Business Ideas of Ecologically-friendly (and Tasty!) Cutlery

I ate at my first Ethiopian restaurant in May.  This experience spawned a business idea, and it reminded me of another idea I had a few years back.  Both are related to eating utensils.  I want to share these ideas hoping someone will run with one (or both) of them, start a trend, become a millionaire, and help the environment in the process.

Go ahead, eat these ideas up!

BACKGROUND

The majority of the people on this planet eat with some type of cutlery:  forks, knives, spoons, and chopsticks being the most popular.  (As an aside, the spork was a good invention, allowing you to both stab and slurp your food with one instrument.)

At the Ethiopian restaurant, however, no standard utensils are provided.  You eat with your hands.  Specifically, you tear off a piece of “bread” called injera and grab the food with it.  The injera is your eating utensil.  And you eat the utensil!  It is part of your food.

This got me thinking on several fronts.

• First, the lack of cutlery meant less washing in the restaurant.  Only the plate the food came on needed to be washed after the meal.  In poor and developing countries, it makes sense.  And it is in these countries and cultures where several good ideas in reducing waste can be observed.
• Second, it reminded me there are many other examples of eating without cutlery.  In Mexico, a hard taco is simply food scooped into a shell, which is also eaten with the food.  Soft tacos, wraps, and burritos are all made by wrapping food up in an edible container.  Falafels are stuffed into pita bread and eaten together.  Empanadas, calzones, and meat pies are fried or baked with food in edible wrappings.  Pizza is an open-faced calzone.  Even the sandwich is simply food surrounded on two sides by bread to keep the fingers from getting too messy.  So while eating with your hands sans cutlery for an "Ethiopian cuisine newbie" may strikes one as unusual, it is not as strange as it may initially appear.
• Third, I discovered I did not care for the taste of injera.  It is spongy (a unique texture) and sour (a unique taste, and I am not a sourdough fan).  I find injera overpowers the food; everything tastes like injera.  Hence, business idea number 1 (see below).  I ended up using the injera like a spoon and not eating it with the food I scooped up.  But the smell of injera still imparted a sour taste to whatever I ate.
• Fourth, if we could get rid of the plates then the restaurant would not have to wash anything.  Theoretially, the food could have been served on a sturdy, large round injera, a pizza pie with servings of food on top.  An ice cream cone is an example of an instrument that initially serves as a container that is then eaten after the food is consumed; no dish and no spoon to clean or toss after the meal.
• Fifth, I decided not to use plastic eating utensils and paper plates for a dinner party I was going to host in June.  I always disliked throwing away plastic for environmental reasons, but I was not sure I wanted to wash all the cutlery and plates after the party.  The Ethiopian restaurant experience helped me make the decision to go with reusable silverware and plates.  It also reminded me of the other idea I had several years back.  See business idea number 2 below.

BUSINESS IDEAS

Here are two business ideas.

Idea #1 - All restaurants that want to provide an “Ethiopian-style” of eating -- or eating without cutlery -- should offer a selection of “injera-inspired” breads.

Traditional injera is made out of teff cereal.  This main ingredient can be replaced with flour, corn, or rice.  Flavors could be offered:  plain (without the strong sour taste), parmesan-crusted, tomato-basil.  There could even be a chocolate "injera" for desserts.  Of course, the “classic” injera should be on the menu, too, for those who like the taste.

Idea #2 – Make a line of standard single-use eating utensils that are edible.  This includes forks, knives, spoons, and chopsticks.

There are many benefits.

• No more plastic or paper to throw into landfills.
• The cutlery can be eaten during or after the meal, and if not, they are compostable.
• The cutlery can come in multiple flavors.
• Standard cutlery makes it easier to eat certain foods than pinching with bread.

There are some challenges, but these can all be overcome.

• The cutlery needs to be strong enough to withstand a certain amount of force, particularly a knife.
• The cutlery cannot get soggy quickly in a liquid food.
• The cutlery cannot be too hard or they cannot be eaten (although throwing away a compostable and biodegradable item is still better than using plastic.)
• Depending on how they are made and what ingredients they have, the cutlery may be perishable and have a certain shelf-life.
• The cutlery would be considered a food and would have to adhere to food regulations.

There are several models to consider as starting points.

• Breadsticks:  with a little tweaking of size, length, and hardness, they would be perfect chopsticks.
• Waffle cones:  make them a little harder and in the shape of spoons, they would be perfect for ice cream and sorbets.
• Dried spaghetti noodles or something equivalent: could be a perfect replacement for plastic toothpicks.

Eating utensils made from metal are still highly eco-friendly.  They are durable, last a long time (many lifetimes), and are multi-use.  A washing is all that is needed for reuse.

For single-use utensils, the key idea here is edible and compostable.  There are some companies like Eco-Products that make plastic cutlery out of plant starch.  While going in the right direction from an environmental standpoint, there is an opportunity to go to the next level of edible and compostable.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

One way, of course, is to start your own business using the ideas.  I encourage it.

A second way is to share recipes of how everyday people can make their own edible cutlery.  If every person who typically buys plastic forks and spoons used your recipe once this year, think of the benefits.  In the United States alone “Americans toss out enough paper & plastic cups, forks and spoons every year to circle the equator 300 times.”


I look forward to hearing about your success.  Happy eating!

"Must Learn" Phrases in Any Language

Ion Ţiriac, a former Romanian tennis player and agent of the tennis champion Boris Becker, is claimed to have remarked: “I have learned to defend myself in every language. To say, ‘I am innocent.’”  It was most likely said in jest, but I suspect there was also a smidgen of truth in it.

I make it a point to learn a few words and phrases in the native tongues of any country I am visiting.  I am innocent is not one of them; I go with I am sorry instead (Îmi pare rău, Ion.)  The primary reason to learn a few words and phrases is a matter of courtesy.  It shows you are respectful of the locals in the country you are visiting and of their language.  Being polite through language (as well as action) also helps foster a positive connection with people.

This posting presents:

• My recommendations on the "must learn" words and phrases and reasons why I selected them
• Tips on learning and using these words and phrases
• The words and phrases in several different languages

I will add to the different languages as I meet more native language speakers and capture this information.  This posting is, of course, written in English and geared toward a native English speaker who is not familiar with the foreign language to be spoken.

RECOMMENDATIONS ON "MUST LEARN" WORDS AND PHRASES

I recommend learning the following ten words and phrases.  My selection criteria focuses on politeness (being respectful and considerate to others) and simple questions or answers.  Being able to actually conduct a conversation is not the purpose since you do not know the language.  To ask someone "How are you doing?" only to receive a response in a language you do not understand would not be helpful.

Phrase	Reason
Hello	Universal greeting. Say it whenever you meet someone.
Thank you	Politeness. Say it whenever someone helps you.  Say it when departing as a substitute for goodbye because any person you have spoken with is likely to have helped you in some way.
Please	Politeness. Say it whenever someone offers to help you.  You can use this word in conjunction with thank you and yes.
Yes	Answer a yes/no question. Follow it with please if appropriate.  Say it even if the question you are responding to was asked in English.
No	Answer a yes/no question. Follow it with thank you if appropriate.  Say it even if the question you are responding to was asked in English.
I am sorry	Politeness. Say it when you sense you may have done something wrong or inappropriate or feel an apology is appropriate.
Excuse me	Politeness. Say it before interrupting someone or doing anything that may potentially be considered inappropriate.
Where is the bathroom (toilet)?	Get an answer to this important question. This can be shortened to just Toilet? if the rest of the phrase is to difficult to learn.  Precede with please or excuse me if approaching someone to ask.  If the person responds in words and not by pointing in the direction of a toilet, follow with I am sorry, I do not understand and then with do you speak English?  Once you learn the answer, end with thank you before leaving.
I do not understand	Politeness. Say it when you do not understand.  Precede it with I am sorry and follow it with do you speak English?
Do you speak English?	Get answers beyond your knowledge of the local language. Say it when you need to carry on a conversation beyond the nine phrases above.  Use the phrase excuse me or I am sorry, I do not understand before asking this question.  It informs the local person that you do not speak the local language or have a grasp of the language.  There is also an additional element of politeness because you have asked this question in their local tongue and not in English.

This is my own list of "must know" words and phrases.  You may ask why I have omitted certain words or phrases that are typical in introductory foreign language courses.  Here is my reasoning.

• The list should be manageable.  Ten phrases is just above the "7 plus or minus 2" rule of what is manageable for people to remember.  So while goodbye is a good word to use and learn, thank you can substitute well in most situations.
• The purpose is not to carry on a conversation.  To be able to ask how someone is doing (how are you?) or ask their name (what is your name?) is beneficial if you have a large enough vocabulary to understand the response and to carry on a conversation.  But that is not the purpose of this list.
• Certain words may be best said in your own language.  For example, Help! would be a good word to learn.  But panic usually accompanies the need for this word and a seldom-used word escapes memory in times of crisis.  It is best to yell and scream to get attention or scream Help!

TIPS ON LEARNING AND USING THESE WORDS AND PHRASES

The key is to practice before you arrive in the country and apply what you have learned the moment you arrive.  Say each word or phrase whenever you can and whenever it is appropriate.

Do not be shy or self-conscious.  It is not uncommon for people to feel uneasy speaking foreign words for fear of getting it wrong.  Don't worry.  You will sound like a foreigner and you will get it wrong at times.  But it is the thought that counts.  And as far as I know, none of the words contained below will be interpreted as "I want to marry your mother" if you pronounce it slightly wrong.

As noted, several of these words and phrases can be used together.  For example, it helps to combine words of politeness with the questioning and answering words.

If there are multiple ways of saying something, go with the recommended suggestion by native speakers on what is most appropriate.  If you cannot find that out, go with the formal rather than the informal.

Some countries or regions within a country may have their own vernacular.  If it is possible, learn the specific words and phases of the country or region you are visiting.  The words may be different or have a different connotation between countries even though the language is the same.  French French and Canadian French are slightly different.

You could write these words down on paper or use a phrasebook and point to the word or phase.  In addition, there are some good smartphone applications available with several written and spoken words and phrases.  For example, the iPhone has a free Talk Chinese app (see below) with several basic words and phrases spoken in Mandarin.  Touch a word or phrase and you can hear it spoken in Chinese by a native speaker.

I still recommend you learn and speak the ten words and phrases in your own voice.  But these types of tools can come in handy if the language is too difficult to pronounce or the person you want to communicate with does not know any English.  You are still showing interest in their language and being polite.

Many countries have more than one language spoken.  Keep that in mind as you travel.  You may need to learn more than one language depending on the region of the country you will be visiting.

And by all means learn more words and phrases or become proficient if that is your interest.  This list is intended to be the minimum you should learn.

WORDS AND PHRASES IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES

The tables below list the ten words in several different languages.  NOTE:  This is a work in progress.  I will update as I get translations, confirmations, and help with pronunciation.

There are over 6900 languages currently spoken in the world according to the 2009 edition of the Ethnologue.  I have chosen to include at least the top ten languages based on the number of native speakers of that language (except for Bengali and Javanese until I find translations) and a few others of interest to me.

You, of course, will be interested in the language(s) of the place you are going.  If it is not listed below, search on the internet for an English dictionary in that language.  You can also use a tool like Google Translate to look up the words and phrases.  Just check the answer with a native speaker before or on arrival to confirm the translations.

The languages listed below are:

• Mandarin Chinese
• Spanish
• Hindi
• Urdu
• Arabic
• Portuguese
• Russian
• Japanese
• German
• French
• Malay
• Italian
• Vietnamese
• Thai
• Korean
• Greek
• Turkish
• Gbagyi
• Setswana
• Irish

Mandarin Chinese
English Word	As Spelled	Phonetic Help	Sound?
Hello	Nǐ hǎo 你好	knee how
Thank you	Xièxiè 谢谢	sheh sheh
Please	Qǐng 请	ching
Yes	Shì de 是的	shur
No	Méiyǒu or bùshì 没有     不是	boo shur
I am sorry	Duìbùqǐ 对不起	dway boo chee
Excuse me	Duìbùqǐ 对不起	dway boo chee
Where is the bathroom?	Wèishēngjiān zài nǎlǐ? 卫生间在哪里？
I do not understand	Wǒ bù míngbái 我不明白
Do you speak English?	Nǐ huì jiǎng yīngyǔ ma? 你会讲英语？

Xièxiè to Dennis Chen, Taipei, Taiwan, for the spoken words

Spanish
English Word	As Spelled	Phonetic Help	Sound?
Hello	Hola	OH-​lah
Thank you	Gracias	GRAH-​syahss
Please	por favor	POHR fah-​BOHR
Yes	sí	SEE
No	no	NOH
I am sorry	Lo siento	loh SYEHN-​toh
Excuse me	Perdón	pehr-​DOHN
Where is the bathroom?	¿dónde está el baño?	DOHN-​deh ehss-​TAH ehl BAH-​nyoh?
I do not understand	No entiendo	noh ehn-​TYEHN-​doh
Do you speak English?	¿Habla usted Inglés?	AH-​blah oos-​TEHD een-​GLEHSS?

Gracias to Jairo Garcia, Bogota, Colombia, for the spoken words

Hindi
English Word	As Spelled	Phonetic Help	Sound?
Hello	Namastē नमस्ते	Na mas tey
Thank you	Dhan'yavāda धन्यवाद
Please	Kr̥payā कृपया
Yes	Hāṁ हां	haan
No	Nahīṁ नहीं	nahin
I am sorry	Māpha karanā माफ करना	maafee chaahta
Excuse me	Kshama keejeeae क्षमा कीजिए
Where is the bathroom?	Snānaghara kahām̐ hai? स्नानघर कहाँ है?
I do not understand	Mujhē samajha nahīṁ ātā मुझे समझ नहीं आता	Mujhey samajh mein nahi aataa
Do you speak English?	Kyā āpa aṅgrēzī bōlatē haiṁ? क्या आप अंग्रेज़ी बोलते हैं?

Dhan'yavāda to Sucheta Rawal, Chandigarh, India, for the spoken words

Urdu
English Word	As Spelled	Phonetic Help	Sound?
Hello	ہیلو
Thank you	آپ کا شکریہ
Please	براہ مہربانی
Yes	جی ہاں
No	نہیں
I am sorry	میں معافی چاہتا ہوں
Excuse me	معاف کرنا
Where is the bathroom?	باتھ روم کہاں ہے؟
I do not understand	مجھے سمجھ نہیں آتا
Do you speak English?	کیا آپ انگریزی بولتے؟

Arabic
English Word	As Spelled	Phonetic Help	Sound?
Hello	marhaban مرحبا	mar-haba - the 'n' is not pronounced
Thank you	shukran شكرا
Please	min fadlak (m) OR min fadliki (f) من فضلك
Yes	na'am نعم
No	laa لا
I am sorry	ana asif (m) OR ana asifa (f) أنا آسف
Excuse me	ismahli معذرة
Where is the bathroom?	أين الحمام؟
I do not understand	la afham أنا لا أفهم
Do you speak English?	Hal tetakallem al-​inglizia? هل تتكلم الانجليزية؟

Shukran to the woman at the Persian restaurant.

Portuguese
English Word	As Spelled	Phonetic Help	Sound?
Hello	Olá	O-​lá
Thank you	Obrigado	ob-​ree-​GAH-​doo
Please	Por favor	pohr fa-​VOHR
Yes	Sim	SEEN
No	Não	NOWNG
I am sorry	Desculpe	desh-​KUL-​pay
Excuse me	Desculpe	desh-​KUL-​pay-​me
Where is the bathroom?	Onde é o banheiro?	OND-​de eh o bahn-​YAIR-​row?
I do not understand	Não entendo	NOWNG kom-​pre-​EN-​doo
Do you speak English?	Você fala Inglês?	fah-​lah ing-​GLEZH?

Russian
English Word	As Spelled	Phonetic Help	Sound?
Hello	Privet Привет	pree-VYET
Thank you	Spasibo Спасибо	spa-​SEE-​ba
Please	Pozhaluĭsta Пожалуйста	pa-​ZHAL-​uy-​sta
Yes	Da Да	DA
No	Net Нет	NYET
I am sorry	Mne ochenʹ zhalʹ Мне очень жаль	prah-​STEET-​yeh	conf?
Excuse me	Izvinite Извините	prah-​STEET-​yeh	conf?
Where is the bathroom?	Gde nahodit·sya tualet? Где находится туалет?	GDYE too-​ah-​LYET?
I do not understand	Ne ponimayu Не понимаю	YA NYE pah-​nee-​MIGH-​yoo
Do you speak English?	Vy govorite po-angliĭski? Вы говорите по-английски?	vih ga-​va-​REET-​ye pah an-​GLEE-​skee?

Japanese
English Word	As Spelled	Phonetic Help	Sound?
Hello	Kon'nichiwa こんにちは	kon-​nee-​chee-​WAH
Thank you	Arigatō gozai masu ありがとうございます	ah-​ree-​GAH-​toh
Please	Te kudasai てください。
Yes	Hai はい	HIGH
No	Nō ノー
I am sorry	Mōshiwake ari mase nga 申し訳ありませんが	goh-​men-​nah-​sigh	conf.
Excuse me	Sumimasen すみません	soo-​mee-​mah-​sen
Where is the bathroom?	Toire wa doko? トイレはどこ？
I do not understand	Watashi wa rikai shite i nai 私は理解していない	wah-​kah-​ree-​mah-​sen	conf.
Do you speak English?	Eigo o hanase masu ka? 英語を話せますか？	AY-​goh oh hah-​nah-​seh-​moss-​KAH?

German
English Word	As Spelled	Phonetic Help	Sound?
Hello	Hallo	hah-LOH
Thank you	Danke	DAN-​keh
Please	Bitte	BIT-​tuh
Yes	Ja	yah
No	Nein	nine
I am sorry	Es tut mir leid	es toot meer light
Excuse me	Entschuldigen Sie	ent-​SHUL-​di-​gen zee
Where is the bathroom?	Wo ist die Toilette?	voh ist dee twah-​LET-​uh?
I do not understand	Ich verstehe das nicht	ikh fur-​SHTAY-​uh dahs nikht
Do you speak English?	Sprechen Sie Englisch?	shprekhen zee ENG-​lish?

French
English Word	As Spelled	Phonetic Help	Sound?
Hello	Bonjour	bohng-​ZHOOR
Thank you	Merci	mehr-​SEE
Please	S'il vous plaît	seell voo PLEH
Yes	Oui	WEE
No	Non	NOH
I am sorry	Je suis désolé	zhuh swee day-​zoh-​LAY
Excuse me	Excusez-moi	ehks-​kuu-​zay MWAH
Where is the bathroom?	Où sont les toilettes?	OOH sohng lay twa-​LEHT?
I do not understand	Je ne comprends pas	ZHUH nuh kohm-​PRAHNG pah
Do you speak English?	Parlez-vous anglais?	PAHR-lay voo zahn-GLAY?

Malay
English Word	As Spelled	Phonetic Help	Sound?
Hello	Selamat Apa kabar
Thank you	Terima kasih
Please	Sila	see-​LUH-​kunn
Yes	Ya	YUH
No	Tidak	TEE-​duck
I am sorry	Saya minta ma'af
Excuse me	Permisi
Where is the toilet?	Di mana tandas?	DEE muh-​nuh TAHN-das?
I do not understand	Saya tidak faham
Do you speak English?	Awak chakap bahasa "English"?

Termina kasih to Grace C., Penang, Malaysia, for the spoken words

Italian
English Word	As Spelled	Phonetic Help	Sound?
Hello	Ciao	chow
Thank you	Grazie	GRAHT-​tsyeh
Please	Per favore	PEHR fah-​VOH-​reh
Yes	Sì	SEE
No	No	NOH
I am sorry	Mi dispiace
Excuse me	Mi scusi	mee SKOO-​zee
Where is the toilet?	Dov'è il bagno?	doh-​VEH eel BAH-​nyoh?
I do not understand	Non capisco	NOHN kah-​PEES-​koh
Do you speak English?	Parla inglese?	PAHR-​lah een-​GLEH-​zeh?

Vietnamese
English Word	As Spelled	Phonetic Help	Sound?
Hello	Xin chào
Thank you	Cảm ơn bạn
Please	Xin
Yes	Vâng
No	Không
I am sorry	Tôi xin lỗi
Excuse me	Xin lổi
Where is the toilet?	Ở đâu là phòng tắm?
I do not understand	Tôi không hiểu
Do you speak English?	Bạn có nói được tiếng Anh?

Thai Note: Males should also say krap, and females ka, at the end of each of these words and phrases to be polite.
English Word	As Spelled	Phonetic Help	Sound?
Hello	สวัสดี S̄wạs̄dī	sa-wat dee
Thank you	ขอบคุณ K̄hxbkhuṇ	korp khun
Please	กรุณา Kruṇā	ga-ru-nah
Yes	ใช่ Chı̀	chai
No	ไม่ Mị̀	mai or mai chai
I am sorry	ฉันขอโทษ C̄hạn k̄hxthos̄ʹ	kor toht
Excuse me	ประทานโทษ Prathānthos̄ʹ
Where is the toilet?	ห้องน้ำอยู่ที่ไหน H̄̂xngn̂ả xyū̀ thī̀h̄ịn
I do not understand	ฉันไม่เข้าใจ C̄hạn mị̀ k̄hêācı	mai kao jai
Do you speak English?	คุณพูดภาษาอังกฤษ Khuṇ phūd p̣hās̄ʹā xạngkvs̄ʹ	kun poot pahsah angrit dai mai

K̄hxbkhuṇ to Paun M., Chiang Rai, Thailand, for the spoken words

Korean
English Word	As Spelled	Phonetic Help	Sound?
Hello	안녕하세요 annyeonghaseyo
Thank you	감사합니다 gamsahabnida
Please	하겠습니다 (or for yes, please) 네, 주십시오
Yes	예 ye
No	아니 ani
I am sorry	미안 해요 mian haeyo
Excuse me	실례합니다 sillyehabnida
Where is the toilet?	화장실은 어디에 있지? hwajangsil-eun eodie issji?
I do not understand	난 이해가 안 돼요 nan ihaega an dwaeyo
Do you speak English?	당신은 영어 하실줄 아세요? dangsin-eun yeong-eo hasiljul aseyo?

감사합니다 to Youngsoo Kim, Seoul, South Korea, for the spoken words

Greek
English Word	As Spelled	Phonetic Help	Sound?
Hello	Γεια σας Geia sas	YA-soo
Thank you	Σας ευχαριστώ Sas ef̱charistó̱	Ef-hari-STO
Please	Παρακαλώ Parakaló̱	para-kalo
Yes	Ναί Naí	ne
No	Όχι Óchi	O-shee
I am sorry	Λυπάμαι Lypámai
Excuse me	Με συγχωρείτε Me syncho̱reíte
Where is the toilet?	Πού είναι η τουαλέτα; Poú eínai i̱ toualéta?
I do not understand	Δεν καταλαβαίνω Den katalavaíno̱	then katala VE no
Do you speak English?	Μιλάτε αγγλικά; Miláte angliká?	mi LA te Angli KA

Σας ευχαριστώ to CNN Fellow, Athens, Greece, for the spoken words

Turkish
English Word	As Spelled	Phonetic Help	Sound?
Hello	Merhaba	MEHR-hah-bah
Thank you	Teşekkür ederim	teh-sheh-kewr-LEHR
Please	Lütfen	LEWT-fehn
Yes	Evet	eh-VEHT
No	Hayır	HAH-yuhr
I am sorry	Üzgünüm
Excuse me	Afedersiniz	af-feh-DEHR-see-neez
Where is the toilet?	Nerede tuvalet nedir?
I do not understand	Anlamıyorum
Do you speak English?	İngilizce biliyor musunuz?

Teşekkür ederim to Onur Tan, Istanbul, Turkey, for the spoken words

Gbagyi
English Word	As Spelled	Phonetic Help	Sound?
Hello
Thank you
Please
Yes
No
I am sorry
Excuse me
Where is the toilet?
I do not understand
Do you speak English?

Thank you to Jonathan Zamani, Karu, Abuja, Nigeria, for the spoken words

Setswana
English Word	As Spelled	Phonetic Help	Sound?
Hello	Dumela / Dumelang	Do mela
Thank you	Ke a leboga	Kay ah lay bow ha
Please	Tswee tswee	Tsway tsway
Yes	Ee	Ai
No	Nnyaa	N nya
I am sorry	Intshwarele	In tswa relly
Excuse me	Intshwarele foo	In tswa relly fo’
Where is the toilet?	Ntlwana e kae?	In tla wanna A ki
I do not understand	Ga ke tlhaloganye	Ha kay tla low han E
Do you speak English?	A o bua sekgoa?	Ah O boo ah sekhoa

Ke a leboga to Mavis Boshwaen, Gabarone, Botswana, for the spoken words

Irish
English Word	As Spelled	Phonetic Help	Sound?
Hello	Dia duit
Thank you	Go raibh maith agat
Please	Le do thoil
Yes	Is ea
No	Ni ha
I am sorry	Tá brón orm
Excuse me	Gabh mo leithscéal
Where is the toilet?	Cá bhfuil an leithreas?
I do not understand	Ní thuigim
Do you speak English?	An bhfuil bearla agat?

Go raibh maith agat to Colin Hamell, County Meade, Ireland, for the spoken words

YOU CAN HELP

If you have information on another language that you would like added to this list, please use the Feedback page.  You may also send an e-mail to daniel at danielsklar.com .

Below is the information you can provide.  If you are a native speaker, adding a sound file where you pronounce the words would be a bonus, and I will add it to the information.

Your language
English Word	As Spelled	Phonetic Help	Sound?
Hello
Thank you
Please
Yes
No
I am sorry
Excuse me
Where is the toilet?
I do not understand
Do you speak English?

Happy speaking!