Job Discussion Forums

johnslat · Posted: Fri Dec 05, 2003 1:35 pm Post subject: No problem

Dear biffinbridge,
And let's not forget one of my all-time favorites: Ma fi mushkila (No problem). Inevitably, when it was spoken, you KNEW there was going to be a problem.
Regards,
John

Capergirl · Posted: Fri Dec 05, 2003 3:58 pm Post subject:

These are the bare basics I learned in South Korea {Korean} and Taiwan {Mandarin Chinese} (although much has now been forgotten):
1. Manners (please, thank you, excuse me)
2. Asking for directions (How do I get to...?, Where is...?)
3. Basic shopping lingo (What is...? How much does...cost?)
4. Basic restaurant lingo (I would like..., Do you have...?, some basic food names like "chicken" and "fish")
5. Basic transportation lingo (bus station, train station, airport)
6. Numbers (especially how to say "one of", "two of", etc.)
7. My own address and phone number
8. My school's/company's address and phone number
9. Emergency ("I need help", "please call....")
10. How to answer the phone properly Very Happy

That's more than 10 phrases, but if you are going to spend more than a few days in a foreign country, it pays to know more than 10 measly phrases. Wink

Will. · Joined: 02 May 2003 Posts: 783 Location: London Uk

Thanks Caper,
no 7 rings a bell.
Try this address in Polish.
Trzydziesci-szesc Grzmaly Siedleskiego w Wyzynie
It took me ages to learn.

Will. · Joined: 02 May 2003 Posts: 783 Location: London Uk

The phone number does not bear repeating

Will. · Joined: 02 May 2003 Posts: 783 Location: London Uk

The phone number does not bear repeating

denise · Joined: 23 Apr 2003 Posts: 3419 Location: finally home-ish

Here are the phrases with which I was equipped when I arrived in Japan (in no particular order of importance or truthfulness about my life):

1. I'm drunk
2. I don't eat meat
3. Nice ass/cute butt (I don't know which of the two is a closer translation--I think the latter)
4. itadakimasu--said before eating--how's my spelling???
5. you're hot (which I have since found out really only means "you're cool")

And a few other random words.

d

ls650 · Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 3484 Location: British Columbia

dyak · Joined: 25 Jun 2003 Posts: 630

A few important ones.

Your camel is, as you say, quite magnificient.
I really have more than enough rice.
What are the rules for queuing in this country?
Where am I?
You wouldn't charge me that me that much if you didn't think I was a tourist.
Wait, I can't afford a girlfriend at the moment.

Resources were scare when I was learning Croatian, though one book in particular had many indispensable phrases such as:

Taj covjek je debeo
That man is fat

Moja macka je debela
My cat is fat

Vi niste debeli
You are not fat

Debeli ljudi su cesto veseli
Fat people are often cheerful

Ti putnici su debeli
Those passengers are fat

Capergirl · Posted: Sat Dec 06, 2003 12:03 pm Post subject:

OMG, dyak, that's too funny!

Wolf · Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 1245 Location: Middle Earth

yaramaz · Posted: Sat Dec 06, 2003 2:57 pm Post subject:

Wolf, what on earth do the Japanese say before eating that is so obscene that it must be bleeped? Shocked

Wolf · Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 1245 Location: Middle Earth

Go chi so sa ma de shi ta.

The problem being shi ta. This is the Japanese past tense for the verb "to do," as well as all type 3 verbs, so it's a bit hard to type Romanji Japanese here at Dave's. Sad

Kurochan · Joined: 01 Mar 2003 Posts: 944 Location: China

This woman who used to work with me had tons of local people eating out of the palm of her hand, and she could only say five things:

How are you?
Thank you.
How much is it?

and the most important two,

Your baby is very beautiful.
How old is he/she?

Anybody with a kid LOVED her after that.

Dr.J · Joined: 09 May 2003 Posts: 304 Location: usually Japan

I wondered about this too, but I realised that you can make all the simple stuff understood with grunts and gestures, and you can get your address etc. written down so you can show someone. What does that leave?

1. "I don't know/understand."

It means I'm not satisfied yet. Please keep explaining.

2. "Please."
3. "Thank you very much."

When you only have 10 phrases, you need someone to help you. Being polite goes a long way.

4. "Toilet"

Some things you shouldn't gesture.

5. "I like/don't like..."

This can mean 'I want...' or 'You are very beautiful...' or 'My hobbies are...' . Very flexible.

6. "Money."

Can mean: Where's my money? How much? Do you want money? I have no money etc. Just add intonation and gestures.

7. "Friend."

Can mean: "Don't kill me." "I like you, but not sexually." "Please don't be angry with me." "I come in peace."

8. "Already" , "not yet" , "still"

Hard to express in gestures, and speeds up conversation a lot.

9. "Same" "Different"

Likewise hard to express and very useful.

10. I was going to write "F*ck you , buddy!", but you're better off not upsetting anyone. So..."I'm sorry."

dmb · Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Posts: 8397

Referring to number 9. In the arab world if you rub your two index fingers together it means 'same same' 'Shway shway/ Aynisi'