Someone just sent me this Pro-Tip for the first phrase to learn in a new language. I thought I would pass it on here. That phrase is:
"My friend is paying."
What is the first thing you try to learn? Before, I always learned the word "something" in whatever language, because invariably someone will ask me to "Say something in ..."
First phrase to learn in a new language.
- rdearman
- Site Admin
- Posts: 7260
- Joined: Thu May 14, 2015 4:18 pm
- Location: United Kingdom
- Languages: English (N)
- Language Log: viewtopic.php?f=15&t=1836
- x 23317
- Contact:
First phrase to learn in a new language.
5 x
: Read 150 books in 2024
My YouTube Channel
The Autodidactic Podcast
My Author's Newsletter
I post on this forum with mobile devices, so excuse short msgs and typos.
My YouTube Channel
The Autodidactic Podcast
My Author's Newsletter
I post on this forum with mobile devices, so excuse short msgs and typos.
- iguanamon
- Black Belt - 2nd Dan
- Posts: 2363
- Joined: Sat Jul 18, 2015 11:14 am
- Location: Virgin Islands
- Languages: Speaks: English (Native); Spanish (C2); Portuguese (C2); Haitian Creole (C1); Ladino/Djudeo-espanyol (C1); Lesser Antilles French Creole (B2)
Studies: Catalan (B2) - Language Log: viewtopic.php?t=797
- x 14269
Re: First phrase to learn in a new language.
Ok, I'll bite, on the serious side: "How do yo say this (pointing or pantomiming) in "X language".
On the funny side: "My hovercraft is full of eels!"
Assorted silly phrases in languages
ex German: Ich bin kein Teilnehmer dieser Konferenz, dennoch möchte ich einen Pinguin.
I am not a conference delegate, nevertheless I would like a penguin.
On the funny side: "My hovercraft is full of eels!"
Assorted silly phrases in languages
ex German: Ich bin kein Teilnehmer dieser Konferenz, dennoch möchte ich einen Pinguin.
I am not a conference delegate, nevertheless I would like a penguin.
Last edited by iguanamon on Sun Feb 12, 2023 10:28 pm, edited 1 time in total.
6 x
- luke
- Brown Belt
- Posts: 1243
- Joined: Fri Aug 07, 2015 9:09 pm
- Languages: English (N). Spanish (intermediate), Esperanto (B1), French (intermediate but rusting)
- Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... 15&t=16948
- x 3633
Re: First phrase to learn in a new language.
"Take me to your leader."
6 x
: Cien años de soledad 20x
: 5500 pages - Reading
: FSI Basic Spanish 3x
: Camino a Macondo
: 5500 pages - Reading
: FSI Basic Spanish 3x
: Camino a Macondo
- rdearman
- Site Admin
- Posts: 7260
- Joined: Thu May 14, 2015 4:18 pm
- Location: United Kingdom
- Languages: English (N)
- Language Log: viewtopic.php?f=15&t=1836
- x 23317
- Contact:
Re: First phrase to learn in a new language.
luke wrote:"Take me to your leader."
You should avoid North Korea.
9 x
: Read 150 books in 2024
My YouTube Channel
The Autodidactic Podcast
My Author's Newsletter
I post on this forum with mobile devices, so excuse short msgs and typos.
My YouTube Channel
The Autodidactic Podcast
My Author's Newsletter
I post on this forum with mobile devices, so excuse short msgs and typos.
-
- Orange Belt
- Posts: 116
- Joined: Sun Jan 24, 2021 8:17 pm
- Languages: English (C), Greek (low intermediate)
- x 360
Re: First phrase to learn in a new language.
My tailor is rich.
9 x
Iliad:
French Super Challenge Books: (0/5000 pages)
French Super Challenge Films: (0/9000 minutes)
French Super Challenge Books: (0/5000 pages)
French Super Challenge Films: (0/9000 minutes)
-
- Green Belt
- Posts: 309
- Joined: Tue Jul 30, 2019 8:08 pm
- Location: Oregon, United States
- Languages: English (N), German (intermediate) Idle: French (beginner) Esperanto (beginner) Spanish (was intermediate)
- Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... 15&t=10854
- x 1077
Re: First phrase to learn in a new language.
If I'm going past yes/no/please/thank you/bathroom, the most important one is "I don't speak <language>".
3 x
- tastyonions
- Black Belt - 1st Dan
- Posts: 1623
- Joined: Sat Jul 18, 2015 5:39 pm
- Location: Dallas, TX
- Languages: EN (N), FR, ES, DE, IT, PT, NL, EL
- x 4040
- tungemål
- Blue Belt
- Posts: 949
- Joined: Sat Apr 06, 2019 3:56 pm
- Location: Norway
- Languages: Norwegian (N)
English, German, Spanish, Japanese, Dutch, Polish - Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... 15&t=17672
- x 2192
Re: First phrase to learn in a new language.
- Het spijt me, Ik spreek geen Nederlands.
- Echt waar?
- Sorry hoor, mijn Nederlandsvaardigheden zijn vrijwel nul, jammer genoeg.
- Ben je zeker?
- Ja. Nederlands versta ik niks van.
- Dat is jammer.
- Dat kun je wel zeggen.
To be on the safe side I'm memorizing this dialogue.
- Echt waar?
- Sorry hoor, mijn Nederlandsvaardigheden zijn vrijwel nul, jammer genoeg.
- Ben je zeker?
- Ja. Nederlands versta ik niks van.
- Dat is jammer.
- Dat kun je wel zeggen.
To be on the safe side I'm memorizing this dialogue.
8 x
- Sae
- Green Belt
- Posts: 318
- Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2022 1:27 pm
- Location: UK
- Languages: English (Native)
Vietnamese (Intermediate)
Mongolian (Beginner)
Tuvan (Beginner)
Toki Pona (Beginner) - Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... 15&t=18201
- x 836
Re: First phrase to learn in a new language.
rdearman wrote:Someone just sent me this Pro-Tip for the first phrase to learn in a new language. I thought I would pass it on here. That phrase is:
"My friend is paying."
What is the first thing you try to learn? Before, I always learned the word "something" in whatever language, because invariably someone will ask me to "Say something in ..."
When I was in Germany once, a drunk guy noticed we were English and approached and said, "hey, there is only one phrase on German you need to learn to get by in Germany. Ich will ein bier du s******e" (I want a beer you b****h) and he called over his girlfriend to tell me to say it to her... whilst I realise what he said, I still said it and she just laughed and told me to ignore him.
So according to him, this is probably the only phrase I need to learn in a language.
Another story, when online gaming I saw a guy posting in Japanese, so I approached him and wrote "watashi wa sakana desu" (I am a fish) and he apparently found it funny and added me to his friends list and we got chatting.
So I guess language can bring people closer together.
And one of the first things I learned in Mongolian was "Bi Angli khel yaridaggui", which is "I don't speak English" and I don't know why.
7 x
Vietnamese Practicing conversation
Mongolian: Learning vocab
Tuvan: Building Decks & full study plan
Tuvan Song Progress (0/3): Learning Daglarym - Lyrics & Melody Learned
Language Fitness 1.5 hr exercise p/w
Mongolian: Learning vocab
Tuvan: Building Decks & full study plan
Tuvan Song Progress (0/3): Learning Daglarym - Lyrics & Melody Learned
Language Fitness 1.5 hr exercise p/w
- Kullman
- Orange Belt
- Posts: 130
- Joined: Fri Nov 18, 2022 4:54 pm
- Languages: Spanish (N) Galician (N) English (B2)
- x 201
Re: First phrase to learn in a new language.
"Me pones un tercio, por favor?" or "Me pones un quinto, por favor?"
and "Que se debe?".
and "Que se debe?".
0 x
Return to “Practical Questions and Advice”
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests