Are you planning your next trip abroad but aren’t sure how you’ll communicate with the locals when you get there? Don’t worry; I’ve got you covered!
Learning a foreign language doesn’t have to be stressful, and you don’t have to be completely fluent in the language of the country you’re visiting to have a good time!
I’ve put together a list of common foreign language phrases that you can use on your next international trip!
The love I have for foreign languages is indescribable! It’s such a marvelous feeling to be able to communicate in the country you’re visiting (even if you only know a few sentences!).
In this post, we’ll be focusing on:
– French
– Spanish
– Portuguese
But first…
Let’s learn a little bit about these languages!
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French
When you think of this beautiful language, your mind probably goes to the Eiffel Tower, or if you’re a foodie like me, croissants. Many folks don’t know that there are 29 countries where French is the official language, spanning from Canada to Madagascar.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo has the highest number of Francophone (French-speaking) people.
I’ve been learning French on and off for 15 years now, and am trying my hardest to be fluent within the next three years (let’s see how this goes; fingers crossed).
Spanish
In my opinion, Spanish is the sexiest language ever created. I think of the late and the great Selena, and how I would try to follow along with her songs as a child.
There are approximately 20 countries in which Spanish is the official language. Just in the U.S. alone, over 40 million people have Spanish as a mother tongue, and Spanish is the MOST STUDIED language here.
It’s no surprise that it’s the second most spoken language in the world!
Portuguese
Portuguese has a way of drawing you in, with its unique dialects and pronunciations. This language is similar to Spanish but is uniquely memorable in its own way.
There are approximately 8 Portuguese speaking countries, and nearly 280 million people speak the language.
If you’re looking to take a stab at Portuguese for the first time, I’d recommend watching City of God (for the language immersion and because it’s a great movie😊).
Now that we’re a little acquainted with the languages, let’s move on to the good stuff!
A few things to note…
– I’ve linked Google Translate below for your convenience. This online translator has gotten SO MUCH BETTER over the years, and I recommend it for translating simple sentences. *You can also use it to hear how the different pronunciations sound.*
– Learning a foreign language (even a short sentence) can take some getting used to because the pronunciations are different. Be sure to practice at least a week before you leave for your trip so that you feel comfortable speaking the language.
– For anything underlined in this post, use Google Translate to make it specific to yourself, regarding age, home country, etc.
– If you see “Gee” in the pronunciation section below, pronounce it like the capital letter “G” in English.
– If you’re looking to start learning one of these languages on your own, I recommend Pimsleur! It’s the best language-learning app I’ve used thus far. Pimsleur fully immerses you in the language without leaving you feeling overwhelmed during the lessons.
This app takes away the stess that can come with learning a foreign language.
*I’m learning French with the app, and my experience with it has been great! Click here to start your free 7-day trial.*
Now let’s get started!
Hello
French – Salut [sah-loo]
Spanish – Hola [oh-lah]
Portuguese – Olá [oh-lah]
Goodbye
French – Au revoir [oh-ev-wah]
Spanish – Adiós [ah-dee-ose]
Portuguese – Tchau [tchau] *the “t” is barely pronounced
Good morning
French – Bonjour [bohn-jhoor]
Spanish – Buenos dÃas [bway-nose-dee-as]
Portuguese – Bom dia [bome-GEE-ah]
Good evening
French – Bonsoir [bohn-swahr]
Spanish – Buenas noches [bway-noss-noe-ches]
Portuguese – Boa noite [bow-ah-noy-cheh]
How are you?
French РComment ̤a va? [come-ohn-sah-vah]
Spanish – ¿Cómo estás? [come-oh-eh-stahs]
Portuguese – Tudo bem? [too-doe-baym]
Thank you
French РMer̤i [mehr-see]
Spanish – Gracias [grah-see-ahs]
Portuguese – Obrigado/a
[ohbri-gah-doe] say if you’re a man
[ohbri-gah-dah] say if you’re a woman
My name is Taryn
French – Je m’appelle [zhuh-mah-pehll] Taryn
Spanish – Me llamo [may-yah-moe] Taryn
Portuguese РO meu nome ̩ [oh-mayo-no-mee-eh] Taryn
I am 26 years old
French – J’ai vingt-six ans [zhay-vahn-sees-zohne]
Spanish РTengo veintis̩is a̱os [tane-go-vantee-sayz-ahn-yose]
Portuguese – Eu tenho vinte e seis anos [ehu-tane-yo-veen-chee-say-z-ernose]
How much is it
French – C’est combien? [say-come-bee-yon] *barely pronounce the “n” in yon
Spanish – ¿Cuánto cuesta? [kwon-toe-kwestah]
Portuguese – Quanto custa? [kwon-toe-cooh-stah]
Where is the bathroom?
French – où sont les toilettes? [oo-sone-lay-twah-lett]
Spanish – ¿Dónde está el baño? [dohne-day-eh-stah-el-bahn-yo]
Portuguese – Onde fica o banheiro? [ohn-GEE-fee-cuh-oh-bun-yay-do]
I am from the United States
French – Je viens des États-Unis [zhuh-vee-yon-dayz-aytah-zoo-nee]
Spanish – Soy de Los Estados Unidos [soy-day-lohs-ehstah-dose-oo-nee-dose]
Portuguese – Eu sou dos Estados Unidos [ehu-soe-doose-ehstah-doose-oo-nee-doose]
More things to note…
Your name will probably be pronounced differently in each language.
For example:
My name in English: Taryn [Teh-rin]
My name in French: Taryn [Tah-een]
***Remembering your name pronunciations aren’t necessary unless you’re a language nerd like I am : )
I can’t wait for you to try out these phrases on your next international adventure! Let me know in the comments section what language you want to learn next!
I’m also curious to know what made you want to start traveling? Check out this post to learn how I knew a life of travel is what I wanted!
Peace, love, and good vibrations.
