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Breaking the so-called language barrier
How anybody can get by in any European language with just a few simple phrases, a few tricks, and a wealth of good nature
There is no language barrier. There's just a bit of a linguistic speed bump on the travelin' highway.
Memorizing a handful of key words and phrases, learning to count to two, and keen pantomime skills will be enough to survive just about anywhere. Plus, in most cities you'll find people who speak and understand enough English to get by in a pinch—though never expect it or depend upon it (read more on the polite use of English).
If you show you want to learn the lingo, locals will often be more than happy to teach you a bit.
Thank You (& Other Essential Phrases)
Web Translators
You may have noticed that you can translate any page on this site using the little Google translator in the upper part of the right column. Here are other free online translators:
• Google Translate
• Babelfish
• Dictionary.com
If you learn how to say nothing else in the local tongue, learn how to say "thank you." Especially if you don't speak the language, you will be relying on the kindness of strangers (waiters, clerks, guides, concierges, and anyone you stop to ask directions) to help guide you through their country. The least you should be able to do is thank them for it. It's polite, and it'll encourage them to help you further. I enjoy collecting native ways to say "thank you" every bit as much as collecting postcards or museum books.
After you learn "thank you," then move on to learning "yes," "no," "Where's the bathroom?" "please," "I would like," "Do you speak English?" and "one," "two," "three." Listen to how locals pronounce things. Exaggerate accents. Speak volumes through your facial expressions. Copy their gestures (but carefully—see the Gestures page for details).
This simple dictionary and phrase list gives you all the most essential words and phrases in French, Italian, German, and Spanish. In addition, bring along a more complete phrase guide and a pocket dictionary of English-French/French-English (or whatever language you'll need).
Using these, you can ask any question, hopefully understand the answers, and decode most of what's on a given menu (if you can't find the full name of a dish translated, often you can at least find out that the second word is "chicken," which is usually enough to go on).
Faking Fluency—Shortcuts and Hints
You can look up complex phrases in your Berlitz and try to pronounce them properly, but in the interests of time and clarity, you'll often find it's much more expedient to resort to a combination of charades and international pigdin. Don't be shy about acting out what you mean.
You don't need to know how to phrase a question properly, just how to add an audible question mark by lilting up at the end of the word. Understand?
When trying to read a foreign language, don't be intimidated by the full sentence. Instead, look at all its parts. Examine each word for things that ring a bell.
Spanish and Italian are close enough when written down that you can often make out half of one if you have a good working knowledge of the other. English is an amalgam mainly of old High German and Latin, which have evolved into modern German and the Romance languages (French, Italian, and Spanish).
An example to illustrate the point:
The Italian sign says "ACQUA NON POTABILE."
Well, acqua, that's like agua, which you know from Spanish is "water."
Non, that's easy, that means "no."
Potabile, well, that's got the word "pot" in it. Hmmm. "Don't boil water in a pot?" Nah. Wait: potable. Doesn't that mean "drinkable?"
Ah, ha! Acqua non potabile. "Non-drinkable water." (Glance down at the by-now empty glass in your hand).
Uh-oh...
Look for words and word fragments you recognize and assume, within reason, that they mean what you think they mean. Make educated guesses, make your share of mistakes, but above all, make an effort to learn what you can and to communicate with Europeans on their terms.
The International Language
No, not love. I'll leave it to you to master that tongue. And I don't mean English, either, even if that is becoming the de facto international language. Doesn't excuse us from trying to learn the local lingo.
No, what I mean is that collection of words which, pronounced "European-style," work in most countries: Alt (stop), auto, bank (pronounce it bahn-kah), beer (roll the "r;" sometimes add an "a" at the end), bus (pronounce it boo-ss), café, camping, ciao, couchette, English, hotel, information, kaput (broken), moment (universal for "wait"), no, OK, pardon, foto, police, post (as in -office), restaurant, student, taxi, telephone, toilet, and, of course, tourist.
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This material was last updated August 2007. All information was accurate at the time.
Copyright © 1998-2008 by Reid Bramblett. All rights reserved.
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