Being Fluent in Another Language | Arabic Example

[sprachbegeistert]

That's a great definition of fluency and I completely agree with you. There is no need to know every single word (apart from the fact that it is simply impossible to know all words in a language) but you ought to be able to work your way around an expression to get a satisfying answer from the person you talk to.

[orangeroomstudios]

I like the idea of knowing "just enough". It's almost Zen, like the famous stone inscription at Ryoanji in Kyoto Japan. When you're in that state (or mindset?) of knowing just enough of a language, you're somewhere between learning and teaching, appreciating and criticizing. Of course, eventually one may became more fluent, though, and one's definition of fluency would have to evolve as well.