Bad language

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leann53

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Hi everyone ☺️, we are going on our 1st 80+ european road trip . Thing is we are really not so good with languages 😱. So the question is how do you people get by , we are hoping to do France, Spain, Portugal. Trying to learn a few hello,s please thank you,s so any tip,s most welcome.































































Hola everyone 🤗 so we have retired and going on our lst european road trip 80 day,s +
 

























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If you are going to attempt to speak in another language, first think about what you are going to say, then simplify it, then have a think about what they are likely to ask.

Early on living here, i went to buy a small opening window, and the guy i was dealing with started talking about hands, which totaly threw me, why is he talking about hands i thought? I suddenly realised he was asking if the window was to open to the left or right. Left or right handed.
You often learn a word for something then forget as in english the same word can get used for something completely different.
Another example was a news report i was watching and the guy was talking about windows, which had nothing to do with subject, until i realised he was saying a window of opertunety
 
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Another good one to learn, for me anyway, is where is the nearest toilet/convenience/wc
It's the only thing my son taught me when he was learning Welsh no idea now though.
 
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The French are incredibly polite.
When waiting for your turn to get your baguette in the shop and having said Bonjour on entering, you must also say good morning to new customers as they enter the shop.
 
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yodeli said:
Yes it should . When I was a child there were 2 ways to spell it. I can't make my mind up and write it the now only accepted way...Old age! :giggler:
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Thanks yodeli I wondered whether it was a regional spelling, as with the use (in suisse, belge, Occitan ?) of 'septante' and 'octante' etc. instead of the more generally used 'soixante-dix' and 'quatre-vingts'.
I'm old (very old) so I will feel entitled to use your cool spelling. Thanks dude, innit. :giggle:

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Knowing the word for "English?" in each language helps as a starter if you're not confident enough.

But agree a few basics in each language will open a lot of doors. The French in particular will just shrug and walk away if you don't try although most of them have a little. After all English is the International language!
 
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Spriddler said:
Thanks yodeli I wondered whether it was a regional spelling, as with the use (in suisse, belge, Occitan ?) of 'septante' and 'octante' etc. instead of the more generally used 'soixante-dix' and 'quatre-vingts'.
I'm old (very old) so I will feel entitled to use your cool spelling. Thanks dude, innit. :giggle:
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The very annoying thing is that even google doesn't remember this old way to spell it. Fortunatly my mum was a school teacher some 60 years ago, and does remember. I looked up on the internet some time ago, without finding it. But I did find people asking for the "one word" one? except THEY don't spell it as it was. They look for "tampis"
 
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yodeli said:
The very annoying thing is that even google doesn't remember this old way to spell it. Fortunatly my mum was a school teacher some 60 years ago, and does remember. I looked up on the internet some time ago, without finding it. But I dID find people asking for the "one word" one? except THEY don't spell it as it was. They look for "tampis"
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ERRRR yep... purple version! :whistle2:
Edit :Just found this one
Niveau 6
27 février 2010 à 15:37:36
Merde alors !! Moi je pensais qu'on pouvait écrire tant pis ou tanpis un peu comme plutot et plus tot ( meem si ca a pas le meme sens
:(
)
 
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TerryL said:
Knowing the word for "English?" in each language helps as a starter if you're not confident enough.

But agree a few basics in each language will open a lot of doors. The French in particular will just shrug and walk away if you don't try although most of them have a little. After all English is the International language!
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A little goes a long way, and why shouldn't somebody just shrug and walk away if you dont make the effort.

How many foreign visitors have you come across in the uk, that just walk into a shop and speak their own language and expect people to understand them.

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TerryL said:
Knowing the word for "English?" in each language helps as a starter if you're not confident enough.

But agree a few basics in each language will open a lot of doors. The French in particular will just shrug and walk away if you don't try although most of them have a little. After all English is the International language!
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I felt realy terrible last time I was in Spain, but at least I had the satisfation of asking in Spanish do you speak english or french, i dont know why, but offering more than one language made me feel slightly better about my ignorance.
A Norwegian friend arrived at a hotel in france once and spoke to the reception in english and got a shrug, as soon as he showed them his passport and they realised english was not his first language they were much more forgiving about his lack of french.
 
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Widge said:
A little goes a long way, and why shouldn't somebody just shrug and walk away if you dont make the effort.

How many foreign visitors have you come across in the uk, that just walk into a shop and speak their own language and expect people to understand them.
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I have seen this on here... and shame.... they were French. First post, and they don't make the effort to put it into google translate. Even though Google translation isn't always perfect, at least, you could have seen their effort.
Usually when I don't type in English , I say sorry didn't have the time for it.
 
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Widge said:
A little goes a long way, and why shouldn't somebody just shrug and walk away if you dont make the effort.

How many foreign visitors have you come across in the uk, that just walk into a shop and speak their own language and expect people to understand them.
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None.
 
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leann53 said:
Hi everyone ☺️, we are going on our 1st 80+ european road trip . Thing is we are really not so good with languages 😱. So the question is how do you people get by , we are hoping to do France, Spain, Portugal. Trying to learn a few hello,s please thank you,s so any tip,s most welcome.

































































































































































































































































































































































Thank you you everyone , decided to walk around with my 1966 England football shirt on . A oversize uk flag notted hankachief short,s black socks sandall,s!!! . Hope they get the idiea i,m english man abroad 😳🚌🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿





























































































































































Hola everyone 🤗 so we have retired and going on our lst european road trip 80 day,s +







 



















































































Thank



























































































































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Hold everyone 
















































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































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Decided to wear a notted hankachief, my1966 England football shirt shorts sock,s up to the knee,s ,sandals . Hoping that will give them a clue and they might try speaking to me in blighty :coolest:
 
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I have the added problem of having a French name without the language. Whenever people see my passport they always start speaking French
 
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Some friends have a villa in Spain. A neighbour was telling my mate a tale about some workman she wanted to tell when he could come and do some job for her and wishing to explain that since her husband had died, whatever, and the words she actually spoke were, "I said to him, I said 'When my marido was aqui, blah blah so you can just hang on a minute - and I'll tell you quando!' " - I had to go back into the house so I didn't explode with laughter in her face. Anyway - no idea whether she succeeded in getting the work done or not ....... wonder how many artisans in Spain spoke pidgin Spanish?
 
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