Benny Lewis's Blog, page 34

121 Core Chinese Words — The Most Commonly Used Words in Mandarin Chinese

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Want to understand significantly more Mandarin Chinese? With these 121 core Chinese words, you can improve your listening comprehension and speaking skills.

Sound too good to be true? Don’t worry, these 121 basic Chinese words make an appearance so often that they make up the majority of what you’ll hear in Chinese. It’s all about spending time on the most important Chinese words first.

Here at Fluent in 3 Months, we love this approach to learning new vocabulary in our languages. That’s why we’ve put together posts using this method for core Japanese words, basic Spanish words, key Italian words, important Korean words and useful French words. It’s proven to help us not only boost our listening comprehension but level up our speaking abilities, too!

It’s like learning to play an instrument. You have to learn where to put your fingers to play the notes before you can put those notes together to create music. But once you focus on figuring this out, you start being able to create music with your instrument, fast. The same is true when learning Chinese. Once you build your core vocabulary, you’ll see a huge improvement in your communication, and you’ll see it quickly.

This list isn’t an introduction to Chinese, so you’re not going to get the kinds of Chinese word lists you’d see in the first chapter of a coursebook. No classroom vocab here! Instead, you’re going to learn the Chinese words you’ll use on a day-to-day basis. And if you put this list together with these basic Chinese phrases and Chinese numbers, you might surprise yourself with just how much progress you make.

I also recommend that you continue this method past the 100 most common Chinese words to the 1000 most common Chinese words, curating the list to include the words that are most relevant to you personally. It’ll go a long way.

In general, your first 100 words in Chinese get you to about 50% fluency. Your first 1,000 words help you reach about 70%. Pretty incredible, right?

But here’s where things start to change. Everything after that first 1,000 words has a little less impact. When you get to around 10,000 words, you only add another 20% -- reaching about 90% fluency. When you do the math, only 20% better fluency with 10x the vocabulary? Meh. It’s better to focus on that first important 1,000. Of course, later on, you want to get to that 10,000 words, but it just means you want to pick the right 1,000 first!

Please note that I’m not including Chinese measure words in this post. They’re important and high frequency, but they can easily take up too much of this post. For now, I just recommend learning 个 (gè). You can use it in a wide range of cases, and even if you don’t know the “correct” measure word, you can use 个 and people will understand what you mean.

I’m writing the words in this list in both Chinese characters and pinyin, that way you can focus your attention on the vocabulary itself and not the writing system, for now. It’s important to learn to read and write in Chinese, but it’s not the focus of this article.

15 Core Chinese Pronouns

Much like in Japanese and Korean, Chinese is considered a “pro-drop” language, which means it frequently omits pronouns. Still, you should learn them! This is because they’re important to use for emphasis and to make things clear.

我 (wǒ) - “I, me”你 (nǐ) - “you”您 (nín) - “you” (formal)他 (tā) - “he, him”她 (tā) - “she, her”我们 (wǒmen) - “we, us”你们 (nǐmen) - “you” (formal)他们 (tāmen) - “they, them”它 (tā) - “it”这 (zhè) - “this”那 (nà) - “that”这些 (zhèxiē) - “these”那些 (nàxiē) - “those”自己 (zìjǐ) - “oneself, alone”大家 (dàjiā) - “everyone”



5 Core Chinese Titles

To be more polite, you don’t use “you” in Chinese. Instead, you use the person’s last name and title in very formal situations, and their first name and title in slightly less formal situations. There are loads of different titles in Chinese, but here are some of the most common.

先生 (xiānshēng) - “mr., sir”小姐 (xiǎojiě) - “miss”太太 (tàitai) - “madame”, note that this is used outside of business situations only老師 (lǎoshī) - “teacher”醫生 (yīshēng) - “doctor”



8 Essential Chinese Question Words



什么 (shénme) - “what”几 (jǐ) - “how many”谁 (shéi) - “who”什么时候 (shénme shíhòu) - “when”哪里 (nǎlǐ) - “where”为什么 (wèishéme) - “why”怎么 (zěnme) - “how”怎么样 (zěnme yàng) - “how about”



12 Important Chinese Words

Here is a selection of general words that are important to know in Chinese. It’s a mixed collection of words, but they’re all high-frequency Chinese words and incredibly useful to know.

不 (bù) - “not”了 (le) - a marker used to denote change很 (hěn) - “very”的 (de) - “of”还 (hái) - “still, yet, also”为 (wéi) - “by, for the sake of”又 (yòu) - “again”从 (cóng) - “from, since”再 (zài) - “again, once more”这样 (zhèyàng) - “like this, that way”可能 (kěnéng) - “maybe”对 (duì) - “correct”, or “that’s right”



38 Basic Chinese Nouns

As a Fluent in 3 Months reader (or if you listen to the Language Hacking Podcast, you may be familiar with the methods Benny Lewis uses to speak from day one. It’s to focus on words that are what you personally use in everyday life.

The best nouns and verbs you can learn are these words. And the most effective way to do this is by creating scripts. This is my favorite method too, and it’s something I’ve used with success numerous times in the Fluent in 3 Months Challenge. And it’s something I definitely think can work for you, too.

Let’s get to the words below. They’re all Chinese words you’ll hear frequently because they’re words for things that come up constantly in conversations. They’re the Chinese nouns for time, places, getting around, people, etc. Some of these words may not be common for you personally but might be for the people you talk to, so it won’t hurt for you to learn them!

14 Chinese Words for Time



天 (tiān) - “day”星期 (xīngqí) - “week”月 (yuè) - “month”年 (nián) - “year”今天 (jīntiān) - “today”昨天 (zuótiān) - “yesterday”明天 (míngtiān) - “tomorrow”小时 (xiǎoshí) - “hour”分钟 (fēnzhōng) - “minute”时间 (shíjiān) - “time”以前 (yǐqián) - “before”以后 (yǐhòu) - “after”现在 (xiànzài) - “now”次 (cì) - “time, occasion”



11 Chinese Words for Places



这里 (zhèlǐ) - “here”那里 (nàlǐ) - “there”地方 (dìfāng) - “place”学校 (xuéxiào) - “school”店 (diàn) - “shop”工作 (gōngzuò) - “work”, also the verb “to work”洗手间 (xǐshǒujiān) - “bathroom”城市 (chéngshì) - “city”国家 (guójiā) - “country”中国 (Zhōngguó) - “China”公司 (gōngsī) - “company”



5 Chinese Words for Things



东西 (dōngxī) - “thing”事 (shì) - “thing, matter, circumstance”家 (jiā) - “house, home”车 (chē) - “car”问题 (wèntí) - “question, problem”



8 Chinese Words for People



女人 (nǚrén) - “woman”男人 (nánrén) - “man”孩子 (háizi) - “child”朋友 (péngyǒu) - “friend”人 (rén) - “person”家人 (jiārén) - “family”名字 (míngzì) - “name”学生 (xuéshēng) - “student”



20 Common Chinese Verbs

These are the 20 most common Chinese verbs you should know. There’s a ton you can say with just these 20 verbs, especially with verbs like 要 (yào, “to want”) and 做 (zuò, “to do, to make”).

在 (zài) - “located”有 (yǒu) - “to have”说 (shuō) - “to speak, to say”要 (yào) - “to want, need”会 (huì) - “to know how to”及 (jí) - “to reach, to catch up”能 (néng) - “to be able to”可以 (kěyǐ) - “can”来 (lái) - “to come”等 (děng) - “to wait” 让 (ràng*) - “to allow”做 (zuò) - “to do, to make”想 (xiǎng) - “to want, to wish for, to miss”去 (qù) - “to go”表示 (biǎoshì) - “to demonstrate”看 (kàn) - “to see, to look, to watch”觉得 (juéde) - “to think”使用 (shǐyòng) - “to use”知道 (zhīdào) - “to know”没有 (méiyǒu) - “to not have, there aren’t any, haven’t done”



11 Simple Chinese Adjectives and Adverbs

Adjectives and adverbs are useful words when speaking another language because they can really add something to your communication and how in-depth you go in your conversations. Here are 11 to get you started:

都 (dōu) - “all”大 (dà) - “big”最 (zuì) - “most”好 (hǎo) - “good”更 (gèng) - “even more”每 (měi) - “every”只 (zhǐ) - “only”小 (xiǎo) - “small”新 (xīn) - “new”已经 (yǐjīng) - “already”高 (gāo) - “tall”



4 Important Chinese Prepositions

Prepositions are common in Chinese because they are used in a wide range of contexts. You’ll see them when talking about time, when talking about location, and in other situations.

上 (shàng) - “on, above”中 (zhōng) - “center”里 (lǐ) - “inside”下 (xià) - “under, below”



8 Core Chinese Conjunctions and Connectors

Conversation connectors are some of the best words and phrases you can pick up in another language to quickly sound more fluent. These 8 will give you a headstart in Chinese:

和 (hé) - “and”就 (jiù) - “then”但(是) (dàn(shì)) - “but, however”或 (huò) - “or”因为 (yīnwèi) - “because”所以 (suǒyǐ) - “so, therefore”如果 (rúguǒ) - “if”跟 (gēn) - “with”



Do a Lot with a Little with Your Chinese Vocabulary

You’re all set to show off your Chinese vocabulary now that you’ve made it through this list of 121 core Chinese words and phrases. Now you’re ready to move on to more advanced topics and even dive into your first Chinese language exchange.

How did learning these keywords in Chinese go for you? Let me know in the comments below!

The post 121 Core Chinese Words — The Most Commonly Used Words in Mandarin Chinese appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.

How to Say “I Love You” in Korean – Get it Right First Time!

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How do you say “I love you” in Korean? And what does “saranghae” mean?

Translate “I love you” in Korean through an app, and it’ll tell you the answer is 사랑해 (saranghae). And 사랑해 (saranghae) does mean “I love you” -- but it might not be the right phrase to use!

Why? Because Korean has a hierarchical way of speaking. That means you change how formally you speak depending on who you’re talking to and the situation.

Besides that, Koreans only recently started to be more open with saying “I love you.”

The younger generations will say it more often now, but still not as often as Western cultures might. And older generations, or even parents to kids, may never say it at all.

So before you decide to throw around such an important sentiment in Korean, learn the appropriate way to say it!

How to Say “I Love You” in Korean

If you’re already somewhat familiar with how Korean works, here’s a quick list of ways to say “I love you” in Korean as well as romantic Korean phrases. Then we’ll get into the nitty-gritty (and even more phrases) below.

“I love you” (casual) - 사랑해 (saranghae)“I love you” (polite) - 사랑해요 (saranghaeyo)“I like you” (casual) - 좋아해 (jowahae)“I like you” (polite) - 좋아해요 (jowahaeyo)“I love you, too” (casual) - 나도 사랑해 (nado sarangae)“Love” - 사랑 (sarang)“My love” - 내 사랑 (nae sarang)“Honey” (for women or men) - 여보 (yeobo)“Honey” (for men, only if the woman is younger) - 오빠 (oppa)“Baby” / “Babe” - 자기야 (jagiya) / 자기 (jagi)“Boyfriend” - 남친 (namchin) or 남자 친구 (namjachingu)“Girlfriend” - 여친 (yeochin) or 여자 친구 (yeojachingu)“Husband” - 남편 (nampyeon)“Wife” - 아내 (anae)“Special someone” or “Someone precious” - 아끼는 사람 (akkineun saram)“In love” - 사랑에 빠진 (sarang-e ppajin)“Would you like to date?” - 사귈래요? (sagwillaeyo)“I want to be with you” - 같이 있고 싶어요 (gat-i itgo sipeoyo)“I miss you” - 보고 싶어요 (bogo sipeoyo)



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“I Love You” in Korean - Saranghaeyo

Let’s start with the standard, polite form of “I love you” in Korean - 사랑해요 (saranghaeyo).

사랑해요 (saranghaeyo) is a respectful way to say “I love you”. Because it’s respectful, this phrase often said to parents. In this type of situation, you’re not only saying “I love you”, but you’re also expressing gratitude for all they do.

You could also say 사랑해요 (saranghaeyo) to confess your feelings to someone.

By the way, if you’re wondering how to write “I love you” in Korean because you see it romanized two different ways, don’t worry.

In Korean, the ㄹ character is in between an “l” and an “r” sound in English. So sometimes it’s romanized as salanghaeyo and other times saranghaeyo. But they’re both written the same way in Korean Hangul: 사랑해요.

Now, the informal (and most common) way to say “I love you” in the Korean language is 사랑해 (saranghae).

사랑해 (saranghae) is used between couples, and sometimes even close friends. So if you’re already in a relationship, this is the phrase you’d use.

And to say “I love you, too” in Korean, you’d say 나도 사랑해 (nado sarangae).

There is a formal way to say I love you, which is 사랑합니다 (saranghamnida). But… It’s really too formal for most situations, so it’s not used often.

The most common place you’ll hear this particular phrase is at K-Pop concerts when the bands will say “사랑합니다!” to the audience.

Anytime you address many people at once, like in front of an audience, you’d use the -imnida (formal) endings to show respect.

“Love” in Korean - Sarang

“Love” in the Korean language is 사랑 (sarang).

When you combine it with the verb 하다 (hada, “to do”), it becomes a verb “to love” - 사랑하다 (saranghada).

You’ll notice from the last section then, that all we did was conjugate the verb, 하다 (hada), to different politeness levels. There’s no “I” or “you” in the phrase at all -- you’re really only telling someone “Love!”

Korean is a contextual language. When you’re telling someone you love them, it’s usually understood from the context that you mean that person.

But if it’s not clear, or you want to tell someone else who it is you love, then you’d say:

“_ is the one I love.” - 는/은 내가 사랑하는 사람이야. (neun/eun naega sarangha neun saramiya.)“I love that person.” - 나는 그 사람을 사랑해요. (na-neun geu saram-eul saranghaeyo.)“I love you” (with “I” and “you”) - 나는 너를 사랑해 (na-neun neo-leul saranghae)



“I Like You” in Korean - Jowahae

좋아해 (jowahae) comes from the verb 좋아하다 (jowahada), meaning “to like.” In its casual form here, you can confess your feelings to a friend, classmate, or love interest.

But like “I love you”, there’s also a polite and a formal form:

좋아해요 (jowahaeyo) - “I like you” (polite)좋아합니다 (jowahamnida) - “I like you” (formal)

Again, you won’t hear the formal version often. But you may hear the polite form, especially to show respect during a confession of love.

If you want to use either of these phrases as shorthand, like “I like u” or “I love u” in Korean, then you would just use the short, casual forms: 좋아해! (joahae) or 사랑해 (saranghae).

You can also add emphasis with 정말 (jeongmal) which means “really.”

정말좋아해요. Jeongmal jowahaeyo. “I really like you.”

“My Love” in Korean - Nae Sarang

For “my love” in Korean, you just add “my” to sarang (“love”, remember?) -- 내 사랑 (nae sarang).

There are other romantic nicknames you can call your love though, too. Some examples:

“Honey” (for women or men) - 여보 (yeobo)“Honey” (for men, only if the woman is younger) - 오빠 (oppa)“Cutie” - 귀요미 (gwiyomi)“Baby” / “Babe” - 자기야 (jagiya) / 자기 (jagi)“Princess” - 공주님 (gongjunim)“Prince” - 왕자님 (wangjanim)



“Boyfriend” and “Girlfriend” in Korean

You’ve probably heard 오빠 (oppa) many times in Korean TV shows. That’s because it’s often what women call their boyfriend who is older than them.

Even though 오빠 (oppa) actually is the respectful term for an older brother, it’s become one of the most common and cute ways to refer to your boyfriend in Korean.

But when talking about your significant other to other people, you need to use the correct, polite terms. They are:

“Boyfriend” - 남친 (namchin) or 남자 친구 (namjachingu)“Girlfriend” - 여친 (yeochin) or 여자 친구 (yeojachingu)

The first one is the shortened form, so it’s a bit more casual. The longer form is more polite. But you can use either when talking about your relationship with others.

“Husband” and “Wife” in Korean

You can also call your husband 오빠 (oppa), and many women do. Men sometimes use the English term 와이프 (waipeu) for “wife.”

But again, when talking to others, it’s best to use the polite terms.

For married couples, they are:

“Husband” - 남편 (nampyeon)“Wife” - 아내 (anae)



Must-Know Gesture to Say “I Love You” in Korean

There is a must-know Korean gesture for “I love you”. If you’re a total newbie to Korean pop culture, you’ll soon see it everywhere.

And if you’re a seasoned K-Pop and K-Drama vet, then you know what I’m about to introduce…

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By crossing your thumb and index finger to make a heart, it symbolizes 사랑해 (saranghae), or “I love you” in Korean.

For instance, in the popular K-Drama Crash Landing on You, Se-ri pretends to pull a “gift” out of her sweater pocket for the guys and then flashes them this hand gesture.

In this instance, rather than meaning “I love you”, it’s more like “thank you” or when you use emoji hearts to show care in a social media comment.

Other Romantic Korean Phrases

Okay, we’ve got the basics covered. But what about some other romantic phrases in Korean?

I’ve got you. Here are some loving phrases you can use with your special someone… And some bonus slang phrases about dating:

“I love you very much* - 너무 사랑해요 (neomu saranghaeyo)“I love you a lot” - 많이 사랑해요 (mani saranghaeyo)“Special someone” or “someone precious” - 아끼는 사람 (akkineun saram)Someone who’s full of love, or has many scandalous dating rumors - 사랑꾼 (sarangkkun)Someone who falls in love too easy - 금사빠 (geumsappa)“In love” - 사랑에 빠진 (sarang-e ppajin)“Would you like to date?” - 사귈래요? (sagwillaeyo)“I want to be with you” - 같이 있고 싶어요 (gat-i itgo sipeoyo)That in-between stage where you’re not a couple but there’s “something” there - 썸 (sseom)“I miss you” - 보고 싶어요 (bogo sipeoyo)



Share the Sarang In Korean!

Now you’re prepped with tons of ways to tell your special someone how you’re feeling in Korean!

You can confess “I love you” in Korean with 사랑해요 (saranghaeyo). Or admit to your crush you really like him or her with 정말좋아해요 (jeongmal jowahaeyo).

What will you learn next in Korean? Why not try learning Korean numbers or the best Korean phrases for beginners to learn?

Which of these phrases for “I love you” in Korean was your favorite? Leave a comment below and let me know!

The post How to Say “I Love You” in Korean – Get it Right First Time! appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.

30 Spanish Quotes You Need to Know (and Their English Translation)

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Looking for wise or funny Spanish quotes about life?

You’ve come to the right place! Whether they are quotes by famous Hispanic personalities or traditional proverbs, Spanish sayings cover all areas of life.

If you’re learning Spanish and looking for a new motto, choose it from this post. I’ve gathered some of the best Spanish quotes to help you.

You’ll get to choose from:

Spanish quotes about lifeMotivational quotes in SpanishSpanish love quotesShort Spanish quotesFunny Spanish quotesAnd more!

What are you waiting for? ¡Vamos!

5 Spanish Quotes About Life

Good Spanish quotes about life are easy to find. Here are some of my favourites that Spanish-speakers use when talking about their everyday life.

Al Mal Tiempo, Buena Cara – “When the Going Gets Rough, the Tough Gets Going”

This saying’s literal translation in English is “to bad weather, good face”.

Whenever you find yourself in a bad situation, remember this Spanish proverb. Face the difficulty with good spirit.

Mas Vale Pájaro en Mano Que Cien Volando – “A Bird in the Hand is Worth Two in the Bush”

As this Spanish saying says, you better hold on to what you already have. Don’t get too greedy, or you might end up holding... nothing.

A los Tontos No les Dura el Dinero – “A Fool and his Money Are Soon Parted*

Literally “Money does not last for fools”, this Spanish saying is a reminder that you should spend your money wisely.

No one wants to be a fool, right? I certainly don’t want to be a poor one!

La Verdad Adelgaza, pero No Quiebra – “The Truth May Be Stretched Thin, but It Never Breaks”

This quote by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, the author of Don Quixote, encourages always saying the truth.

It puts forward the fact that some people may try to distort it to their advantage. But in the end, what is true is true and can’t be changed.

“Errar Es Humano, pero Más Lo Es Culpar de Ello a Otros” – “To Err Is Human, but It Is Even More So to Blame Others for It”

Baltazar Gracian, who said this quote, was a Spanish writer who had human nature all figured out, apparently.

What he meant with this quote is humans are more likely to try to blame others for their problems, than to own up to their mistakes.

3 Motivational Quotes in Spanish

Need a good push to get through your day? Choose one of these quotes to use as your mantra.

Haciendo y Deshaciendo Se Va Aprendiendo – “It’s By Doing and Undoing That We Learn”

This Spanish saying is about trial and error as a way to learn, and that it’s useful to make mistakes and try again. I agree.

In my school days, I learnt more from the questions I got wrong in exams than those I got right.

It may have stung to get them wrong, but I wanted to make sure it’d never happen again.

El Que No Arriesga, No Gana – “He Who Doesn’t Risk Doesn’t Gain Anything”

This is a great saying to remember when you have to face a fear.

Are you too frightened to do it? But you won’t get any result if you hold back.

Go for it. Risk it. Get it.

I should write my own motivational quotes book…

The 15 Most Common Ways to Say Goodbye in Chinese

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Maybe you already know how to say “hello” in Chinese but you don’t know how to say “goodbye” in Chinese yet.

Or you already know the most common and simple way to say “goodbye” in Mandarin - 再见 (zàijiàn), but you want to learn other ways to say “farewell” in Chinese.

Either way, this article will help you understand how native Chinese speakers say “bye”. Just have a look at this list of 15 ways to say “bye” in Mandarin, and you will soon sound like one of them.

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1. “Goodbye” in Chinese - 再见 (zàijiàn)

If you search the internet for “How do you say bye in Chinese?”, I guarantee that 再见 (zàijiàn) will be the first answer.

But did you know that it’s actually closer to “see you soon” than “goodbye”?

In Chinese, 再 (zài) means “again” and 见 (jiàn) is “to see”, so when you say it, you’re expecting to see this person again.

Even though it’s not a mistake to say it in almost any situation, it won’t hurt to learn other ways to say “goodbye” in Chinese.

2. “Say Goodbye” or “Bid Farewell” in Chinese - 告别 (gàobié)

When you assume you won’t see a person again soon and usually when you want to be formal too, 告别 (gàobié) is the perfect way to say “goodbye” in Chinese.

For example, 我是来向你告别的 (wǒ shì lái xiàng nǐ gàobié de, “I came to say goodbye to you”) is something that you probably wouldn’t say to your friend, but rather a business acquaintance or an older person.

3. “Bye bye” in Chinese - 拜拜 (bàibài)

If you’ve ever met a young Taiwanese person, I’m sure you already know 拜拜 (bàibài) - “bye bye”.

It’s not just people from Taiwan who say bye this way, but it’s mostly on this island where you’ll hear it at every step.

It’s exactly what it sounds like, “bye bye”, because it’s a loanword from English. You’d be okay to just say 拜 (bài) but the native Chinese speakers almost always say both of them.

4. “See you later” in Chinese - 回头见 (huítóu jiàn)

Another “goodbye” in Chinese, but this one really emphasizes that you’ll see each other later again.

Try to imagine a situation: you and your friend are leaving a classroom or an office meeting, and are you both rushing to continue with your day. You know that you’ll see each other later, for example at lunch.

It could go like this:

A: 我需要快点去我的办公桌。(Wǒ xūyào kuài diǎn qù wǒ de bàngōng zhuō.) - “I need to hurry up and go to my desk.” B: 好吧，我也要快点去。午休见! (Hǎo ba, wǒ yě yào kuài diǎn qù. ǔxiū jiàn.) - “Okay, I also need to go quickly. See you at lunch break!” A: 那好吧, 回头见! (Nà hǎo ba, huítóu jiàn!) - “Alright then, see you later!”

With this example in mind, it’s also easy to remember that Chinese native speakers use the format of “xx 见” (xx jiàn, “xx see”) to form the expression: “see you xx (a certain time)”.

You’ll see what I mean below:

5. “See you tomorrow” in Chinese - 明天见 (míngtiān jiàn)

The perfect example of how “see you xx” is formed in Chinese. Similarly to English, where the “when” is replaced at the end, Chinese speakers replace their “when”, but at the beginning.

So 明天见 (míngtiān jiàn, “see you tomorrow”) can be changed to 星期三见 (xīngqísān jiàn, “see you Wednesday”) or, for example, 下周见 (xià zhōu jiàn, “see you next week”) or even 下学期见 (xià xuéqí jiàn, “see you next term”).

6. “See you soon” in Chinese - 一会儿见 (yīhuì'er jiàn)

While 一 (yī) is “one” in Chinese and 会 (huì) has more meanings, for example, “meeting”, “can” or “be able to”, when they’re together, they take on a different meaning.

一会儿 (yīhuǐ'er) means “a while”, “a moment” or “a bit” in the context of time.

一会儿见 (yīhuǐ'er jiàn) then means not only “see you soon”, but also “see you in a bit” or even “bye bye now”.

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7. “Take care” in Chinese - 照顾自己 (zhàogù zìjǐ)

When saying bye in English, we sometimes use “take care” and in Chinese this is 照顾自己 (zhàogù zìjǐ).

It’s common to also go a bit further with your niceness and say 好好照顾自己 (hǎohao zhàogù zìjǐ, “take good care of yourself”).

It may be no surprise for you to discover that 照顾 (zhàogù) is not only used to say “take care” when you’re parting ways with someone. Similarly to English, it’s used in contexts of looking after and caring for. When that’s the case, 自己 (zìjǐ, “(one)self”) is replaced with another pronoun or a noun.

Here’s a couple of examples:

她照顾孩子。(Tā zhàogù háizi.) - “She takes care of the children.”我病了。请多多照顾。(Wǒ bìngle. Qǐng duōduō zhàogù.) - “I’m sick. Please, take care of me.”下周请你照顾我的狗吗？(Xià zhōu qǐng nǐ zhàogù wǒ de gǒu ma?) - “Can you please look after my dog next week?”



8. “Have a nice day” in Chinese - 祝你今天愉快 (zhù nǐ jīntiān yúkuài)

“Have a nice day” is not a common sentence in Chinese. Of course, it makes sense when you translate 祝你今天愉快 (zhù nǐ jīntiān yúkuài) word by word; if you did that, it’d look like this: “wish you today happy”.

The difference between the English and Chinese version is not only in the way it’s grammatically formed, but also cultural background.

You might recognize 祝 (zhù, “to wish”) from sentences like 祝你一路平安 (zhù nǐ yīlù píng'ān, “have a safe journey”) (even though even the 祝 can be omitted).

But to say “Have a nice day” in Chinese might sound a bit awkward when translated word by word.

Instead, say 玩的开心 (wán de kāixīn, “have fun”) or 祝你愉快 (zhù nǐ yúkuài, “I wish you happiness”) and you’ll sound more like a native.

9. “I’m off” in Chinese - 我走了 (wǒ zǒule)

走 (zǒu) means “walk” or “go” in Chinese. 我走了 (wǒ zǒule) literally means “I walked” or “I went”, but it’s used as “I’m gone” or “I’m off” and is most often in a casual conversation.

Have a look at some examples of its use:

再十分钟，我走了。(Zài shí fēnzhōng, wǒ zǒule.) - “Ten more minutes and then I’m gone.”好吧，我们完成了，我走了。(Hǎo ba, wǒmen wánchéngle, wǒ zǒule.) - “All right, we’re done, I’m off.”



10. “I’m leaving” in Chinese - 告辞 (gào cí) or 失陪 (shī péi)

These are very formal ways to say goodbye in Chinese. When you’re in a formal, polite setting and you want to announce your departure, either one is acceptable.

告辞 (gào cí, “farewell”) is similar to 告别 (gàobié), while 失陪 (shī péi) means something like “leaving someone’s company”. It’s actually used as a whole sentence: “Excuse me, but I must be leaving you now”.

11. “Speak to you later” in Chinese - 有空再聊 (yǒu kòng zài liáo)

The same way in English we say “speak to you later”, in Chinese it is 有空再聊 (yǒu kòng zài liáo).

However, it literallymeans “when you’re free, talk again” or “talk again when you have some time”.

Just like with the English version, this way of saying bye in Chinese is mostly common in informal settings, with friends and family.

12. “I look forward to seeing you again” in Chinese - 期待见到你 (qídài jiàn dào nǐ)

期待 (qídài) means “look forward to” and also “expect” in some contexts, so this way of saying bye in Chinese is almost the same as it is in English.

见到 (jiàn dào, “to see”). You might recognize 见 (jiàn) from other phrases that you’ve seen in this article. 到 (dào) is a grammatical complement to express one of the following: “to”, “until”, result complements, and others. In this case, it simply means “until”.

Although 见面 (jiànmiàn) means “to meet”, 见到 (jiàn dào) also means “to meet” in certain situations, so you need to be careful about the context, as you’ll see below:

13. “It was nice seeing you” and “It was nice meeting you” in Chinese - 我很高兴再次见到你 (wǒ hěn gāoxìng zàicì jiàn dào nǐ) and 我很高兴见到了你 (wǒ hěn gāoxìng jiàn dàole nǐ)

You might already be familiar with 认识你我很高兴 (rènshí nǐ wǒ hěn gāoxìng) or 很高兴见到你 (hěn gāoxìng jiàn dào nǐ) - both mean “nice to meet you” or “I’m very happy to meet you”. That’s because 高兴 (gāoxìng, “happy/glad”) is one of the words that you learn in early Chinese lessons.

So to say “it was nice to see you” or “it was nice meeting you” will be easy for you to figure out.

Like I mentioned before, 见到 (jiàn dào) means “to see” or “to meet” depending on the context. As you can see 我很高兴再次见到你 (wǒ hěn gāoxìng zàicì jiàn dào nǐ) contains 再次 (zàicì, “again” or “once again”), so you can assume that you’ve met this person before, therefore the translation is “it was nice to see you (again)”.

Whereas 我很高兴见到了你 (wǒ hěn gāoxìng jiàn dàole nǐ) doesn’t include any “again” or “once again”, so it’s used when you’re speaking to a person that you just met.

14. “Later” or “Catch you later” in Chinese - 再会 (zài huì)

This expression is similar to 再见 (zàijiàn, “goodbye/bye”) but not used as often. It’s common to say this one when speaking to a friend or in any casual setting because it’s like saying “later” or “catch you later” in English.

If you look closely at each of the characters, you already know that 再 (zài) means “again” and 会 (huì) has many meanings, amongst which “moment” is the one we’re looking at in this context.

So together it means “until in a moment” or “until later” = “see you later/later”.

15. “Let’s stay in touch” - 再联系 (zài lián xì)

“Let’s stay in touch” or “keep in touch” means what it sounds like - “bye” but “we’ll contact each other later”.

But here’s the thing - it’s likely that you don’t really want to contact each other. More likely, you just want to be polite, but you both kind of know that you won’t call the other person.

Let’s have a look at an example:

A: 我很高兴见到了你。(Wǒ hěn gāoxìng jiàn dàole nǐ.) - “It was nice to meet you.” B: 我也很高兴见到了你。再联系! (Wǒ yě hěn gāoxìng jiàn dàole nǐ. Aài liánxì!) - “Likewise/it was nice to meet you, too. Let’s keep in touch!” A: 好吧, 拜拜! (Hǎo ba, bàibài!) - “Alright, bye!”

You kind of need to read between the lines, but more often than not, it’s just a polite way to say bye in Chinese.

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Bye, goodbye, it was nice to meet you, have fun and have a nice day… Your Chinese farewell vocabulary just got pretty solid!

Some phrases are different from the ones you’re used to in English and may need context, but hey, others are very similar -- just look at 拜拜 (bàibài, “bye bye”).

Even if you’re just starting to learn Chinese and all you know are the basic, beginner Chinese phrases, just remember, it just takes a bit of practice to learn it all. And don’t forget that the Chinese are generally very polite and kind people, so whichever phrase you use, the native speaker will still understand you and appreciate you trying!

The post The 15 Most Common Ways to Say Goodbye in Chinese appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.

“Merry Christmas” in Italian – How Italians Celebrate a “Buon Natale” [In-depth Guide]

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Looking for a guide to a Merry Christmas in Italian? Lucky you, you’ve found it!

If you’re in a hurry and need to know how to say “Merry Christmas” in Italian, let me help you right away it’s: “Buon Natale”.

But if you’ve got some free time and love the end of year holidays… Keep me company! As a certified Christmas fan and Italian, let me tell you about Christmas in the Boot.

We’ll talk about:

How you say “Merry Christmas” in Italy and other Christmas greetingsHow to say “Happy New Year” in ItalianHow to say “Happy Holidays” in ItalianItalian Christmas traditions

I am very excited to get started! I do love this time of the year! Before we start, I’d like to give you the best reason to stay until the end. I’ll give you the recipe for one of our favorite Christmas treats! A “Certified A” bonus of Nonna (“grandmother”) quality.

Allora, pronti? Via! (“So, ready? Let’s go!”)

How to Say “Christmas” in Italian - Natale

Natale, the Italian word for Christmas, comes from the Latin word natalis (“birth”). It refers to the birth of Jesus Christ.

Il Natale happens in Dicembre (“in December”), which is in inverno (“in winter”) in Italy. For Italian people, Christmas is about amore (“love”), familia (“family”), amicizia (“friendship”), felicità (“happiness”), generosità (“generosity”), and… buon cibo (“good food”)!

I will tell you more about these later in the post. For now, let’s learn some Italian holiday greetings.

How Do You Say “Merry Christmas” in Italian? Buon Natale



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What is “Merry Christmas” in Italian? It’s Buon Natale! In Italian, buon means good, so the literal translation of the expression would be “Good Christmas”.

This is the most common Italian Christmas greeting, but there are a few more ways to wish someone a good end of year holiday.

How to Say Happy New Year in Italian - Felice Anno Nuovo

In Italian, “New Year’s Day” is Capodanno and “New Year’s Eve” is la vigilia di Capodanno. To talk about the new year, Italians say l’anno nuovo or il nuovo anno.

When the clock strikes midnight on December 31st, the greeting Felice Anno Nuovo (“Happy New Year”) resounds all over the Boot.

There are a few interesting New Year traditions in Italy. In the past, people used to throw old things from the window to get rid of the past and welcome the new year with a new spirit.

Nowadays, Italians like to celebrate January’s arrival with dei botti (“bangs”). They make as much noise as possible with fuochi d’artificio (“fireworks”) and petardi (“firecrackers”). According to tradition, the loud bangs help chase bad spirits away.

How to Translate “Merry Christmas and Happy New Year” in Italian - Buon Natale e Felice Anno Nuovo

If the holidays are coming and you want two birds with one stone, wish your Italian friends un Buon Natale e un Felice Anno Nuovo (“a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year”).

“Happy Holidays” in Italian - Buone Feste

Buon Natale e Felice Anno Nuovo isn’t the only Italian greeting that covers more than one holiday.

When December comes around, use Buone Feste (“Happy Holidays”) when saying goodbye to people you won’t see before the new year.

Buone Feste Natalizie (“Good Christmas Holidays”) works as well. I will tell you more about the feste natalizie later in the post.

Say “Best Wishes” in Italian - Tanti Auguri

Tanti means “a lot” or “many” and auguri means “wishes” in Italian. Together, they stand for best wishes.

Tanti auguri is a very versatile greeting that can be used in any happy situation that calls for good wishes, like birthdays, Mother’s Day, or Christmas. It is also common to only use auguri.

You can make the greeting more suited to the season. Check out these warm and festive spins to auguri and tanti auguri:

Auguri di Buon Natale - literally “Wishes for a Merry Christmas”Auguri di Buone Feste - literally “Wishes for Happy Holidays”Tanti Auguri di un Felice Natale a tutti - literally “Best wishes for a Merry Christmas to everyone”Auguri di un Sereno Natale - literally “Best Wishes for a Serene Christmas”

While Italy has a strong Catholic population, not all end of the year holidays celebrated in the Boot are related to the Christian religion. Some examples include Chanukah or la Festa delle Luci ("Hanukkah, literally *the Holiday of Lights”) and *Kwanzaa.

Auguri and tanti auguri are good greetings if you’re not sure what holidays others celebrate.

This also works if you use the verb augurare (“to wish”).

Examples:

Ti auguro un Buon Natale.Vi auguro un Felice Anno Nuovo.



Italian Christmas Traditions - Learn Some Vocabulary to Organize Your Merry Christmas in Italian

Now that you know how to say Merry Christmas in Italian, you’re ready to learn how to organize an Italian Christmas! Or at least learn about a few Italian Christmas traditions.

Yes, I’ll talk about food, so keep scrolling.

Before we start, you should know that Italy as a whole hasn’t been around for a long time.

The Boot has a long history of kingdom division, invasion from outsiders, and multiculturality. Even after 1861, the year of the Italian unification, each Italian region has maintained a somewhat unique culture.

Why this bit of Italian trivia? It’s just a little warning: Christmas traditions vary from region to region in Italy. Details like traditional Christmas dishes or characters in Christmas legends might differ in the North and South of the country.

However, all regions share a common point when it comes to the end of year holidays. Italy’s history is closely linked to the Catholic religion, and so are many Italian holiday traditions.

In fact, let’s start with one of those.

I Presepi - “The Nativity Scenes”

Did you know that the nativity scenes displayed on Christmas were first used in Italy? They then spread to other Christian countries.

Un presepe or un presepio (“a nativity scene”) usually features Gesù bambino (“infant Jesus”) in una mangiatoia (“a manger”), Maria e Giuseppe (“Mary and Joseph”), il bue (“the ox”), l’asinello (“the donkey”), i Re Magi (“the Three Wise Men”), i pastori (“the shepherds”), le pecore (“the sheep”), and gli angeli (“the angels”).

Gesù bambino is often placed in his manger on the night between the 24th and 25th of December. The Re Magi are brought closer to the Infant during the Epiphany.

I’ll tell you more about how important this holiday is in Italian culture later in the post.

La Messa della Notte di Natale - “The Midnight Christmas Mass”

La messa della notte di Natale (literally “the Christmas night mass”) used to be very important in Italy.

Nowadays, the tradition has faded among the younger generations. However, you will always find groups of nonne (“grandmas”) going to church for the midnight mass.

L’Albero di Natale - “The Christmas Tree”

What would Christmas be without its albero di Natale (“Christmas tree”)? You might also hear of it as the abete di Natale in Italy. Abete is a word to describe trees that belong to the pine family.

Italians love to decorate their Christmas tree with delle luci (“lights”), delle guirlande* (“garlands”), degli addobbi natalizi (“Christmas decorations”), delle palline di Natale (“Christmas ornaments”) and dei fiocchi (“ribbons”).

On top of the tree goes la stella (“the star”) or il puntale (“the Christmas topper”).

Le Feste Natalizie - “The Christmas Holidays”

In Italy, Christmas isn’t a one-day thing.

As it is originally a religious holiday, Christmas comes after and before other related religious holidays. Not all of them have stuck around, but Italians still celebrate a couple of them.

Italian children may receive un calendario dell'avvento (“an advent calendar”) when December begins. In Bolzano, an Italian city, a gigantic advent calendar takes place every year. It is organized in a building that faces one of the city’s most important places. Each of the building’s windows is covered with numbered panels. Every day, a window is uncovered, revealing a beautiful landscape image.

Italians celebrate la Vigilia di Natale (“Christmas Eve”) with the Cenone (“Christmas dinner”, literally “big dinner”).

The Christmas dinner is so big that fridges and shelves are covered in leftovers for the following week. To tackle the issue, Italians come together to celebrate the day of Santo Stefano on December 26th. It is an occasion almost as important as Christmas itself, and families get together to eat sweets and the Cenone leftovers.

L’Epifania e la Befana - “The Italian Epiphany Tradition”

L’Epifania (January 6th) marks the end of the Christmas holidays in Italy. It is most famous for its special Italian character.

Before the modern introduction of Santa Claus in the Christmas culture, Italian children didn’t get Christmas gifts from a smiling and round-belly grandpa. Instead, they left their shoes or stockings out on the night of the 5th of January for la Befana.

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The legend of the Befana goes back to the 13th century in Italian culture. According to the story, the Befana was a witch-like woman who lived in the woods by herself.

One cold winter night, three men knocked on her door to ask her for directions. They introduced themselves as i Re Magi (“the Three Wise Men”) and told her about a very important baby they were going to pay their respect to. They invited the Befana to come visit the infant Christ with them. When she refused, they left to continue their journey.

Soon after, the Befana realized that she should have followed the Re Magi. She packed all sorts of toys and sweets for the Child and climbed on her broomstick to go after the men. Unfortunately, she was not able to find them in the dark night and never made it to the Nativity scene.

Upset, she promised herself that every year on that same night, she would distribute presents and sweets to all good children as a tribute to the Infant. The naughty ones would get carbon as a punishment for their behavior.

All kinds of freaky stories were attributed to the Befana. Parents often used her as a warning to keep children in line. “If you don’t eat your soup, the Befana will come and fill your belly with stones,” they would say.

Nowadays, the Befana is mostly seen as a kind, soot-covered old lady who brings surprises on her broomstick. To honor the legend as closely as possible, some shops sell carbon-looking sweets to fill up rowdy children’s shoes.

The Italian Christmas spirit fades away after January 6. Christmas markets close and decorations are taken down.

Panettone, Pandoro, Pandolce... - Italy’s Darling Christmas Breads

The Italian Christmas Cenone (“dinner”) is not done right if there isn’t at least one type of Christmas bread on the table. Italians have so many of them that it sounds a bit like an obsession at this point.

Shaped like a dome, the panettone is a traditional Christmas treat from Milan. There are many stories behind its name, so there is no way to know for sure how it came to be. However, pane in Italian means “bread” and the suffix -one makes everything bigger! You get the idea. The panettone is tall, fluffy, and rich in candied fruits and dry raisins. As not everyone likes candied fruits, they are sometimes replaced with chocolate chips. It is usually served in long slices with a hot drink or, if you’re having Christmas dinner, some good Italian wine.

[image error]This is what a panettone looks like!

Besides Milan, other Italian cities have their own Christmas bread. Verona, for example, has the pandoro. Its name is a contraction of pane d’oro (literally “bread made of gold”). Fittingly, the pandoro is golden inside. It has an unusual shape for a cake: it looks like a mountain with a flat top and an eight-pointed star-shaped base. It is usually dusted with iced sugar to look like the Alps in winter.

Genoa has the pandolce, from pane dolce (“sweet bread”). You probably know it as the “Genoa Cake”. It is filled with dried fruits and often looks like a gigantic cookie. Tradition has it that the youngest person at the Cenone brings the pandolce to the table, the eldest has to cut it, and the person who prepared it gets the first slice. Nowadays, the pandolce is not often prepared at home anymore. For the sake of the tradition, the nonna (“grandmother”) or the madre (“mother”) might be the first to get their share.

Other Italian Christmas breads include the panforte from Siena, the panpepato from Ferrara, and the pangiallo from Rome.

I told you at the beginning of the post that I wanted to share with you the recipe for one of our favorite Christmas treats.

I am a lady of my word, so here comes the recipe of the pandolce!

Ingredients:

85g butter at room temperature100g sugar1 medium egg (55 g)300g flour (type 00)1g salt230 g raisins (rinsed under running water and dried)80g candied orange (cubes)80g candied citrus peel (cubes)20g pine nuts

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 180 ° C.Mix the butter, sugar, sifted flour, and baking powder in a bowl, possibly with an automatic mixer.Add the salt and egg and start kneading at medium speed. Progressively add the milk.When you’ve got a homogeneous mix, add the orange, the citrus peel, and the raisins.Add the pine nuts. Turn the mixer on again for about 10 seconds at medium speed. Then transfer the dough onto a pastry board and compact it with your hands.Give it a rounded shape and lightly press the top of the dough with your hands so as to flatten it slightly. You should get a disc, about 3 cm high and 10 cm in diameter.Move the disc to an oven tray covered in cooking paper.Make a diamond decoration on the topPlace in the oven and bake for 45-50 minutes to 180 ° C. When ready, remove from the oven and let rest for a few minutes.



Auguri di Buon Natale!

By now, you’re on the way to organizing the merriest Italian Christmas. In reality, you pretty much only have to say “Merry Christmas” in Italian. Italians are a warm and loving people. It’s not the party that makes us have a great time. It’s being all together and sharing happiness and love.

So tell me… Which is your favorite end of year greeting? What Christmas pane are you most likely to try? Let me know in the comments!

The post “Merry Christmas” in Italian – How Italians Celebrate a “Buon Natale” [In-depth Guide] appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.

20 Weird Words From Around the World

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I’ve always loved weird words. They’re a fun thing to look forward to when learning a new language.

I decided to share some of the most badass words from around the world with you today.

You’re in the right place if you want to learn some international:

cool-sounding words - like chutzpah in Yiddishstrange words - like tartle in Scottishfunny words - like fifone in Italiansilly words - like ohrwum in Germancrazy words - like frappadingue in French

Here’s a truth about languages: no two languages have the exact same type of vocabulary.

A language is shaped by the local geography, by the people’s experience and their culture. For that reason, each language has its own idioms and special words.

Some foreign ones are untranslatable in English. Some you would never think of as necessary words. Some are plain bonkers.

Here, I give you 20 of the weirdest words from all over the world. Starting with a weird English word you’ve likely never heard of:

1. Arachibutyrophobia: One of the Weird English Words You’d Never Know About

Fellow fearful people, you might see where this one is going. If you are afraid of spiders, you have “arachnophobia”. If you are afraid of the sea, you have “thalassophobia”.

You’ve got it, “phobia” means “fear”. So what does “arachibutyro” mean, then?

If you’ve got arachibutyrophobia, you are… Afraid of peanut butter. In Greek, arachi means “ground nut”, butyr stands for “butter”, and phobia is “fear”.

More specifically, arachibutyrophobia is the fear of having peanut butter stick to the roof of your mouth. For some people, the sensation is too close to one of choking to be bearable.

2. Frappadingue: The Weird French Word to Describe Your Crazy Friend

We all have that one crazy friend. The French have a word to describe just how over-crazy this friend is.

A frappadingue is a very crazy person in French.

The word is made up of two other words that mean “crazy”: frappé (literally “hit” as an adjective) and dingue.

In France, your friend would be a “hit crazy”.

Keep in mind that frappadingue, frappé, and dingue are all familiar words. And they’re not terribly popular anymore.

3. Tartle: A Scottish Word That We All Experience

Imagine this: you’re walking down the street, absorbed in your own thoughts. Suddenly, someone stops you and greets you by using your name. You smile, act all friendly, and are about to greet them back… But for a second, you’ve forgotten their name.

Black hole. Nothing.

If that’s something that often happens to you, you’re in luck.

No, I don’t have a cure for it. But the Scottish have the next best thing: a word for it!

In Scottish, tartle encapsulates the moment of hesitation you face when you’ve forgotten someone or something’s name.

It doesn’t go beyond that. It just describes that awkward few seconds, not the act of totally forgetting about a name.

4. Chutzpah: An Interesting Yiddish Word That We Use in English

Chutzpah, pronounced as “hootspah”, derives from the Yiddish word ḥuṣpāh (חֻצְפָּה). Its meaning is close to "insolence" and "audacity".

Chutzpah is usually used as a mark of admiration. It sometimes carries a tinge of disapproval as in you wouldn’t approve of how audacious a person has been, but you still recognize it took courage.

5. Fifone: One of the Cool-Sounding Words in Italian that Don’t Mean What You Think

Unfortunately, fifone doesn’t mean “big FIFA fan” in Italian.

I know, the world really needs a word for that. But it’s not this one.

The word fifone comes from “fifa”, a colloquial term for “fear”. For this reason, a fifone is a “scaredy cat”.

6. Ohrwurm: If You Love Super Specific German Words, This One's for You

In German, ohrwum is used to describe the song that you can’t stop humming.

You know the one that got into your head and now won’t leave? The one you hum under the shower or while you’re trying to focus on an important paper? That one.

And for Germans, this phenomenon is an “ear worm”. That’s exactly what ohrwum means.

7. Mokita: The Kivila Word That English Really Needs

Kivila is one of the over 820 languages spoken in Papua New Guinea. If that doesn't make it impressive enough in your eyes, maybe this Kivila word will.

Mokita refers to that truth everyone knows but implicitly agrees not to talk about. Somehow like not addressing the elephant in the room, or not discussing the gym guy’s hair implants.

They’re not a miraculous side effect of his new exercise routine.

8. Quijotesco/a: One of the Silly Words in Spanish that Will Make You Smile

As weird as it seems, the adjective quijotesco, quijotesca if feminine, has an English equivalent: “quixotic”.

For those who hadn’t heard about it before, and I know I can’t be the only one, “quixotic” refers to someone or something very idealistic and impractical.

If you’ve recognized the character after which the word was created, then you know why.

Don Quixote de la Mancha was written by Spanish author Miguel de Cervantes. He is the one who fought the windmills thinking they were giants. He went to extreme lengths to defend what he believed in and passed for crazy.

He really was one specimen of his own.

9. Jayus: The Indonesian Word For Bad Jokes

We all know someone who always has a jayus at hand.

Jayus is an Indonesian slang word for a “joke that is so not funny that you can’t help but laugh”. Generally, what would make you laugh is the chutzpah of whoever told the joke.

Think if dad jokes reached that level. Unfortunately, most of the time they hover in between the laughing stage and stay painfully unfunny.

10. Irusu: The Best Japanese Word for Introverts

The Japanese word irusu refers to the act of pretending no one is home when someone knocks at the door.

English really needs this word!

11. Iktsuarpok: An Oddly Romantic Inuit Word

This word could live rent-free in my mind only because of its meaning.

Iktsuarpok is an Inuktitut word with a very specific meaning. It’s the feeling of anxiousness and excitement that makes us look out the window for the person we’re expecting to arrive shortly.

Do you think pets experience this one?

12. Mamihlapinatapei: A Profound Yaghan Word

The Yaghans live in the Tierra del Fuego region in South America.

Mamihlapinatapei is a special word from the Yaghan language that refers to a meaningful look held by two people who would like to make an advance but fear being rejected.

In English slang, we could describe it as “pining after someone”.

13. Kummerspeck: The Perfect German Word to Explain the Aftermath of Emotional Overeating

Meet Germany’s “grief bacon”, the kummerspeck.

Kummerspeck isn’t a food but rather the weight that you put on because of a certain type of food.

It comes from emotional binging.

Next time you nervously try to sink your sadness, stress, or anger with chocolate, ice cream, or chips… You’ll be able to properly worry about the extra pounds you’ll gain.

14. Tingo: A Relatable Pascuense Word

The word tingo comes from Easter Island. It’s the act of borrowing one thing at a time from a friend’s house until they are left with… Nothing.

It’s what happened to me at school. I started every year with a properly filled pencil case: rubber, pencil, pens. By the end of the year, I was lucky to still have the pencil case. Meanwhile, my friends had miraculously doubled their stationary.

15. Ya’aburnee: One of the Most Interesting Obscure Words You’ll Learn

This Arabic word carries sadness and love at the same time.

Ya’aburnee (“you bury me”) represents the wish to die before someone else because going on after their death would be unbearable.

Parents are likely to feel it towards their children.

It’s a very sad yet quite touching expression.

16. Kyōiku mama: A Japanese Word Deeply Rooted in the Japanese Culture

In Japanese, a kyōiku mama is a mother who forces her children to work towards academic achievement with excessive obsession. The term kyōiku mama literally translates to “education mother”.

A kyōiku mama is a stereotypical character in Japan, a country already known for its regard for discipline. This type of mother usually ignores her children’s wellbeing in favour of their academic performance.

17. Yaourter: One of Those Strange Words in French

Would you believe it if I told you that French people sing yoghurt?

In French, when people try speaking or singing in a foreign language and end up using incomprehensible mishmashes of syllables, you would say that they “yoghurt”.

When used this way, yaourt is close to “gibberish”.

It gets more interesting when you learn that the expression has its own verb: yaourter (“to yoghurt”).

Keep in mind that the verb isn’t used as much as the noun.

18. Backpfeifengesicht: The Perfect Slapping Word

Too many German words in this list? Germans are just too good at making up weird words.

Backpfeifengesicht literally translates to “a face in need of a punch” in English.

What else could I add to that? It’s a brilliant way to describe someone who is or looks insolent or irritating.

French has a rough equivalent to this term. It’s tête à claques (“nuisance”, literally “head slaps”)

19. Akihi: One of the Funniest Hawai’ian Words

Akihi is the act of receiving instructions only to forget them as soon as you try to put them into practice.

Once again, a word that leaves a serious gap in the English language. We need it!

20. Toodle Pip: How to Say Goodbye in English With Very Weird Words

If you’re not from the United Kingdom, you might not be familiar with this expression. It comes from the 20th century and means goodbye in a humorous way. Another form of it is “Toodle-oo”.

There are several explanations for the word, but two stand out. The first is that toodle imitates the noise of a horn, used to announce a departure in the 1900s. The second is that it comes from the French à tout à l’heure (“see you later”).

Toodle Pip, Then!

A ridiculous goodbye is exactly what we need to wrap up this article It’s time for iktsuarpok until the next post.

Now that you know all these strange and interesting words from around the world, why not learn something else?

(Psst… We have an epic list of dirty words!)

Combine words from both posts and make your own list!

What was your favourite word from this article? Which one is the weirdest? Let me know in the comments!

The post 20 Weird Words From Around the World appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.

“Merry Christmas” in French – How to Have a “Joyeux Noël” [In-Depth Guide]

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Wondering how to say “Merry Christmas” in French? Here’s the quick answer: it’s Joyeux Noël!

Not enough for you? I agree!

Twinkling lights, jolly songs, and delicious food: the end-of-year holidays are upon us! If you’re here, there’s a good chance that you’re a Christmas fan.

Well, me too! And I’m also French, so I can tell you all about how to celebrate the merriest Christmas in French!

In this post, I’ll teach you:

How to talk about Christmas in FrenchHow to say “Merry Christmas Eve” in FrenchHow to say “Merry Christmas and Happy New Year” in FrenchSome other end-of-year holidays in FrenchA few French Christmas traditions

Before we start, a question for those of you who have a sweet tooth: have you ever dreamt of baking the perfect French bûche de Noël (“Yule log”)? Then stick around until the end because I’ve included a sweet bonus for you!

Ready? Allons-y! (“Let’s go!”)

How to Say “Christmas” in French: Noël

“Christmas” in French is Noël.

Noël comes from the Latin word natalis (“birth”). As you’ve probably guessed, it refers to the birth of Christ. Its first recorded use to describe Christmas comes from the 12th century.

Noël is perhaps the most famous fête de fin d’année (“end of year holiday”). It happens en Décembre (“in December”) and, in France and all countries in the northern hemisphere, en hiver (“in winter”).

Native tip: if you’re going to write the word down, don’t forget the tréma (“umlaut”). These two points above the e are important for the pronunciation of the word. Otherwise, it would sound like nél.

How to Say “Merry Christmas” in French: Joyeux Noël



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If “Christmas” is Noël, how do you say “Merry Christmas” in French? The answer is: Joyeux Noël! Joyeux is the masculine version of the adjective for “happy” or “merry” in French.

Are you worried about the pronunciation? Remember that the French stress the last syllable of each word: Joyeux Noël.

How to Say “Have a Merry Christmas” in French: Passe un Joyeux Noël

Joyeux Noël is a good greeting to use in general, but there are other ways to wish a Merry Christmas. Especially to someone you won’t spend the holiday with.

Passe un joyeux Noël (“have a Merry Christmas”, literally “spend a Merry Christmas”) is perhaps the most popular among greetings for people you won’t see before after Christmas.

Native tip: Don’t forget that there are several ways to say “you” in French. Passe un joyeux Noël addresses the informal and singular “you”.

For the plural “you” or the formal singular vous, use passez un joyeux Noël.

How to Say “Have a Very Merry Christmas” in French: Passe un Très Joyeux Noël

Go the extra mile and wish your friends “have a very Merry Christmas”. Add très to the phrase you learnt above and you’re done! The result is passe/passez un très joyeux Noël.

How to Say “I Wish You a Merry Christmas” in French: Je Te Souhaite un Joyeux Noël

Souhaiter in French means “to wish”. To tell someone that you wish them a Merry Christmas, say je te/vous souhaite un joyeux Noël.

You might often hear the phrase on te/vous souhaite un joyeux Noel or nous te/vous souhaitons un joyeux Noël. They both mean “we wish you a Merry Christmas”.

How to Say “Merry Christmas Eve” in French

In France, la veille de Noël (“Christmas Eve”) is a big thing. I’ll tell you more about it below. For now, let’s focus on the words.

In French, “eve” is veille. La means “the” and de is “of”. If we were to translate the expression literally, we would get “the Eve of Christmas”.

You might also hear about la veillée de Noël. Don’t confuse the two!

Veillée means vigil. In the Christian religion, the veillée de Noël is a period of religious contemplation that comes right before the midnight Christmas Mass.

One more thing about Christmas Eve. French people often talk about le réveillon (de Noël), and you might think they are referring to Christmas Eve. Actually, the réveillon is the dinner held quite late on Christmas or New Year’s Eve. It is part of the eve, but it’s not the Eve itself. Still, it is frequent to use it as a replacement in the case of greetings.

There isn’t really a way to wish a Merry Christmas Eve in French. You could say passe un bon réveillon, but greetings about Christmas itself are much more common.

How to Say “Merry Christmas and Happy New Year” in French: Joyeux Noël et Bonne Année

We’ve just talked about wishing a Merry Christmas to the people you won’t spend the holiday with. If you’re talking to colleagues you won’t see before the new year, you might want to throw in a little something about that too.

“Merry Christmas and Happy New Year” is joyeux Noël et bonne année in French. The phrase literally translates to “Merry Christmas and good year”.

If you want to talk about “New Year” in French, talk about le nouvel an. That only applies if you’re talking about the celebration or January 1st, though. To talk about the coming new year, the whole 360+ days, you should use la nouvelle année.

“New Year’s Eve” is la veille du nouvel an. There is a réveillon on this night, too.

When the clock strikes midnight on December 31st, French will shout Bonne Année! (“Happy New Year, literally “Good Year”)

How to Say “Happy Holidays” in French: Bonnes Fêtes

“Merry Christmas” and “Happy New Year” aren’t the only end-of-year greetings you should know in French. Not everyone celebrates these holidays.

The fêtes de fin d’année (“end of year holidays”) include Hanoucca (“Hanukkah”), Kwanzaa, le Solstice d'hiver (“Winter Solstice”), and more. As these celebrations usually honor the concepts of love, happiness, and life, it is important to make your wishes broad and inclusive.

Here is a list of greetings you can use in any situation to wish others a great holiday season.

Bonnes Fêtes (de Fin d'Année) - “Happy (End of Year) Holidays”

Bonnes fêtes in French is “happy holidays”. It is the shorter version of bonnes fêtes de fin d'année (literally “good end of year celebrations”).

Suitable for both formal and informal situations, it is commonly used in any type of communication during the holidays period. It is one of the most popular vocal greetings and you can sign your letters and emails with it!

Bonnes et Heureuses Fêtes - “Very Happy Holidays”

As you’ve probably guessed, this expression is a sibling of the ones we just talked about.

The literal translation of bonnes et heureuses fêtes is “good and happy holidays”. As it is quite a long phrase, it usually belongs in letters and holiday cards.

Joyeuses Fêtes - “Joyous Holidays”

You may recognize joyeuse from joyeux Noël. Joyeuse is the feminine version of the French adjective for “joyous” or “merry”.

Joyeuses fêtes is not exactly a modern greeting, so it is less popular than bonnes fêtes.

Meilleurs Vœux - “Best Wishes” or “Season’s Greetings”

Like in English, the expression meilleurs vœux (“best wishes”) is a great greeting to keep close by. You could use it in any kind of situation that calls for… well, good wishes. And not only during the end of the year holidays!

Native tip: Meilleurs vœux is not used in spoken French very often anymore. It tends to appear in written texts, such as holiday cards.

Other French Greetings for the Holidays

Want to play it fancy? Write vœux de bonheur (“wishes of happiness”) in your cards, letters, or texts. Add pour un joyeux Noël (“for a Merry Christmas”) or pour une bonne année (“for a good year”) to be even more distinguished.

If you want to highlight the fact that Christmas is a family thing, use passez un joyeux Noël en famille (“Have a Merry Christmas with your family”).

Be polite and elegant with je vous souhaite d’excellentes fêtes (“I wish you an excellent holiday season). The phrase is even more powerful if you follow it up with et bonne année! (“and Happy New Year!”)

Some French Christmas Traditions - Let’s Pick Up Christmas Vocabulary in French

French is the official language in 29 countries. As I come from France, I will tell you about some French Christmas traditions. Let me know in the comments if you know about Christmas traditions in other French-speaking countries!

La Crèche de Noël - The Nativity Scene



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Christmas traditions are deeply rooted in French culture as Christmas is quite an important holiday in France. And since Christmas is a Christian holiday… Some of the traditions are related to the religion.

One of them is the tradition of having a crèche near the Christmas tree, or at least in the house. Religious families usually place it in the center of their home.

In today’s French, crèche is most often used as “nursery”. However the crèche is also the manger where the infant Jesus was placed after his birth in the stable. In a Christmas setting, la crèche is a miniature reconstruction of the original Christmas night as described in the Christian religion.

La Crèche de Noel usually features l’enfant Jésus (“infant Jesus”), Marie et Joseph (“Mary and “Joseph”), l’âne et le bœuf (“the donkey and the ox”), les bergers et leurs moutons (“the shepherds and their sheeps”), and les Rois Mages (“the Wise Men”). Some also have une étoile (“a star”) and des anges (“angels”).

It is common to place the infant Jesus in his manger on the 24th of Christmas.

In religiously active families, la crèche will remain up until the 2nd of February. This day is known as la Chandeleur (“Candlemas”) and we celebrate by... eating a lot of crepes!

Le Sapin de Noël - The Christmas Tree

“Oh, Alice,” you’ll say “The Christmas tree isn’t a French tradition. We have it all over the world!”

And indeed, what would Christmas be without its tree?

In French, we don’t call it a tree, but a pine. Le sapin de Noël is “the pine of Christmas”. Like anyone else, we decorate it with des guirlandes (“garlands”) and des boules de Noel (“Christmas ornaments”, literally “Christmas balls”). We might add des bougies (“candles”), des noeuds (“ribbons”), and des personnages or sujets (“Christmas characters”).

Some families wait for the 24th of December to place l’étoile or la pointe de sapin (“the tree topper”) on top of the tree. They might also wait for Christmas Eve to put les cadeaux (“the presents”) under it!

Les Souliers de Noël - The Christmas Shoes

Speaking of presents… Did you know that French children leave their shoes near the tree or la cheminée (“the fireplace”) on Christmas Eve? They do so in hope that le Père Noël (“Santa Claus, literally “Father Christmas”) will fill them with gifts.

This tradition is mentioned in one of the most famous French Christmas songs for children: Petit Papa Noël (“Little Father Christmas”).

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Le Père Fouettard - The… Whipping Father?

Many countries have a freaky Christmas legend. (Don’t tell me you never had nightmares about the Krampus.)

In France, the scary Christmas legend prize goes to le père fouettard (“the whipping father”). I’ll spare you the gory story of how he became a Christmas character.

He was said to follow le Père Noël and whip or spank the naughty children who didn’t deserve presents.

He is (thankfully) obsolete today, but he was a part of French Christmas traditions for a long time.

S’Embrasser Sous le Gui - To Kiss Under the Mistletoe

Some love something light to discuss after the grim talk.

S’embrasser sous le gui (“to kiss under the mistletoe”) is as popular in France as it is in the rest of the world when it comes to Christmas traditions.

Don’t forget! Le gui is the plant with white berries and round leaves. The red berries with pointy leaves is le houx (“holly”). There is nothing as romantic as kissing when la neige tombe dehors (“the snow is falling outside”), and you want to do it right!

Le Réveillon de Noël - The Christmas Dinner

As you’ve learnt earlier in this post, French people have a réveillon on Christmas Eve. It is the name they give to the late Christmas dinner shared with friends and family.

The menu often includes:

Du foie grasA lot of poisson et fruits de mer (“fish and seafood”) such as des huîtres (“oysters”), du saumon (“salmon”), or des coquilles St. Jacques (“scallops”)Or de la volaille (“poultry”), such as de la dinde (“turkey”) or du canard (“duck”)Du pain d'épices (“gingerbread”)Des sucres d’orge pour les enfants (“candy canes for the children”)Du vin (“wine”) - le champagne is usually kept for New Year’sDes oranges (“oranges”)



Les Oranges de Noël - Christmas Oranges

Until the 1960s, French children didn’t get toys as Christmas presents. Instead, they each enjoyed… an orange!

While this type of present would probably upset today’s youth, oranges were very appreciated in the past.

Before the 1800s, oranges only grew in Spain and Italy. They were very expensive and only the wealthy could afford to eat them. When the orange trade brought its fruits to the working class, people could only buy a handful of them per year. As children didn’t get them on other occasions, it became a Christmas treat.

My Mamie (“Grandma”) talks about the Christmas oranges she received with tears in her eyes.

La Bûche de Noël - The Yule Log



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Everything is big during le réveillon de Noël, but dessert can be the biggest part. In some regions, it is traditional to eat 13 different desserts on Christmas Eve.

If you want a French Christmas dessert time but aren’t really sure you’d survive 13 courses of it, here’s some advice: bake a bûche!

The French Yule Log wasn’t originally a dessert… at the beginning, it was a real log.

In the past, families kept the biggest and sturdiest log to burn on Christmas Eve, so it would give them an opportunity to make the night go on a little longer. When fires were no longer needed for lighting, the log was too dear to leave behind. It became a dessert instead!

As promised in the introduction, here is your very French recipe for the perfect traditional bûche de Noël (for four people).

Ingredients:

4 eggs140g powdered sugar100g flour11g baking powder250g chocolate200g soft, unsalted butterPowdered sugar, dried fruits, chocolate chips… Decorations!

Recipe:

Preheat the oven to 180°C.Cover a flat oven tray with cooking paper.Separate the egg yolks from the whites.Whip the egg yolks and the sugar with three tablespoons of warm water until foamy.Gradually add the flour and baking powder.Whisk the egg whites into snow. Gently fold them into the other mixture.Spread the mixture on the oven tray. It should be about 1cm thick.Leave in the oven for 10-15 minutes, until slightly golden.When out of the oven, cover the cake with a clean, humid cloth. Remove the cooking paper and roll the cake with the cloth. Melt the chocolate, then add the butter and stir.Unroll the cake, spread ⅔ of the chocolate mix on the whole surface, then roll again.Cover the log with the rest of the chocolate. With a fork, draw decorative lines that will make the cake look like a log.Sprinkle it with powdered sugar, dried fruits, chocolate chips… Decorating the *bûche* is an art!Leave in the fridge for a couple of hours.



Passez un Joyeux Noël!

Ta-da! You are ready to spend a very French Christmas!

To have even more magical holidays, you might want to discover Christmas traditions in other cultures. Discover how to say “Merry Christmas” in German, or in 11 other languages, with this great post by Shannon.

Which is your favorite holiday greeting? What about your favorite French Christmas tradition? Tell me in the comments!

Bonnes fêtes!

The post “Merry Christmas” in French – How to Have a “Joyeux Noël” [In-Depth Guide] appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.

How Other Languages Help Us Think Differently & Why We Should Preserve Them

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One human language dies about every two weeks. Most of them belong to small groups or tribes that have been absorbed into larger groups.

In comparison, English is truly the global language of the contemporary world. Spread by the world’s largest empire, and later by the cultural influence of the world’s mightiest economic and military power, the United States, it is not uncommon for some English speakers to express a sense of pride on behalf of their global language.

But this ‘linguistic triumphalism’ can be fatal. To other languages, that is. Many linguists are worried that the English language’s success has come at the expense of others. That it makes people think of all the other languages — and especially minority languages — as unnecessary.

For some, the unification of the world under one language is a cause for celebration. In their eyes, it can only accelerate a sense of shared humanity. And besides, one might be tempted to ask, languages are born and die with time just as everything else. What then, is so special about preserving them?

Languages Are a Way of Thinking Differently

What is fascinating about language is that it equips the user with mental tools to help them think in certain ways. Every time a language disappears, a unique way of interpreting our world and the environment around us is lost forever.

These need not be just trivial differences. Different languages represent a part of the world’s neurodiversity. Approaching a problem with a different language may even help with decision-making and problem-solving.

The scientist Benjamin Lee Whorf was so dazzled by variations in Native American languages that he even claimed (inaccurately, but you get the idea) that their speakers are intuitively primed better to understand Einsteinian physics.

So it must be said that languages offer a variety that is comparable to the diversity of the world’s plants and animals. Research suggests that bilingual people — even if they aren’t fluent in more than one language — tend to think differently from monolingual speakers.

Language represents what we think, and may even determine how we think.

Here are some examples:

Russian Has No Word for Blue

In Russian there’s no word just for blue. But there are words for dark blue (siniy) and light blue (goluboy). This lack of a singular word has been demonstrated to influence how Russian-speakers perceive colour. Like this example, the number of basic colour terms varies a lot from one language to the other. For example, the Dani people of New Guinea and the Bassa of Liberia split colours similarly in the dark/light dynamic.

Mandarin Speakers Think Differently About Time

Studies have shown that Mandarin speakers think about the concept of time differently than English speakers. A quick example is, in Mandarin, one doesn’t say next week and last week but refers to ‘the week below’ and the week ‘above’. English speakers perceive time as linear on a side-to-side scale. Mandarin speakers think of it vertically.

Some Australian Indigenous Languages Think Differently About Direction

Likewise, there is an aboriginal language spoken in Queensland, Australia called Guugu Yimithirr. This language does not use words like forward, backward, or left and right. Instead, they place an object using words for directions between two objects. A native speaker would never say someone was standing behind a house. They would instead say they were standing westward (for example) behind it.

At Least One Language Has No Use For Numbers As We Know It

The Piraha tribe in Brazil does not make use of numbers in its vocabulary. Instead, they just term items as ‘a few’ or ‘many’. This trait goes against what was previously thought a universal fact, a part of Noam Chomsky’s theory of ‘universal grammar’. (Incidentally, this language is critically endangered and one of the most isolated on Earth).

Apologies Are Straightfoward In English, Not So Much In Japanese

In English, how we apologise tends to be pretty standardised no matter what the context. But in Japanese, there are different ways of apologising that are more contextual. For example, you must specifically say ‘moushiwake gozaimasen’ or ‘I’m terribly sorry’ to higher-ups.

Languages can also have grammatical gender differences requiring speakers to switch up their pronouns, verb endings, adjectives, numerals and so on, depending on the gender of the noun. Studies have shown that when German and Spanish speakers are asked to describe objects, they often conjure up gendered words that reflect the nature of their mother-tongue.

For example, the word ‘key’ is masculine in German but actually feminine in Spanish. So a German speaker will be more likely to use the word ‘jagged’, whereas a Spanish speaker might be tempted to go with ‘shiny’ and so on.

But even the Germanic languages have non-trivial differences. For example, German speakers often correlate action to an end goal. In one study, researchers asked German speakers to determine what was happening in a simple picture of a woman walking in a car park. The German speakers were more likely to say the woman was walking to a car. Whereas English speakers were more likely to just say that the woman was walking. This difference implies that the German language may prime speakers to think more about future consequences and outcomes of actions, whereas English speakers are more likely to dwell on present events instead.

Every Language Has Unique Words and Phrases

A part of the way languages help us think differently becomes apparent when we interpret some of the words they use, and especially if they have little or no direct translation into English.
For example, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, the term ‘landlessness’ has only ever been written once in English, by Herman Melville in 1851. The conspicuous absence of this term has fascinated postcolonial scholars, who believe there was never a need for it in English because a shortage of land was never an Anglo-Saxon problem — presumably as they spread out to new worlds and continents to settle and farm in the vast wilderness.

Others include:

Geschichtsmude

One of the most fascinating, this German word means 'weary of history'. And is a tired reflection of Europe’s age, and to the many layers of history to it there is. The word may also carry a tinge of guilt with it (especially after the Holocaust) and fatigue. A weariness that the weight of history cannot be escaped.

Waldeinsamkeit

Another German word, but a beautiful one, refers to the feeling experienced while connecting with nature, especially while alone in the woods.

Mono no aware

Translated from the Japanese ‘物の哀れ’. This term refers to an awareness — and sadness — of the impermanence of time. It is both a nostalgic and bittersweet word. Said to call on having been ‘witness to the dazzling circus of life — knowing that none of it can last’.

Hiraeth

This Welsh word has been described as almost impossible to translate into English because there is no single English word that can explain it. Still, the closest attempts often include ‘homesickness’ and ‘longing’. It is more like a combination of both words along with ‘yearning’, ‘grief’, and ‘sadness’, especially if a ‘home’ has been lost, and no longer resembles the ‘home’ that one is yearning for.

Poronkusema

This Finnish word loosely means ‘the distance a reindeer can travel without stopping to urinate’. For obvious reasons, this curious word is absent from languages that owe their origins to warmer climates the reindeer do not call home.

Baizuo

Certain words can even provide an insight into how cultures perceive one another. This fascinating word, of Chinese origin, literally translates into ‘White Left’ in the derogatory sense, referring to people of a liberal mind in western countries who pity the rest of the world and think they are saviours.

Ya'aburnee

This Arabic word conveys a wish to die before a loved one in order to spare the agony of grieving over them. It translates into the English as ‘may you bury me’.

Han

A powerful Korean word that refers to a collective feeling of oppression and isolation, and perhaps a necessary word given the political fragmentation of the two Koreas in the modern world.

Chatterbox

The idea that there are words that are either poorly translated or non-existent runs both ways. For example, there is no Chinese equivalent to the English adjective ‘chatterbox’, which translates into ‘a mouth like running water’. For other comic translations from English to Chinese, check out these chinese phrases.

It’s Time to Pay Attention to Language Diversity

It is impossible to touch upon even a tiny slither of all of the differences between the global languages, but you get the idea. With every language that disappears, so does a unique way of interpreting the reality of what it means to be human.

Preserving languages is a matter of ecological, anthropological, and psychological importance. With every tongue that is lost to history, so is a crucial part of the story of our development and our place in the world.

The post How Other Languages Help Us Think Differently & Why We Should Preserve Them appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.

55 Chinese Proverbs, Sayings and Quotes

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“Chinese proverbs” - 谚语 (yànyǔ) are known to be the ultimate pearls of wisdom.

As in any other language, Chinese proverbs are usually very short sayings about the advice and truths of life. Many proverbs have their origins in ancient China, and its philosophers, writers and poets.

Even though most of these Chinese sayings have their roots in ancient times, they carry the same power as before -- and you will see they are exactly what you didn’t know you needed.

Read and learn these 55 Chinese words of wisdom and you might find out you already know many of them (but never knew they came from China):

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Chinese Proverbs About Love



1. 有缘千里来相会。 (yǒuyuán qiānlǐ lái xiāng huì) - “Fate has us meet from a thousand miles away.”

This old Chinese proverb is well known for all the romantic souls who like to believe that their love is simply meant to be.

2. 握住你的手，和你一起变老。(wò zhù nǐ de shǒu, hé nǐ yīqǐ biàn lǎo) - “Hold your hand and grow old with you.”

Another beautiful Chinese saying for the romantics among us.

3. 情人眼里出西施。(qíngrén yǎn lǐ chū xīshī) - “In the eyes of a lover, Xi Shi appears.”

Xi Shi was one of the four women who were renowned for their beauty in ancient China. This is one of the most famous Chinese sayings about love. In English, we know it as “love is blind” or “beauty is in the eyes of the beholder”.

4. 有情饮水饱，无情食饭饥。(yǒuqíng yǐnshuǐ bǎo, wúqíng shí fàn jī) - “Having love, drinking water will fill you up, without love, eating food will leave you hungry.”

This can also be translated as: “With love, even water is filling, but without love, not even food will make you full.”

Nothing will help you with a broken heart, but when you’re in love, that is all you need -- and that’s what this Chinese saying about love says.

5. 爱屋及乌。(ài wū jí wū) - “Love the house with its crows (on the roof).”

I understand this saying to mean: “When you love someone, you love them with everything.”

This short proverb is translated to quite a long sentence, but its essence is simple. In Chinese, the proverb intends to express that when you’re in love with someone, you love them with both their virtues and faults.

6. 一日三秋。(yī rì sānqiū) - “One day (seems like) three autumns.”

This saying used to express how much a person misses their loved one.

7. 举案齐眉。(jǔ'ànqíméi) - “Lifting the tray up to the eyebrows.”

Lifting a tray high when serving food to a guest is a traditional Chinese way to show respect. The saying is often connected to the respect between a husband and a wife.

8. 生活有爱幸福,为爱生活愚蠢。(shēnghuó yǒu ài xìngfú, wèi ài shēnghuó yúchǔn) - “Living with love is happy, but living for love is foolish.”

Simply, love matters but it is not the most important thing.

9. 有情人终成眷属。(yǒuqíng rén zhōng chéng juànshǔ) - “People in love will get married.”

This Chinese proverb means that love will always find a way.

10. 爱不释手。(àibùshìshǒu) - “Love won’t let go of hand.”

The meaning of this Chinese saying in English is: “to be fond of someone or something” ot “to be locked in love”.

Chinese Proverbs About Wisdom



1. 笑一笑,十年少。 (xiào yīxiào, shí niánshào) - “A smile is the best remedy.”

Or “a smile is the best form of make-up.”

2. 不怕慢, 就怕停。 (bú pà màn, jiù pà tíng.) - “Don’t be afraid of going slow, just be afraid of stopping/standing still.”



3. 授人以鱼不如授人以渔。 (shòu rén yǐ yú bù rú shòu rén yǐ yú) - “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”

One of the most well known ancient Chinese proverbs we also know in English means “teaching/knowledge is the best gift.” We actually apply this proverb to language learning in the Fluent in 3 Months Challenge.

4. 吃一堑,长一智。 (chī yī qiàn, zhǎng yī zhì) - “Eat one pit/moat, grow one wisdom.”

To make more sense out of this Chinese proverb, we can also translate it as “by falling (into the pit), you’ll be wiser/safer next time” and it means: “We learn from our mistakes.”

5. 水满则溢。 (shuǐ mǎn zé yì) - “Water flows in to flow out.”

Once things reach their climax, they will reverse. “Once you’re up, once you’re down.”

6. 留得青山在，不怕没柴烧。 (liú dé qīngshān zài, bùpà méi chái shāo) - “While there are green hills, there will be wood to burn.”

This could also be translated as: “Where there is life, there is hope.”

7. 请教别人一次是五分钟的傻子，从不请教别人是一辈子的傻子。 (qǐngjiào biérén yīcì shì wǔ fēnzhōng de shǎzi, cóng bù qǐngjiào biérén shì yībèizi de shǎzi) - “He who asks a question might be a fool for five minutes; he who doesn’t ask a question remains a fool forever.”

A well known Chinese proverb to encourage people to ask questions and continue educating themselves.

8. 一鸟在手胜过双鸟在林。 (yī niǎo zài shǒu shèngguò shuāng niǎo zài lín) - “One bird in the hand is better than two birds in a forest.”

This is basically the same as the English saying.

9. 千军易得, 一将难求。 (qiān jūn yì dé, yī jiāng nán qiú) - “It’s easy to find a thousand troops, but a general is hard to find.”

The meaning of this Chinese saying is that finding a good leader can be difficult.

10. 英雄所见略同。 (yīngxióng suǒjiàn lüè tóng) - “The heroes think the same.”

Or: “Great minds think alike.”

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Chinese Proverbs About Family



1. 家和万事兴。 (jiā hé wànshì xīnɡ) - “If the family lives in harmony, all affairs will prosper.”

Family over everything. If the family is divided, nothing in their lives will be successful. We’ve got an in-depth article on the place of family in Chinese culture here.

2. 儿行千里母担忧。 (ér xíng qiānlǐ mǔ dānyōu) - “When children go far (lit. thousand li/500 km), mothers worry.”



3. 家家有本难念的经。 (jiā jiā yǒu běn nán niàn de jīnɡ) - “Every family has its own issues.”

Equivalent to “everyone has a skeleton in their closet.”

4. 有其父必有其子。 (yǒu qí fù bì yǒu qí zi) - “Where there is a father, there is a son.”

“Like father, like son.”

5. 家丑不可外扬。 (jiāchǒu bùkě wàiyáng) - “Family’s shames can’t be taken outside/be visible.”

Similar to “don’t wash your dirty linen in public.”

6. 落叶归根。 (luòyèguīgēn) - “Fallen leaves return to their roots.”

An explanation of this Chinese aphorism can be whomever leaves their home will always come back. “There’s no place like home.”

7. 金窝，银窝，不如自家的狗窝。 (jīn wō, yín wō, bùrú zìjiā de gǒu wō) - “A poor man treasures his shack more than gold and silver mansions.”

“East or west, home is best.”

8. 儿孙自有儿孙福。 (érsūn zì yǒu érsūn fú) - “Children and grandchildren will have their own children and grandchildren.”

This means: “Younger generations will do alright on their own.”

9. 不当家，不知柴米贵。 (bùdāng jiā, bùzhī cháimǐ guì) - “If you don’t manage a household, you wouldn’t know how expensive it is.”



10. 家有敝帚，享之千金。 (jiā yǒu bì zhǒu, xiǎng zhī qiānjīn) - “Cherish a broom as if it was gold.”

You should appreciate what you have (even if it’s of small value) because it’s your own.

Chinese Proverbs About Learning



1. 万事起头难。 (wànshì qǐtóu nán) - “Everything starts hard.”

Or: “Beginnings are always the hardest.”

2. 熟能生巧。 (shú néng shēngqiǎo) - “Practice makes perfect.”



3. 冰冻三尺，非一日之寒。 (bīngdòng sān chǐ, fēi yī rì zhī hán) - “Freezing into three feet depth can’t be done in one day.”

This proverb is an equivalent to “Rome wasn’t built in a day”. In others words, don’t give up and you’ll see results.

4. 三个臭皮匠，胜过诸葛亮。 (sān gè chòu píjiàng, shèngguò zhūgéliàng) - “Three unskilled (“smelly”) cobblers are better than one Zhuge Liang.”

This Chinese idiom might seem very unfamiliar until you see the English equivalent: “Two heads are better than one.”

Zhuge Liang (Kongming) was a famous strategist in ancient China and recognized as very intelligent and accomplished. In this saying, his name is used to say that even this wise man is less wise than three unskilled men.

5. 今日事，今日毕。 (jīnrì shì, jīnrì bì) - “Today’s tasks are to be completed today.”

“Don’t put off until tomorrow what can be done today.”

6. 师父领进门，修行在个人。 (shīfu lǐng jìnmén, xiūxíng zài gèrén) - “Teachers open the doors, but you enter by yourself.”

A teacher can show you the way, but the rest is up to you.

7. 一口吃不成胖子。 (yīkǒu chī bùchéng pàngzi) - “To want to get fat with only one bite.”

This Chinese saying means “to be impatient for success”. It could be translated as “learn to walk before you run.”

8. 欲速则不达。 (yù sù zé bù dá) - “Haste is not enough.”

Or: “Haste makes waste.”

9. 百闻不如一见。 (bǎi wén bùrú yī jiàn) - “Hearing a hundred times doesn’t compare to seeing once.”

This one means: “Seeing is believing.”

10. 不入虎穴，焉得虎子。 (bù rù hǔxué, yān dé hǔ zi*) - “You cannot catch tiger cubs without entering the tiger’s lair.”

“No pain, no gain.”

General Chinese Aphorisms, Sayings, Proverbs and Quotes



1. 萝卜青菜，各有所爱。(luóbo qīngcài, gè yǒu suǒ ài) - “Each turnip loves something different.”

Or : “Every man to his own taste.” “To each his own.”

2. 捷足先登。(jiézú-xiāndēng) - “A fast foot arrives first.”

The English equivalent is: “The early bird gets the worm.”

3. 覆水难收。(fùshuǐ-nánshōu) - “Spilt water can’t be gathered up.”

“Don’t cry over spilt milk” or “what is done can’t be undone.” This Chinese saying is often used about divorce.

4. 凡人不可貌相, 海水不可斗量。(fánrén bùkě màoxiàng, hǎishuǐ bùkě dǒu liàng) - “Mortals are not to be judged by appearance, and the sea is not to be measured.”

“Don’t judge by looks.” Or the more famous English equivalent: “Don’t judge a book by its cover.”

5. 入乡随俗。 (rùxiāngsuísú) - “Wherever you are, follow local customs.”

The English equivalent to this Chinese proverb is: “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.”

6. 广交友，无深交。(guǎng jiāoyǒu, wú shēnjiāo) - “When you have a lot of friends, you don’t have any real friends.”

The point of this saying is that having a lot of friends doesn’t mean you have an actual friend. It’s like “a friend to everyone is a friend to no one.”

7. 同病相怜。 (tóngbìng-xiānglián) - “Those with the same illness commiserate with each other.”

The meaning is that the sufferers of the same pain sympathize with each other. The English equivalent of this saying is: “Misery loves company.”

8. 善有善报，恶有恶报。 (shàn yǒu shàn bào, è yǒu è bào) - “The good deeds pay good recompense and the evil pays back with evil.”

Or: “What goes around, comes around.”

9. 种瓜得瓜。 (zhǒng guā dé guā) - “As you sow a melon, you should reap one.”

Another version of “what goes around, comes around.”

10. 一日之计在于晨。 (yī rì zhī jì zàiyú chén) - “The plan of the day should be done in the morning/dawn.”

Similar to: “The early bird gets the worm.” If you get up early and plan your day, it will affect you positively.

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Funny Chinese Proverbs



1. 用一个筷子吃饭的人是饿的。 (yòng yīgè kuàizi chīfàn de rén shì è de) - “Those who eat with one chopstick will stay hungry.”

Eating with one chopstick is impossible. Before you get your food, make sure you have two chopsticks to eat it with. It can be roughly translated as “find a balance in your life.”

2. 一个在床上吃饼干的男人醒来感觉很糟糕。 (yīgè zài chuángshàng chī bǐnggān de nánrén xǐng lái gǎnjué hěn zāogāo) - “A man who eats biscuits in his bed wakes up feeling terrible.”

This saying is meant to remind us not to be greedy, especially with food (before sleep).

3. 一个男人在电栅栏上小便将会得到令人震惊的消息。 (yīgè nánrén zài diàn zhàlán shàng xiǎobiàn jiāng huì dédào lìng rén zhènjīng de xiāoxī) - “A man urinating on an electric fence will get shocking news.”

This funny Chinese saying is a reminder to be careful and not look for problems while already dealing with some.

4. 缘木求鱼。 (yuánmù-qiúyú) - “To climb a tree to catch fish.”

A saying to describe wrong and useless approach; a lost cause.

5. 拍马屁。 (pāimǎpì) - “To beat/slap a horse’s back.”

A funny way to describe someone who tries to be very nice to people, especially someone of authority, to get something from them.

So how many of these Chinese sayings and proverbs did you already know? Which one is your favourite? Even if it’s one that you didn’t find in this article, let us know in the comments.

And after you do, check out this article on German sayings if you want to learn more proverbs in different languages. To continue with your Chinese language studies, you’ll find articles on our blog about counting numbers in Chinese, Chinese phrases for your first conversation, and many more.

The post 55 Chinese Proverbs, Sayings and Quotes appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.

Black Friday Mega-Deals for Language Learners 2020!

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Welcome to Fluent in 3 Months, the home of Black Friday 2020 deals for language learners.

 

What a year it’s been! I hope you’ll find something in these deals to bring you a smile.

For Black Friday 2020 I’ve secured some incredible deals on language courses -- with up to 98% off for 40+ languages.

Here are the best of the best deals on excellent language-learning resources worthy of you language hackers.

The deals end on Monday 30th November, so act fast!

Benny Lewis
founder, Fluent in 3 Months

Happy language learning, I hope you enjoy these deals!

P.S. On this page, I just share the highlights of the deals I've negotiated.

Want to see all the deals available for the language you're learning?

See the Black Friday Deals for

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Choose Language

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The Fluent in 3 Months Black Friday Collection 2020 -- 91% off

Have a 15-Minute Conversation in a new language after 90 Days of Learning Good for: Speaking, Rapid Language Learning

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Get 91% off language hacking with the Fluent in 3 Months Black Friday Collection 2020. Our biggest ever Black Friday discount for language learners!

The Fluent in 3 Months Black Friday Collection 2020 includes:

The Fluent in 3 Months Challenge with Community Access (value: $947) Get full entry into my flagship 90-day language programme. With the Fluent in 3 Months Challenge you’ll have a 15-minute conversation in your new language after 90 days.

Travel Hacking Workshop (value: $47) I share my tip tops from 10+ years of travelling the world and speaking with the locals.

Exclusive Live “Ask Me Anything” Workshop (value: $197) Join me for this live event where I’ll be taking questions from the audience on language learning, travel, life, and anything you want to ask me!

11 Polyglot Masterclass Interviews (value: $197) These are interviews with my language mentors — the people I’ve turned to when I needed guidance in language learning.

The Language Gym - Lifetime Membership (value: $97) Learn a language in just a few minutes a day -- and stick with it for life.

My Complete Easy Language Package (value $234) A pack of 6 guides for hacking Spanish, French, German, Italian, English and Chinese.

Total value: $1,719

Black Friday Deal Price: $147

Yes - I Want 91% Off the Fluent in 3 Months Black Friday Collection.

Top Pick -- Olly Richards’ “Uncovered” Courses -- Learn through the Power of Story -- 67% Off



Learn Up to 6x Faster than with Traditional Language CoursesGood for: Absolute Beginners and People Who Like Stories

My good friend Olly Richards has created a radically different way to learn languages using the power of story.

Most language courses take a bunch of grammar rules and teach them one-by-one in a series of lessons. That's boring! In Olly’s Uncovered courses, you'll do things differently.

In Uncovered your main focus is to enjoy the plot of the story. You concentrate on understanding the story and learn through a process known as "Guided Discovery". Not only that, but you’ll receive lessons from Olly himself, as he teaches you the techniques he’s used to learn eight languages!

Uncovered takes you from your very first steps in a new language, all the way through to intermediate level. By the time you finish the course, not only will you have read an entire book in your new language, but you’ll have a large vocabulary, so you can express yourself fully in conversation.

Fi3M team member Elizabeth Bruckner writes in her review of Spanish Uncovered:

“The structure of this course is phenomenal. Everything is spelled out. Follow Olly’s plan and you will be speaking Spanish. It happened for me. I was regularly having conversations in Spanish after 90 days with this course.”

Uncovered courses are available for Spanish, French, German, Italian and Japanese.

Olly was reluctant to discount these courses, but after some persuasion I've negotiated a rare and very generous discount that's available for this week only.

Yes -- Give me 67% Off! I Want to Learn a language with the Power of Story.

Fi3M Favourite -- Innovative Language – Podcasts for 34 Languages -- 51% off



Complete Language Course: Absolute Beginner - AdvancedGood for: Listening, Fun

This is my favourite language learning podcast and audio course, available in an incredible 34 languages.

You start by picking your level, and the audio course adjusts to you, getting slightly more complex as you progress.

Click the podcast website below of your target language, and enjoy! These discount links will get you 51% off the normal price for 1 or 2 year subscriptions, for any language. This covers Premium AND Premium+ subscriptions.

Click the language you want below to find out more:

Most popular on Innovative Language:

Other languages in alphabetical order:

MosaLingua -- Lifetime Fluency Bundle -- 98% Off



Complete Language Course: Absolute Beginner - AdvancedGood for: Listening, Learning Phrases

The MOSA Learning ® method is based on principles of cognitive science, so you can learn a new language faster and smarter. Plus it helps you focus on the aspects of your target language that matter most to you. It has 6 million users worldwide, and Fi3M’s Holly Keenan found “a lot to love” when she tried out MosaLingua.

“I have tried many other forms of learning and other apps in the attempt to learn [a new language] but this is honestly the one which has been successful for me. I am delighted with my progress and learning with this app is enjoyable and effective.”

With the MosaLingua Fluency Bundle, you can learn a new language in just 10 minutes a day. Here’s what you’ll get inside:

LIFETIME Subscription to MosaLingua Web (value $4,130)MosaTraining: How to Learn Any Language -- lifetime membership (value $130)Lifetime access to the MosaSeries: The Man with No Name (value $590)MosaSpeak: Speak with Confidence -- lifetime membership (value $495)

The MosaLingua Fluency Bundle covers six languages -- Spanish, French, German, Italian, Russian and Portuguese.

The total value of all these courses and memberships is $4,850, but this week only you can pick up everything for a 98% discount!

Get the MosaLingua Fluency Bundle Here.

Bite Size Languages -- Portable Listening Course -- 77% Off



Listening and Pronunciation Course with Bite Size LessonsGood for: Beginners, Listening Skills



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Bite Size Languages is a new series of “no fluff” courses from Danish polyglot Kris Broholm, designed for beginners and false beginners. Every bite size lesson is designed to be easy to understand, so you’ll quickly follow along and learn new words and phrases.

Each course features 100 lessons of short-and-easy dialogues. This means the lessons are easy to do, even if you're super busy or don't feel like it.

When you've listened to the dialogues a number of times, you can dive into the lesson notes and do more conventional learning with transcripts, translations, vocabulary, and grammar sections.

I’ve known Kris Broholm for several years now, so I asked him to come up with an amazing deal for my readers, and he delivered! He’s offering the Bite Size Languages Bundle for six languages, including Spanish, French, German, Danish, Russian and Italian at a discount of 77%.

Get 77% off Bite Size Languages here.

MagicLingua -- Speak Spanish or German in 10 Weeks - Up to 83% Off

10-Week Course to Learn Conversational Spanish or German Good for: Speaking in Real Conversations

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MagicLingua focuses 100% on preparing you for real-life conversations.

During this 10-week programme, you'll speak from day one and once you've finished you'll feel confident holding conversations in Spanish or German. This offer includes lifetime access to beginner, intermediate and advanced levels.

The programme features hundreds of video lessons and thousands of speaking exercises to get you speaking in full sentences, as you would in a real-world conversation. You’ll also have the option to work with a personal language coach.

Yes - I Want to Speak Spanish and Get 83% Off MagicLingua.

Yes - I Want to Speak German and Get 75% Off MagicLingua.

Intrepid Languages -- Master Italian, French and Spanish for Conversations and Travel -- 66% Off



Learn to Speak Real World Italian, French and Spanish in Record TimeGood for: Beginners, Speaking Skills

Intrepid Languages gets you speaking real world Italian, French and Spanish as fast as possible, so you’ll be ready to use these languages in real conversations.

The 14-module training program is created by Australian-Italian polyglot Michele Frolla, inspired by her travels in Europe. It walks you through the exact steps to follow so you can start speaking your new languages in record time.

Each module includes video lessons, downloadable worksheets, and bonus cheat sheets that are designed to help you learn and speak with confidence from scratch.

With this Black Friday deal, you’ll get lifetime access to all 3 Intrepid Languages courses at a significant discount.

Get 66% off Intrepid Languages here.

LingQ -- Immerse Yourself in a New Language (Exclusive Lifetime Membership) -- 74% Off



Complete Immersion ResourceGood for: Listening, Fun, Reading, Vocab

Immerse yourself in a world of compelling content for your target language -- with 1000’s of hours of podcasts, audiobooks, interviews, courses and more.

Then anytime you come across a word you don't know, you can save it for review using LingQ's spaced repetition learning tools.

LingQ is one of the most popular tools among rapid language learners taking our Fluent in 3 Months Challenge. And in his review of LingQ, Fluent in 3 Months team member David Masters said: “If I had to pick just one tool to learn a language, it would be LingQ.”

LingQ is usually $12.99 per month, but with this exclusive deal you get lifetime access to LingQ Spanish for a one time fee.

The deal is equivalent to a 74% discount on a 5-year subscription. But this subscription lasts for life!

Please note this deal is only available to new LingQ members.

Get exclusive lifetime membership to LingQ here.

Mondly -- Lifetime Membership for ALL 41 Languages -- 96% Off



Language Learning App and Online CourseGood for: Beginners

Mondly is one of the world’s favourite language learning apps, with 60 million users worldwide. It’s also highly rated, with 1,000,000+ reviews, giving an average rating of 4.6 out of 5 in the Google Play store and 4.8 out of 5 in the Apple App store.

Bloomberg has called Mondly "the most fulsome app-learning experience".

A unique part of Mondly is the chatbot feature. It feels really natural, just like you're hanging out with a native speaker -- ideal for practising your conversation skills when a language partner isn't available.

Mondly are creative in their approach to learning, with features such as immersive virtual environments with chatbot and speech recognition. Just recently, Mondly also partnered with Oxford University Press and launched a new suite of custom English progress tests in 33 languages.

I’ve negotiated a lifetime membership deal that gives you lifetime access to all 41 Mondly language courses at a saving of 96%.

Get this Mondly deal here.

Drops -- Learn a New Language in 5 Minutes a Day -- 47% Off Lifetime Subscription

Google Play Best of 2018 Winner Good for: Learning New Words the Fast and Fun Way

Drops is an exciting way to learn a language that has developed a cult following, becoming the fastest growing language app in the world with over 18 million users. It combines beautiful, engaging word puzzles with mnemonic imagery to make new words stick in your memory.

Like an online game, Drops is fast and fun and quickly becomes an integral part of your daily routine, making it easy to learn one or more of Drops’ 39 languages. Drops is available on iOS and Android.

CNet has said: "The overall design and gamification elements make Drops one of the most unique language learning apps I've tried so far. "

Get 47% an annual Drops subscription. Usually $149.99, now $79. Their subscription includes all 39 languages and dialects.

Yes - Give Me 47% Off Drops.

Magnetic Memory Method -- the Language of Memory Package -- 89% Off



Memory Course Package for Language LearnersGood for: Memorisation, Vocab

Anthony Metivier of the Magnetic Memory Method has put together a special Language of Memory package just for Fluent in 3 Months readers -- and he’s offering an even bigger discount than ever before.

The Language of Memory package includes the courses:

The Magnetic Memory Method MasterplanHow to Learn & Memorize the Vocabulary of any LanguageSpeak From MemoryHow to Memorize Names and FacesImplementation Bootcamp

Plus lifetime updates for all the above courses.

This is a unique package for Black Friday, with a 89% discount.

Click here to get 89% off the Language of Memory package from the Magnetic Memory Method.

Courage to Speak -- Build Your Confidence -- 50% Off



Mindset Programme for Language LearnersGood for: Confidence Building, Beating Shyness



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Courage to Speak with Shannon Kennedy will help you build your confidence to connect with people all around the world through your language learning. You’ll learn the courage to speak your new language, in real conversations.

A Courage to Speak student told us: "I just want to say I LOVE this course! So supportive and encouraging. You have helped me go from thinking it's all impossible to, actually it IS possible. Thank you so much." -- Maria V

Get 50% Off Courage to Speak here.

Conversation Countdown -- Your First Conversation in 7 Days -- 50% Off



7-Day Course in Speaking SkillsGood for: Beginners, Taking the Plunge!



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Have your first conversation in your new language after just one week with Conversation Countdown. At the end of this 7-day video course, you’ll have your first conversation with a native speaker -- even if you’re a complete beginner!

Here’s what one of my students, Maggie, wrote to tell me after she took Conversation Countdown:

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Thanks for making Conversation Countdown! I've been studying Spanish for exactly 1 week and I braved a Spanish conversation this morning. I surprised myself by keeping up with the conversation pretty well... for two hours!

“I lived in San Antonio for 5 years and never learned how to have a simple conversation in Spanish, and here I am studying it for 1 week and it's really not hard at all! I'm so excited and I think I actually can be fluent in 3 months if I keep at it!"

Maggie A.

Get 50% Off Conversation Countdown here.

And don’t forget…

The Fluent in 3 Months Black Friday Collection 2020 -- 91% off

Have a 15-Minute Conversation in your new language after 90 Days of Learning Good for: Speaking, Rapid Language Learning

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Get 91% off language hacking with the Fluent in 3 Months Black Friday Collection 2020. Our biggest ever Black Friday discount for language learners!

Featuring our flagship language programme, the Fluent in 3 Months Challenge.

Total value: $1,719

Black Friday Deal Price: $147

Yes - I Want 91% Off the Fluent in 3 Months Black Friday Collection.

Black Friday Deals for Your Target Language

This blog post would be way too long if I collected all the deals I've found in one place!

So I've put together individual Black Friday deal pages for each language...

Click the language you want to see deals for:

Most Popular Languages



SpanishFrenchGermanChineseJapaneseKoreanRussian



More Languages with Deals Available



ArabicBrazilian PortugueseCantoneseChineseCzechDanishDutchEnglishFilipinoFrenchGermanGreekHebrewHungarianItalianJapaneseKoreanMandarinNorwegianPolishPortugueseRussianSpanishSwedishTagalogThaiTurkishEven More Languages

The post Black Friday Mega-Deals for Language Learners 2020! appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.