The Top 10 Useful Phrases - Across Europe

The Top 10 Useful Phrases ‐ Across Europe

Europe is a veritable hot pot of languages and these mother tongues are as diverse, and wonderful as they come. However beyond the basic English commonalities and pointy sign language conveying: “I want that one,” it can be tough to get a real glimpse of the local city life around you. With that in mind here are ten multi lingual phrases to get you off the starting blocks ‐ when striking up conversations across Europe!

1. Prague ‐ Czech

   Czech isn’t the most commonplace language which makes it difficult to get in any practice. Factoring that in, here’s a little something to get you started. Repeat after us.

   In Czeh: “Ahoj ‐ jak se mate? Mluvite anglicky?”
   In English: “Hello ‐ how are you? Do you speak English?”

2. Dublin ‐ Gaelic

   Everyone in Ireland speaks English but that’s no excuse not to try. Also a little local charm might go a long way if you happen to meet the girl or boy of your dreams. Here’s a useful ice breaker.

   In Gaelic: “An bhfuil tu posta? An mhaith leat tusa damhsa liom?”
   In English: “Are you married? Would you like to dance with me?”

3. Cardiff ‐ Welsh

   The Welsh language is a source of great pride in Cardiff and across Wales. Most signposts give you the crux of it in both English and Welsh, but if you want to curry favour, give this a go.

   In Welsh: “Bore da. Mae'n dda gen i gwrdd â chi. (Mae fy hofrenfad yn llawn llyswennod)”
   In English: “Good morning. Pleased to meet you. (My hovercraft is full of eels.)”

4. Amsterdam ‐ Dutch

   There are a lot of ‘coffee shops’ in Amsterdam but shockingly, the majority don’t specialise in the sale of Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee. In that vein, here’s how you go about discovering more.

   In Dutch: “Waar halen Nederlanders hun koffie, aangezien ze in koffieshops iets heel anders verkopen?”
   In English: “Where do Dutch people get their coffee, since the coffee shops sell something else?”

5. Paris ‐ French

   Most people know the basics in French such as Bonjour and the simplest of polite greetings ‐ ca va? But where’s the fun in that? Here’s how you strike up a fun conversation with a Parisian, before they notice your accent and start responding in English.

   In French: “Qu’est ce que tu penses des avantages et les inconvenients de la vie a Paris?”
   In English: “What do you think about the advantages and the inconveniences of living in Paris?”

6. Lisbon ‐ Portuguese

   It’s inevitable. At some point on your international jet setting you’re going to bump into someone that you ‘like’ ‐ so when this happens to happen in Portugal, here’s how you set the wheels of love in motion.

   In Portuguese: “O meu nome é Michael. Qual é o seu número de telefone?”
   In English: “Hello my name is Micahel. What is your telephone number?”

7. Valencia ‐ Spanish

   So the chances of finding a meal in Spain that doesn’t involve meat are slim to say to the least, but the following phrase might increase your odds!

   In Spanish: “Hay aqui algún restaurante vegetariano?”
   In English: “Are there any vegetarian restaurants here?”

8. Rome ‐ Italian

   When in Rome it’s only polite to get the moustache and Ferrari stereotypes out of the way, so here’s a stone of a phrase that’ll kill these two birds, in one swoop.

   In Italian: “Vorrei comprare alcuno mousached i acessories dell'automobile per il mio Ferrari.”
   In English: “I'd like to buy some moustached car accessories for my Ferrari.”

9. Munich ‐ German

   Sticking to the subject of cultural stereotypes, here’s a fun way to begin a spot of banter with the locals you encounter in the splendid city of Berlin.

   In German: “Ein Bier mit Sempf aber Schaum unten!”
   In English: “One beer with mustard but leave the foam on the bottom.”

10. Riga ‐ Latvian

    Latvian isn’t the most widespread language so for the sake of serving up something less humorous and more comical, here are a couple of essential inquires.

    In Latvian: “Vai jus runajay aangliski? Kur atrodas Auto? Ludzu paradiet man uz kartes?”
    In English: “Do you speak English? Where is the bus? Please show me on a map?”