Migrating to a new country can be both exciting and challenging. Exciting because you get to experience a new culture, meet new people, and enjoy some local cuisines. Challenging because you don’t know the local language, and it will be hard for you to communicate.
Language plays a crucial role in the entire process. This is why it is important to learn a few common phrases in different languages to keep the conversation going. For example, learning how to say thank you in Thai can help you get along with the local people in Thailand.
A Few Common Phrases in Different Languages
Knowing a few common phrases in different languages can help you be comfortable when you reach a foreign land. To help you with it, we have a list of common phrases in different languages and their true meanings:
- Good Morning in Different Languages
The first thing you need to know is how to start a conversation in a different language. Nothing can be better than a good morning greeting to people you come across in a foreign land. Here’s how to say good morning in different languages:
- French – Bonjour (Bohn-zoor)
- German – Guten Morgen (goo-ten mor-gen)
- Spanish – Buenos dias (bwen-ohs dee-ahs)
- Italian – Buongiorno (bwon-jor-no)
- Portuguese – Bom dia (bohm dee-ah)
- Hello
Have you ever been in a situation where you want to talk to a person, but you can’t because you don’t know how to start a conversation, and the reason is that you don’t know the language? Most of us have. So, in order to save you from such embarrassment, here’s how to say hello to start a conversation in different languages:
- French – Bonjour (Bohn-zoor, formal), Salut (sah-loo, informal)
- Spanish – Hola (oh-lah)
- German – Guten Tag (goo-ten tahk, formal), Hallo (hah-loh, informal)
- Italian – Buongiorno (bwon-jor-no, formal), Ciao (chow, informal)
- Portuguese – Ola (oh-lah)
- My Name Is…
Now, talking to someone is not only about a few greetings. You also need to introduce yourself to the other person in their native language. Here’s how you can say ‘My name is…’ in different languages.
- French – Je m’apelle (zhun mah-pell)
- Spanish – Me IIamo (meh yah-moh)
- German – Ich heiße (ish hi-suh)
- Italian – Mi chiamo (mee kyah-moh)
- Portuguese – Meu nome é (may oo noh-meh)
- How Are You?
You have wished the person good morning or have started a conversation with a simple ‘hello’ and introduced yourself, what next? You would not just go away after saying so much, right? Why not ask the person how they are? Here’s how you can do it:
- French – Comment allez-vous? (formal: koh-mohn tah-lay voo?), Ca va? (informal: sah vah?)
- Spanish – ¿Cómo estás? (informal: koh-moh es-tahs?), ¿Cómo está? (formal: koh-moh es-tah?)
- German – Wie geht es dir? (informal: vee gayt es deer?), Wie geht es Ihnen? (formal: vee gayt es een-en?)
- Italian – Come stai? (informal: koh-meh sty?), Come sta? (formal: koh-meh stah?)
- Portuguese – Como você está? (koh-moo voh-say stah?)
- Do You Speak English?
This is probably the most important question that you are dying to ask from the time you met a person. Without wasting time, here’s how you can say it in all these languages:
- French – Parlez-vous anglais? (par-lay voo ahn-glay)
- Spanish – ¿Hablas inglés? (informal: ah-blahs een-gles?), ¿Habla inglés? (formal: ah-bla een-gles?)
- German – Sprechen Sie Englisch? (formal: shpreh-ken zee eng-lish?), Sprichst du Englisch? (informal: shprih-sht doo eng-lish?)
- Italian – Parli inglese? (informal: par-lee een-gleh-zeh?), Parla inglese? (formal: par-lah een-gleh-zeh?)
- Portuguese – Você fala inglês? (voh-say fah-lah een-glesh?)
That will help you start a conversation and continue it with a foreigner without being embarrassed. However, there are a few more things you need to know. The following section will take you through a few common phrases and their true meanings.
Common Phrases in Various Languages and Their True Meanings
Before we call it a day, let’s take you through a few common phrases that you will often come across and their true meanings:
- French Phrases
- Ça va? (sah-VAH)
- True meaning – ‘It goes?’
- Used as – ‘How are you?’ or ‘Are you okay?’
- Je suis plein(e) (zhuh SWEE plehn/plehnn)
- True meaning – ‘I am full’
- Used as – This is often misinterpreted as I am pregnant instead of I am full. It is recommended that you use “Je n’ai plus faim” instead.
- German Phrases
- Wie geht’s? (vee GAYTS)
- True meaning – How goes it?
- Used as – Informal ‘how are you?’
- Ich verstehe nur Bahnhof (eekh fer-SHTAY-eh noor BAHN-hof)
- True meaning – I only understand train station
- Used as – I don’t understand
- Da haben wir den Salat (dah HAH-ben veer den ZAH-lat)
- True meaning – There we have the salad
- Used as – What a mess!
- Italian Phrases
- Prego (PREH-go)
- True meaning – I pray
- Used as – ‘you’re welcome’, ‘please’, or ‘go ahead’
- In bocca al lupo (een BOHK-kah al LOO-poh)
- True meaning – Into the wolf’s mouth
- Used as – ‘good luck’
- Mi fa cagare (mee fah cah-GAH-reh)
- True meaning – It makes me poop
- Used as – Something is terrible
- Spanish Phrases
- ¿Qué tal? (keh TAHL)
- True meaning – ‘What such?’
- Used as – How’s it going?
- Como una cabra (KOH-moh OO-nah KAH-brah)
- True meaning – Like a goat
- Used as – Someone is crazy
- Mandarin Chinese Phrases
- Chī le ma? (chir luh MAH)
- True meaning – Have you eaten?
- Used as – How are you?
- Jiāyóu! (jyah-YOH)
- True meaning – Add oil
- Used as – You can do it
- Mǎmǎhūhū (ma-ma HOO-hoo)
- True meaning – Horse horse tiger tiger
- Used as – so-so or average
- Japanese Phrases
- Arigatou gozaimasu (ah-ree-gah-TOH goh-zah-ee-MAHSS)
- True meaning – Thank you so much
- Used as – Thank you so much (formal thanks)
- Otsukaresama desu (oht-soo-KAH-reh-sah-mah DEHSS)
- True meaning – You must be tired
- Used as – You must be tired (to acknowledge effort at work)
- Korean Phrases
- Annyeong (ahn-NYONG)
- True meaning – Peace
- Used as – Informal hello/goodbye
- Annyeong haseyo (ahn-NYONG hah-seh-YOH)
- True meaning – Are you at peace?
- Used as – Polite hello
To End with,
Nothing can be more frustrating than struggling to communicate. In a foreign land, all of us face this problem. In fact, asking people the way back to the hotel can be difficult if you don’t know their language, at least the basics.
Therefore, to ensure you have a good stay and enjoy traveling across a foreign country, learn a few common phrases before you start your journey. The ones mentioned above are common across these countries and can help you start a conversation.
