star wars - How do people understand astromech droids?

In all the Star Wars movies, R2D2 just boops and beeps his way around. And everyone understands him perfectly, though he is obviously not speaking Basic.

How do people understand him - is there like an astromech language? If so, then would one have to learn it, or is it comprised of feelings and emotions (expressed in beeps), essentially making a tonal language?

If I may be permitted to use an example from the prequels without too many lynch mobs forming, Anakin Skywalker converses frequently with Artoo while in the Naboo fighter, but he couldn't have had much schooling at the age of eleven, especially because he was a slave.

So how would people, Anakin especially, be able to understand astromechs?

Answer

All droids speak and understand Binary - the language R2 uses.

In general, the tones used can convey much of the meaning. Translators like C-3P0 have to translate for most people, though people who have spent a lot of time around droids can learn at least a little of what different sounds/phrases mean - just watching the trilogy, most people can figure out 'yes' and 'no'.

Luke especially spends a lot of time with R2, and has his X-Wing's computer terminal for R2 to 'speak' through - accompanied by the verbalizations he would make. Luke certainly has at least a basic understanding of the language.

The rest of what Luke displays can be attributed to his knowing R2 so well - He can guess how R2 will respond, get a basic idea of the question from what he knows, and fill in the blanks intuitively.

Interestingly, the Galaxy of Fear young adult series featured an R2 unit with a speech module - an optional component which allowed them to speak in Basic.

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