A non-expansive collection of phrases I have learnt on my travels.
CHINESE
- Greetings
您好 (nín hǎo): hello (formal)
再见 (zài jiàn): good bye
早安 (zǎo ān): good morning
下午好 (xià wǔ hǎo): good afternoon
晚安 (wǎn ān): good night - Essentials
谢谢 (xiè xiè): thank you
别客气 (bié kè qì): you’re welcome
请 (qǐng): please
对不起 (duì bù qǐ): sorry/excuse me
是的 (shì de): yes/correct
没有 (méi yǒu): no/don’t have
厕所 (cè suǒ): toilet/washroom
- Food & Drink
早餐 (zǎo cān): breakfast
吃 (chī): eat
喝 (hē): drink
咖啡 (kā fēi): coffee
啤酒 (pí jiǔ): beer
葡萄酒 (pú táo jiǔ): wine
水 (shuǐ): water
果汁 (guǒ zhī): fruit juice
水果 (shuǐ guǒ): fruit
苹果 (píng guǒ): apple
香蕉 (xiāng jiāo): banana
西瓜 (xī guā): watermelon
橙 (chéng): orange
饭 (fàn): rice
面 (miàn): noodles
汤 (tāng): soup
鸡肉 (jī ròu): chicken
牛肉 (niú ròu): beef
猪肉 (zhū ròu): pork
鱼 (yú): fish
虾 (xiā): prawn/shrimp - Numbers
一 (yī): one
二 (Èr): two
三 (sān): three
四 (sì): four
五 (wǔ): five
六 (liù): six
七 (qī): seven
八 (bā): eight
九 (jiǔ): nine
十 (shí): ten - Other
汽车 (qì chē): car
火车 (huǒ chē): train
自行车 (zì xíng chē): bicycle
路 (lù): road
街 (jiē): street
CZECH
- Essentials
děkuji: thank you
GREEK
- Greetings
καλημέρα (kali̱méra): good morning
καληνύχτα (kali̱nýchta): good night - Essentials
ευχαριστώ (ef̱charistó̱): thank you
ναί (naí): yes
όχι (óchi): no
καταλαβαίνω (katalavaíno̱): understand
KHMER
- Essentials
arkoun: thank you
saumtos: excuse me/sorry
KOREAN
- Greetings
안녕하세요 (annyeonghaseyo): Hello!, Good morning!, Good afternoon!, Good day! - Essentials
화장실 (hwajangsil): toilet, restroom
감사합니다 (gamsahabnida): thankyou - Other
할아버지(hal-abeoji): grandfather, grandpa, grandad, granddad, grandpapa
MALAY
- Greetings
selamat datang: welcome - Essentials
terima kasih: thank you
tandas: toilet
teksi: taxi
jalan: road - Food & Drink
makan: eat
pisang: banana
goreng: fried
milk: susu
kopi: coffee
teh: tea
nasi: rice
minuman: drink
air: water - Numbers
satu: one
dua: two
tiga: three
empat: four
lima: five
enam: six
tujuh: seven
lapan: eight
sembilan: nine
sepuluh: ten - Other
buku: book
SPANISH
- Greetings
Pura Vida: Pure Life (a saying in Costa Rica said as a greeting/goodbye meant to encapsulate the idea of goodwill, balance and happiness in your life)
hola: hello
¡adiós: goodbye
buenos días: good morning
buenos noches: good night - Essentials
si: yes
no: no
discúlpe: excuse me/sorry
gracias: thank you
de nada: it’s nothing/you are welcome
por favor: please
lo siento: i am sorry
perdón: pardon
hablar: speak
Español: Spanish
Inglés: English
bueno: good
poco: a little
mucho: a lot
yo no hablo español: i do not speak spanish
tienda: shop
Yo soy: I am
banos: toilet
niño: boy
niña: girl
chica: girl
hombre: man
mujer: woman
mercado: market
- Food & Drink
comida: food
soda: restaurant (only in Costa Rica)
menú: menu
cena: dinner
desayuno: breakfast
camarones: shrimp/prawns
carne: meat
pollo: chicken
pescado: fish
vegetariano: vegetarian
ensalada: salad
huevo: egg
pan: bread
queso: cheese
salsa: sauce
filete: fillet
sopa: soup
fruta: fruit
manzana: apple
naranja: orange
piña: pineapple
sandia: watermelon
fresa: strawberry
cebolla: onion
ajillo: garlic
tomate: tomato
criolla: creole
patacones: fried plantains – flattened
arroz: rice
arroz blanco: white rice
arroz frito: fried rice
gallo pinto: a rice and bean dish (it’s delicious)
papa: potato
papa puree: mashed potato
papa fritas: french fries
caliente: hot
fria: cold
hielo: ice
para llevar: takeaway/to-go
fresco/fresca: fresh
naturales: natural
abierto: open
agua: water
bebidas: drinks
Cuba Libre: rum and coke (literally translated ‘free Cuba’)
cerveza: beer
vino: wine
café: coffee
leche: milk
limonada: lemonade
jugo: juice
botella: bottle
pequeño: small
medio: medium
grande: large
una mas: another/one more
- Numbers
uno: one
dos: two
tres: three
cuatro: four
cinco: five
seis: six
siete: seven
ocho: eight
nueve: nine
diez: ten
- Animals
caballeros: horses
perro: dog
gato: cat
toro: cow
elefante: elephant
oso: bear
león: lion
tortuga: turtle
- Other
salida: exit
entrada: entrance
de: of
bonita: beautiful/pretty
guapa: pretty
chinita: sweety
bailando: dancing
china (chee-na): Chinese/China
Chinito: chinese male
alto: slow
ojo: eye
carta: letter
libro: book
nuevo: new
Tico/Tica: a colloquial term that specifically refers to a native Costa Rican person
Quienes tu papi?: who is your daddy?
- Grammar
Yo leo: I read
nosotros: we
Yo bebo: I drink
Yo cocino: I cook
Yo como: I eat
Yo escribo: I write
el/la/lo/los/las: the
un/una: one/a
el/ella: he/her
es: is
tu/usted: you
con: with
THAI
- Greetings
สวัสดี (sawasdee): hello
VIETNAMESE
- Essentials
cảm ơn: thank you
xin chào: hello
vệ sinh: toilet
không: no
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