What language does BB-8 speak?

What language does BB-8 speak? - Young lady learning sign language during online lesson with female tutor

Does BB-8 in Star Wars: The Force Awakens speak some kind of binary (Morse-like) language? If so, how can people understand it (such as Rey)?

Do we know the structure of it?



Best Answer

In-universe it's referred to as "Binary".

The droid blurted out something harsh. Rey scoffed. Her comfort with all things mechanical had made her fluent in binary. “Classified? Really? Well, me too. Big secret. I’ll keep mine and you can keep yours.” - SW: The Force Awakens - Junior Novelisation

and

Q. Why is R2-D2 so hard to understand?

A. R2 speaks in binary, a language of beeps and whistles. C-3PO often has to translate to help everyone else understand what he's saying. - SW: Absolutely Everything You Need to Know

It's also referred to as "Droidspeak"

BB-8 converses in 27th generation droidspeak code, a compressed variant of the most common astromech language - Star Wars: The Force Awakens Visual Dictionary


You may wish to note that this form of communication appears to be a dumbed-down version that can be understood by humans. When BB-8 attempts to communicate with R2-D2, his greeting is described as having a...

...transmission sequence too rapid and too exhaustive for any human to follow.




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What language does BB-8 speak? - Side view of female friends sitting at table in university library and using sign language
What language does BB-8 speak? - Crop anonymous people in outerwear standing in park on blurred background in winter and using sign language



Can BB-8 speak?

It is also described in the script as \u201cSKITTERY.\u201d BB-8 does not speak, so all of the captioned descriptions of BB-8 are nonspeech captions. A select few characters, including Rey (Daisy Ridley), can understand the meaning of BB-8's beeps and translate them for other characters and for the audience.

What language do droids speak?

Binary. Binary, or Droidspeak, is made up of beeps and whistles. The language is \u201cspoken\u201d by droids such as R2-D2 and BB-8. In an early draft of the Star Wars script, R2-D2 speaks standard English.

Is BB-8 a boy or a girl?

Like, until recently, whether we should be calling BB-8 "he" or "she." There's been much speculation about BB-8's gender identity, but today we finally have a definitive answer: BB-8 is a boy.

Does R2-D2 speak binary?

However, most droids, including R2-D2 and BB-8, "speak" a droid language through sequences of beeps and whistles. It is known as "Binary," and several humans in the Star Wars universe can understand it.



BB-8 with Subtitles




More answers regarding what language does BB-8 speak?

Answer 2

From starwars.wikia.com

Binary or droidspeak was the language commonly spoken by droids. It consisted of a set of beeps and whistles strung together into what resembled sentences.

The astromech BB-8 spoke in 27th generation droidspeak, a compressed variant of standard droidspeak.

Rey and few other also can understand them surely by learning. It must be like learning any other language.

Answer 3

In-universe they call it Binary, which one could perhaps compare to morse code. You can learn morse code. It's not so much a language unto itself, but a way to encode language.

Of course, in reality, the noises the droids make are clearly analog and not binary at all, so it's actually more like a natural language in the aspect. (Though, as far as I know, there is no actual language created for the film like, for instance, they did with Klingon for Star Trek).

Answer 4

Official DVD/Bluray Subtitles/CC simply call this Droid Language when it doesn't describe it as Beeps or Whistles. This is used consistently throughout Episode 1-3. Episode 4-6 does not contain much non-verbal droid communication aside from R2. Pictured, a Vulture Droid at the start of Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith.

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The same Subtitles use the language name for any other language, including Huttese and Galactic Basic (or Just "Basic", aka English or whatever language the movie was dubbed into). So officially, it's Droid or Droid Language. Of course this will be confirmed on the Force Awakens home release.

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