It is possible for tourists in a country whose language they do not understand to get along with a surprisingly short list of phrases, combined with pointing, miming, and writing down numbers on paper.
Here is such a list of common phrases in different languages.
You are invited to add more languages to the list. Please use the minimum number of words that would be understandable and put the pronunciation in slashes according to SAMPA transcription if possible. If desired, also add a pseudo-English pronunciation guide for those not familiar with SAMPA or IPA. However, actual pronunciations of the pseudo-English spellings will vary wildly from speaker to speaker. Enclose the "spelling guide" in parentheses, separate syllables with dashes, use English words that sound like the syllables if possible, and render the stressed syllable in ALL CAPS.
The language family of every language is listed in parentheses.
Note that this is relevant only to Classical Arabic; since these are commonplace words, they're often changed in local dialects, meaning most Arabs, even educated ones, will have difficulty understanding these in common usage.
Pronunciation guide: Stress in Arabic is most often on the penult syllable (i.e. one preceding the last). For the SAMPA transcriptions, /h/ is a glottal fricative; /h./ represents a voiceless pharyngeal fricative; /‘/ represents a voiced pharyngeal fricative; /’/ represents a glottal stop, and /:/ represents lengthening of the preceding phoneme. These are represented as double letters in the "spelling guide", and should be emphasized; the other spellings should be apparent from comparison with the SAMPA transcription.
Arabic: العربيّة /al ‘a ra bi y:a/ (ahl 'a ruh bee ya)
hello: مرحبًا /mar h.a ban/ (mer hhuh bun)
good-bye: إلى اللّقاء /i la l:i qa/ (ila-lliqa)
please: من فضلك
thank you: شكرًا /Su kran/ (shook run)
that one: ذلك
how much?: كمّ؟ /kam:/ (kamm)
English: الإنجليزيّة /al in gli: zi y:a/ (al-ingleeziyya)
yes: نعم /na ‘am/ (na 'am)
no: لا /la:/ (laa)
Where's the bathroom?: أين الحمّام؟ /a ’i nal h.a m:am/ (a'ina-l-hammam?, a ee null hhum mum?)
note: these were snagged off of Ajeeb.com (http://tarjim.ajeeb.com/ajeeb/default.asp?lang=1)'s Web translator, with SAMPA and spelling guide renderings a best-guess only.
Note: tone 1 is high and level; 2 is rising; 3 is dipping; 4 is falling. A dot following SAMPA palatals indicates a retroflexed phoneme. For more info, see pinyin.
how much?: 多少 (duo1-shao3) /dwO S.aw/ (dwaw shahw)
English: 英文 (ying1-wen2) /YIN-w@n/ (yeeng won)
yes: 是 (shi4) /S.r./ (sure)4
no: 不是 (bu4-shi4) /pu S.r./ (Boo-Sure)5
where's the bathroom?: 厕所在那里 (ce4 suo3 zai4 na2 li3?) /ts@ swO tsaj na li/ (tsuh swaw tzai nah lee?) -- Not the politest, but you'll get your point across!
hello: päivää (p}j v}:) (pay-vaeh) (except the vowels are like "pay" with the vowel from "cat" followed by the vowel from "tick"; the syllable "vaeh" has the long syllable from "bad")
good-bye: näkemiin /n} ke mi:n/ (NACK-eh-MEAN)
please: 1
thank you: kiitos /ki: tos/ (key-toss)
that one: tuo /tu o/ (to-oh)
how much?: kuinka paljon /kujn ka pal jon/ (kuyn-kah pal-yon)
English: englanti /EN lan ti/ (ENG-lan-TEH)
yes: kyllä /ky l:}/ (kul-laeh)
no: ei /ej/ (ey)
sorry: anteeksi (AN-tehk-SI)
where is the toilet?: missä on vessa? (MIS-sah on VEHS-sah)
please: e `olu `olu `oe /e ?o lu ?o lu ?o e/ (ey owe-loo owe-loo owe-ay)
thank you: mahalo /ma ha lo/ (ma ha low)
yes: `ae /?a e/ (ah ay)
no: `a`ole /?a ?o le/ (uh-oh lay)
how much?: `ehia? /?e hi a/ (ay hee uh)
Where is the restroom?: Aia i hea ka lumi ho`opaupilikia? /A i a i he a ka lu mi ho ?o pa u pi li ki a/ (ah ee ah ee ka loo mee hoe owe pow pee lee kee uh)
Japanese: 日本語 nihongo /ni ho n go/ or /ni hoN go/ (nee-hon-go)
hello:
こんにちは konnichiwa /ko n:i tSi wa/ (kohn-nee-chee-wa)
hello on telephone: もしもし moshi-moshi /mo Si mo Si/
good-bye: さようなら sayōnara /sa jo: na ra/ (sigh oh na ra)
please: 下さい kudasai /ku da sa i/ (ku-da-sigh) (as part of a sentence, ie, "Please sit down.")
どうぞ douzo /doh zo/ (possibly alone)
thank you: ありがとう arigatō /a ri ga to:/ (ah-ri-ga-to-oh)
sorry: ご免 gomen (go men)
excuse me: 済みません sumimasen (sue mee mah sen)
that one: それ sore /so re/ (so ray)
how much? いくら ikura /i ku ra/ (i-ku-ra)
English: 英語 eigo /e i go/ or /ej go/ (ay-go)
yes: はい hai /ha i/ or /haj/ (high)
no: いいえ iie /i: e/ (ee-eh)
where's the bathroom?: ; トイレはどこですか toire wa doko desu ka or just トイレどこ toire doko /to i re wa do ko de su ka/ /to i re do ko/ (toy-ray wa do-ko des-ka) (toy-ray do-ko)
generic toast: 乾杯 kanpai /ka n pa i/ or /kam paj/ (kam-pie)
Do you speak English?: 英語話せますか eigo hanasemasu ka /e i go ha na se ma su ka/ (ay-go ha-na-say-mas-ka)
Note: [|] represents a lateral click, and [l.] represents a voiceless lateral fricative (equivalent to Welsh "ll").
Xhosa: isiXhosa /i si |ho sa/ (ee see kho sa)
hello: Molo /mo lo/ (mow low)
good bye: sala kakuhle /sa la ka ku l.e/ (sa la ka koo hlay)
please: enkosi /N ko si/ ('ng ko see)
thank you: enkosi kakhulu /N ko si ka khu lu/ ('ng ko see kuh coo loo)
that one: le, lo, olu, oku, yona, yena etc. (depends on noun class)
English: isiNgesi /i si Ne si/ (ee seeng ay see)
yes: ewe /e we/ (ay way)
no: hayi /ha ji/ (ha yee)
1No word directly corresponds to the word "please". Danish and Finnish express the concept of politeness in a request in various ways.
4This actually means "it is" and can only be used in an answer to a question with the verb "to be". Languages like Chinese, Irish, Toki Pona, and Welsh do not have words for "yes" or "no". Instead you repeat the main verb of the question in your answer.
5This actually means "it isn't". See note 4 above.
6The second syllable of "nei3 ge" is actually a generic measure word; it is replaced by the appropriate measure word for the noun it refers to. Therefore, one uses "nei3 kuai4" when referring to a chopstick, "nei3 zhang1" when referring to a table, and so forth.
7 Greetings in Swahili are an incredibly complex affair and are a crucial aspect of Swahili culture; it isn't uncommon for a conversation to last five minutes before it actually moves beyond saying "Hello". There is no generic word for "Hello" in the language, rather there are numerous options depending on the relative ages and/or race of the people involved, as well as singular and plural forms. A non-comprehensive list would include "hujambo" (reply "sijambo") for two people of similar age and race, "jambo" (reply "jambo") for between white and black people, "Shikamoo" (reply "Marahaba") for a young person to an elderly person, "Hodi" (reply "Karibu") when in the doorway of a house. There are additionally numerous informal greetings such as "Mambo", "Safi", and many more. Curiously, farewells are abrupt or even non-existent.
8 Toilet vs W.C. In many countries, the abbreviation W.C. for the British "Water Closet" may be used instead of the local word for "Toilet". In U.S. English "toilet" refers to the fixture (the toilet itself) rather than the room which contains it.
9 Many sentences which in English would be phrased as requests are represented in Klingon by imperative verbs, which are very freely used in this language. As a result, the word "please" is absent from the Klingon lexicon. Whereas in English one asks "what is it", in Klingon one would be more likely to say yIngu' (literally, "Identify it!"), and for Klingons, "ordering" a drink isn't a metaphor: romuluS HIq HInob "give me Romulan ale!"
SIDE BY SIDE, TOGETHER, BEARDED FOE AND FRIEND.
JEAN FROM THE LAUGHTER-LILTING FIELDS OF SOUTHERN
FRITZ FROM A FATHERLAND HE BLINDLY LOVED AND SERVED,
FLINCHED OR SWERVED;
BROWN,
Not Jim!
A-lovin' him.
He'd rub his nose against my hand
Or if my thoughts was pretty bad;
When I was gay!
A soldier.html">soldier.html">soldier's dog.html">dog.html">dog.html">dog don't have much time ter.html">ter.html">ter whine
A soldier's dog is bound ter learn, right soon,
Of men in khaki means.
You bet they do! Jim-dog, he had ter go
He seemed ter sense it when there was a fight
I was a soldier, an' Jim-dog was MINE.
Ah, what's the use?
Why, on th' march I'd pause an' call.html">call -- "Hey, Jim!"
A-lookin' up at me with love.html">love an' pride.html">pride,
He was a friend ter folks; he didn't bite;
He didn't hate a soul; an' he was GAME!
Across th' dark, a sneaky bit o' lead,
'Cause dogs.html">dogs is dogs, an' haven't any right;
Th' very shinin' streets would seem less bright!
Could come at that last stirrin' bugle call
Where God stands smilin' welcome to us all,
Jim,"
SIX SONNETS
I. SOMEHOW
Somehow I never thought.html">thought.html">thought that you would go,
I somehow thought, because I loved you so,
That something stronger than my love could come,
I never thought the call of fife and drum
I smiled, instead, and brushed the tears aside.
But silent lie, while longing fights with pride --
AND YET -- I NEVER THOUGHT THAT YOU WOULD GO!
When watchfires cut the vivid dark in twain,
And gardens drenched in vaguely perfumed rain?
And molten fire are singing songs of hate,
When, in your arms, I promised you to wait!
.
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