish "rr" sound?

[Silk]

...a lot of people can't.  Some of my friends, when they ask what kind of a pet they have, need to lie and say they have a cat, because they can't say "perro", the Spanish word for dog.

I used to not be able to pronounce it until I started self-studying Russian and wanted to figure out how.  After about a year, I finally did.

But a lot of native Russians can't.  Lenin couldn't.  He pronounced it with a guttural (uvular) R instead.  There's also a Russian girl in my class that pronounces it that way.  It sounds funny, but cute.

[Macawmoses]

Yes, necessary in French, too.

[Lotos]

Hell no.  I don't even have the gene that can let me roll my tounge in that "hot dog" fashion.  :(  Otherwise, I'd have taken Spanish.  Thank you for reminding me why I took Italian instead =)

[Kaz]

Yeah. I've been able to for as long as I can remember.

[Silk]

Yes, necessary in French, too.

Actually it's a completely different sound in French, and in some words it's not pronounced at all.
When it is pronounced, it is a guttural (uvular) trill or fricative (the uvula trills rather than the tip of the tongue).

The Spanish /r/ is alveolar, meaning it is made by trilling the tip of the tongue.

Hell no.  I don't even have the gene that can let me roll my tounge in that "hot dog" fashion.    Otherwise, I'd have taken Spanish.  Thank you for reminding me why I took Italian instead

It's not genetic - most people who say that they can't do it simply don't know how to.  Why do you think that so many native English speakers struggle with the sound whereas many speakers of other languages have no problem with it (though sounds like the English "th" are great difficulty for them).  Surely you don't need a gene to pronounce "th" correctly.

Also, Italian has the trill as well.  It just isn't considered a separate "letter" like it is in Spanish.

[Lotos]

Hell no.  I don't even have the gene that can let me roll my tounge in that "hot dog" fashion.    Otherwise, I'd have taken Spanish.  Thank you for reminding me why I took Italian instead

It's not genetic - most people who say that they can't do it simply don't know how to.  Why do you think that so many native English speakers struggle with the sound whereas many speakers of other languages have no problem with it (though sounds like the English "th" are great difficulty for them).  Surely you don't need a gene to pronounce "th" correctly.

Also, Italian has the trill as well.  It just isn't considered a separate "letter" like it is in Spanish.

Actually, I meant the folding part of the tounge is genetic.  I wish I knew how to roll my tongue.  Then I'd have taken Spanish.

[Silk]

Hell no.  I don't even have the gene that can let me roll my tounge in that "hot dog" fashion.    Otherwise, I'd have taken Spanish.  Thank you for reminding me why I took Italian instead

It's not genetic - most people who say that they can't do it simply don't know how to.  Why do you think that so many native English speakers struggle with the sound whereas many speakers of other languages have no problem with it (though sounds like the English "th" are great difficulty for them).  Surely you don't need a gene to pronounce "th" correctly.

Also, Italian has the trill as well.  It just isn't considered a separate "letter" like it is in Spanish.

Actually, I meant the folding part of the tounge is genetic.  I wish I knew how to roll my tongue.  Then I'd have taken Spanish.

Well the odd thing is that I was unable to fold my tongue into a U-shape as you mention until I "forced" myself to, much like my trilling of the rr.  I think you can overcome genetics if you try hard enough.

[…]

Yes, I can.

[Super]

I've no need to.


But yes.

[Silverhawk79]

Somewhat.

[Zovistograt]

No, and somehow I went through Spanish not being able to :(

And I still can't really do that other thing you can do.  I forgot how to spell it using IPA D:

[Sgt.Chilly]

Is as natural to me as breathing.

It is a part of my Puerto Rican blood.

Yo soy el pantelones de justicia!

[Hero_Of_Time1]

Yes.

[noodle976]

Yes  :)

[SkyMyl]

Somewhat.

This.

Spanish itself...no.