First phrase to learn in a new language.

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Querneus
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Re: First phrase to learn in a new language.

Postby Querneus » Mon Feb 20, 2023 3:15 am

I'd say "Where is the washroom?" is really practical and probably the first phrase I'd teach to anyone travelling (but Lisa basically already mentioned it).

Of course, personally I'd rather learn "Giraffes live on the plains of Africa" myself. (Explanation of the joke.)

Here is an amusing list of useful phrases also by you (rdearman), which others may enjoy:
https://forum.language-learners.org/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=18087&p=208834#p208809

rdearman wrote:
Kullman wrote:"Me pones un tercio, por favor?" or "Me pones un quinto, por favor?"

and "Que se debe?".

Which means???? My pones are tense for favours? My pones are quiet for favours? and Cue Debbie?

For that matter, I speak native Spanish and I didn't understand Kullman's phrases either. I don't drink alcohol though, it's possible that people in El Salvador also say tercio/quinto for all I know...
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Re: First phrase to learn in a new language.

Postby Iversen » Mon Feb 20, 2023 11:18 am

I share the situation of several respondents here - I understand everything, but some of it probably incorrectly. My immediate reaction would be that somebody asks for drink no. 3 and then probably no. 4 and then no. 5 - and after that the person in question ought to stop, but he/she is probably too drunk to do so. Although I vaguely remember that there is a liqueur named something like 102 (or maybe another number, but definitely too high). I wonder how that came about...

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Re: First phrase to learn in a new language.

Postby Kullman » Mon Feb 20, 2023 3:31 pm

Maybe...
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Re: First phrase to learn in a new language.

Postby smallwhite » Mon Feb 20, 2023 5:21 pm

I used to tell every Japanese-speaker I met “I am so cute”.

Watashiwa totemo kawaii desu.
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Re: First phrase to learn in a new language.

Postby rdearman » Mon Feb 20, 2023 6:54 pm

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Re: First phrase to learn in a new language.

Postby tractor » Mon Feb 20, 2023 8:34 pm

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Re: First phrase to learn in a new language.

Postby Lisa » Tue Mar 07, 2023 12:46 am

The first phrase I learned in Italian was "ll conto per favore". Back in the darkest 1970s, when ethnic food was exotic, my father would draw eyebrows on with a burnt cork and say "ll conto per favore" when my mother made italian food (he loved anything italian). It was very funny.

Fast forward to the 90; I'm assigned a job in Rome. I'd never studied a word of italian. First day, I stop at a cafe after work with the lead (a Brit). He needs to be somewhere at a certain time. How do we get the waiter's attention so we can pay?

I cannot describe how exhilarating that was.
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Re: First phrase to learn in a new language.

Postby Yunus39 » Tue Mar 07, 2023 8:00 am

Maybe, "আমি আমেরিকা থেকে" and "আমি শিখচ্ছি"
"I am from _______" and "I am learning." This is the appropriate answer to many questions.
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Re: First phrase to learn in a new language.

Postby jeffers » Tue Mar 07, 2023 8:58 am

"Hello world"
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Re: First phrase to learn in a new language.

Postby MaggieMae » Thu Mar 23, 2023 1:13 am

In addition to the normal "hello, goodbye, please, thank you, where's the bathroom," and counting from 1-10, I also try to learn "cheese". Because Swiss people think it's hilarious when I tell them "I only know the most important words in French: bonjour, où est la toilette, merci, et fromage." So now it's kinda an inside joke between my husband and I. :lol:

That being said, I can still count to ten in more languages than I can say cheese in... I should work on that one more. :oops:

ETA:
tractor wrote:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Licor_43

We do shots with that with a small topping of unsweetened coffee cream on top here in my village! We've dubbed it the Schlatter Bierli, since it looks like a tiny beer. It's one of the few "beers" I can drink, and it makes me happy!
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