A travel study conducted by Booking.com in 2018 found that 44 percent of travelers hesitate to plan a trip abroad due to the language barrier.
Can you relate? If so, learning a few key phrases in a country’s native language might help to alleviate some of those travel anxieties.
With the help of IU’s language experts, we’ve created a guide to the basics—a mini crash course in Spanish, French, Italian, German, and Japanese—that will help you locate the nearest baño in Spain, order a glass of vino in Italy, or inquire about the coût of a souvenir in France.
Navigate to a specific language by clicking the corresponding link below. Following each translated phrase is an audio clip with the proper pronunciation.
Spanish
Translations and pronunciations provided by Manuel Diaz-Campos, professor and department chair in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese at IU Bloomington.
Do you speak English?: ¿Hablas inglés?
Audio transcript:
¿Hablas inglés?Hello / Goodbye: Hola / Hasta luego
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HolaAudio transcript:
Hasta luegoPlease / Thank you: Por favor / Gracias
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Por favorAudio transcript:
GraciasExcuse me (informal): Discúlpame
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DiscúlpameNumbers 1-5: Uno, dos, tres, cuatro, cinco
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Uno, dos, tres, cuatro, cincoHow much does this cost?: ¿Cuánto cuesta esto?
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¿Cuánto cuesta esto?Where is the restroom?: ¿Dónde está el baño?
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¿Dónde está el baño?Language to order food: ¿Me puede traer [insert food item]?
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¿Me puede traer [insert food item]?Can you help me?: ¿Me puede ayudar?
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¿Me puede ayudar?French
Translations and pronunciations provided by Barbara Vance, associate professor in the Department of French and Italian at IU Bloomington.
Do you speak English?: Est-ce que vous parlez anglais?
Audio transcript:
Est-ce que vous parlez anglais?Hello / Goodbye: Bonjour / Au revoir
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BonjourAudio transcript:
Au revoirPlease / Thank you: S’il vous plaît / Merci
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S’il vous plaîtAudio transcript:
MerciExcuse me (informal): Pardon
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PardonNumbers 1-5: Un, deux, trois, quatre, cinq
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Un, deux, trois, quatre, cinqHow much does this cost?: Ça coûte combien?
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Ça coûte combien?Where is the restroom?: Où sont les toilettes?
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Où sont les toilettes?Language to order food: Je voudrais [insert food item].
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Je voudrais [insert food item].Can you help me?: Est-ce que vous pourriez m’aider?
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Est-ce que vous pourriez m’aider?Italian
Translations and pronunciations provided by Kenna Daniel, BA’09, MA’11, MA’19, who earned her master’s in both Italian and Second Language Studies from IU Bloomington.
Do you speak English?: Parli l’inglese? (Informal)
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Parli l’inglese?Hello / Goodbye: Buongiorno / Ciao
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BuongiornoAudio transcript:
CiaoPlease / Thank you: Per favore / Grazie
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Per favoreAudio transcript:
GrazieExcuse me: Scusa. / Scusami. (Informal)
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Scusa. Scusami.Numbers 1-5: Uno, due, tre, quattro, cinque
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Uno, due, tre, quattro, cinqueHow much does this cost?: Quanto costa?
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Quanto costa?Where is the restroom?: Dov’è il bagno?
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Dov’è il bagno?Language to order food: Vorrei [insert food item].
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Vorrei [insert food item].Can you help me?: Mi puoi aiutare?
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Mi puoi aiutare?German
Translations and pronunciations provided by Troy Byler, BA’95, MA’99, MA’01, a senior lecturer in the Department of Germanic Studies at IU Bloomington.
Do you speak English?: Sprechen Sie Englisch?
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Sprechen Sie Englisch?Hello / Goodbye: Guten Tag / Tschüss
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Guten TagAudio transcript:
TschüssPlease / Thank you: Bitte / Danke
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BitteAudio transcript:
DankeExcuse me (informal): Entschuldigung
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EntschuldigungNumbers 1-5: Eins, zwei, drei, vier, fünf
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Eins, zwei, drei, vier, fünfHow much does this cost?: Wieviel kostet das?
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Wieviel kostet das?Where is the restroom?: Wo ist die Toilette?
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Wo ist die Toilette?Language to order food: Ich möchte [insert food item].
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Ich möchte [insert food item].Can you help me?: Könnten Sie mir helfen?
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Könnten Sie mir helfen?Japanese
Translations and pronunciations provided by Keiko Kuriyama, director of Japanese Studies at IUPUI.
Do you speak English?: Eego o hanashimasu ka?
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Eego o hanashimasu ka?Hello / Goodbye: Konnichiwa / Sayonara
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KonnichiwaAudio transcript:
SayonaraPlease / Thank you: Doozo / Arigatoo
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DoozoAudio transcript:
ArigatooExcuse me (informal): Sumimasen
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SumimasenNumbers 1-5: Ichi, ni, san, shi, go
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Ichi, ni, san, shi, goHow much does this cost?: Kore wa ikura desu ka?
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Kore wa ikura desu ka?Where is the restroom?: Toire wa doko desu ka?
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Toire wa doko desu ka?Language to order food: [Insert food item] onegaishimasu.
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[Insert food item] onegaishimasu.Can you help me?: Tasukete kudasai?
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Tasukete kudasai?Want more information about IU Travels trips? Visit alumni.iu.edu/travel.
