Pants

He speaks like a barking wallrus.

Han Solo can understand him but no one else can. Right?

Can C-3PO understand him?

Chewey can understand english though right?

So he can understand it but not speak it. Is it physically impossible for him to speak it? Why doesn't he learn english? All his friends speak english

Groucho

I never thought I'd see "Chewbacca" and "Straight" in the same sentence together!

nemein

you mean you didn't understand him Did you have popcorn in your ears or something...

wendersfan

Maybe he can understand English, but the physical limitations of hos throat or whatever prevent him from being able to speak it. What am I saying? I don't have a clue what the reason is!

Jack's Smirking

Threads like these make me wonder how on earth I got along before the internet

LOL

William Fuld

Just Han Solo and Art Carney.

cheapskate

Mmmm...chewie

Maybe Han Solo only *pretends* to understand him - hence Chewies frustated growling...and constant inner rage...

He's almost the Snuffleupagus of the Star Wars universe...

Giantrobo

This is why Star Trek is better.

They have Universal Translators and it makes sense

Josh-da-man

However, Wookies with speech impediments can speak English.

Fok

Hey some humans can't even speak english properly. I think Chewie is doing a good job

calhoun07

Not that it is important, but you could also look at it this way if it helps: pet owners understand what their pets are "saying" even tho they can't sit there and respond with direct barks and meows. Of course, I don't know if Lucas had that in mind, but I don't think Lucas spent a great deal of time worrying if a few people would come up with this question. You could just as well ask it about R2-D2, where everybody can understand his beeps and whistles, but nobody speak that "language."

Spooky

Okay, let's get this straight:

Han and Lando Calrissian can both understand Chewie.

C3PO is fluent in over six million forms of communication, so there's a good chance he understands him too.

Goldberg74

According to Zahn trilogy (which alot of folks say doesn't count), Leia learns the 'wookie' language and finds out that she can understand other wookies easier, its that way that we find out that Chewie has a speech impediment... kind of along the lines of a lisp.

NaturalMystic79

I originally believed that Wookies were a primative ape-like species that were great barbarians, nothing more nothing less. Then, after how I see how he's able to operation such a complex piece of technology like the Milenium Falcon I recant my previous thoughts. Maybe he's like a super Wookie. You don't see many other wookies at all during Episode 3-6, so it makes me think that maybe Chewie was one of the more intellectual of the Wookies, the Stephan Hawkin of Wookies, if you will.

nice_skis

Han Solo doesn't understand Wookie (or is it wookish?).

"How, then does he do it?" you must be pondering now.

It's because the actor in the furry suit repeats every line in plain english in a very very soft voice so only Harrison Ford could hear him. Just wait till you get the film in DTS and you'll hear it too.

devilshalo

So how do you explain them working in ST:Voy? Considering that the Universal Translators only work with known languages?

devilshalo

I dunno, I think Chewie would lose his credibility if he spoke Scooby english.

Ruh roh.. rorm-roopers.. rook out, Ruke!

Josh H

Han understands him. I imagine anyone could understand him if they took the time to learn the language. Aren't their some scenes, maybe in ROTJ, where Leia listens to him and is able to pick out a few words? Or was that in a book or something? I haven't watched the old trilogy in a couple of years.

As for chewie, he clearly understands Basic (english). He likely just doesn't have the vocal cords to speak it.

I mean dogs, cats etc. learn certain words if you say them enough and train them. They could probably repeat them (like parrots or whatever birds that do that) if they had the vocal cords to do it.

NCMojo

Out of curiosity... I wonder what Chewbacca's dialogue looked like in the script?

Jason

I think the bigger question is, why would anyone build a maintenance droid that doesn't speak basic? I can understand a non-humanoid not having the proper vocal chords to speak basic, but a freakin' robot?!? If a ten year old slave kid can stuff a voicebox into a prissy naked protocol droid, why can't a factory (operated, I'm assuming, by beings smarter than a 10 year old) build an astromech droid that can say more than "beep bonk beep"?

Rizor

Astromech droids aren't supposed to speak is the best explanation I can come up with.

Iron Chef

Strait?

Pants

Yeah my favorite band is Dire Straits so I always spell straight as strait as a tribute to them

I also do it because I'm not secure in my sexuality

Giantrobo

they work with the language. It takes time but eventually the translators can figure new languages out. I've seen several eps when this happened.

Movie_Man

Since we're on the topic, how come when Chewbacca speaks, there is no english translation captioned on the bottom of the screen like when the other aliens talk?