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
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？ | | |
| 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? | |
| 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? | | |
| 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؟ | | |
| 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"? | | |
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 | |
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? | | |
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 | |
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? | | |
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? | | ||
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 | |
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? | | |
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!
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