We’ve all had to suffer through the mind-numbing boredom of sitting next to someone we don’t like at a dinner party.

And while the majority of us will grin and bear it will trying to make the most of a bad situation, Japan’s First Lady seemed to take a much bolder approach when she recently found herself seated next to Donald Trump at dinner.

Rather than engage the President in a two-hour stint of small talk and polite conversation, Akie Abe instead opted to keep her mouth shut – by apparently pretending she didn’t speak a word of English.

News of the awkward exchange surfaced during Trump’s recent interview with the New York Times, where he told reporters that Abe spoke so little English she couldn’t even use the word “hello”.

Did Japan’s First Lady just pretend not to speak English so she can ignore Trump?