Benny Lewis's Blog, page 15

October 10, 2022

How to Say “Ghost” in Japanese: Plus Spooky Japanese Ghost Stories

“Ghost” in Japanese is 幽霊, yuurei. Well, that’s one of the many words for it anyway!

Japan has a love for all things spooky, creepy, haunting, and ghost-like. So, it only makes sense that there’s going to be more than one word for “ghost” in Japanese!

And, really, most languages have different words for things from the afterlife. Spirits, demons, poltergeist, apparition, phantom, wraith… and they all mean somewhat different things.

So if you, too, love ghosts, scary stories, and creepy things – this article is for you!

function runSplitTest(){var randomNumber = Math.floor(Math.random() * 2) + 1console.log(randomNumber)var copy = "";if (randomNumber == 3){ copy = 'A note from the Fluent in 3 Months team before we get started: You can chat away in Japanese for at least 15 minutes with the "Fluent in 3 Months" method. All it takes is 90 days. <a href="https://fluentin3months.com/challenge... this link to find out more.</a>'} else { copy = 'Before we get started, if you’re looking for an online Japanese course, here’s the course I recommend: <a href="https://www.fluentin3months.com/olly-... Uncovered - Learn Japanese Through the Power of Story</a>, a course with a fascinating new method by my friend Olly. You can try it for free for 7 days!'}console.log(copy)var copyToChange = document.querySelector("p.copyText").innerHTML = copy;}runSplitTest();Table of contentsHow to Say “Ghost” in Japanese Spooky Japanese Vocab To Know Culture Talk: Significance of Ghosts, Death, and the Afterlife in Japanese Japanese Ghost Stories: The Scariest Youkai in Japanese Folklore Yotsuya Kaidan: The Famous Story of Haunting Revenge Baku: The Nightmare Eater Banchou Sarayashiki: The Vengeful Servant Zashiki Warashi: Parlor Children Shirime: The Ghost with a Butt Eye (I Wish I Was Kidding)Kuchisake Onna: The Joker in Female Ghost Form Mimi-nashi Houichi: The Famous Haunted Musician Yuki Onna: Murderous Snow Spirits Japanese Ghost Stories in Media: Must-See Movies and Anime for Horror Fans Gakkou no Kaidan: Ghost Stories (Japanese TV Series)Yamishibai: Japanese Ghost Stories Dark Water Pulse Shiver Down Your Spine from These Japanese Ghost Stories?How to Say “Ghost” in Japanese

So – the main question. What is “ghost” in Japanese? Japanese ghosts have many words to describe them, so it depends on the type of ghost you’re talking about.

A good spirit is called 祖霊 (sorei). These are your ancestral spirits who will guide and protect you.

But bad spirits are called 幽霊 (yuurei), the spirits that didn’t make it to the afterlife due to unresolved issues or not receiving the proper ceremonies.

There’s also 怨霊 (onryou), or “vengeful spirits.” These spirits are often women and people with little power or influence in life who died wrongfully or hold a lot of hate for things that happened to them. They come back as wraiths, determined to get revenge for what was done to them.

What are Japanese ghost stories called? They’re often referred to as 怪談 (kaidan), which refers to any story that’s strange, mysterious, or spooky.

Japanese horror is borrowed from English: ホラー (hora-).

Here are some other words for “ghost” in Japanese:

亡霊, bourei: “Departed spirit” – a Shakespearean, formal word for “ghost”.騒霊, sourei: “Poltergeist” – not to be confused with 祖霊 (sorei), which doesn’t have the long vowel sound.妖怪, youkai: “Apparition” or “phantom”, but used more broadly to describe monsters, ghosts, shapeshifters and weird phenomena.化け物, bakemono, or お化け, obake: “Ghost”, but also “goblin”, “monster”, or “phantom”. Anything that can change appearance and is supernatural.死霊, shiryou: “Ghost” or “spirit”.

Spooky Japanese Vocab To Know

Besides ghosts, you’ll need to know some other related words to talk about or listen to ghost stories.

Here are some to get you started!

Bad Feelings:

怖い, kowai: “Scared” or “scary”おっかない, okkanai: “Frightening”恐ろしい, osoroshii: “Dreadful”恐怖, kyoufu: “Fear”恐れって, osorette: “Afraid”ゾッとする, zotto suru: “To shudder” (from the creeps or fear, a cold chill down your spine)ぐろい, guroi: “Gross,” “grotesque”不気味, bukimi: “Spooky”気持ち悪い, kimochi warui: “Bad feeling” or “creepy”

Body Parts:

骨, hone: “Bone”骨格, *kokkaku: “Skeleton”血液, ketsueki: “Blood”頭, atama: “Head”首, kubi: “Neck”手, te: “Hand”腕, ude: “Arm”足, ashi: “Leg” and “feet”指, yubi: “Fingers”足の指, ashi no yubi: “Toes”

Creepy Things:

怖い話, kowai hanashi: “Scary story”超自然, choushizen: “Supernatural” or “occult”変化, henge: Literally, “change” but refers to shapeshifting beings such as 狐 (kitsune, “foxes”) in Japanese lore怪獣, kaiju: “Monster”, like the most famous Japanese 大怪獣 (daikaiju), Godzillaお墓, ohaka: “Grave”魔女, majo: “Witch”吸血鬼, kyuuketsuki: “Vampire”殺し, koroshi: “Murder”ゴア, goa, or 流血, ryuuketsu: “Gore” or “bloodshed”

P.S. – Japan does celebrate Halloween! It’s called ハロウィン (harowin)! But it’s different than you might expect. There’s no Trick-or-Treating, but they do have a lot of costume parties!

Culture Talk: Significance of Ghosts, Death, and the Afterlife in Japanese

Japan is largely a Shinto or Buddhist nation, so they believe in different afterlife planes of existence.

In the Shinto afterlife called 黄泉の国 (yominokuni) or the Buddhist afterlife called あの世 (anoyo). There’s also hell, 地獄 (jigoku), but it’s not just one place. It can be many, with different types of punishment.

Interestingly, its believed that the 黄泉の国 (yominokuni) and 地獄 (jigoku) are located in Japan, at locations like Yomotsu Hirasaka in Izumo and Mount Osore in Aomori.

Japan also has a special day to celebrate ancestral spirits. It’s called お盆 (obon), which lasts 3 days and is based on Buddhist traditions. It’s usually celebrated in July or August, based on the region.

Food offerings are made to family memory altars at home and people visit their ancestors’ graves. Floating lanterns are placed in water to help guide the spirits back home.

In Japan, death is a bit more complicated. It’s considered a hard journey to the afterlife, and you have to pass peacefully, leaving nothing unresolved. It’s also up to your family to help care for your soul with certain rituals that help guide you to the afterlife.

And everyone has a certain “moral debt” they owe to their parents and ancestors for giving them life. This debt, called 義務 (gimu), is honored by providing proper ceremonies and rituals after a loved one’s death, and for honoring ancestors with home altars and on Obon.

The Japanese also believe the spirits can return to visit, so ghosts aren’t always bad – sometimes they’re good spirits here to protect or guide. It’s considered a part of life.

Japanese Ghost Stories: The Scariest Youkai in Japanese FolkloreYotsuya Kaidan: The Famous Story of Haunting Revenge

This is one of the most famous Japanese ghost stories, which originated as a kabuki play. There’s even a shrine: The Oiwa Inari Tamiya Shrine in Yotsuya, Shinjuku.

In a complex plot of love, hate, murder, and revenge, the beautiful Yotsuya Oiwa is married to ronin samurai Tamiya Iemon. But her sister, Oume, who is considered less attractive, also loves Iemon and wants his affection.

Oume then decides to poison her sister via face cream, causing horrific damage to her sister’s beautiful skin. As a result, Iemon wants nothing to do with Oiwa anymore (and does some pretty horrible things in the process).

Oiwa, devastated, accidentally kills herself and comes back as an onryou, a vengeful ghost. In the end, everyone dies and her ex-husband, Iemon, is driven to madness by her haunting.

Baku: The Nightmare Eater

A beast that looks like the Asian tapir, the Baku (獏, baku) are youkai beings that devour nightmares. Like Beetlejuice, you have to call for him three times: “Baku-san, come eat my dream.”

The story goes that a child who wakes from a bad dream and calls for Baku three times will have their nightmare eaten by the beast so it goes away. But, the Baku may also suck up all their good dreams too, leaving them apathetic.

Banchou Sarayashiki: The Vengeful Servant

番町皿屋敷 (banchou sarayashiki, “The Dish Mansion”) tells the story of Okiku, a beautiful servant.

There are a few different versions of the story, but in Japanese folklore, it’s said Okiku worked for Aoyama Tessan, a samurai. He was in love with her, but she didn’t love him and would refuse his advances.

This angered Aoyama. So one day, he plotted to force her to love him. He framed her for losing one of the family’s 10 heirloom plates.

This would’ve normally led to death for the servant, but he promised to forgive her if she would finally agree to be with him. Still, Okiku refused, so Aoyama threw her down a well to her death.

Okiku, knowing she was wronged, came back to haunt him as an onryou. She would count to 9 and then shriek for the 10th plate he claimed she lost.

Zashiki Warashi: Parlor Children

座敷童 (zashiki warashi) are youkai spirits that cause mischief and play pranks on people. They’re said to bring good fortune to those who are visited by them.

This ghost story stems mainly from the Iwate Prefecture. Some say they can only appear to their own family, or only seen by other children.

But if you see one that has a red face and red clothes, the child spirit is about to leave. And as a protector spirit, its absence could mean bad fortune and things to come for the family.

Shirime: The Ghost with a Butt Eye (I Wish I Was Kidding)

This one is absolutely hilarious.

尻目 (shirime, literally: “butt eye”) is a youkai who, at first, looks like a normal human… But then it turns around and has no face.

If that wasn’t shocking enough, this mischievous spirit then drops its clothes, turns around, and flashes you its butthole eyeball.

This youkai is said to just enjoy scaring people, but the fact that this exists is so hilarious. Japanese people really like this type of creepy, gross humor.

Kuchisake Onna: The Joker in Female Ghost Form

口裂け女 (kuchisake onna, “Slit-Mouthed Woman”) is another onryou who wanders around at night looking for revenge. It’s said she was brutally attacked and had her mouth slit from ear to ear.

Now, a vengeful ghost, she goes around with her mouth covered by a mask, carrying a sharp item like a knife or scissors. If she comes up to you, you’re pretty much doomed.

She’ll ask, “私、きれい？” (Watashi, kirei?, “Am I pretty?”). If you say no, she kills you on the spot. If you say yes, she’ll remove her mask and ask again or say これでも? (kore demo, “Even this?”).

If you say no or show fear, you’re dead. If you say yes, she’ll give you her same ear-to-ear smile.

Brutal? Absolutely. But if you ever encounter Kuchisake Onna, then you need to be prepared. You can tell her she’s “average”, throw money or candy at her, or, supposedly, say the word “pomade” three times.

Mimi-nashi Houichi: The Famous Haunted Musician

耳なし芳一 (mimi-nashi houichi, “Houichi the Earless”) is another famous Japanese ghost story. The tale goes that Houichi was a blind musician who played the Japanese lute called a biwa.

Houichi was very poor, although very beloved for his musical talent. He lived with his friend, who was a priest, at a temple.

One day, Houichi met with a traveling samurai who asked him to play for his daimyou lord. Houichi obliged, and they loved his performance so much, they asked him to come back.

But the priest was suspicious that his friend kept disappearing at night. So he sent servants after Houichi, only to find him playing in a cemetery.

His friend realized he was being tricked by ghosts, so he painted protective kanji all over Houichi and told him to not answer the ghost’s calls. But he forgot to write the protective spell on Houichi’s ears.

So when the ghost came, he could only see Houichi’s ears. He ripped them off in anger and left. But Houichi survived and was freed from the ghost’s grasps, and continued to play music.

Yuki Onna: Murderous Snow Spirits

It’s said that 雪女 (yuki onna, “Snow Woman”) are other-worldly beautiful women with snow-white skin and long black hair. There are many different stories, but the yuki onna target victims to steal their life energy.

Some say the yuki onna lure men to their deaths by freezing them in the snow. Others say they suck the life out of them. Some say that yuki onna is one woman, who was murdered in the snow and now does the same to others.

But, some legends claim there have been men who fell in love and married a yuki onna, and they lived happily.

Japanese Ghost Stories in Media: Must-See Movies and Anime for Horror Fans

You probably already know that Ju-On (The Grudge) and The Ring are two of the most famous Japanese ghost stories in cinema. But if you’re looking for more ghost stories and horror movies, here are some suggestions in media:

Gakkou no Kaidan: Ghost Stories (Japanese TV Series)

学校の怪談 (gakkou no kaidan, “Ghosts at School”) is a manga and anime movie series. It’s about Satsuki, a young girl who moves to a haunted town after her mother passed away.

It’s discovered that the old abandoned school is haunted, along with the town, and that Satsuki’s mother was the one who sealed the ghosts away. Now, Satsuki must use her mother’s book of notes to learn to seal the spirits and demons away again.

Yamishibai: Japanese Ghost Stories

闇芝居 (yamishibai, “Dark Play”), also called Yamishibai: Theater of Darkness, is a Japanese anime series. It’s a collection of Japanese ghost stories, myths, legends, and folklore.

In the episode, a man in a yellow mask (creepy) rolls up to a kid’s playground to tell them ghost stories (even creepier). If you want to know more ghost stories, this is a good one to watch!

Dark Water

仄暗い水の底から (honogurai mizu no soko kara, “From the Depths of Dark Water”) is a horror classic. (But just the Japanese version, not the American one.)

A divorced mom, Yoshimi, has to move into a rundown apartment with her daughter, Ikuko. But the apartment complex is haunted. Strange things begin to happen at her apartment, which has a mysterious leak from upstairs.

Pulse

回路 (kairo, “Circuit”), is a cult classic horror film which was also remade by Hollywood.

A ghost invades the world through the internet, resulting in tons of people disappearing. As fewer and fewer people remain, they must find a way to survive.

Shiver Down Your Spine from These Japanese Ghost Stories?

ゾッとした (zotto shita) – Shiver down your spine? No worries, we’re done for today! Call the Baku if you need him tonight. 😉

Ready to learn more about Japanese culture? Keep learning with these articles:

63 Must-Know Japanese Slang Words Japanese Anime Phrases You’ll Hear in Every Show “Cute” in Japanese: Understanding “Kawaii” Culture How to Read Japanese Manga [+10 Easy Manga Series for Beginners Learning Japanese]Japanese Uncovered Review: Is the Force Strong with This One?

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Published on October 10, 2022 04:00

September 30, 2022

An Introductory Guide to Spanish-Speaking Countries (Fun Facts and Expressions Included!)

Spanish has 463 million native speakers, the second highest number after Chinese. And it’s the 4th most spoken language (after English, Chinese and Hindi-Urdu).

It’s also one of the 6 official languages of the United Nations, and about 75 million people speak Spanish as a second language.

Wondering what dialect of Spanish you should learn and what’s most spoken? Well, Mexican Spanish has the highest number of speakers, making up 20% of total Spanish speakers. But any dialect of Spanish can be understood by others.

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So we already answered, “How many Spanish-speaking countries are there?” There are 20 Spanish-speaking countries, plus Puerto Rico. (So some say 21 countries, although Puerto Rico is an unincorporated territory of the United States).

So here’s a list of all 21 places you could go and speak Spanish with the natives:

SpainMexicoArgentinaBoliviaChileColombiaCosta RicaCubaDominican RepublicEcuadorEl SalvadorEquatorial GuineaGuatemalaHondurasNicaraguaPanamaParaguayPuerto RicoPeruUruguayVenezuelaSpanish Speaking Countries: Learn About Their Language, Flags, Capitals, and More!Spain

Population: 47,450,795Capital: Madrid

Fun facts:

Spain has a constitutional monarchy like the UK. The current monarch is King Felipe VI.Popular Spanish dishes include paella, gazpacho, and jamón serranoBoth Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali are from Spain.Spain’s famous for its football (US: soccer) team, Real Madrid, and it’s Formula 1 racingSpanish in Spain is called castellano, and it pronounces some sounds differently. Notably, z, ci or ce are pronounced like “th”

Spain-specific Spanish words:

Qué chulo – “Cool” or “sweet”Molar – “To like”, also “to be cool”Hostia – “Bloody hell”Venga – “Come on”Vale – “Okay”

Mexico

Population: 126,014,024Capital: Mexico City

Fun facts:

Mexico has the world’s largest pyramid!! The pyramid of Cholula, which is actually hidden under a mountain.Mexico City was built over the ruins of an Aztec city on a lake, Tenochtitlán. It sinks a little bit each year.Color TV was invented by Guillermo Gonzalex Camarena in Guadalajara in 1940. He was only 23 years old at the time.Some popular Mexican dishes are chilaquiles, elote, and tamales.

Mexico-specific Spanish words:

Pendejo – “Stupid” or “asshole”A huevo – “Hell yeah”Buena onda – “Good vibes”Güey – “Guy”, “dude” or “mate”No manches – “No way”Argentina

Population: 47,327,407Capital: Buenos Aires

Fun Facts:

Argentina has both the highest point in the Southern Hemisphere (Mt. Aconcagua) and the lowest point (Laguna del Carbon).Yerba mate is the most popular drink in Argentina, and has its own culture and etiquetteThe largest dinosaur ever discovered was found on a Patagonian farm by a worker in 2008! It’s though to be a titanosaur, but they’re still working to excavate it.Argentina is famous for it’s beef and steak, but definitely also try their empanadas, choripán, and provoleta.

Argentina-specific Spanish words:

Tener mala leche – “To have bad luck” (Literally: “To have bad milk”)Boludo – “Dude”Che – “Hey”Estar al horno – Literally, “to be cooked in an oven”, but means something like “to be in deep trouble”Tener fiaca – “To feel lazy”

Bolivia

Population: 11,428,245Capital: La Paz

Fun facts:

La Paz is the official government capital, but Sucre is the constitutional/judicial capital.There are only two landlocked countries in South America, and Bolivia is one of them! It used to have a coastline. But Chile was mad about taxes and wanted the resource-rich area of the coast. So they invaded the area during Carnaval when everyone in Bolivia was heavily drinking (talk about some Red Wedding type strategy!) and now they control the area.Bolivia has some strange tourist attractions, like the San Pedro prison and the North Yungas Road for cycling (which is nicknamed Death Road).

Bolivia-specific Spanish words:

Pucha – An exclamation ranging from “Hey!” to “Shit!”Chela – “Beer”Chupar – “To drink (alcohol)”Elay puej – “Well, of course”Paparupa – “Nonsense”Chile

Population: 11,570,003Capital: Santiago

Fun facts:

Chile is one of the major hotspots for earthquakes in the world and had the largest recorded earthquake ever at 9.6 magnitude.As such, Chile is also home to a lot of volcanos. Around 2,900, in fact, with nearly 100 still being active, in the Andes.They have their own tea time, called once (“eleven”), which takes place in the evening and also has food, dessert, and coffee.The Atacama Desert is the driest desert in the world that isn’t in a polar region. It attracts a lot of astronomers to this area for the clear weather, and also has the Valle de la Luna (“Moon Valley”) which is a beautiful sight to see.

Chile-specific Spanish words:

Chachai – “You know?”, “You get it?”Bacán – “Cool” or “awesome”Caleta – “A lot”, “so much”Piola – “calm” or “quiet”¡Qué lata! – “How boring!”Colombia

Population: 50,372,424Capital: Bogotá

Fun facts:

The Caño Cristales river is all known as the “Rainbow River” because of the plants, riverbed, and algae that bloom and change colors. This doesn’t happen anywhere else in the world – it’s unique to Columbia.Columbia is one of the world’s largest flower producers! It has thousands of types of orchids, many of which are native only to Columbia.Breakfast is HUGE. You’ll get beef, avocados, rice, beans, chorizo, eggs, plantains, arepa, and more for a hearty breakfast.

Colombia-specific Spanish words:

¿Quiubo? – “What’s up?”Parce – “Dude”, “friend”, “my guy”Vaina – “Thingy”Rumbiar – “To go party”Tinto – “Black coffee”

Costa Rica

Population: 5,094,118Capital: San José

Fun facts

Costa Rica has no military! It was disbanded after a war in 1948. Now, they just have local police and border patrol.It’s one of the greenest countries in the world, with 99% of all energy coming from renewable sources.Costa Rica has 28% of its land as national parks and reserves, which contain about 5% of the entire world’s biodiversity of animals.The Whale Bay is a beach that’s shaped like a whale’s tail – and it’s also a great spot to see some whales.

Costa Rica-specific Spanish words:

Pura vida – Literally, “pure life.” But it means everything from “hello”, “great”, “thank you”, and “nice to meet you”Tuanis – “Awesome,” “nice”Qué pereza – “What a drag/bummer”Chunche – “Thingamabob”Harina – “Dough,” “money”

Related learning: Spanish Accents and Dialects Around the World

Cuba

Population: 11,113,215Capital: Havana

Fun facts:

Cuba still has a lot of older classic cars! Due to an embargo in the past, they still drive these cars today.Wifi and cell service are still hard to come by except in designated hotspots, which you’ll have to pay for access to.Cuba has been heavily influenced by African culture from the colonial era, and has impacted Cuban music and religion. Santeria is the second biggest religion there, after Catholicism.

Cuba-specific Spanish words:

¿Qué bolero? – “What’s up?”Jamar – “To eat”Pinchar – “To work”Máquina – “Car”Chévere – “Cool”Dominican Republic

Population: 10,694,700Capital: Santo Domingo

Fun facts:

Baseball is super popular in the Dominican Republic! Many famous Major League players are from here.Time is a suggestion here. Culturally, many Dominicans don’t stress about time and punctuality.Merengue, the music and dance style, come from the Dominican.It has some of the cleanest and most beautiful beaches in the world!

Dominican Republic-specific Spanish words:

Bacano – “Amazing,” “cool”Pana – “Buddy,” “pal”Alebrescado – “To be excited”Chin – “A little bit”¿Qué lo wha? – “What’s up?”

Ecuador

Population: 17,715,822Capital: Quito

Fun facts:

Ecuador was once part of the Inca Empire, and when the Spaniards came, they captured the Incan Emperor here.This is probably obvious, but the equator runs through Ecuador! Because of that, day and night is split into 12 hours each and doesn’t really change.Mount Chimborazo in Ecuador is the closest spot on Earth to the sun.Darwin’s theory of evolution was based on his research on the Galapagos Islands.

Ecuador-specific Spanish words:

Chiro – “Broke (no money)”Caleta – Literally “cove”, but used to say “home”Porfis – “Please”¡Qué huevada! – “What a bum!” or “What a bunch of crap!”Caramba – An exclamation of surprise or irritation

El Salvador

Population: 6,830,000Capital: San Salvador

Fun facts:

El Salvador uses US dollars as its currency, which makes it easy if you’re travelling from the US to this Central America country!Surfing is popular here, with people coming from all over the world to attend surf competitions.It has 20 volcanoes in the country, but only two are active.

El Salvador-specific Spanish words:

Bajonear – “To eat” (more like, “to throw down” at the dinner table)Aguja – “Focused”, “prepared”Chivo – “Fantastic”Pisto – “Money”Vea – “For real”Equatorial Guinea

Population: 1,468,777Capital: Malabo currently, but moving to Oyala

Fun facts:

This is the only African country to have Spanish as an official language! This is because it was a Spanish colony until 1968.Unfortunately, a not so fun fact – Equatorial Guinea has some of the worst human rights in the world due to its authoritarian government, being ranked “least free” by the Freedom of the World survey.It’s one of the richest countries in Africa, despite its small size, due to its oil production. But weath inequality is extreme. The majority of people living in poverty, without clean drinking water and proper health care.

Equatorial Guinea-specific Spanish words:

La tori – “Gossip” (pronounce it like it has a double “r” though!)¿Ustin? – “What?”Antéose – “I don’t know”La chacra – “Messy”Xium – “Wow!”Guatemala

Population: 17,263,239Capital: Guatemala City

Fun facts:

Guatemala means “land of many trees” in the indigenous language of Nahuatl.The CIA overthrew the government! In 1954, democratically elected socialist President Jacobo Árbenz was overthrown in a coup that the CIA helped make happen.Lake Atitlan is the deepest lake in Central America.

Guatemala-specific Spanish words:

Aquas – “Look out!”Clavo – “(There’s a) problem” (but it literally means “nail”)A huevos – “For sure”Chilero – “Awesome”Cabal – “(Something is) spot on”

Honduras

Population: 10,278,345Capital: Tegucigalpa

Fun facts:

Honduras’ Caribbean coast is home to the second-largest coral reef in the world, after the Great Barrier Reef in AustraliaYou can explore the Copan Mayan Ruins here, where most of our knowledge of the Mayans comes from.Watch out for snakes! Honduras has several kinds of venomous snakes, including the Middle American Rattlesnake.

Honduras-specific Spanish words:

Maje – “Dude”, “bro”Pulpería – “Corner shop”Fresa – “Stuck up”¡Qué Pepsi! – “How Pepsi!”, “How cool!”Pijin – “Party”Nicaragua

Population: 6,486,201Capital: Managua

Fun facts:

The first female head of state in the entire Americas is Violeta Chamorro, who was president of Nicaragua from 1990 to 1997.It’s unfortunately one of the poorest countries in the world, along with Haiti.Navigating the streets can be difficult, because there are no street names or building numbers!

Nicaragua-specific Spanish words:

Salvaje – “That’s wild,” “Awesome”No hay falla – “Don’t worry about it”Chunchada – “Stuff,” “thing”¿Quiubole? – “What’s up?”¿Ideay? – “And then what happened?”Panama

Population: 4,379,039Capital: Panama City

Fun facts:

Panama was the first country outside of the US to sell Coca-Cola.It’s the only place in the world where you can see the sun rise over the Pacific Ocean and set over the Atlantic.Murphy’s Law? Yeah, Edward Murphy Jr., who came up with it, was born here. (So was Senator John McCain.)

Panama-specific Spanish words:

¿Qué xopá? – “What’s up?”Ayala vida – An expression of surprise or irritation, “Oh my gosh!”Pinta – “Beer”Buco – “A lot”Ofi – “Okay”

Paraguay

Population: 7,359,000Capital: Asunción

Fun facts:

They have two official languages: Spanish and the native Guaraní, and both languages are spoken by almost everyone. The two languages often get mixed.Paraguay is landlocked, yet has the largest navy of any landlocked country in the world.There are lots of endangered animals here, like the jaguar and giant armadillo.

Paraguay-specific Spanish words:

Purete – “No problem”Chake – “Look out!”Ven na – “Come please”Quitar – “To take”Ni loco – “No way”Puerto Rico

Population: 3,285,874Capital: San Juan

Fun facts:

Puerto Rico is not its own country, nor a US state, but a US territory. This means they don’t get a say in the US legislature despite being governed by them. Despite that, it’s often recognized as its own entity, such as having its own Olympic team.Check out the biluminescent waters at Sun Bay Beach! The plankton there glow blue at night.They have a huge cave network of more than 200 caves.

Puerto Rico-specific Spanish words:

¡Qué jartera! – “I’m so full/satisfied!”Chacho – “Oh boy”¡Coño! – “Damn!”Gufear – “To have fun”Mano/mana – “Brother/sister,” short for hermano/hermana

Peru

Population: 34,294,231Capital: Lima

Fun facts:

Peru is home to the famous Machu Picchu, the Lost City of the Incas.The Amazon River begins in Peru near Machu Picchu in the Andes. The Amazon Rainforest makes up 60% of the country.There are pink dolphins in the Amazon River in Peru!

Peru-specific Spanish words:

Chamba – “Work”Paja – “Cool,” “awesome”¡Qué roche! – “What a shame!”Latear – “Walk”Jama – “Food”Uruguay

Population: 3,518,552Capital: Montevideo

Fun facts:

Uruguay is the least corrupt country in Latin America and ranked 23rd in the world by the World Corruption Perceptions Index.It has the longest national anthem in the world, at 6 minutes long.It’s the most secular country in Latin America, with no state religion and even renamed holidays to be more inclusive.

Uruguay-specific Spanish words:

Salado – “Amazing,” “incredible,” “tough”Bo – “Hey”Bárbaro – “Great”Matear – “Drinking mate tea”Pila – “A lot”Venezuela

Population: 28,199,867Capital: Caracas

Fun facts:

You’ll find the Angel Falls here, the highest uninterrupted waterfall in the world.Lake Maracaibo is the lightning capital of the world, with more than 1 million lightning strikes per year.Venezuela has a lot of political instability, hyper inflation, and is listed as one of the most dangerous countries in the world.

Venezuela-specific Spanish words:

Dale – “Alright”Tal cual – “Like that,” “how it is”Chevere – “Great”Enratonado/a – “Hungover”Ladilla – “Annoying”

Related learning: 10 Good Reasons to Learn Spanish

Countries in Spanish

Okay, we’ve covered where Spanish is spoken and learned a bit about their culture and dialects. Now let’s talk about some helpful words and phrases related to countries and asking where people are from.

“Country” in Spanish is país and “countries” is países. Here are some helpful phrases to know:

“Where are you from?” – ¿De dónde eres?“What country are you from?” – ¿De qué país eres?“Where do you live?” – ¿Donde vives?“Where did you grow up?” – ¿Dónde creciste?“I’m from ____” – Yo soy de ___“I am (nationality)” – Yo soy ____

And here is how you say countries in Spanish:

Egypt: EgiptoEngland: InglaterraFrance: FranciaGermany: AlemaniaItaly: ItaliaKenya: KeniaJapan: JapónMexico: MéxicoPhilippines: FilipinasRussia: RussiaScotland: EscosiaSouth Korea: Corea del SurSpain: EspañaSweden: SueciaThailand: TailandiaUkraine: UcraniaUnited States: Estados UnidosExplore Spanish Countries!

Did this spark an interest to explore a Spanish-speaking country you never considered before? You can take your Spanish so much farther than just Spain and Mexico.

Happy adventures!

If you’re ready to learn more Spanish, check out these articles:

Spanish Accents and Dialects Around the World 50+ Caribbean Spanish Expressions Spanish Slang Words You Need to Know 25+ Spanish Slang Words and Phrases You Won’t Learn from a Textbook [With Examples]Spanish Adjectives: 50 Descriptive Spanish Words to Make Your Spanish Sentences Sparkle

The post An Introductory Guide to Spanish-Speaking Countries (Fun Facts and Expressions Included!) appeared first on Fluent in 3 Months.

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Published on September 30, 2022 08:07

September 26, 2022

Bengali People: Culture, Dialects, and More

The Bengalis are one of the largest ethnic groups in South Asia and also in the world. So who are the Bengali people and where are they from? Let me walk you through a little bit about this fascinating group of people and their cultures.

Table of contentsWhere Are the Bengalis?Demographics in Bangladesh Demographics in West Bengal (India)Bengalis Outside of Bengal What is Bengali Culture Like?Bengali Festivals and Holidays Bengali Clothing Bengali Food What Do Bengalis Speak?Vocabulary Differences in Bengali Family Members in Bengali Differences in Grammar Bangladeshi Bengali Grammar Characteristics Indian Bengali Grammar Characteristics Who Are Some Famous Bengalis?Famous Bengalis in the Arts Famous Bengalis in Science Famous Bengalis in Politics and Economics Keep Exploring!Where Are the Bengalis?

The country with the largest number of Bengalis is Bangladesh. So are all Bangladeshis Bengali, and are all Bengalis Bangladeshi? Not quite!

The Bengalis originated from the Bengal region of South Asia. For a large part of history, this was one unified region. However, after Britain’s partition of India in 1947, Bengal became divided into two parts: West Bengal in India and East Bengal in Pakistan. After several tumultuous decades, East Bengal gained independence and became Bangladesh in 1971.

Why was Bengal divided like this? Britain decided to separate the two based on religious lines: Muslim Pakistan (including modern-day Bangladesh) and Hindu India. Nevertheless, this method caused one of the largest human migrations in history. Widespread violence also caused one of the largest refugee crises in history.

Demographics in Bangladesh

Today, Bangladesh is home to about 165 million people.

Bengalis are estimated to make up 98% of the population, but this is contested by ethnic minorities. There are at least 50 non-Bengali ethnic groups in Bangladesh! While the 2022 census counted only about 1,650,000 people from ethnic communities, indigenous rights activists say that this number should be at least double – a whopping 3 million or more non-Bengalis!

Bangladesh is also hosting about 1 million Rohingya refugees, making it one of the countries with the largest numbers of refugees in the world. Therefore, not all Bangladeshis are Bengalis, but there certainly are a lot of them!

I lived in Chittagong, the second-largest city and close to many indigenous communities, for almost two years. During that time, I met a lot of Bangladeshis from non-Bengali heritage, such as Chakma, Marma, Tripuri, Garo, and Rohingya. Many of them share histories and cultures connected to ethnic groups in neighboring countries, such as Myanmar and India.

A common trait of Bengalis in Bangladesh is their religion. About 91% of the population of Bangladesh is Muslim. About 8% are Hindu, and the rest are mostly Buddhist or Christian.

Demographics in West Bengal (India)

As of 2011 (the last census), the population of West Bengal was over 91 million. However, this is believed to be over 100 million nowadays. This massive population makes West Bengal one of the most populous states in India.

Although it is home to a Bengali majority, domestic migration has brought large numbers of non-Bengalis to many parts of West Bengal. There is also significant international migration to West Bengal. For example, you can find India’s only Chinatown in Kolkata, the state’s capital!

The same census found that only about 86% of people in West Bengal speak Bengali, the language of the Bengal region. In fact, West Bengal is home to 12 different official languages! About 5% of people statewide speak Hindi, but this was recorded as high as 22% in Kolkata.

Other West Bengali residents speak the minority language Santali, Urdu, Nepali, or another language.

About 70% of West Bengal residents are Hindu, which is significantly lower than the residents of Bangladesh. Despite the historic partition of India, approximately 27% of people in West Bengal are Muslim. Less than 1% are Christian, Buddhist, or other religions.

Bengalis Outside of Bengal

The Bengal region is not the only home to the Bengalis. While it is difficult to find aggregate numbers for the entire Bengali diaspora, there are an estimated 13 million people from Bangladesh alone living abroad.

There are well-established Bengali communities throughout the Middle East, Pakistan, the United Kingdom, the United States, Malaysia, Singapore, and many other countries.

What is Bengali Culture Like?

Despite belonging to two different countries, there are some aspects of Bengali culture that bring them all together.

Bengali Festivals and Holidays

Most holidays Bengalis celebrate are connected to their religion.

Holidays are one such aspect of culture. Bengalis everywhere will celebrate Pohela Boishakh (পহেলা বৈশাখ), also known as the Bengali new year. Pohela Boishakh marks the arrival of summer in April–often the hottest month in Bengal.

Bengalis will celebrate with music and dancing, vibrant traditional clothing, and parades. If you meet a Bengali during this time, don’t forget to wish them শুভ নববর্ষ (shubho noboborsho, “Happy new year”)!

Another major Bengali holiday is Pohela Falgun (পহেলা ফাল্গুন), which marks the beginning of spring on the Bengali calendar. Pohela Falgun is celebrated in mid-February, coinciding with Valentine’s Day. Dhaka University students popularized this festival in the 1990s, and today it is incredibly popular with the younger generations, especially in Bangladesh.

Bengalis will dress up in yellow, orange, and red clothing to celebrate the coming of spring.

Bengali Clothing

Clothing is another part of culture that Bengalis share.

Women will often wear saris (or শাড়ি shari in Bengali), long pieces of fabric that they will wrap around their bodies, pleat at the waist, and drape over the shoulder.

Young women and girls in particular wear salwar kameez (salwar kamij, সালোয়ার-কামিজ), which is a popular outfit in many other parts of South Asia and the Middle East. This consists of a long shirt (kamij), loose trousers (salwar), and usually a long shawl called an orna (ওড়না) in Bengali.

Bengali men will often wear a modified version of a kameez called a kurta (কুর্তা). Women also wear kurta. The male salwar kameez is usually referred to a Punjabi suit in the Bengali region.

Due to the hot climate, working-class men will often wear a lungi (লুঙ্গি), a loose-fitting sarong tied at the waist. Men from all classes may also wear this when lounging at home.

Although in many other countries, sarongs are women’s attire, in Bengal they are strictly only for men. I bought a couple to wear at home because they are so comfortable and entertained more than one Bangladeshi when I went out briefly to the corner store without changing.

What a sight it must have been to see a foreign woman wearing men’s clothing!

As mentioned, Bengalis of any nationality and religion may choose to wear these traditional outfits. However, Muslim Bengalis often wear Islamic clothing shared by other Muslim communities around the world.

Nevertheless, there is no prescribed clothing for Muslim Bengalis–some wear burkas, some wear hijabs, some wear ornas, and some don’t wear any at all.

Bengali Food

Bengali cuisine has centuries of history.

Due to the rich network of waterways and coastline, fish is the core protein of a Bengali diet. The staple is also rice, which is long-grained, white, and boiled.

Since beef is prohibited in Hindu diets and pork is prohibited in Muslim diets, chicken and vegetarian dishes are also popular. Bengali people eat with their right hand.

Dishes are often flavored with mustard oil, ghee, yogurt, onions, cardamom, ground coriander, turmeric, ginger, chili, and other spices.

Popular main courses include fried fish, curries, biriyani (বিরিয়ানি, spiced rice brought from Persian/Arabic influence), khichuri (খিচুড়ি, rice boiled with vegetables, spices, and lentils), and bhorta (ভর্তা, mashed fish or vegetables).

Tea (চা, cha) is also integral to Bengali culture. You can find a tea stand on nearly any town corner. It is often prepared black with sugar, ginger, or condensed milk. At home, people will often use fresh milk and sometimes other spices, such as cardamom.

People will often gather at these tea stalls for আড্ডা (adda), a Bengali word meaning “socializing over tea and snacks.”

What Do Bengalis Speak?

Bengalis in India and Bangladesh speak Bengali (also known as “Bangla”), one of the most spoken languages in the world.

However, you will notice some dialectal differences between Bengali as spoken in Bangladesh compared to India!

While there are more than two dialects, I’ll focus on the two most commonly encountered dialects: East Bengali (common in most of Bangladesh) and West Bengali (as spoken in Kolkata).

Vocabulary Differences in Bengali

Many vocabulary differences between Bengali dialects stem from religion, while others are just geographical.

For example, languages such as Arabic and Urdu influenced Bengali spoken by Muslims. Therefore, vocabulary from other Islamic regions is particularly prominent in Bangladesh.

Common vocabulary differences include:

“water” – পানি (pani) in Bangladesh, জল (jol) in West Bengal“salt” – লবণ / (lobon) in Bangladesh, নুন (nun) in West Bengal“bathing” – গোসল (goshol) in Bangladesh, স্নান (snan) in West Bengal“twenty” – বিশ (bish) in Bangladesh, কুড়ি (kuri) in India“together,” সাথে (shathe) in Bangladesh, সঙ্গে (shonge) in West Bengal (although you will probably hear both!)

Fun fact: Kolkata Bengali nasalizes words more than Bangladeshi Bengali does. Therefore, while you will probably learn words such as এঁর (er, “his/hers” honorific) in a standard Bengali class, Bangladeshis will now often say এনার (enar) instead.

Family Members in Bengali

Differences in vocabulary are particularly vast for family members. For example, Bangladeshis will often call their father “আব্বা (abba)” and mother “আম্মা (amma)”, while Indians will call their father “বাবা (baba)” and mother “মা (ma).”

This can get complicated because there are often different words for family members depending on whether they are paternal or maternal or an older or younger sibling. For example, দাদা (dada) refers to a paternal grandfather in Bangladesh, but an older brother in India!

Here is my recommendation: Instead of learning both terms for each family member (and there are about 50 in each dialect!), focus on just one dialect. First learn just the family members you will talk about frequently, and then expand from there.

Differences in GrammarBangladeshi Bengali Grammar Characteristics

Bangladeshi Bengali is often considered to be more colloquial and casual compared to the Kolkata dialect. This is particularly reflected in distinctive traits of Bangladeshi grammar.

Bangladeshis often change grammatical ছ (chh) sounds to a (s) sound in grammatical conjugations used for the present continuous and present perfect. However, this may not be reflected in how the word is written.

For example, খেয়েছি (kheechhi, “I have eaten”) is often colloquially pronounced as kheesi, and গিয়েছি (giecchi, “I have gone”) often turns into giesi.

These same constructions are often shortened to খাইছি (khaisi) and গেছি (gesi), and the like. Bangladeshis sometimes change e sounds to ai sounds, which is reflected in the example I just mentioned.

Similarly, Bangladeshi Bengali often combines the infinitive তে (te) conjugation with chh / s to express the present continuous tense.

For example, standard Bengali খাচ্ছি (khachhi, “I am eating”) is expressed as খাইতেছি (khaitechhi / khaitesi), and যাচ্ছি (jachhi / “I am going”) is expressed as যাইতেছি (jaitechhi / jaitesi).

There is a tendency to use টা in Bangladesh where India uses another form. You will hear টি (ti) more often in India than Bangladesh used as the definitive article.

Bangladeshis also count “two” objects as দুটা (duta), while Indians would say দুটো (duto).

Indian Bengali Grammar Characteristics

The Kolkata dialect is very close to written Bengali. This makes it popular for standardized Bengali courses, so there are fewer dialectal differences to note here.

For example, the honorific present imperative tense um (করুন / korun, বলুন / bolun, etc.) is taught in every Bengali textbook I own.

While this is common in standard or Indian Bengali, it is rarely used in spoken Bangladeshi Bengali. (Bangladeshis will more often use the honorific future imperative tense even for the present tense instead.)

One of the most characteristic differences of Kolkata Bengali is its use of লুম (lum) instead of লম (lam) for the first-person simple past tense, and তুম (tum) instead of তাম (tam) for first-person habitual past tense.

Who Are Some Famous Bengalis?

Are you familiar with any famous Bengalis? You may know more than you think! Check out our list of some of the most notable Bengalis below.

Famous Bengalis in the ArtsRabindranath Tagore (1861 – 1941): A Bengali artist known as the “Bard of Bengal” and who is credited with modernizing Bengali literature. He was the first non-European and first lyricist to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. His compositions are used in the Indian and Bangladeshi national anthems and influenced Sri Lanka’s.Begum Rokeya (1880 – 1932): A prominent writer and feminist activist. She is known as a pioneer of women’s liberation in South Asia. She helped millions of girls become educated and is celebrated every December 9 in Bangladesh.Kazi Nazrul Islam (1899 – 1976): Often considered one of the greatest Bengali poets and the national poet of Bangladesh. He was influential in the Indian and subsequent Bangladeshi independence movements.Satyajit Ray (1921 – 1992): Often considered one of the greatest filmmakers and credited with helping bring the Golden Age of Bengali cinema.Famous Bengalis in ScienceJagadish Chandra Bose (1858 – 1937): A scientist who made significant contributions particularly to plant and radio sciences. He is also considered the father of Bengali science fiction.Khan Bahadur Qazi Azizul Haque (1872 – 1935): An inventor who helped create the mathematical basis for forensic fingerprint classification.Abdus Suttar Khan (1941 – 2008): A scientist who invented over 40 alloys for space shuttles, jet and train engines, and industrial gas turbines.Famous Bengalis in Politics and EconomicsAbul Kasem Fazlul Huq (1873 – 1962): The first prime minister and democratically elected leader of an undivided Bengal under British rule. He was celebrated for his principles and policies helping the poor.Sheikh Mujibur Rahman (1920 – 1975): The Founding Father of Bangladesh. He was the leader of the Bangladeshi independence movement and served as the nation’s first president and later prime minister.Muhammad Yunus (1940 ~ ): An entrepreneur, banker, and civil society activist who pioneered microfinance. He started Grameen Bank, a financial organization to make small loans accessible to the poor. He won the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts.Sheikh Hasina (1947 ~): Bangladesh’s current and longest-serving prime minister. She is also the longest-serving elected female leader in the world. She is Bangladesh’s second female prime minister, after Khaleda Zia.Keep Exploring!

Bengali culture is so rich and diverse, that it’s impossible to cover all of it in just one article. Whether you are interested in language, food, movies, fashion, history, or something else, you’ll certainly be fascinated by the Bengali people’s versions!

Stick around to learn more about Bengali and how to learn the language with these articles:

The Bengali Alphabet: Your In-Depth Guide The Beginner’s Guide to the Bengali Language [With Basic Words and Phrases!]What are the Most Spoken Languages in the World?How to Learn a Language in 2022 – Ultimate Guide with 35+ Language Hacks The 4 Essential Language Skills – and How to Improve Them

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Published on September 26, 2022 04:00

September 23, 2022

How to Tell Time in Korean: Everything You Should Know!

Let’s learn how to tell time in Korean! Everyone needs to know how to talk about time, and Korean time is no different. So I’ll teach you all the basics in this article.

If you’re a beginner, we’ll start with reviewing Korean numbers, and then move on to telling time and dates. Then you’ll learn some important phrases so you can make and stick to appointments and meetups!

If you’re wondering what time it is in Korea compared to where you’re at, Korea uses Korea Standard Time (KST). It’s 9 hours ahead of UTC (Coordinated Universal Time) and 14 hours ahead of EST (Eastern Standard Time).

One other question you may have before we get started: Does Korea use a 12 or 24-hour clock? Like in many parts of the world, the 12-hour clock is most common in Korea. But 24-hour clocks are used in the military and time schedules (like at the airport, for example).

Time’s a wastin’!

“Time” in Korean is 시간 (sigan). “Hour” in Korean is also 시간 (sigan) or 시 (si). 시간 (sigan) is used for length of time, whereas 시 (si) is used to mark an hour (“o’clock”).

Here are some more Korean time words to know:

Minute: 분 (bun)Half/half-hour: 반 (ban)Second: 초 (cho)Day: 일 (il)Week: 주 (ju) or 주간 (jugan)Month: 월 (wol)Year: 년 (nyeon)AM: 오전 (ojeon)PM/Afternoon: 오후 (ohu)Sunrise: 새벽 (saebyeok)Morning: 아침 (achim)Noon/Lunchtime: 정오 (jeong-o) or 점심 (jeomsim)Evening: 저녁 (jeonyeok)Night: 밤 (bam)Midnight: 자정, jajeong

How to Tell Time in Korean: Review Korean Numbers

How to write time in Korean depends on knowing the Korean number systems! Yes, that’s right – systems. Korean has two, the Native Korean numbers and the Sino-Korean numbers.

I explained all this in-depth in our guide to Korean numbers, but here’s a quick review of 1 – 12.

Sino-Korean numbers:

1: 일 (il)2: 이 (i)3: 삼 (sam)4: 사 (sa)5: 오 (o)6: 육 (yuk)7: 칠 (chil)8: 팔 (pal)9: 구 (gu)10: 십 (sip)11: 십일 (sibil)12: 십이 (sibi)

And the Native Korean numbers:

1: 하나 (hana, but is usually shortened to 한 or han)2: 둘 (dul)3: 셋 (set)4: 넷 (net)5: 다섯 (daseot)6: 여섯 (yeoseot)7: 일곱 (ilgop)8: 여덟 (yeodeol)9: 아홉 (ahop)10: 열 (yeol)11: 열하나 (yeolhana)12: 열둘 (yeoldul)

So here’s where things get a bit tricky at first. You’ll use the Native Korean numbers (hana, dul, set) for hours. And you’ll use the Sino-Korean numbers (il, i, sam) for minutes and seconds, as well as days/weeks/months/years.

Korean Time Grammar: What You Need to Know

Okay, so how do we put all this together?

Let’s start with hours. First, you’ll combine your Native Korean number with the word for hour, 시 (si). Here are some examples:

1 o’clock: 한 시 (han si)5 o’clock: 다섯 시 (daseot si)12 o’clock: 열두 시 (yeoldu si – note you drop the final batchim, “l”)

Got the hang of it? Cool. Now let’s try out minutes. This time, we’ll be using the Sino-Korean numbers:

10 minutes: 십분 (sip bun)15 minutes: 십오분 (sipo bun)30 minutes: 삼십분 (samsip bun) or 반 (ban, “half”)45 minutes: 사십오분 (sasipo bun)

Remember, we stack the numbers to create what we need. So “40” is “4 + 10” and “15” is “10 + 5”.

Now let’s put it all together:

1:10: 한 시 십 분 (hansip sip bun)5:15: 다섯 시 십오 분 (daseot si sipo bun)7:30: 일곱 시 반 (ilgop si ban) or 일곱 시 삼십 분 (ilgopsi samsip bun)12:45: 열두 시 사십오 분 (yeoldu si sasipo bun)

Now for a bit of the grammar. If you want to add “AM” or “PM”, it needs to go before the time, not after. For example:

1:10pm: 오후 한 시 십 분 (ohu hansip sip bun)5am: 오전 다섯 시 (ojeon daseot si)

You’ll use the Korean particle 에 (e) if you want to talk about a time when something happens. Like this:

오전 9시에 일하러 가요.

Ojeon ahopsi-e ilhareo gayo.

“I go to work at 9am.”

Talking About Days, Weeks, Months and Years in Korean

Now that we can tell time, let’s talk about bigger units of time: days of the week and dates on a calendar.

The months of the year are:

January: 일월 (irwol)February: 이월 (iwol)March: 섬월 (samwol)April: 서월 (sawol)May: 오월 (owol)June: 유월 (yuwol)July: 칠월 (chirwol)August: 팔월 (parwol)September: 구시월 (guwol)October: 시월 (siwol)November: 십일월 (sibirwol)December: 십이월 (sibiwol)

You may notice that the months are just the Sino-Korean number + 월, wol, for months.

The days of the month are the same. They’re the Sino-Korean number + 일, il:

1일, ilil: First of the month10일, sibil: Tenth of the month25일, isiboil: Twenty-fifth of the month

For years, you’ll use numbers here as well. “Thousand” in Korean is 천, cheon. And “hundred” is 백, baek.

1999: 1999년 in writing, pronounced 천구백구십구년, cheon gubaek gusibgu nyeon2022: 2022년 in writing, pronounced 이천이십이, icheon isibi nyeon

And the days of the week are:

Monday: 월요일 (wollyoil)Tuesday: 화요일 (hwayoil)Wednesday: 수요일 (suyoil)Thursday: 목요일 (mogyoil)Friday: 금요일 (geumyoil)Saturday: 토요일 (toyoil)Sunday: 일요일 (illyoil)

(By the way, we have a whole guide to days of the week in Korean if you want to learn more!)

When you put it all together, you’ll write the year first, then the month, then the day and day of the week. So it’ll look like this:

오늘은 2022년 5월 4일 화요일이에요.

Oneul-eun icheon isibi nyeon owol sail hwayoil ieyo.

“Today is Tuesday, May 4th, 2022.”

Lastly, here are some helpful time-related vocab for talking about days, weeks, months, and years:

Today: 오늘, oneulTomorrow: 내일, naeilYesterday: 어제, eojeDay after tomorrow: 모레, moreTwo days ago: 이틀 전, iteul jeonThis week: 이번 주, ibeon juLast week: 지난주, jinanjuNext week: 다음주, da-eumjuThe week after next: 다 다음주, da da-eumjuTwo weeks ago: 이주 전, iju jeonThis year: 올해, olhaeNext year: 내년, naenyeonLast year: 작년, jagnyeonIn two years: 이년 후, inyeon huTwo years ago: 이년 전, inyeon jeonNow: 지금, jigeumBefore: 전에, jeon-eLater: 나중, najungEarlier: 더 일찍, deo iljjikTime-Related Questions in Korean

You’ve learned how to talk about time and dates now, so now you need to know how to ask about time! These common questions will be good ones to memorize.

“What time is it right now?” in Korean is 지금 몇 시지? (jigeum myeot siji?) or 지금 몇 시예요 (jigeum myeot siyeyo) for more polite situations. For just “What time is it?” in Korean, drop 지금 (jigeum) so it’s just 몇 시예요? (myeot siyeyo)

Here are some other questions you might want to ask:

“What time shall we meet?” – 몇 시에 만날까요?, myeot si-e mannalkkayo?“What time is the concert?” – 콘서트는 몇 시입니까?, konseoteu-neun myeot siimnikka?“What time is…” – …몇시입니까?, myeot siimnikka?“When?” – 언제, eonje“When is it?” – 그게 언제에요?, geuge eonje-eyo?“When is your birthday?” – 당신의 생일은 언제입니까?, dangsin-ui saengil-eun eonje imnikka?“When do you go to work?” – 언제 일하러 가니?, eonje ilhareo gani?

If you want to know how to say “this whole time” in Korean, you can use 내내 (naenae, “all the time”) or 종일 (jong-il, “all day”). For instance, 내내 일했어요 (naenae ilhaesseoyo), “I worked this whole time.”

Another similar statement you might want to make related to time is “long time no see” in Korean. That’s 오랜만이에요 (oraenmanieyo, formal) or 오랜만이야 (oraenmaniya, informal).

Time to Wrap Up This Korean Lesson

You did it! You learned how to tell time in Korean. Here’s a quick review:

Hours in Korean use the Native Korean number system.Minutes, seconds, dates and months use the Sino-Korean number system.“AM” and “PM” come before the time, not after.Use 반 (ban) to say “half hour”.When saying or writing dates, it goes [year] [month] [date] [day].Ask “What time is it?” with 지금 몇 시지? (jigeum myeot siji?)“When is it?” is 그게 언제에요? (geuge eonje-eyo?)

Now the most important thing to do is practice! It can be hard to remember the Native-Korean-then-Sino-Korean-Numbers change from hours to minutes – so practice makes perfect.

Practice telling yourself the time. Write the date and time in hangul. The more you practice, the faster you’ll master telling time in Korean!

Ready to learn more? Here are some other Korean guides to level up with:

111 Core Korean Words to Learn First A Beginner’s Guide to Korean Grammar How to Learn the Korean Alphabet and Write in Korean How to Learn with Korean Songs: Learn Korean Through Music 101 Must-Know Korean Verbs to Boost Your Vocabulary

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Published on September 23, 2022 04:00

September 19, 2022

Travel to Japan: The Must-Knows

Looking to travel to Japan? There’s a lot to consider and plan out, but don’t worry! We’re here to share some great tips, travel hacks, and ways to save money on your trip.

Japanese tourism has been halted the past few years, but Japan is now opening its doors again. So it’s never too early to start planning.

Besides booking flights, hotels, and considering the travel guidelines… You’ll also want to plan out where you want to explore, learn about the culture, and maybe a bit of the language too.

After all, if you show up in Japan unprepared, you may experience some culture shock. (And Japanese people will be really thankful you took the time to learn how to be polite!)

It’s a lot to think about. So use this guide to help cover all your bases.

function runSplitTest(){var randomNumber = Math.floor(Math.random() * 2) + 1console.log(randomNumber)var copy = "";if (randomNumber == 3){ copy = 'A note from the Fluent in 3 Months team before we get started: You can chat away in Japanese for at least 15 minutes with the "Fluent in 3 Months" method. All it takes is 90 days. <a href="https://fluentin3months.com/challenge... this link to find out more.</a>'} else { copy = 'Before we get started, if you’re looking for an online Japanese course, here’s the course I recommend: <a href="https://www.fluentin3months.com/olly-... Uncovered - Learn Japanese Through the Power of Story</a>, a course with a fascinating new method by my friend Olly. You can try it for free for 7 days!'}console.log(copy)var copyToChange = document.querySelector("p.copyText").innerHTML = copy;}runSplitTest();Table of contentsJapan Travel Restrictions What Do I Need To Travel to Japan?How Much Does It Cost To Travel To Japan?What to Budget For in Japan How to Save Money for a Trip to Japan Japan Travel Guide: Must-See Spots to Visit in Japan 1. Fushimi Inari Taisha 2. Visit Harajuku District in Tokyo 3. Tsukiji Outer Market and Tsukiji Honganji Temple 4. Shibuya 5. Dotonbori in Osaka 6. Osaka Castle 7. Kinosaki Onsen 8. Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park 9. Sapporo Snow Festival 10. Kyoto International Manga Museum Essential Japanese Travel Phrases Have a Great Time Traveling to Japan!Japan Travel Restrictions

Since the world closed for a while thanks to the Virus-That-Shall-Not-Be-Named, Japan has had heavy travel restrictions.

Pretty much, only Japanese citizens or natives abroad could travel to and from Japan since early 2020. This was followed by strict quarantines in isolated housing for 2 weeks.

Japan’s travel ban was finally eased after more than 2 years to much rejoicing! But what exactly does it mean? Can Americans travel to Japan now, for instance, where the virus hasn’t been well controlled?

As of this writing, Japan has still suspended visa-free travel. This means you can only visit Japan if you have booked through an approved travel agency. Or if you have a work or student visa.

Japan has eased quarantine and testing restrictions from “blue” countries, including the US now (as well as Canada, the EU and UK, etc.). Proof of vaccination from these countries isn’t necessary anymore – but may be required for reentry into your own country, so be sure to check travel from BOTH sides.

So travel to Japan from the US is still very limited, as well as all other countries.

When will Japan reopen to travelers?

Japan is currently easing into it with this new policy, so many believe by the end of 2022, Japan will be reopened to most or all travelers.

That makes this the perfect time to start planning your trip!

What Do I Need To Travel to Japan?

To travel to Japan, you’ll need a valid passport. Negative COVID-19 tests from the past 72 hrs before you land are not required anymore.

If you’re going to Japan for work, you’ll need a visa. And some countries are required to get a tourist visa, although many countries are not, including the US, Canada, UK, Germany, Spain, South Korea, Mexico, and more.

That’s the basics for getting there. Outside of that, you’ll want to make sure to pack for the weather. For example, the summer months are called tsuyu, or “rainy season” for a reason. You may want an umbrella, rain boots, and a rain jacket if you’re planning for next year’s summer.

Here are some other suggestions of handy things to bring:

A universal adapter/converter. Even if you have the same type of outlet, you’ll most likely need the voltage converter to not damage your electronics.A battery pack to keep your phone charged on the go.Make sure to have both cash in yen and credit cards on hand. You’ll need both. Benny has found an internationally-friendly ATM card that refunds his ATM charges from all around the world.Consider if you’ll get an international SIM card or portable wifi to be able to use your phone on the go.Plenty of space in your suitcase to bring home souvenirs.Bring practical shoes! In Japan, you’ll take off your shoes indoors if you’re at someone’s home or a traditional place such as a ryokan (traditional inn), temple, or traditional restaurant.

How Much Does It Cost To Travel To Japan?

A common question people have is, “How much will it cost to go to Japan?” This depends on a ton of factors, but most people know that Japan is one of the most expensive places to visit.

In general, you can get by as cheap as $65-$100/day in Japan. The average traveler tends to spend around $120-150/day, while those living their best lives on their Japan vacation tend to spend $200-300/day.

What to Budget For in Japan

Flights can be quite expensive depending on where you’re coming from. For instance, flights to Tokyo from the US can cost anywhere from $800 to $2,300 USD roundtrip per person depending on where you fly out from. From London, it could be around $1500, or from China, only around $550.

Food could be pretty cheap if you enjoy 100 yen shops, convenience stores, and ramen. But if you plan to have a foodcation and eat your way through the districts of Tokyo and Osaka, then plan at least $50/day.

But as an example, you could eat ramen from a ramenya or yatei for around $8. And you don’t tip in Japan.

Hotels and Hostels* will impact your budget. Ryokan, Japanese inns, and international/Western style hotels will be your most expensive options (around $100-300/night). Hostels or capsule hotels will be the cheapest (around $27/night).

A middle ground would be a budget Japanese hotel, which would run you about $75 a night.

Transportation is a big one. You’ll want to get a Japan Rail Pass if you plan to do a lot of traveling around the country, because travel by train gets pricey real quick and the pass can save you money.

Buy your pass online ahead of time, but make sure you get the option that will actually save you money. If you don’t plan to travel that much or your whole trip, the 7-day option will probably be your best bet.

For travel around a city, such as Tokyo, you’ll want to get an IC card for the subway or take the bus.

Entertainment will vary based on your interest. But there are lots of free things to do in Japan, and beautiful sights and parks to see!

Last expense you may not think of – money conversion. This will vary depending on your country, but there is a small fee when you exchange for yen.

How to Save Money for a Trip to Japan

If you’re looking to save money on your trip, no worries. Here are some tips to save on when traveling to Japan:

Use Scott’s Cheap Flights to be alerted when there’s a great deal on a flight to Japan.

Take advantage of 7-Eleven and 100 yen shops. Convenience stores like 7-Eleven have a lot of cheap food, like ramen, sandwiches, onigiri, and more. And 100 yen shops are exactly what they sound like – dollar stores where you can get nearly everything you need.

Check out free or cheap things to do! There are lots of famous and beautiful parks to visit, temples, and museums to see Japanese culture. You could also walk around different districts, such as Harajuku in Tokyo, and explore.

Buy your Japanese Rail Pass BEFORE you leave to save money, if you plan to travel by train a lot.

Make sure to have cash on hand (a lot of places don’t accept credit cards in Japan). 7-Eleven wins here again – use their no-fee ATMs to get cash.

Avoid busy tourist seasons. Japan is especially expensive during Golden Week at the end of April through the beginning of May and during cherry blossom season. So costs around Japan and flights will be expensive.

Break up your hotel stays! Try a capsule hotel or hostel for a few nights if you’re trying to save money but also want to splurge on a more expensive and traditional ryokan.

Plan ahead. Map out how and where you’d like to spend your trip, so you can make the best use of your time and look for deals.

Consider a new credit card with no ATM fees, travel rewards points and other perks for traveling abroad. (My brother has used points to go to Alaska so many times and Singapore from the midwest, USA, so this really does work if you’re savvy!)

Shop wisely. A lot of items in Japan are much more expensive than elsewhere. Do your research, but some things may be worth it – like your favorite manga in Japanese, or music and movies that are hard to get outside of Japan.

Related learning: Benny presented a free webinar called How to Travel Without Breaking the Bank that you might want to check out!

Japan Travel Guide: Must-See Spots to Visit in Japan

If you want to travel Japan and not miss any of the best spots during your vacation, then here are some ideas to add to your itinerary that aren’t Mt. Fuji.

1. Fushimi Inari Taisha

Located in Fushimi-ku, Kyoto, are the iconic orange Senbon Torii gates at the main shrine of the o-kami Inari. You’ll find many foxes throughout the shrine since they’re Inari’s messengers in folklore.

Besides the beauty of the shrine itself, there are also popular hiking trails through the Senbon Torii. They take about 3 hrs to the summit of the mountain. You’ll see amazing views of Kyoto on the way up Mt. Inari, and can even grab a bowl of Kitsune Udon (kitsune is “fox” in Japanese) at one of the restaurants up the mountain.

If your trip is limited to just the Tokyo area though, you can check out Nezu Shrine in the Bunkyo ward of the city. It also has the popular torii gates and a beautiful Azalea festival during the spring!

2. Visit Harajuku District in Tokyo

Well known for its bold, colorful fashion and kawaii culture, Harajuku has a lot of cool places to shop, eat, and explore.

Takeshita Street is the main place to go for that Harajuku vibe you may have seen in photos. It’s a pedestrian street filled with shops, food, boutiques, cosplay, and more.

You can also:

Explore Yoyogi ParkVisit Meiji ShrineTake pictures at the kaleidoscope entrance to OmotesandoCheck out the new and updated Harajuku station, With Harajuku (That’s what it’s called – ウィズ原宿)Pet a hedgehog at Harinezumi CafeSnag an amazing Japanese crepe (I highly recommend a matcha green tea, chocolate, and strawberry or a red bed and mochi flavor) at one of the many amazing crepe shopsVisit UNIQLO or go to one of the lolita and goth boutiques and snag some cool clothes3. Tsukiji Outer Market and Tsukiji Honganji Temple

Also in Tokyo are the Tsukiji Outer Market and Tsukiji Honganji Temple. The temple is incredibly gorgeous and inspired by the architecture of Indian temples.

The Tsukiji Fish Market was the largest fish market in the world for a long time. But was moved to Toyosu, Koto (a ward in Tokyo still) and is now called the Toyosu Market.

Definitely still check out the new market. But the original Tsukiji Outer Market still remains and has some amazing food and shops.

4. Shibuya

Shibuya has long been one of the most popular districts in Tokyo, and you’ve probably seen lots of pictures of it. This is where the world’s busiest crosswalk, Shibuya Crossing, is, as well as the statue of Hachiko at Shibuya Station.

You can:

Visit the Nintendo and Pokemon stores inside Shibuya PARCOCheck out the izakaya pubs and nightlife scene at Center Gai streetCheck out the Shibuya Scramble Square for some great skyline views and shopping5. Dotonbori in Osaka

The hottest spot to visit in Osaka! If you want to enjoy amazing food and drinks, this is the place to go. There are pub crawls, incredible restaurants, and lots of shopping too.

Besides that, this is where the rows and rows of electronic billboards are and it’s super cool to visit at night.

6. Osaka Castle

Love Japanese history? Then you’ll want to visit Osaka Castle while you’re in the Kansai region.

This was Hideyoshi Toyotomi’s castle, and he’s the one who unified Japan. He was a samurai and daimyo lord during the Sengoku period and was basically Japan’s de facto leader at the time.

Even if you don’t love history, the castle’s park is full of cherry blossoms and is a beautiful place to visit.

7. Kinosaki Onsen

In Toyouka, a city in the Hyogo prefecture on the opposite coast from Osaka, is Kinosaki. It’s one of the most popular and famous hot springs in Japan.

If you want to visit onsen while in Japan (and you absolutely should), Kinosaki is a great place to visit. It’s quaint, with beautiful architecture, gardens, and ryokan to stay at. If you want a traditional Japanese experience, this is it.

8. Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park

On August 6th, 1945, Hiroshima was the first place in the world to have an atomic bomb dropped, with devastating consequences. The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park was created in memory of all the lives lost that day.

While a trip to Hiroshima does mean heading out to the Chugoku region on Honshu island, it’s worth the trip if it fits your vacation schedule. Besides the Memorial Park, Hiroshima also has the incredible Shukkeien Garden, Hiroshima Castle, and the Itsukushima Shrine which stands on water.

9. Sapporo Snow Festival

Visiting during the winter? Sapporo, the capital city of Hokkaido, has a beautiful Snow Festival every year in February at Odori Park. They have ice sculptures, ice castles, and igloos, and it’s a fun festival to visit with kids.

Besides that, while you’re on the northern island of Hokkaido, you could:

Check out the Sapporo TV Tower, modeled after the Eiffel TowerGet some of the freshest seafood and sushi in all of JapanHit the slopes in Rusutsu or NisekoBar crawl and party in Susukino, Sapporo’s main nightlife hubGo to the Sapporo Beer Factory and Museum and enjoy an all-you-can-drink session of the world-famous brewLearn about the Ainu people of Japan and visit one of their indigenous villages and museums.10. Kyoto International Manga Museum

Kyoto as a whole is a beautiful place to visit, where you can experience a lot of traditional Japanese culture. But if you love manga, then check out the Kyoto International Manga Museum.

Rather than a stuffy museum, this one has over hundreds of thousands of manga to read in Japanese and other languages. It’s a great place to spend a chill day, and best of all, it’s only 800 yen (about $6) to get in!

Besides that (and the Fushimi Inari listed above), you could also:

Explore the historic districts in Gion.Visit the bamboo groves at Kodaiji Temple.Eat a vegetarian meal, shojin ryori, at a Zen Buddhist temple.Attend a traditional Japanese tea ceremony in Kanazawa.Check out a traditional performance by geisha, or kabuki show, in Gion.Essential Japanese Travel Phrases

Before you go, I highly recommend brushing up on some essential Japanese travel phrases. You don’t have to be a pro at speaking Japanese, but learning a little goes a long way.

Many Japanese people appreciate your effort and respect for their culture. And it’ll also help you get even more out of your experience. Plus, it’s always nice to at least be able to greet someone, say thank you, please, or excuse me!

Here are the top 10 phrases I recommend learning. But if you want to dive deeper, check out this article I wrote with essential Japanese phrases for beginners.

ありがとうございます (arigatou gozaimasu): “Thank you (very much)”. This is polite form. You can also shorten it to just arigatou.おはよう (ohayou): “Good morning.”こんにちは (konnichiwa): “Hello”はい (hai): “Yes”ああ、ちょっと。。。(aa, chotto): Technically, this means “a little”, but if you want to say no to something, it’s the polite way to do it. The more direct way is to say いいえ (iie).ごめんなさい (gomen nasai): “I’m sorry”お願いします (onegaishimasu) or ください (kudasai): These both me “please”.英語を話せますか (eigo o hanasemasu ka): “Do you speak English?”もう一度お願いします (mou ichido onegaishimasu): “Can you repeat that please?”一つお願いします (hitotsu onegaishimau): “One (of those/that) please.”

And one bonus one: 気を付けてね (ki wo tsukete ne), which means “be careful” but is also said like “safe travels.”

Have a Great Time Traveling to Japan!

Wherever you decide to go, have fun! Japan is a beautiful and unique country with so many amazing places to see and things to do. Make the most of it!

If you want to prepare more for your trip, here are some other resources:

150+ Japanese Words and Phrases You Need to Know 101 Core Japanese Words — The Most Commonly Used Words in Japanese 16 Best Japanese Learning Apps to Learn Japanese The Ultimate Guide to Japanese Food Japanese Pod101 Review – The Best Japanese Podcast Out There

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Published on September 19, 2022 04:00

September 16, 2022

28 Vegetables and Their Translation in Mandarin Chinese (+ Recipe Ideas!)

From bok choy to bamboo shoots, vegetables are a staple of Chinese cuisine.

Chive dumplings, water spinach stir fry, egg fried rice: are you hungry yet?

Whether you’d like to browse a Chinese market or understand a Chinese menu, look no further – this article is for you!

In this brief and delicious introduction to Chinese vegetables, I’ll give you the names of the most common vegetables in Mandarin and tell you a little about their usage in Chinese cuisine.

Table of contentsChinese Vegetables: A Couple of Heads Up “Corn” – 玉米 (yù mǐ)“Tomato” – 西红柿/西紅柿 (xī hóng shì) or 番茄 (fān qié)“Sweet potato” – 地瓜 (dì guā), 番薯 (fān shǔ)“Potato” – 马铃薯/馬鈴薯 (mǎ líng shǔ) or 土豆 (tǔ dòu)“Cabbage” – 卷心菜 (juàn xīn cài)，高麗菜 (gāo lì cài)“Bean sprouts” – 豆芽 (dòu yá)“Soy” – 大豆 (dà dòu)“Eggplant” – 茄子 (qié zǐ)“Peanut” – 花生 (huāshēng)“Papaya” – 冬瓜 (mùguā)“Bok choy” – 小白菜 (xiǎo báicài)“Chive” – 韭菜 (jiǔcài)“White radish” – 白萝卜/白蘿蔔 (báiluóbo)“Asparagus” – 芦笋/蘆筍 (lúsǔn)“Green bean” – 豆角 (dòujiǎo)“Carrot” – 胡萝卜/胡蘿蔔 (hú luóbo)“Broccoli” – 西兰花/西蘭花 (xī lán hua) or 花椰菜 (huā yé cài)“Brussels sprouts” – 小洋白菜 (xiǎo yáng bái cài)“Cilantro/coriander” – 香菜 (xiāngcài)“Basil” – 罗勒/羅勒 (luōlè) or 九层塔/九層塔 (jiǔ céng tǎ)“Winter melon” – 冬瓜 (dōngguā)“Black beans” – 黑豆 (hēidòu)“Cauliflower” – 花椰菜 (huā yé cài) or 菜花 (cài huā)“Onion” – 洋葱/洋蔥 (yáng cōng)“Chili pepper” – 辣椒 (là jiāo)“Ginger” – 姜 (jiāng)“Mushrooms” – 蘑菇 (mó gu)“Cucumber” – 黃瓜 (huángguā)You’re All Set to Cook Delicious Vegetable-Based Recipes in Chinese

Alright, let’s get started – 開始吧 (kāi shǐ bā)！

Chinese Vegetables: A Couple of Heads Up

In this article, you will see that many vegetables have more than one name. Just like English has both eggplant and aubergine, Chinese often has many names for a single vegetable.
These differences are often due to regional speech patterns.

But there’s no need to fear – with any of the words below, you can still get your idea across. And with a little bit of practice, you can learn to associate certain words with certain places!

I will write both simplified and traditional characters where relevant. But if the simplified and traditional characters are the same, I’ll just write it once!

“Corn” – 玉米 (yù mǐ)

Corn is a vegetable you can find in many different dishes in the Chinese-speaking world. It can turn up in hot pot, in a bowl as its own dish, or even fried on a stick from a street vendor.

But if you’d like to try 烤玉米 (kǎo yù mǐ), or the fried, Chinese version of corn on the cob, make sure you ask how it’s sold. In some parts of China, it’s cooked kernel by kernel, whereas in others, it’s cooked whole.

This confusing situation can lead to getting much more or much less corn than what you expected! Check out this article to read a bit more about it.

“Tomato” – 西红柿/西紅柿 (xī hóng shì) or 番茄 (fān qié)

(Simplified and traditional characters here are the same.)

The tomato is, historically speaking, a recent addition to Chinese cuisine. It arrived in China sometime during the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), but it is used frequently today.

One popular, if simple, dish is 番茄炒蛋 (fān qié chǎo dàn), tomato with scrambled eggs. The picture below shows a side of tomato and eggs I had for lunch at a student cafeteria in China:

Both Chinese words for tomato mention its origins: 西红柿 taken apart means “Western red persimmon”. The first character of 番茄 means “foreign, not Chinese,” while 茄 is the first character of “eggplant.”

No matter which word you use, you can be sure it’ll be delicious! And if you’d like to practice your Chinese reading skills, try reading this article about the arrival of tomatoes in China.

“Sweet potato” – 地瓜 (dì guā), 番薯 (fān shǔ)

If one day you find yourself at a Taiwanese night market, be sure to try some 地瓜球 (dìguā qiú): it’s a delicious local specialty! Even if you aren’t a huge fan of sweet potatoes, you might still love it for its light, fluffy texture.

“Potato” – 马铃薯/馬鈴薯 (mǎ líng shǔ) or 土豆 (tǔ dòu)

Who doesn’t enjoy a potato, in any of its forms? Whether you’re enjoying some French fries (薯条/薯條, shǔ tiáo) or chips (洋芋片, yáng yù piàn), you know it’ll be great.

In terms of the difference between 马铃薯 and 土豆, 马铃薯 is more common in Taiwan, while the latter is preferred on the Chinese mainland.

French fries even come with their own special variation in China: here you can see French fries with a Sichuan hot pepper on top. 好吃 (hǎochī), delicious!

“Cabbage” – 卷心菜 (juàn xīn cài)，高麗菜 (gāo lì cài)

Cabbage, most commonly called 卷心菜 in China and 高麗菜 in Taiwan, is to be found in market stalls all over the Chinese-speaking world.

“Bean sprouts” – 豆芽 (dòu yá)

Bean sprouts can be boiled and served by alone, or sprinkled on top of another dish.

“Soy” – 大豆 (dà dòu)

Soy appears as a part of 豆浆/豆漿 (dòujiāng), or soy milk, an essential part of a Chinese breakfast, and also part of the beloved 豆腐 (dòufǔ), tofu.

Tofu, with its high protein content, is a great way to fill up without eating meat.

“Eggplant” – 茄子 (qié zǐ)

Eggplant is a common vegetable in Chinese cuisine. A famous dish is 魚香茄子 (yúxiāng qié zǐ), “fragrant fish eggplant”, a specialty in the Sichuan region.

Eggplant may not be best for people who are particular about 口感 (kǒugǎn), texture: it’s a bit intimidating for those who don’t like things too chewy.

“Peanut” – 花生 (huāshēng)

I was hesitant to include this one on the list – but after some serious Google research, I have determined that peanut is, in fact, a vegetable. Who knew!

Peanuts are also quite present in Chinese cuisine. You can find them sprinkled on top of 酸辣粉 (suānlàfěn), a sour-spicy type of noodle dish.

They also commonly come sprinkled on top of 豆花 (dòu huā), a tofu-centered dessert. 豆花 is a delicious treat on a hot day: or, if you’re like me, at any time of the year!

“Papaya” – 冬瓜 (mùguā)

木瓜 is often made into beverages. It can be part of a milk drink, or also a smoothie. It’s a unique taste for those unaccustomed, but it’s certainly pleasant, and even more so on a hot day.

“Bok choy” – 小白菜 (xiǎo báicài)

The word bok choy in English as we know it comes from the Cantonese baak6 coi3, but in Mandarin, it is called 小白菜(xiǎo báicài).

If you are looking for a simple introduction to the Chinese dialects, check out this article and learn about the differences between Cantonese, Mandarin, and more.

“Chive” – 韭菜 (jiǔcài)

Chives are often found in dumplings, either as one ingredient or sometimes as the primary ingredient. Vegetarian-friendly dumplings often include either chives or cabbage – for me personally, I prefer chives!

“White radish” – 白萝卜/白蘿蔔 (báiluóbo)

White radish, also known as Daikon from its Japanese name, is most famous for being the main ingredient of turnip cake. Turnip cake, or radish cake, is a staple of dim sum, a type of cuisine popular in the Cantonese-speaking areas of Hong Kong and Southern China.

The next time you go to a dim sum place, be sure to try a delicious turnip cake, or 白萝卜糕 (báiluóbo gāo) in Chinese: it won’t disappoint!

“Asparagus” – 芦笋/蘆筍 (lúsǔn)

Asparagus is often sauteed to be eaten alone or with meat.

Additionally, asparagus juice is commonly found in convenience stores in China. I haven’t tried it yet – would you try it?

“Green bean” – 豆角 (dòujiǎo)

Green beans, just like asparagus, are often sauteed and are sometimes accompanied by bits of meat. Both of them are, in their own way, quite delicious.

“Carrot” – 胡萝卜/胡蘿蔔 (hú luóbo)

Carrot shares its last two characters, 萝卜, with white radish.

“Broccoli” – 西兰花/西蘭花 (xī lán hua) or 花椰菜 (huā yé cài)

Broccoli is known primarily by two names in the Chinese-speaking world. Its regional difference is also a cross-strait difference: 西兰花 is more common in Mainland China, whereas 花椰菜 is more common in Taiwan.

“Brussels sprouts” – 小洋白菜 (xiǎo yáng bái cài)

Brussels sprouts are not typically well known in China. For this reason, their name includes the character 洋 (yáng), which carries its label as a Western food.

“Cilantro/coriander” – 香菜 (xiāngcài)

香菜 is a common seasoning added on top of many dishes, including the Taiwanese 刈包 (guàbāo). 刈包 is often compared to a hamburger, a steamed bun topped with pork, peanut powder, pickled vegetables and, of course, cilantro.

“Basil” – 罗勒/羅勒 (luōlè) or 九层塔/九層塔 (jiǔ céng tǎ)

“九層塔” literally means “9-layer tower,” which most likely refers to the appearance of basil as it grows. Basil has a history of at least 900 years in China, and today it is grown in many parts of the country, as well as in Taiwan.

“Winter melon” – 冬瓜 (dōngguā)

Winter melon is a green gourd that often appears in Chinese stir fry. It looks similar to cucumber when cut. It can also be a part of a soup.

“Black beans” – 黑豆 (hēidòu)

Black beans are a bit exotic in Chinese cuisine. They are most typically found in foreign foods.

“Cauliflower” – 花椰菜 (huā yé cài) or 菜花 (cài huā)

For some Chinese speakers, cauliflower and broccoli are the same word; to distinguish, they may use 白花椰菜 (bái huā yé cài) to refer to cauliflower specifically.

In the picture below, you can see a bento box (便当/便當, biàndāng) made up of several Chinese vegetables, including cauliflower and asparagus.

“Onion” – 洋葱/洋蔥 (yáng cōng)

The word onion is formed by the two characters 洋, meaning “Western”, and 葱/蔥.

Onions, interestingly enough, are considered a non-vegetarian item in both Buddhism and Taoism.

According to the most traditional and stringent versions of Buddhism/Taoism, onion, garlic, chives, scallion, and shallots are all considered against their vegetarian diet. It is said that their strong flavor is unbeneficial to religious practice.

“Chili pepper” – 辣椒 (là jiāo)

The word 辣椒 can refer to two different things: it can mean a spicy bell pepper, but it also denotes a specific kind of spicy sauce.

The spicy sauce variant of 辣椒 can be found in plenty of restaurants around the Chinese-speaking world in a little plastic cup with a miniature spoon.

Although it can be somewhat salty, it’s also a delicious addition to a bowl of noodles, a sauteed vegetable, or maybe anything.

Often, people just call it 辣椒, but to distinguish it from the hot pepper, you can call it 辣椒醬 (là jiāo jiàng), or “chili pepper sauce.”

“Ginger” – 姜 (jiāng)

Ginger is a key spice in many Chinese dishes and a must-have in any Chinese kitchen!

“Mushrooms” – 蘑菇 (mó gu)

The overall term for mushrooms is 蘑菇. However, just like we have different types of mushrooms in English, Mandarin also distinguishes between many different kinds of mushrooms.

金針菇 (jìnzhēn gǔ), or Enoki mushroom, is a long, stringy mushroom.

秀珍菇 (xiūzhēn gǔ), English oyster mushroom, is a thicker, more stubby type of mushroom.

“Cucumber” – 黃瓜 (huángguā)

One of my personal favorites, cucumber is most often (and most deliciously) cut up and mixed with salt, vinegar, pepper, and other ingredients to make a tangy, slightly spicy mix. This is called 涼拌小黃瓜 (liáng bàn xiǎo huáng guā).

You’re All Set to Cook Delicious Vegetable-Based Recipes in Chinese

I hope you enjoyed this brief and delicious introduction to Chinese vegetables. If all this talk of dumplings and stir fry has made you hungry for more Chinese, check out this article on ordering food in Mandarin!

55 Chinese Proverbs, Sayings and Quotes 110 Useful Chinese Phrases to Have Your First Conversation 33 Free Online Chinese Language Lessons and Resources 15 Chinese Cartoons That Will Help You Learn Mandarin (Not Only for Children)Review of Chinesepod & chat with co-host Jenny

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Published on September 16, 2022 04:00

September 12, 2022

The Pareto Principle (80-20 Rule): Minimize the Effort, Maximize the Results

Have you ever wondered if there is a quicker, more efficient way to study, write a paper or learn a new skill? It exists, and it’s called the Pareto principle, or the 80/20 rule.

I discovered the Pareto principle as a language learner, and it helped me solve a problem that many language learners face.Being a perfectionist when it comes to language learning is one of the main reasons many people never end up using a language they’ve studied. They are paralysed by the thought of making a mistake. They don’t know all the words & all the grammar, therefore they “can’t” speak yet.

It’s sad how much this bogus mentality slows people down and even prevents them from ever trying.

I want to share a fundamental concept behind how I can speak languages shortly after arriving in a country, and progress so quickly. It is based on my interpretation of the 80/20 rule, also known as the Pareto principle.

Table of contentsWhat Is the Pareto Principle?Do the Numbers of the 80/20 Rule Matter?How to Apply the Pareto Principle to Language Learning How to Apply the Pareto Principle to Learning the Vocabulary You Need?Vocab Vaults: My Personalized Phrasebooks Frequency Lists: Your Shortcut to Understanding 50% of the Language Conversation Fillers and Conversation Connectors Making the Most of What You Have With the Pareto Method How to Communicate Things on a Limited Vocabulary How to Understand What You’re Being Told When You… Don’t Understand Anything With the 80/20 Rule, You Are Ready to Speak How Else Can I Help You Get Fluent Faster? Let Me Know!What Is the Pareto Principle?

In its simplest form, the Pareto principle states that roughly eighty percent of consequences come from twenty percent of causes. In other words, you get 80% of the results from 20% of the work. This rule is applied in many fields.

Other interpretations of the numbers are also possible: for example, 80% of the wealth of a country typically belongs to 20% of its population.

In fact, the “Pareto Principle” was named after Vilfredo Pareto (1848-1923), an Italian economist who pointed out that about 80% of Italian land belonged to only 20% of the population. Joseph M. Juran, a management consultant, developed the term and concept while studying Pareto’s works.

I have used the principle in my personal and business life. When I decided to start my blog, I could have aimed for perfection and decided I needed to get as much expertise in writing blogs as I possibly could.

But did I spend years researching how to blog? Or took a degree course on how to become a writer? I didn’t do that.

I figured out what was the smallest amount of effort that I could apply to this business to launch it as quickly as possible.

I’ve done something similar with language learning.

Do the Numbers of the 80/20 Rule Matter?

You don’t have to be exact about the 80/20 part of the principle.

While there is some merit to using the number 80, the actual quantity doesn’t interest me too much. This is what you need to keep in mind: most of the end-results from a fraction of what you put into something.

From another point of view, you could argue that a certain percentage of a language (80%) is simply irrelevant to me in my day to day dealings (when about 20% of the language is used).

How to Apply the Pareto Principle to Language Learning

When beginners start learning a language, a lot of them get bogged down with complicated things like grammar.

Grammar is not something I suggest that you learn initially, or at least that you don’t put that much effort into as an absolute beginner.

If you’re starting off, it’s fine for your grammar to be choppy. If you say “me not go”, you are at least communicating. The sentence structure might not be perfect, but the meaning is clear.

As an absolute beginner, grammar is not going to make a big difference in your ability to communicate.

Another thing that fits in this unnecessary 80% of language learning is obsession with pronunciation. You do have to get a certain level of pronunciation so that people can understand you, but a lot of people get obsessed with trying to have native-like pronunciation.

You might think that if you don’t get the accent perfect at the start, you’ll never get it right because you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.I personally know this is absolute nonsense.

There are things like grammar and pronunciation that I have worked on much later in my language learning, and I have been able to get these to a very high level. As a beginner, however, it’s not necessary.

There is also a huge quantity of words you don’t need to start speaking a language.

How to Apply the Pareto Principle to Learning the Vocabulary You Need?

A non-Pareto approach to language learning would imply that you need to know everything before you can speak. If you don’t know how to say “aardvark” or “armadillo” in French or Chinese, then your level simply isn’t good enough.

I say differently. Many words like these are so uncommon and unlikely to show up! Not knowing them will make no difference at all in your life.

If you compare two natives of a language, where one knows the word armadillo and the other doesn’t, then will their lives really be that different given the same circumstances?

I extend this to slightly more common words: at the moment I don’t believe I know how to say “shoelace” in any of my target languages, although I’d recognise that word based on seeing and hearing it previously a few times and especially based on extrapolating thanks to the context and perhaps word etymology.

You don’t need to learn every single word as you come across it in your target language. I’ll give you two techniques to apply the Pareto principle to your language learning.

Vocab Vaults: My Personalized Phrasebooks

One of my favorite language learning techniques is to create personalized phrasebooks.

Let me give you an example.

I obviously need to know the word for Ireland because I’m from Ireland. On the other hand, I don’t necessarily need to know the word for Australia. I may eventually talk about Australia as an intermediate, but in most of my initial conversations I don’t need to know a word like that.

And to those who insist: “You might not, but you might,” I ask: am I more likely to need to know how to say “traveler” or “Australia”? Remember, we’re trying to minimize the effort here, all while getting better results.

I have to spend the time I have learning vocabulary I am sure I will use.

So here’s how you should go about it:

Focus on vocabulary that is more directly relevant to you.Take into account the things that are most necessary initially and that you would be speaking about early on.

You can also create language islands to build up the vocabulary you’ll actually need and use.

Frequency Lists: Your Shortcut to Understanding 50% of the Language

Learning words related to you is important, but you also need to learn those very basic words that everyone uses. Words like “today”, “people”, and “to want”.

With many languages, you can understand about 50% of daily interactions by learning the 100 most common words. These are curated in frequency lists according to how frequently they come up in the language.

Lists like this exist for a lot of languages. At Fluent in 3 Months, we have one for:

Korean,French,Spanish,Italian,Japanese,Chinese,Russian.

You’d be surprised to see what you can do with very little vocabulary. Pair this with a good sense of understanding the context of what is going on around you and non-verbal communication, and you’re good to go!

Conversation Fillers and Conversation Connectors

There are some words and phrases that you can learn to make your conversations feel less robotic.

If you have a limited vocabulary, words like these help you hide it a little.

I’m talking about vocabulary like:

so,that’s why,however,but,on the other hand,um,like,well,okay,right,you know.

Making the Most of What You Have With the Pareto Method

Here comes the moment to interpret the 80/20 rule as “do 80 with the 20 you learnt”. In other words, do a lot with the little you learnt.

How to Communicate Things on a Limited Vocabulary

Work around what you don’t know!

Take these examples:

If you don’t know how to conjugate verbs in the past tense, just say “yesterday I eat” while waving behind you.If you don’t know how to say small yet, just say “not big”.

I have done this many times! Learning new languages in spoken contexts for as long as I have means that I’ve come up with many ways to get around not knowing a word. Sometimes, these are even good enough to even make the other person unaware that I’m using a workaround.

You can’t know everything, so try not to think about your limitations and try your best to figure out how to get my point across.

How to Understand What You’re Being Told When You… Don’t Understand Anything

Communicating with a limited vocabulary, that might work. But what about understanding what others say?

When you hear a reply, try to understand individual words (since getting the whole phrase will be out of reach). In addition to that, use the context the word is sandwiched into.

You will get a pretty good idea what the other person is talking about.

Is this a good strategy to keep forever? No. Even less so if you want to have deep, meaningful conversations in a language.

But saying that you can’t get value out of the beginner stage, and that it should be avoided entirely is an extreme, unnecessary approach for people too scared to try.

When you do it well enough, natives will not lose their patience with you.

Here in the Netherlands, I was warned that nobody would ever speak Dutch to me in the early stages. It turns out it was nothing more than lazy excuses from expats that weren’t trying hard enough, or doing it in an awkward way that makes the other person feel uncomfortable, regardless of their actual language use.

There are ways to make it more fun for the other person to listen to me.

With the 80/20 Rule, You Are Ready to Speak

I hate it when I hear people saying they’ll wait until they are “ready” before they speak. This is a procrastination technique motivated by nothing more than fear of failure.

Fail fast & fail often and you’ll succeed way more regularly.

Slipping up and making some mistakes while learning a language is totally natural. Avoiding doing it is avoiding using the language as it was meant to be used: for communication!

There will never be a day after years of pure study when you wake up, look at yourself in the mirror and realize that you suddenly start effortlessly speaking like a native. It’s ridiculous to consider such a thing if you haven’t already been practising.

Learn 20 words now and then use the hell out of them. Be imaginative. Then learn more words and you’ll see that it’s ever so slightly easier.

By the time you can hold an OK conversation, a few short weeks or months into intensive use with natives, you’ll be able to survive 80% of normal situations in that language, despite putting in way less than 20% of the work most people do to get to a similar stage after years.

It’s not the years you put in after all that make you successful.

Efficiency at its best

If this doesn’t float perfectionists’ boat, then frankly I don’t care. I don’t use my languages in exam situations where each mistake is a big red X. My priority is communication, and using the little I have imaginatively is how I do it. Necessity forces you to progress, so you will reach a higher level much quicker.

Mastering a language does take time. I have reached fluency in a language in a matter of months several times, but continue to try to improve on what I have. You will never reach a day when you say you are “ready” and your work is done. Fluency is not necessarily an end-goal, it’s just a useful milestone to aim for after a few months.

How Else Can I Help You Get Fluent Faster? Let Me Know!

Successful language learners find ways to use the little they know in the maximum possible ways; this adaptation of Pareto’s principle is an absolute must for people focused on speaking well as quickly as possible.

Hell, it’s important for achieving anything. If you wait until it’s perfect (the 100% stage), then you’ll be waiting forever. Squeeze the little information currently available to you to get the best out of it!

I like using the Pareto principle when I study a language, but I also pair it with other studying techniques. In fact, understanding how to best learn languages is the focus of my podcast: the Language Hacking Podcast.

I created an episode on the Pareto principle, which you can find here.

My background is in engineering, so I like to look at the most efficient way to reach my end-goals and will experiment until I see something that produces real results. I’ll produce something within a deadline, no matter what. That means speaking now.

I want to write more guides like this one to help you learn more language learning techniques and become fluent faster. If you have any questions about language learning, I’d be more than happy to answer them.

Find me on Instagram (@irishpolyglot), TikTok (@irishpolyglot), and Twitter (@irishpolyglot), and ask away!

How to Learn a Language in 2022 – Ultimate Guide with 35+ Language Hacks The Pomodoro Technique: How to Boost Your Productivity [Full Guide + Examples]The Beginner’s Guide to Language Islands [All the Answers + Examples]The 4 Essential Language Skills – and How to Improve Them The Best Way to Learn a Language [Scientifically Proven, Polyglot Tested]

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Published on September 12, 2022 04:00

September 9, 2022

How I Prepared for the French Fluency Test (C1 Exam)

How can you master French? One way is to set yourself the goal of passing the French fluency test, a.k.a. reaching C1 or C2 level. I’ll explain more about that in a moment.

My main focus on this blog is how to get started in language learning. Getting started is one of the biggest hurdles for many language learners, which is why I’ve maintained this focus.

However, in this post, I’ll help you explore how to reach advanced levels of speaking a language.

This post is targeted at those of you who have already reached an intermediate level in your language learning. I’ll show you how I passed the C1 French exam.

Table of contentsFrench Fluency Test? Explaining the C1 Level Why I Decided to Focus on C1 French before C2 How to Do a Mock French Fluency Test My Experience of Speaking, Reading and Writing Advanced French French C1 Oral Comprehension French C1 Reading Comprehension French C1 Speaking and Writing Wrapping it All Up

French Fluency Test? Explaining the C1 Level

On the European Common Framework (CEFR), C1 means you know a language to an advanced level.

(If you’re not familiar with CEFR Levels, here’s the perfect article to catch up.)

Reaching C1 means you can understand long, demanding texts, speak fluently without searching for expressions, and understand implicit meanings. You can also use the language for business and academic purposes.

Beyond that, this is a fun level to reach as a language learner, since at this stage you can understand sly or subtle jokes, and you’ll know most of the colourful expressions in the language.

The only level above C1 is C2 – complete mastery.

French is the first language that I sat a formal exam in, back in 2005, when I tried out the DELF B2 level exam. B2 is an upper intermediate level (what I usually call “fluent”), directly below C1.

At the time I took this exam, I had no idea what each level meant.

I worked very hard on my French for over three months. As it turned out, I was more than capable of communicating at B2 level and passed the exam very safely. After this, I lived in another French speaking region and worked as a professional translator in French for several years. This involved reading many technical documents and necessarily ensuring a mastery level in the language.

Ever since I mastered French, I’ve meant to come back to it and take a formal CEFR exam. Over the past decade, I’ve sat the Spanish C2 exam and German C2 exam, so I’ve got a much greater understanding of what the different CEFR levels mean.

Yet 10 years passed and I kept putting off formal French exams… Until now!

Why I Decided to Focus on C1 French before C2

I had a chaotic travel itinerary (never in the same place for more than a few weeks), which made it difficult to arrange to sit a genuine certification exam.

As such, I decided to do a “mock” exam. It would be marked and corrected by a professional French teacher – and native French speaker. And I would sit it under similar circumstances as the real thing.

This way I could take the exam at a time convenient for me. It wouldn’t involve me travelling to an official examination centre, since the whole exam would be conducted over Skype or offline in a limited time.

Obviously, I wouldn’t be awarded any actual certificate. But this was a personal rather than professional goal, so sitting a mock French fluency exam seemed infinitely more convenient.

If you too would like the challenge of taking an exam but can’t necessarily afford the cost or travel to the exam site… I highly suggest you consider taking a mock exam instead!

Since I assessed my ability as somewhere between C1 and C2, I decided to take it one step at a time and focus on getting a solid C1.

I saw the mock exam as a solid milestone. Once I’d passed it, I planned to take a formal C2 exam after I’d settled down from all my travelling.

How to Do a Mock French Fluency Test

I grew up in Ireland where “mock exams” are part of every high school student’s life. In these mock exams, the results weren’t the main focus. Rather, the exams acted as gauges for how the real exam would look and feel.

I found my mock exams incredibly helpful in figuring out how to best approach exams. I learned to make sure I was giving each section of the exam enough time. It’s a very common problem for test-takers.

The mock exams helped to highlight my weaknesses. They also revealed the grade I could expect from the real exam if I did no further work.

Because of my high school experience with mock exams, I now advise all language learners to attempt their own mock exams. This is especially relevant if you’re planning to get a certificate in language proficiency.

Many exam boards allow you to download previous exam papers from their website. Here is the one that I sat for French.

If you need help finding an exam paper, ask your language tutor. I find most of my teachers on italki.

(If you’re curious, here’s how I select my teachers).

You really need to get one of their “professional teachers” to help you with an exam. They tend to be certified and are likely to be familiar with the very exam you’ll be taking. They may even have experience of marking exam papers.

My teacher, Léa, was part of a small network of French teachers on the website Léacafé. She helped me through the entire process of the mock exam. She also pointed out what I had to work on to reach C2 level.

My Experience of Speaking, Reading and Writing Advanced French

Even with mock exams, it’s important to prepare properly. So even if you see it as a simple preparation for the “real” exam, you still need to prepare for the preparation!

For each part of the mock exam – listening, reading, writing and speaking – I tried to get ready as best as I could in advance.

French C1 Oral Comprehension

To practice for the oral comprehension section, I listened to French newscasters and YouTube videos together with my teacher, Léa. Then Léa would ask me complex questions about what I’d just heard.

This is exactly how the comprehension section works on C-level tests, whereas the A and even B level audio comprehension tests could simply involve picking a word out of what you heard.

Once, for instance, Léa showed me a YouTube video of a bunch of teenage girls arguing and yelling at each other all at the same time. She then asked me to “simply” summarize the video in my own words.

It was a brain-melting task because they were using lots of slang, speaking very fast and talking over one another. But sometimes these brain-melting tasks are just what you need to level up your language skills.

Since I focus so much on speaking in the early stages of my language learning, my listening comprehension tends to be weaker. In the exam, I could easily get the gist of the audio, but the questions asked at C1 level require you to fully understand every aspect of what’s being said.

I didn’t do well in this section, so even though I “passed” the rest of the exam, I wouldn’t have passed the full exam because I would have failed this section. This meant I had to sit a second mock version of this section.

As we were not doing the entire exam at once, but one section at a time until I had it right, I did another oral comprehension test and this time remained focused. I took careful notes on everything that was said, and just about passed.

I also had a problem with audio comprehension in my German C2 exam. This tells me that I need to give a much bigger proportion of my time to listening comprehension and tuning my ear when I want to reach a C1 or C2 level.

Unfortunately I am a little hard of hearing, so that doesn’t help. Nevertheless, I’ll continue to work on my listening comprehension in all my languages.

To get ready for the C2 French exam, I spent a lot of time listening to the higher levels of the Frenchpod101 lessons.

French C1 Reading Comprehension

Once again, at the C-levels this starts to get really tricky as you need to understand the subtle cues that the author is giving you.

The questions are very far from asking you to find a simple fact in the text. Even the multiple choice options leave you wondering how the article explicitly says any of the options.

The best way by far to do well here is through lots of reading.

I had been enjoying Jules Verne novels in their original French. Proud as I was about this fact, you can imagine how I felt when I saw them marked as B1 level books in Gibert Jeune in Paris!

This means that I had to up my game a lot.

I had a subscription to Le Monde that I read as often as I could, but it’s not as engaging as I like.

Léa introduced me to Le Gorafi, which is Verlan for “Figaro” (a major newspaper). It’s essentially the French equivalent of the Onion, and I enjoy reading this for fun.

I recognised that I needed to use a reading tool like Readlang and properly note hard words. I could also use C1/C2 level exercise books that ask questions after the text to test my true comprehension.

In the end, I barely got enough points in this section, and need to improve it dramatically if a C2 level reading comprehension exam was on the horizon.

French C1 Speaking and Writing

In the CEFR exams, speaking and writing are called “oral and written production”.

My language learning approach always favours interaction with people, so this is the section of the exam where I always shine. In the mock exams I got 88% for written production and 90% for oral production.

I love practising my speaking skills, and when I’m practising I make sure that the conversation goes towards complex discussions.

Léa and I have had many interesting debates on a wide variety of topics. I’ve also given her the inside view on the technical workings of my business and website.

What’s more, when I was in France my computer broke down. I had to work with a tech support guy to figure out which part of my computer wasn’t working and check each input, and explain what I was seeing over the phone.

I don’t shy away from chances to use the language in varied ways, and I’ll make sure to keep that up!

For the written production section, I received one important piece of critical feedback: my sentences tended to be a little short.

While I did well in most other aspects, to help me get used to potentially longer sentences we spent a few days looking at Fondements de la métaphysique des mœurs by Immanuel Kant.

The things he describes involve very complex sentences with nested commas that span huge paragraphs. This was perfect.

As we worked on my French writing skills, Léa got me to answer questions on Kant in written form. I would use sentences that would go on but not become nonsensical. It was one hell of a task, considering I wouldn’t even attempt to say or write such things in English!

Wrapping it All Up

I hope you’ve found this account of my journey to reaching French C1 level interesting. I always figured that my French was around C1 or C2 level, and confirmed it with the mock fluency test.

Now that I know my strengths and weaknesses, I can work on them!

How to Speak French: The Faster Way to Learn French 30+ Free Online French Classes and Resources (Only the Best!)French Uncovered Review — Does “Story Learning” Really Work for French?FrenchPod101 Review: 30 Days with FrenchPod101 How to Learn a Language in 2022 – Ultimate Guide with 35+ Language Hacks

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Published on September 09, 2022 04:00

September 5, 2022

How to Say “I Love You” in Spanish (and 50+ Other Romantic Phrases)

The Spanish language and culture are rich in passion and ways to express affection. But what’s the best way to tell someone “I love you” in Spanish?

After all, in English, we tend to overuse the word “love”. We love this show, and we love that book. We love our parents, our kids, and our spouses. We love our friends, we love our jobs.

And even though all of those forms of “love” are different, they’re expressed with the same word: “love”.

In Spanish, that’s not the case. There are many options for expressing your affection!

In fact, it’s one of the things I like about Spanish that English is missing. You can concisely share your like, love or even enchantment in Spanish, using different expressions.

Let's share the love in Spanish!How to Say “I Love You” in Spanish

As I mentioned above, saying “I love you” in Spanish depends on the context, situation and what or who you’re talking about.

Most people have learned that te amo means “I love you” in Spanish, and it does. But this is a very serious, deep love. It’s used mostly between spouses and when announcing your love, such as while proposing.

Another way to say “I love you” is te quiero. Here’s where those degrees of affection come in.

Te quiero literally means, “I want you,” but that’s a poor translation, in my opinion. This phrase doesn’t quite translate at all in English, because we have no equivalent at that degree.

To say “I want you” in English has a lusty sound to it, and is not very romantic. But in Spanish, a better translation is “I want you in my life.” It’s a step down from te amo, and usually said when you’re in a committed relationship, but not necessarily married (or at least, not yet).

And with both phrases, you can make them more passionate by adding mucho (“very much”). Te amo mucho or te quiero mucho both mean “I love you very much.”

If You’re Looking for Something More Low-Key, Here’s an Option

A less direct way to express your love is to say Significas mucho para mí. This means “You mean so much to me.”

Here are a couple more ways to express romantic affection in Spanish:

Me gustas: “I like you”. The play-it-safe approach to expressing your affection in those early days of dating.Me caes bien: Also “I like you”. It’s a step down from me gustas, and more friendly.Me encantas: “I adore you” or “You enchant me”. It’s more romantic than me gustas and me caes bien, but it’s less serious than te quiero.

What about talking to family or friends? Usually, te quiero is for that kind of platonic love, or even affection for your pets. And if you’re wondering, “love” for things like objects or hobbies would be either me gusta (“I like”) or me encanta (“I’m enchanted by”, “I strongly like”).

How to Say “Beautiful” in Spanish

In Spanish, there are quite a few ways you can talk about someone’s beauty or attractiveness.

To say “beautiful” in Spanish, it’s hermosa or hermoso. This is the strongest way to say “beautiful” and it’s similar to “striking” or “gorgeous”.

Because hermosa is so strong, it’s more common to use bella or bello (“beautiful” or “lovely”), though. To just say “beauty” as a noun, it’s belleza.

To call someone “pretty”, you use bonita or bonito. This is more casual, almost like saying “You look nice” instead of “You look beautiful”. It’s still a nice compliment, though, and can be used to talk about anything.

And to say someone is “handsome” or “attractive”, you say guapo or guapa. It’s more common to hear women called bonita, and men guapo. But, unlike English, these terms aren’t gender exclusive. Sometimes guapo is also used to say someone or something is “cool”.

In Latin America, it’s most common to describe someone’s beauty as linda or lindo, which means “lovely”.

How to Say “My Love” in Spanish

To call someone “my love” in Spanish, you can say mi amor. You could also make the word cuter by adding the diminutives -ito. So mi amor becomes mi amorcito (“my little love”). It can be used for anyone, but it’s most often used for children to add cuteness.

Spanish has a lot of you could use if you want some variety. Here are a few:

Mi vida: “My life”Mi sol: “My sun”Mi rey/reina: “My king/queen”Dulzura: “Sweetness”Mi querido/a: “My dear”How to Say “You’re My Other Half” in Spanish

In Spanish, they have a sweet, unique phrase to tell someone “you’re my other half.” It’s eres mi media naranja, which translates as “you’re my half orange.” It’s best used for serious relationships, obviously, but it’s a cute and humorous way to say “my better half” like in English.

Why an orange? There are quite a few theories, but one explanation is that the dome of a church (cúpula or cimborrio) is also sometimes called media naranja. So it represents something beloved, a gift from heaven. Another theory is that every orange is different, and there can only be one perfect match for a half-orange.

Because it’s used to say someone is your perfect match, it’s also used to say “my soulmate”. But you could also use alma gemela (“soulmate”). That’s just a heavier way to say it, while media naranja is lighthearted.

It’s a fun expression… Even more when you learn that media in Spanish also means sock, primarily in Latin America. It’s a common pun to mean “you’re my orange sock” when using the phrase!

How to Say “My Heart” in Spanish

Another romantic way to express your love is to call someone “my heart”, which is mi corazón. There are a few romantic phrases we can use with this, too:

Tienes todo mi corazón: “You have all my heart”Mi corazón es tuyo: “My heart is yours”Te amo con todo mi corazón: “I love you with all my heart”Mi corazón late por ti: “My heart beats for you”

Talk about sparking some romance!

How to Say “My Darling” in Spanish

In English, there are so many nicknames we call our lovers: darling, dear, babe, sweetheart. We’ve talked about some of them so far, but here are some other common nicknames for your loved one.

Cariño: This is one of the most common nicknames you’ll hear. It has many different meanings: “sweetie”, “darling”, “dear”, “love”, “honey”, etc. It captures a lot of English nicknames in one.Cielo: It means “sky”, but it also translates as “heaven” or “paradise”. So you’re calling someone your own slice of heaven here on earth. It’s pretty romantic! Make it cuter with mi cielito (“my little heaven”).Bebé: “Baby” in Spanish, but essentially used the same as “babe” or “baby” in English when talking to your loved one. You could also use nena for “babe”.How to Say “Sexy” in Spanish

“Sexy” in Spanish is the same as it is in English: sexy. Although, you’ll see it written as sexi as well because it’s a better fit for Spanish pronunciation and spelling.

If you want to call someone “hot”, though, don’t use caliente! Hot as we use it in English doesn’t directly translate to Spanish.

Caliente is used for hot food, yes, but when talking about a person? It means you’re horny, not “hot/sexy”.

Instead, there can be different terms that you can use, depending on the Hispanic region. Some will just say guapo/a, others would use ricura (although this one will likely get you a slap on the face if you don’t use it in the right situation).

How to Say “Cute” in Spanish

“Cute” in Spanish doesn’t have quite the exact translation. But there are a few ways you could get the same idea across.

Rico or rica is one way to say someone is “cute”, but it also means “sexy” or even “rich”. Sexy and cute don’t normally go together in English, but this word captures both.

Mono and mona also mean “cute” as an adjective, like “nice-looking”.

And linda or lindo, which we covered earlier, can also mean “cute”. Even listo, which means “ready”, “clever” or “prepared”, can also be used for cute.

How to Say “I Can’t Live Without You” in Spanish

Still looking for a different, special way to say how much you love someone? Here are some romantic phrases to express your love:

No puedo vivir sin ti: “I can’t live without you”Te necesito: “I need you”Te echo de menos mi amor: “I miss you, my love”No puedo esperar a verte: “I can’t wait to see you”Estoy loco por ti: “I’m crazy about you”Quiero estar contigo para siempre: “I want to be with you forever”Estoy pensando en ti: “I’m thinking of you”Eres el amor de mi vida: “You’re the love of my life”How to Say “Amazing” in Spanish

There isn’t only one way to say “amazing” in Spanish – there are a few words that work. You could use increíble (“incredible”), asombroso (“astounding”) or maravilloso (“marvellous”). All of them have similar meanings. So if you want to tell your loved one they’re amazing, say Eres increíble!

And if you want to know how to talk about your feelings, the word in Spanish is sentimientos – a “sentiment”.

You could say Siento algo por ti (“I have feelings for you”) or tengo sentimientos por ti, but the latter one would sound a bit strange. Sentimientos is more general feelings, not just loved ones, so using me encantas would sound more natural.

If you want to express those sentimientos though, these phrases can help:

Estoy enamorada / enamorado: “I’m in love”Estoy saliendo con alguien: “I’m dating someone”Siento que es amor verdadero: “If feel like it’s true love”No puedo dejar de pensar en él / ella.: “I can’t stop thinking about him/her.”

And if you want to pop the big question in Spanish:

¿Te casarías conmigo? (“Will you marry me?”)

You’re Ready to Be Romantic in Spanish!

Whether it’s complimenting someone or sharing your feelings, you can now open your heart in Spanish.

If you want to share your love for languages, that’s great too! You should give the Language Hacking podcast a listen, that’s where all language lovers like you share their stories and talk about their favourite learning tips.

If want to browse more posts on the blog, here are some good options:

70 Terms of Endearment from Around the World (for Those You Love)Dabble Spanish 101 Common Spanish Phrases to Start Speaking Spanish Right Now Best Podcast to Learn Spanish? SpanishPod101 In-depth Review With Pros and Cons

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Published on September 05, 2022 04:00

September 2, 2022

111 Core Korean Words — Basic Korean Words You Need to Learn First

Did you know you can understand about 50% of all Korean by learning the 100 most common Korean words?

That’s right! The 100 basic Korean words are so common they make up around half of spoken and written Korean. It’s just a matter of learning the right words first!

That’s why you need this list of 100 common Korean words by word-frequency method, which I’ll tell you more about later in this post.

Table of contents10 Must-Know Basic Korean Words 10 Core Korean Pronouns 42 Basic Korean Nouns Korean Words for Time Korean Words for Places Korean Words for Things Korean Words for People 25 Common Korean Verbs 19 Simple Korean Adjectives and Adverbs 5 Core Korean Conjunctions and Connectors Bonus: 10 Cool Korean Words and Slang to Boost your Korean Vocabulary How to Learn the Most Common Korean Words With the Word-Frequency Method Big Gains for Your Korean Language Learning Muscles

I’ll be writing using 한글 (hangeul), the Korean writing system. It’s helpful to learn Hangul first because it helps with pronunciation. And, while the writing system may look complex…

Hangul was made to be easy to learn! In fact, you could learn it in only an hour or two. So brush up on your Hangul first, then start working on the list below!

If you already feel confident enough reading Hangul, let’s dive in.

If you’re only going to learn 10 Korean words, these are the must-knows!

안녕하세요 (annyeong haseyo) – “Hello”안녕히 가세요 (annyeonghi gaseyo) or 안녕히 계세요 (annyeonghi gyeseyo) – “Goodbye”네 (ne) or 예 (ye) – “Yes”예 (ye) or 괜찮다 (gwaenchanhda) – “Okay”아니요 (aniyo) – “No”주세요 (juseyo) – “Please”감사합니다 (gamsahamnida) or 고마워요 (gomawoyo) – “Thank you”천만에요 (cheonmaneyo) – “You’re welcome”미안해요 (mianhaeyo) – “I’m sorry”몰라요 (mollayo) – “I don’t know”

Related learning: Find 57 more must-know Korean words and phrases in this article.

10 Core Korean Pronouns

As in Japanese or even Spanish, pronouns are often omitted from Korean sentences. That’s because they’re understood by context.

But…

You still need to know them! Because if it’s not clear what you’re talking about, then you need to be able to make it clear.

-씨 (-ssi) – “Mr., Mrs., Ms.”나 (na) – “I”여자 (yeoja) – “She”그 (geu) – “He”그들 (geudeul) – “They”우리 (uli) – “We”이 (i) – “This”그 (geu) – “That”저기 그거 (jeogi geugeo) – “That over there”그것 (geugeos) – “It”

Pro tip: “You” is 당신 (dangsin) in Korean. However, I’m not counting it as a “core word” because it’s not used often.

“You” in Korean is only used if you don’t know the other person’s name. Otherwise, it’s a bit rude. So instead, use the person’s name + the honorific -씨 listed above. That’s the best way to go about it!

If you need more information about Korean honorifics, you can head to this guide I wrote.

42 Basic Korean Nouns

If you’re familiar with Fluent in 3 Months founder Benny Lewis’ Language Hacking method, then you know he suggests learning words based on what you personally say in everyday life. These would be the most helpful nouns and verbs to learn to start speaking fast.

And the best way to practice is by creating Korean scripts with words you use a lot.

I use that method, too. Especially after I learn the 100 most common words in a language. So I still suggest you do that, too.

But as for the words below? They’re the ones you’ll hear most often because they’re nouns for time, places, getting around, people, and so on. Maybe you never ride a train to work, and so you won’t say the word for train. But other people do, so it’s a good idea to learn it.

Korean Words for Time일 (il) – “Day”주 (ju) – “Week”달 (dal) – “Month”년 (nyeon) – “Year”오늘 (oneul) – “Today”어제 (eoje) – “Yesterday”내일 (naeil) – “Tomorrow”시 (si) – “Hour”분 (bun) – “Minute”시간 (sigan) – “Time”전에 (jeon-e) – “Before”후 (hu) – “After”지금 (jigeum) – “Now”Korean Words for Places여기 (yeogi) – “Here”그곳에 (geugos-e) – “There”장소 (jangso) – “Place”학교 (haggyo) – “School”가게 (gage) – “Shop”일 (il) – “Work”화장실 (hwajangsil) – “Bathroom”도시 (dosi) – “City”나라 (nara) – “Country”기차역 (gichayeog) – “Train station”방 (bang) – “Room”대한민국 (daehanmingug) – “South Korea”Korean Words for Things것 (geos) – “Thing”아무것도 (amugeosdo) – “Nothing”뭔가 (mwonga) – “Something”집 (jib)- “House”차 (cha) – “Car”말 (mal) – “Words”언어 (eon-eo) – “Language”물 (mul) – “Water”영화 (yeonghwa) – “Movie”Korean Words for People여자 (yeoja) – “Woman”남자 (namja) – “Man”소녀 (sonyeo) – “Girl”소년 (sonyeon) – “Boy”친구 (chingu) – “Friend”사람 (saram) – “Person”가족 (gajok) – “Family”이름 (ileum) – “Name”

25 Common Korean Verbs

These are the 25 most common Korean verbs you need to know. You can say a lot with only these 25, especially with verbs like 하다 and 있다 which combine with other words and nouns to form new verbs.

하다 (hada) – “To do”있다 (issda) – “To be, there is”지다 (jida) – “To become”말하다 (malhada) – “To say”오다 (oda) – “To come”가다 (kada) – “To go”할 수 있다 (hal su issda) – “To be able to do”보다 (boda) – “To see”보내다 (bonaeda) – “To send”가지다 (gajida) – “To have”기다리다 (gidalida) – “To wait”만나다 (mannada) – “To meet”살다 (salda) – “To live”생각하다 (saeng-gaghada) – “To think”주다 (juda) – “To give”받다 (badda) – “To receive”알다 (alda) – “To know”만들다 (mandeulda) – “To make”사용하다 (sayonghada) – “To use”배우다 (baeuda) – “To learn”먹다 (meogada) – “To eat”마시다 (masida) – “To drink”웃다 (udda) – “To laugh”읽다 (ilgda) – “To read”쓰다 (sseuda) – “To write”19 Simple Korean Adjectives and Adverbs

There are so many adjectives you could use to add color to your Korean. But these are some of the basic Korean words to get started with.

They’re super helpful as descriptive words, especially if you don’t know the right one for what you’re describing.

많은 (manh-eun) – “Many, lots of”조금 (jogeum) – “Few”큰 (keun) – “Big”작은 (jageun) – “Small”긴 (gin) – “Tall”짧은 (jjalb-eun) – “Short”가까이에 (gakkaie) – “Near”멀리 (meolli) – “Far”좋은 (joeun) – “Good, nice”나쁜 (nappeun) – “Bad”쉬운 (swiun) – “Easy”어려운 (eoryeoun) – “Difficult”아름다운 (aleumdaun) – “Beautiful”못생긴 (mossaenggin) – “Ugly”맛있는 (masissneun) – “Delicious”뜨거운 (tteugeoun) – “Hot”춥다 (chubda) – “Cold”매우 (maeu) – “Very”재미 (jaemi) – “Enjoyable”5 Core Korean Conjunctions and Connectors

Conversation connections are the keys to sounding fluent in any language. They help smooth out your sentence transitions and give you a moment to think about what you want to say. These five are the most helpful:

그러나 (geuleona) – “But, however”또한 (ttohan) – “Also”예를 들어 (yeleul deul-eo) – “For example”그래서 (geulaeseo) – “So”그때 (geuttae) – “Then”Bonus: 10 Cool Korean Words and Slang to Boost your Korean Vocabulary

You always need some cool Korean slang words to add to your memory bank! These ten slang terms are a good place to start so you sound more natural in Korean.

대박 (daebak) – “Amazing, great”, or “that’s crazy”짱 (jjang) – “The best, awesome”꿀잼 (kkuljaem) – “Fun, interesting, or funny”닭살 (dalgsal) – “Cheesy”극혐 (geughyeom) – “Totally disgusting/repulsive”불금 (bulgeum) – “TGIF”, “Burning Friday” or “Golden Friday”행쇼 (haengsyo) – “Be happy” (a trendy phrase made popular by K-Pop idol, G-Dragon)헐 (heol) – “OMG, no way”ㅋㅋ (kk) – “Haha” or “lol” (Only used in text)만렙 (manleb) – “Level 10,000” (or as I like to think of it… “It’s over 9,000!”)

If you’d like to learn more Korean slang, I’ve got exactly what you need: Korean Slang: 80+ Everyday Words and Phrases to Sound Like a Native.

How to Learn the Most Common Korean Words With the Word-Frequency Method

The word-frequency method is my favorite method for learning vocabulary in a new target language.

I’ve done this method with core Japanese words and basic Spanish words as well. It helps me level up my listening comprehension and speaking ability fast.

That’s because I’m strategic about learning the most important, common words first.

I like to think of this method like a beginner’s approach to fitness: start with compound exercises that build several muscles at once, so you get the most out of it, fast.

These words do the same thing for your Korean language muscles. They strengthen your core and work your brain in the best way possible. You’ll see gains fast!

Rather than learn a “beginner’s Korean vocab list,” which often focuses on classroom or workplace vocab first, you’re learning Korean words used in everyday life. If you pair that with Korean greetings and phrases, you’ll see a lot of progress!

I follow this method up to about 1,000 words and then move on to learning the most important words for me specifically. (Things like job-specific vocabulary, or words related to my favorite hobbies.)

That’s because 100 words gets you to 50% fluency, and 1,000 words gets you to about 70%. But after that? The payoff slows down. Compare that to 10,000 words, which gets you to around 90% fluency! 20% more for 10x the vocabulary. Not as effective.

(BUT that doesn’t mean you should never learn 10k words! It just means you should diversify your study time for the best output.)

Now, one thing to note about these core Korean words listed above. I’m skipping Korean particles and repeats of words that are different only by grammar conjugation. What that means is, I’m not including particles like subject marker 는 (neun) or variations of verbs like “see/saw” or “go/went”, or casual/honorific versions.

Why? Because that’s a waste! You can learn those when you learn grammar. Besides, to include things like particles would be confusing as a beginner if you don’t understand their usage. (In my opinion, they fall more under grammar patterns than vocabulary.)

The rest of these simple Korean words will be easy to master because you’ll see and hear them all the time!

Big Gains for Your Korean Language Learning Muscles

Flex those Korean skills and show off your swole vocabulary! Because now that you’ve gotten through this list, you can move on to more complex Korean language topics.

You could find a Korean language exchange partner to practice with, or start immersing yourself in Korean at home with Korean dramas and TV shows.

Btw, if you want the best Korean language course to level up your Korean, check out my review of 90 Day Korean. It’s what helped me learn Korean and Hangul in the easiest way possible, and it’s honestly my very favorite language learning course I’ve used to date.

How to Learn Korean Fast: The Faster Way to Speak Korean 101 Must-Know Korean Verbs Easy Korean Numbers: Counting in Korean from 1 – 100+Innovative Language Review – Complete Pod101 Language Course Review (with Screenshots and Video Results)35 Free Online Korean Language Classes and Resources

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Published on September 02, 2022 04:00

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