1. Hello! Good day.
These will likely be the words you hear most in your travels, whether itтАЩs from hoteliers, waiters, shopkeepers, or people around town. Practice your accent by throwing out a hearty тАЬbonjour!тАЭ or тАЬbuenos d├нas!тАЭ
2. I donтАЩt speak ___. Do you speak English?
Almost immediately after your greeting, youтАЩll probably have to break this one out. Commit it to memory for those times when someone comes up to you on the street or in a store with a rapid-fire slew of words that are foreign to you. In that moment, youтАЩll probably be at a loss for words, and you donтАЩt want to have to shuffle around for your phrasebook for too long.
3. Please and Thank You
Endear yourself to those around you by being as polite as you can. Know the words for please and thank you, and use them often. No doubt it will make people a little more patient when youтАЩre confused or trying to figure out unfamiliar customs.
4. Help!
When exploring a new place, itтАЩs good to be well versed in how to ask for assistanceтАФand to recognize the word when you hear it around you. Potential uses: тАЬHelp! IтАЩve eaten too much and someone needs to help me out of my chair.тАЭ тАЬHelp! I canтАЩt apply sunscreen to my back alone!тАЭ
5. Excuse me.
Traveling often means being in a lot of tight spaces, whether itтАЩs on subways, overnight trains, airplanes, or crowded plazas. In most languages, тАЬexcuse meтАЭ can do triple duty as a navigation tool, a greeting, or an apology. Try the German тАЬentschuldigen Sie mich.тАЭ
6. Where is ___?
You may not be able to understand their answer, but if you look confused enough, people will start pointing. Just keep asking people at every intersection, and eventually youтАЩll get where you need to go.
7. Where is the bathroom?
Lest you get stuck wandering into a restaurantтАЩs back kitchen or a stock room, be sure you know how to ask where the facilities areтАФpreferably in the politest way possible. No need to be crude.
8. Where is the ATM?
Knowing the right local abbreviation for automatic banking doesnтАЩt seem that important until youтАЩre stuck in a teeny Peruvian town asking everyone in sight for the Spanish equivalent of the тАЬmachine that gives you money.тАЭ Unless youтАЩve got an entire tripтАЩs worth of travelerтАЩs checks hidden in your backpack, know the words that will lead you to your stock of extra cash.
9. I need ___.
Being alone in a strange place introduces a lot of needs. Just to start, youтАЩve got to eat and sleep somewhere every day. And itтАЩs likely you forgot to pack at least one somewhat important item. The demanding тАЬI needтАЭ may be a little rudimentary for some purposes, but in a pinch, it does the job. Some potential uses: тАЬI need a room.тАЭ тАЬI need a towel.тАЭ тАЬI need an ice cream.тАЭ
10. Check, please!
In some countries, itтАЩs impolite for a server to bring your table the check until itтАЩs requested. Make sure you know how to ask for it! In Russian, try тАЬ╨б╤З╨╡╤В, ╨┐╨╛╨╢╨░╨╗╤Г╨╣╤Б╤В╨░!тАЭ
11. Cheers!
DonтАЩt forget to toast! In Italian, go with тАЬCin cin.тАЭ In Scandinavian countries, itтАЩs тАЬSk├еl!тАЭ
12. IтАЩm allergic to ___.
If you have a dangerous or inconvenient allergy, make sure you know how to express it to the people around you. Alternately, you might need to break this phrase out as a white lie to avoid certain foods. Telling someone youтАЩre allergic to shellfish is a little easier than going on a long diatribe against animal cruelty.
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