gauvins

As we are prepping for our trip, we've decided to learn one word per day (capped at 50) in each of the languages that we'll encounter. (French, German, Slovene, Hungarian, Romanian, Bulgarian and Turkish).

Beyond thanks and greetings, what would you learn (family appropriate

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fietsbob

They're learning English in Schools there .. those working in the Tourist information centers Know Many languages ..

Ein Beer Bitte further east its 'Pivo'.

Loo/Toilet/WC water closet (on Boats it's the "HEAD")

veganbikes

I think these should be left here because they are very useful for foreign travel:

Translations of My hovercraft is full of eels in many languages

Machka 

Learn to ask where the train station is, and then to make a booking on the train.

Oů est la gare? Je voudrais deux billets. Je voudrais acheter des billets pour deux personnes et deux vélos.



Learn months, days, and words for next week, tomorrow, today, etc.

...prochaine semaine, demain, aujourd'hui ...



Learn to shopping words, especially what might be said at the cash register.

Combien est- ce que?



Learn to order coffee, tea, sandwiches, and a few other things in a café.

Je voudrais un café et un sandwich.



Learn to ask about accommodation ... where is the camping? do you have a room in the hotel for us?

Oů est le camping? Avez-vous une chambre dans l'hôtel pour nous?



If you're cycling, you might want to learn words for bicycle, tire, tube, chain ...

Bicycle365

Basic anatomy. If your sick it's nice to communicate more then "Me middle are repair"

acantor

You might be better off studying Latin, which would give you a leg-up with all of the languages on your list, except Turkish and Hungarian!

Keep your ears and mind open as you travel, and you will almost inevitably pick up a few words and phrases. It's astonishing humans can manage communications by learning a handful of words, hand-waving, writing out numbers, pointing to maps, and smiling.

saddlesores

they's going to europe, silly rabbit, NOT latin america!

Machka 

I seem to find myself in situations where I'm feeling pretty good about how much of the language I've picked up and how well I'm communicating ... and then all of a sudden I'm in a little sewing shop in Belgium asking a woman who only speaks Flemish for a needle so I can make a repair.

Who learns the word "needle" in Flemish in preparation for a trip!


Or there I was on the Paris-Brest-Paris, in the Brest control asking for soap. But I could not think of the word for soap and no one spoke English. The best I could do was "lave mes mains" ... and I never did get soap.

fietsbob

One of my friends Was in the Argentine pampas when his chain broke and the overly light aluminum chain tool broke too ..

Had to find the phrase for 'do you have an extra Nail?' (he used it and a Rock as a chain Tool)

Doug64

You might consider downloading the Google Translate app onto your phone. It is a good tool to use along with the basic words and phrases you plan on learning.

I tend to get into language overload. On our tour last summer we rode through 6 countries, and at times my mind could not shift gears fast enough.

I did study Latin, and it didn't help

I agree with your last paragraph. It is amazing how well you can communicate with someone without knowing each other's language. A few years ago my wife and I rode for 3 months through 7 countries, and agreed that trying to cope with several different languages was mentally fatiguing. We did not have any translation technology on this trip. Communication was mostly "accomplished" as you stated in your post. While challenging, it often involved a lot of laughing, and was actually fun.


And sometimes nothing has to be said at all.

gauvins

Thank you all for your suggestions. Just a couple of things :

1. We want to learn for the pleasure of learning. Around the dinner table. Our daughters and us.

2. I've laughed out loud when I read the medical example. For something like this, we'd rely on google translate (I've downloaded all relevant language packs). This app is remarkably capable, but not perfect - Where is the nearest hospital? I have a fever and feel dizzy - > (Hungarian) Hol van a legközelebbi kórház? Van láz és szédül - > (back to English) Where is the nearest hospital? Do you have a fever and feel dizzy. )

3. In my experience, most of the touring practicalities can be addressed by some simplified English + heavy dose of mime. I don't recall ever being unable to eat or find shelter in places where I don't even understand the alphabet. (I believe that fiestbob referred to China when he writes 'pivo' for beer. It's something we picked after some tribulations, although I remember it being closer to 'pijo' ).

fietsbob

In German Deli's I Just Point at the food behind the Glass.


I still remember alstublieft is used like please , in Dutch..

Doug64

Are you planning on using Eurovelo Route 6?

Darth Lefty 

With only 50, I'm not sure you'd get past the articles and pronouns in German

gauvins

Mostly. We'll branch out at some point (Vidin BG) to head to Sofia and then to Istanbul. Or it is the plan as of today.

imi

Thanks for the laugh!

Just knowing a few basics in a foreign language: Hi, Good morning/Afternoon, Please, Thank You, Sorry etc... will instantly warm people to you, even if you have to switch to english if necessary, so I applaud your 50 word initiative.

Two things I find which make the hugest difference, though non-verbal, are the respectful nod of the head, and above all, a smile

fwiw I speak five languages more or less fluently and a spattering of others, but without a smile they're all just about useless.

Have a great trip!

alan s 

Learn all the swear words. Use them frequently. They also use lots of arm and hand gestures, so do that, as well.

veganbikes

A very smart man! You are probably best off listening to him then anyone else here ; )

gauvins

Would make for some memorable moments. I picture our 5 year old asking for ice cream in Budapest - > Hol találok fagylalt, seggfej (this being a lame attempt at cursing with Google translate )

SloButWide 

If you use this strategy, remember to learn "Why am I being arrested", "I'm an American, @#$%@ !", and "I want the embassy.". Yes, I understand you're probably not an American, but it makes the swearing ok.

acantor

Communication is more than knowing the right words. You gotta grok gestures, as well.

On a bus in Sri Lanka, I asked the driver if he could announce a certain street. When he smiled and shook his head "no," I was, first, confused, and then indignant! I was about to say something, when I remembered that in Sri Lanka, people indicate "yes" with a side-to-side head movement, and "no" with an down-and-up head movement!

spinnaker

After different trips to Italy, I finally learned something. I knew enough of the language to know how to ask for directions. I could understand enough to make sense of most of what was said to me but they talk so fast it is hard to follow. After 3 trips I finally learned that instead of listening for the verbal answer, hand them a tablet and pen and ask them to write a map. It is so much easier even when they speak English! So in my opinion, two very important phrases are asking for directions and asking to draw or write a map.

I have mainly traveled to Italy and some in Switzerland and Austria. What I have found is most people indeed speak at least some English. The problem is they don't want to admit it if you ask. I don't think they want to be impolite, they just think their skills are poor and they don't want to embarrass themselves. If you make an effort in their language then they seem to open up and start to speak English. While it may be poor, most times you will find that their skills in English are far better than your skills in their language (assuming you have not had an extensive education or experience with their language).

spinnaker

I was in Cremona \, Italy. Just checked into my room with a very nice little balcony over the street. Some kid was screaming his head off down on the street. He would not stop. I went out onto my balcony and yelled "Basta"! (Enough!). The kid shut up. It was priceless.

FBinNY 

I've traveled all over in places where I didn't speak the language. IMO you really don't need much beyond the words for one, please and thank you. The rest is done with gestures, pointing and counting with fingers. If you're open to it, you'll develop a limited but functional vocabulary within hours and it will grow as long as you work at it.

I don't believe that you can effectively learn bits and pieces of multiple languages in advance because you only retain it through use and repetition. Learning in advance may be OK for the first country, but down the road your lessons will be forgotten before you get a chance to use them.

One trick I learned in Taiwan (the toughest language experience, because pronunciation is so critical) is writing key phrases in English and Local on a card, with likely responses on the back. This makes communication a simple pointing affair. In Taipei, the hotels hand guests a business card sized version with the name and address of the hotel, and a number of popular destinations, written in both languages. This allows one to visit key places easily enough, and most important ensures they can get back.

BTW- one of the best ways to learn on the go is to (be rude and) eavesdrop on the people around you. Listen to what they say, for example in a bar, and see what they get in response. Also listen to get used to the sound of each language, so when you pronounce a word you'll do so similarly to how it's done locally.

gauvins

Yes yes. But as I wrote somewhere in this thread, we are covered for what matters (Google translate and fair travel experience)

My question was largely motivated by the fact that we'll be discussing this trip around the table, with the kids and learning words will be like a memory game where our 5-year old might well do better than the adults.

It is also instructive to line up words. Just a quick example in the following sequence English, French, German, Hungarian, Serb, Romanian, Bulgarian and Turkish.

Toilet / toilette / toilette / WC / toalet / toaleta / toaletna / tuvalet

Ice cream / glace / eis / jégkrém / sladoled / Inghetata / sladoled / dondurma

Clearly, foreign languages are easy to learn when it matters