Raise your hand if you’re low-key obsessed with Tom Holland and if he’s been all over your TikTok For You Page recently. Anyone else? Just me? Between his acting chops, swoon-worthy accent, and obviously, his precious relationship with Zendaya that I hope never ends, it’s safe to say Holland is one of our favorite pop culture icons to ever exist. (Rumor has it that he might even be hosting the Oscars soon, which very well may be the cure for all of the world’s problems). As if we couldn’t love the adorable actor any more than we already do, enter this viral TikTok trend inspired by Holland himself. Here’s what you need to know about the trend, in which Holland proves once again that he’s a multitalented king — including when it comes to speaking foreign languages…sort of.
Have you ever been asked a question — whether at a job interview, during happy hour, on a first date, or otherwise — and suddenly there’s absolutely nothing in your brain? Same. We all draw a blank sometimes, even superstars like Tom Holland. In the “I Understand Spanish” TikTok trend, Holland is speaking in a Spiderman press interview and tells the smiley reporter, “I understand Spanish to a certain level!” She then asks, “¿Cuántos años tienes?” meaning, “How old are you?” The camera then cuts abruptly to Holland, who accidentally mistakes the journalist’s question for “Where are you from?” Caught in the cutest deer-in-headlights moment ever (again, we’ve all been there), his eyes widen and he responds, “Uh…London?”
The text overlay on the viral video (originally posted by user @marvel.loki.pov) reads: “Me in Spanish class.” The whole ordeal is equally funny and charming (it is Tom, after all), and has sparked a series of amusing comments from TikTokers who can’t get enough. “He’s London years old. What is it that y’all don’t understand??” says @meredithjohnson0401. Other comments include “I COME BACK TO THIS EVERY DAY” and “He was so confident byeee😭😭✋🏼.” Of course, various TikTokers have also used the video as an excuse to profess their continued admiration for Holland, with comments like “I love him 😭😭 he thought abt it for a while.”
Obviously, learning a foreign language is a humbling experience and we don’t blame Tom for the understandable mishap. However, TikTok does as TikTok does, and creators have already turned the comical moment into a viral trend. Over 94,000 TikTokers are utilizing the trending soundbite to highlight moments when they confidently claim to know a person, fact, or skill very well, whether it’s their bestie of eight years or understanding how to do math (which I can’t even pretend to claim). Then, they act out a scene in which they’re stating a particular claim, followed by footage that implies “Actually, never mind what I just said, I want to crawl in a hole.” For example, if someone asks if you’re a Nicki Minaj fan and you instantly reply with “Pull up in the Sri Lanka!!” …that is the exact moment I’m referring to.
As with many viral TikTok trends, you’re free to creatively interpret the Tom Holland audio any way you’d like. However, in most versions, you’ll find a similar formula of creators calling themselves out in some way. For instance, TikToker @ave.linaa claims to love the Harry Potter series and know everything about it; but when asked why the Weasley family was poor, she draws a blank (as am I, right now). Creator @minionminyen understands Google Meets but pauses when asked to present a video, and @ch4rli1y is trying her hardest to learn astrology but isn’t as advanced as she’d like to be. TikToker @wemmse’s best subject is English but who’s to say what “present perfect” tense even is, and @marissagurrola has a 4.0 GPA but frequently gets her “lefts” and “rights” mixed up. Don’t worry, Marissa. We all have our moments.
Another creative way to interpret the “I Understand Spanish” trend is by sharing a contradiction of some kind. For example, @luis_freitag_ claims to be a non-judgmental person, but when a friend says they don’t like Marvel movies, he’s clearly judging. Creator @genevievehaa says she isn’t introverted, but grimaces when invited anywhere at all, and @linadulcinea claims to practice healthy communication but low key gives the silent treatment any time she’s upset (couldn’t be me). Maybe you say you’re “not competitive” but you’re secretly dying to beat someone in “Just Dance,” or you’re like @dylansdefshadowbanned who claims to not overthink things, but automatically does after being left on “read.” Whatever your joke, situation, or preferred way of calling yourself out, the Tom Holland-inspired TikTok trend is a humorous way to do it.
To try the trend, save the audio first, then think of a clever way to poke fun at yourself. Film yourself giving two sides of the story (think: claiming to understand Spanish, then clearly not) and come up with a witty caption to match. Don’t forget to provide a clear text overlay so the joke makes sense, and for the love of Tom Holland, don’t take yourself too seriously. Sometimes we don’t know what we don’t know, and it’s okay to admit that. What better way to laugh about it than with a viral TikTok trend?