Useful basic phrases for when you are abroad

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Ricardodaforce

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When you go on holiday to a foreign (non-English speaking) country do you buy a phrase book, or just speak English and hope they understand? How about those of you with some language skills adding some basic, polite phrases here to help us holiday makers! I'll start with some Spanish:

Good morning. Buenos días
Good afternoon. Buenas tardes
Good night. Buenas noches
Please. Por favor
Thank you. Gracias
My name is. Me llamo

OK, let's see some Greek, German, French, Italian et al. It's polite to use the basics!
 
Just shout in English, we won the war after all.
 
One of the best italian phrases is :-
un fragole frappe per favore
.)
 
I find that if I try to speak the "local" language I often get blank looks like they have not got a clue what I'm trying to say but they have no trouble understanding english - I guess I mainly visit cities rather than outlying villages in the middle of nowhere though.
 
I'm sorry Ricardo that I cannot add to your list.

I was born in Newcastle-upon-Tyne and in the late 1950s/early1960s my view was that London was a foreign country never mind anywhere else. Despite the best efforts of my teachers I never learnt any other language.

As an adult I felt very uncomfortable going to a foreign country because I did not know any of the language.

It took many years before I was persuaded to visit France and I worked to learn a few phrases before I went.

We went to Normandy and everyone I met was wonderfully accommodating and tolerant of the Brit destroying their language.

I assume things are very different now.

Dave
 
On holiday in Greece last month, listening some tourists trying to say good morning to lacals in Greek and wondering why they get odd looks , they would say kalimari (which is squid) instead of kalimera
ti kanis (sounds like te kanees) = How Are You
Poli Kala = very well
 
Parlez vous anglais is the one to know for France :)
 
:):):)
 
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Beer! 47(almost) different ways

Code: 
Afrikaans    'n Bier, asseblief    A beer ah-suh-bleef
Basque    Garagardo bat, mesedez    Gara-gardo bat mese-des
Belarusian    <beer>    Ad-no pee-vah ka-lee lah-ska
Breton    Ur banne bier am bo, mar plij    Oor bah-ne beer am boh mar pleezh
Bulgarian    <beer>    Ed-na beer-ra mol-ya
Catalan    Una cervesa, si us plau    Oona servayzeh see oos plow
Chinese    请给我一杯啤酒    Ching gay woh ee bay pee joh
Croatian    Jedno pivo, molim    Yed-no pee-vo, mo-lim
Czech / Slovak    Pivo, prosím    Pee-vo, pro-seem
Danish    Jeg vil gerne have en øl    Yay vil geh-neh heh en url
Dutch    Een bier, alsjeblieft    Un beer, ahls-yer-bleeft
English    One beer, please    Wun beer, pleez
Esperanto    Unu bieron, mi petas    Oo-noo bee-airon, mee peh-tahs
Estonian    Üks õlu, palun    Ooks ur-loo, pah-lun
Finnish    Olut mulle, kiitos    O-loot moolek kee-tos
French    Une bière, s'il vous plaît    Oon bee-air, seel voo pleh
German    Ein Bier, bitte    Ine beer, bitt-uh
Greek    <beer>    Mee-a beer-a paraka-loh
Hungarian    Egy pohár sört kérek    Edj pohar shurt kayrek
Icelandic    Einn bjór, takk    Ay-dn byohr tahk
Irish    Beoir amháin, le do thoil    Byohr awoyn, lyeh doh hull
Italian    Una birra, per favore    Oo-na beer-ra, pair fa-vo-re
Japanese    ビ一ルを一本下さい    Bee-ru ip-pon ku-da-sai
Korean    맥주 한잔 주세요    Mayk-joo hahn-jahn joo-se-yoh
Latin    Cervisiam, sodes    Ker-wi-see-am, soh-dehs
Latvian    Vienu alu, lū-dzu    Vyeh-noo ah-loo, loo dzoo
Lithuanian    Prašau viena alaus    Pra-shau vie-na al-lows
Maltese    Wiehed birra, jekk jghogbok    Wee-het bir-ra yek yoh-dzbok
Norwegian    En øl, takk    Ehn url tahk
Occitan    Una cervesa, se vos plai    Oo-no serbeh-zo se bus ply
Polish    Jedno piwo, proszę    Yed-no peevo proshe
Portuguese    Uma cerveja, por favor    Oo-ma ser-vay-ja, poor fa-vohr
Romanian    O bere, vă rog    Oh beh-reh ver rohg
Romansch Ladina    Üna biera, per plaschair.   
Oo-nuh bee-air-uh per plah-chair

Russian    Пиво, пожалуйста    Ahd-na pee-vah pah-zha-loosta
Sardinian    Una birra, po piaghere    Oo-na beer-ra po pia-gehre
Scots Gaelic    Leann, mas e do thoil e    Lyawn mahs eh doh hawl eh
Serbian    <beer>    Yed-no pee-vo, mo-lim
Slovene    Eno pivo, prosim    Eno pee-vo pro-seem
Spanish (Lat. Am.)    Una cerveza, por favor    Oo-na ser-veh-sa, por fa-vor
Spanish (Spain)    Una cerveza, por favor    Oo-na thair-veh-tha, por fa-vor
Strine    Foster's, mate    Faw-stuhz, mayt
Swedish    En öl, tack    Ehn irl, tahk
Twi    Mame beer baako, mi pawokyew    Mah-me bee-ye bah-ko mee pow-che-oo
Turkish    Bir bira, lütfen    Beer beer-ah luht-fen
Welsh    Cwrw os gwelwch in dda    Koo-roh ohs gwel-ookh-un-thah
Yiddish    אב׳ר, ז״ט אזו׳ כוט    A beer, zeit a-zoy goot

http://esperanto-usa.org/en/content/how-order-beer-47-languages
 
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Trouble with the literal translations is that when used you often sound even more foreign!
 
In the Netherlands and parts of Belgium....

Which way to the train station? Mag ik jouw vrouw even neuken?
 
Don't forget the most important one............

Ello me ole China, as soon as I get into me whistle, and daisies, and comb me barnet,
I'm off ball of chalk wiv me bakers,
down the ole' rub-a dub,
as he's the one wiv the bee's, in his sky rocket.

I just hope he don't get too Brahms, and end up in barney rubble wiv the Sweeney,
or even worse his trouble and strife!
We might even go for a ruby later,
but I'm guessin if it was anything like the last one, we'll need a Pony after!
 
our our very own sessennabrurrafurrapunnaburrerfurramurra:eek:
 
i totally agree Ricardo.... and as yuo know am reasonably ok in Spanish... what is quite funny though, in a remote bar in a remote village in Ibiza.. 2Un Cerveza y un cola light por favor".. and then get the strongest Belfast Accent ever (not a bir pub, a Spanish bar)).. "Do either of yous speak f***ing English?"

I learnt (conversational level) Spanish a while back, after being Billy Brit (without the union jack shorts) when the guy in front at the supermarket, started pointing and shouting... and reailised , "hmm, " (that was in the days of pesatas!")
 
Tringa said:
I'm sorry Ricardo that I cannot add to your list.

I was born in Newcastle-upon-Tyne and in the late 1950s/early1960s my view was that London was a foreign country never mind anywhere else. Despite the best efforts of my teachers I never learnt any other language.

As an adult I felt very uncomfortable going to a foreign country because I did not know any of the language.

It took many years before I was persuaded to visit France and I worked to learn a few phrases before I went.

We went to Normandy and everyone I met was wonderfully accommodating and tolerant of the Brit destroying their language.

I assume things are very different now.

Dave
Click to expand...
Surely you know your DOB!
 
These are the ones that I've found to be invaluable in my travels throughout Northern Europe. Covers just about everything.

French - deux biere s'il vous plait
German - zwei bier bitte
Spanish - dos cerveza por favor
 
Stuart M said:
These are the ones that I've found to be invaluable in my travels throughout Northern Europe. Covers just about everything.

French - deux biere s'il vous plait
German - zwei bier bitte
Spanish - dos cerveza por favor
Click to expand...

You mean "dos cervezas por favor".

But in real life people would usually be asking for "dos cañas".
 
Here's some Catalan for voyagers to Barcelona and other parts of Catalunya:

Good morning. Bon dia.
Good afternoon. Bona tarda
Good night. Bona nit
Please. Si us plau
Thank you. Gràcies
 
Desculpe, onde está paragem de autocarro?

Unfortunately, I've never needed to catch a bus in Portugal !
 
dejongj said:
In the Netherlands and parts of Belgium....

Which way to the train station? Mag ik jouw vrouw even neuken?
Click to expand...
Could get an interesting answer
 
frank said:
On holiday in Greece last month, listening some tourists trying to say good morning to lacals in Greek and wondering why they get odd looks , they would say kalimari (which is squid) instead of kalimera
ti kanis (sounds like te kanees) = How Are You
Poli Kala = very well
Click to expand...

We know people like that and some of them live there...
Good morning...kali mera (used throughout the day)
Good evening...kali spera (mainly after dark)
Good night...kali nichta (ch as in loch)
Please...parakalo (also used for 'you're welcome')
Thank you...effaristo
Where's the toilet...poo in a toualetta (really!)
Sorry...signomi

One classic malapropism we've heard was someone asking for an orangeade (portokolada) by saying proktokolada. Now 'prokto' means anus and lada is a fizzy drink so proktokolada could be translated as explosive diarrhoea!

Our Greek is rather embarrassingly limited after so many visits but what we do know, we apparently say quite well but with a slight regional accent. The problem with that is that we often get a long burst in return since they think we speak more than we actually do. We also have a rather odd vocabulary - not a lot of call for 'scanjochiros', hedgehog! Luckily, we can both read the Greek alphabet since most signposts are in Greek 400m before a junction and English (Roman) 25mm or less!

We've been trying to get lessons here but they don't seem to exist. A Swedish friend spent a couple of months there doing a course and is reasonably fluent. Bloody hard work though and she needed a month's holiday after the course!
 
oh wow............... basic language for the "giri's"

expats and all... ;-)
 
Nod said:
We know people like that and some of them live there...
Good morning...kali mera (used throughout the day)
Good evening...kali spera (mainly after dark)
Good night...kali nichta (ch as in loch)
Please...parakalo (also used for 'you're welcome')
Thank you...effaristo
Where's the toilet...poo in a toualetta (really!)
Sorry...signomi

One classic malapropism we've heard was someone asking for an orangeade (portokolada) by saying proktokolada. Now 'prokto' means anus and lada is a fizzy drink so proktokolada could be translated as explosive diarrhoea!

Our Greek is rather embarrassingly limited after so many visits but what we do know, we apparently say quite well but with a slight regional accent. The problem with that is that we often get a long burst in return since they think we speak more than we actually do. We also have a rather odd vocabulary - not a lot of call for 'scanjochiros', hedgehog! Luckily, we can both read the Greek alphabet since most signposts are in Greek 400m before a junction and English (Roman) 25mm or less!

We've been trying to get lessons here but they don't seem to exist. A Swedish friend spent a couple of months there doing a course and is reasonably fluent. Bloody hard work though and she needed a month's holiday after the course!
Click to expand...

I like that you know all these phrases :) one small thing though, thank you is efKAristo :)
 
People should always learn some basic phrases before going away. I worked in the tourist industry for a few years and pretty much every visitor from whatever country was able to communicate their needs to me. Greek phrases are no problem to me and I can get by in Spanish and French and Catalan too. Not Italian though. For that I just bite my thumb at people and do a Tony Soprano impression.
 
I am from Newcastle origionlally so even Geordie at times to others seems like a foreign language.:D
I have been all round europe, mostly cities or bigger towns but have also done the most remote parts of a country too, and what I always tend to do is try to say hello in their language, and it seems to work that they think straight away "Foriegner" so after that I get by by sign language or them speaking very broken english.
A mate asked me once if I ever felt insecure going to all these foriegn places and not speaking the language and my answer was " I will always get a bed for the night I will always get petrol and I will always get fed and watered with the odd beer thrown in, what more do you need on a road trip"

Mind you I have had some strange meals with not being able to read the menu but thats part of the fun eating their food, you just never know what you are going to get:p
 
Mi puo portare il conto per favore - may I have the bill please
Una biglietto di andata e ritorno per Roma per favore - a return ticket for Rome please
Il pieno, grazie - fill the tank up please
Il motore non parte - the engine won't start
Due birra forte per favore - two strong beers please
 
norters said:
I like that you know all these phrases :) one small thing though, thank you is efKAristo :)
Click to expand...

Well, I was aiming for the phonetic spelling rather than the accurate one and don't have the Greek alphabet on this phone!

I forgot
Yes...neh
No..ohi (which is sometimes said "oshi" just to confuse people!)
 
When I was spending a lot of my childhood in Greece a favourite of my uncle was to call me Malaka :) it's not complimentary!
 
I normally leave it to the Mrs. She's Spanish and can speak Spanish (obviously), German, French, English and currently learning Thai. And here's me that just scraped a pass in French :oops: :$
 
Cobra said:
Don't forget the most important one............

Ello me ole China, as soon as I get into me whistle, and daisies, and comb me barnet,
I'm off ball of chalk wiv me bakers,
down the ole' rub-a dub,
as he's the one wiv the bee's, in his sky rocket.

I just hope he don't get too Brahms, and end up in barney rubble wiv the Sweeney,
or even worse his trouble and strife!
We might even go for a ruby later,
but I'm guessin if it was anything like the last one, we'll need a Pony after!
Click to expand...
That just about covers it all I think except for
avez-vous une cuppa & the universal, Upstairs jig-jig how much ;)
 
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norters said:
When I was spending a lot of my childhood in Greece a favourite of my uncle was to call me Malaka :) it's not complimentary!
Click to expand...

Well, it depends on the company! BTW, malaka is also a Cretan soft cheese (but I think the tonos might be different.)
 
Cobra said:
Don't forget the most important one............

Ello me ole China, as soon as I get into me whistle, and daisies, and comb me barnet,
I'm off ball of chalk wiv me bakers,
down the ole' rub-a dub,
as he's the one wiv the bee's, in his sky rocket.

I just hope he don't get too Brahms, and end up in barney rubble wiv the Sweeney,
or even worse his trouble and strife!
We might even go for a ruby later,
but I'm guessin if it was anything like the last one, we'll need a Pony after!
Click to expand...
I was under the impression the Sweeny was Sweeny Todd, Flying Squad, not really bothered about drunks. ;)
Other than the French I learnt at school and rapidly forgot most of, soon after, I don't speak any other languages and nor do I intend to do so.
 
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