Benny Lewis's Blog, page 37

How to Learn a Rainbow of Colors in Korean

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So you want to learn the colors in Korean? Good call!

Colors are one of the first things we teach children when learning a language. And it should be one of the first things you learn in Korean, too.

Colors can be so helpful in the beginning stages of language learning.

If you don’t know a word, you can describe its characteristics by using color. Colors help you point out one object over another or even talk about your emotions. (Think like, “I’m seeing red” in English to describe anger!) And we’re surrounded by color all the time, so they’re common Korean words to hear and use.

Maybe you’re not sure where to begin with learning colors in Korean.

After all, while most of Korean is easier than you think… colors in Korean are just a bit confusing. Korean colors can function differently than in English. They can be adjectives, verbs, or nouns, and change forms depending on the situation.

But don’t worry, because I’ll explain it all here.

So let’s break down all the colors in Korean! Here’s what I’ll be teaching you today:

How to say all the basic colors of the rainbow in Korean
How to modify your colors (light or dark colors)
Korean grammar when using color words
More Korean colors like in a Crayola box!

Ready to get learning? 시작하자! (sijaghaja, “Let’s get started!”)
All the Colors in Korean: Basic Korean Colors 101
First, let’s start with the colors of the rainbow:

Red in Korean is 빨간색 (ppalkansaek)
Orange in Korean is 주황색 (juhwangsaek)
Yellow in Korean is 노란색 (noransaek)
Green in Korean is 초록색 (choroksaek)
Blue in Korean is 파란색 (paransaek)
Purple in Korean is 보라색 (bolasaek)

And some more common, basic colors:

White in Korean is 하얀색 (hayansaek)
Black in Korean is 검정색 (geomjeongsaek)
Gray in Korean is 회색 (hoesaek)
Pink in Korean is 분홍색 (bunhongsaek)
Rainbow in Korean is 무지개색 (mujigaesaek)

“Color” in Korean
You may have noticed above, but all those words end with the same thing: 색 (saek). That’s because 색 is the word for “color” in Korean! You can also use the word 색깔 (saekkkal).

What’s the difference between the two? Well, 색깔 (saekkkal) is used to talk about color in general. 색 (saek) is used to talk about a specific color. Here’s an example of how to use each:

이 색깔이 정말 좋아 (i saekkkal-i jeongmal joh-a) - “I really like this color.”
수박은 빨간색이에요. (subag-eun ppalgansaek-ieyo) - “Watermelon is red.”

In the first example, we’re talking about a general color. In the second, we’re talking about red specifically.

There’s also a special point here when it comes to using 색 with colors.

Red, yellow, blue, white, and black can drop 색 when used as an adjective.
How to Modify Korean Colors
So, in English, we modify colors by saying things like “light blue” and “dark blue.” Sometimes we also talk about the intensity of the color, like “pastel blue” or “bright blue.” How can we describe colors in the same way in Korean?

For pastel colors, it’s taken from the English word and said 파스텔 (paseutel). Add it on to your color: 파스텔파란색 for pastel blue, 파스텔분홍색 for pastel pink.

You can say 선명한 (seonmyeonghan) in the same way to say a color is vivid, bright, or bold.

For light colors, you say 밝은 (balkeun) plus the color. Like 밝은빨간색 for light red. For dark colors, it’s 어두운 (eoduun).

There are a few exceptions though, where a light, dark, or pastel color has its own name. For instance, “light blue” wouldn’t be 밝은파란색, but 하늘색 (haneulsaek) which is “sky blue.”
Korean Grammar When Using Color Words
When it comes to using colors in sentences, it’s actually pretty straightforward.

The colors listed above are nouns, but they can be used as adjectives as well. For example:

이 보라색 드레스를 좋아해요.
i bolasaek deuleseu leul joh-ahaeyo.
I like this purple dress.

그 차는 빨간색이에요.
geu cha neun ppalgansaek-ieyo
The car is red.

So, in the first example, purple is an adjective to describe the dress. In the second example, red is a noun to state the color of the car and combined with the verb 이다 (ida) which means “to be”

As I already mentioned, some colors drop 색 when used as adjectives. These special colors are red, yellow, blue, white, and black. So keep that in mind.

The rest of the adjective colors in Korean can function like in English, where they come before the noun. Or, they can act like they do in Spanish, coming after the noun, to describe a specific color. In this case, you combine 색 with the verb 이다 (ida).
Crayola Box of Korean Colors!
There are lots of names for colors besides the basics. Like gold in Korean is 금색 (geumsaek) -- a good one to know if you’re going to watch the Olympics, or talk about money!

Oh, and if you’re curious: “crayon” in Korean is 크레용 (keuleyong), taken from English.

So here are some extra colors in Korean that you might find in a Crayola box:

은색 (eunsaek) - “Silver”
청동색 (cheongdong saek) - “Bronze”
적갈색 (jeoggalsaek) - “Maroon”
연보라색 (lyeonbolasaek) - “Light purple, lilac”
연두색 (yeondusaek) - “Light green”
청록색 (cheonglogsaek) - “Turquoise”
자홍색 (jahongsaek) - “Fuchsia”
남색 (namsaek) - “Indigo”
민트 색 (minteusaek) - “Mint”
핫 핑크색 (has pingkeusaek) - “Hot Pink”
산호 색 (sanhosaek) - “Coral”
비취색 (bichiwisaek) - “Jade”
황갈색 (hwang-galsaek) - “Tan”
복숭아색 (bogsung-a saek) - “Peach”

The Best Ways to Practice Using Korean Colors
The best way to practice using Korean colors is to use them -- a lot!

You could practice by labeling items around your home with their color. Or try making it into a sentence, where you practice attaching the color to the noun. For instance, if you place a sticky note on your black fridge, you might say:

냉장고는 검은 색입니다.
naengjang-goneun geom-eun saek-ibnida
“The fridge is black.”

Another great way to practice is to use mnemonics. Can you come up with word associations in English to help you remember the Korean word?

Take the word for yellow, 노란색 (nolansaek). I think to myself, I accidentally washed my white shirt with a bright yellow sock! Now it’s “no long”-er the color white.

It’s also helpful to put the vocab in a flashcard app, like Anki, or use some helpful Korean apps. The Naver dictionary, especially, is helpful when learning Korean vocab, grammar, and idioms. You can hear how the words sound, so you can work on your pronunciation. You can also look up any other colors you may want to know, with example sentences.

There are also vocab apps that have color categories to help you memorize them. I like Drops for Korean vocab. They have 2,000+ vocab words, including Korean pop culture, as well as the basics. Colors, beginner phrases, numbers, and more.
Korean Colors as Verbs
The special colors in Korean (red, yellow, blue, white, and black) can be used at the end of the sentence too, as a verb.

(We sometimes use colors as verbs in English too, e.g. “the sky yellowed”.)

To transform colors into verbs in Korean, change the ending from -ㄴ색 (-nsaek) to -ㅎ다 (-hda) to make it a descriptive verb. This is honestly a complicated nuance to the language, but it’s often heard so it’s good to know. Basically, adding -ㅎ다 (-hda) to the end of one of the special colors means almost the same thing as adding the verb 이다 (ida). But the nuance is slightly different.

With -ㅎ다 (-hda), you’re saying something “does” the color automatically or naturally. For example:

머리가 빨개요. (meoliga ppalgaeyo)
My hair is red.

Red is normally 빨간색 (ppalkansaek). So you drop the -ㄴ색 (-nsaek), and add on the casual verb conjugation of -ㅎ다 (-hda) which makes it 빨개요 (ppalgaeyo).

It means my hair is red… naturally, by birth. Whereas if I used 빨간색 (ppalkansaek) with the verb 이다 (ida), it would be translated the same, but could mean my hair was red because I colored it. Or because something happened to it to make it red.

I know this can take some getting used to, but don’t worry about it too much. Just know if you hear one of the special colors said this way, it means something “does” the color naturally.
Color Your Korean!
There you have it -- your beginner lesson into the world of Korean colors. Make sure to practice what you’ve learned so it sticks with you! Go through your day naming the colors of things around you, and soak up the rainbow.

So what’s next for your Korean language journey? I recommend learning Hangul, the Korean alphabet, next if you haven’t already. You could immerse yourself in amazing Korean movies and K-Dramas to boost your language skills. Or, if you’re brave… Try binge-watching Mukbang videos on YouTube. (In fact, they use a lot of adjectives and colors to describe what they’re eating!) While mukbang isn’t my favorite form of Korean immersion, it does provide some colorful commentary and real-life Korean phrases about food. Perfect for the foodie at heart!

And if you’re interested in really learning Korean to start speaking fast, I highly recommend reading my review for 90 Day Korean. It’s my favorite language learning course I’ve taken to date!

Now, tell me -- What’s your favorite color in Korean? Leave me a comment below and let me know!

The post How to Learn a Rainbow of Colors in Korean appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.

37 Italian Sayings that Italians Really Use

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Every language has its own turns of phrase and quirky sayings, and we Italians are fond of our many aforismi e proverbi (“aphorisms and proverbs”).

Italian sayings communicate a message with wisdom and humor, two appreciated traits in the Italian culture.

That’s why one thing you should focus on when learning Italian is Italian sayings.

Think about it: what better way is there to sound like a native than to incorporate local expressions into your speech?

Plus, by learning Italian sayings you’ll get an insight into Italian culture and how Italians think.

In this article, you’ll find popular Italian sayings about life, success, friendship, family, and food, as well as some Latin expressions that are still widely used in the Boot and a list of Italian idioms.

Italian is my native language, so I’m very proud to share these.

Pronti? Via! (“Ready? Let’s go!”)
10 Italian Phrases About Life (+ a Bonus!)
Life is full of surprises, isn’t it? Both good and bad ones. But it doesn’t look like Italians are ever really surprised. In fact, they seem to have a proverb or idiom related to about every possible situation in life.

As there are many Italian sayings about life, I’ve collected 10 of the most popular ones for you here. I’ve also added, as a bonus, a saying that isn’t very popular but makes up for it in charm.
Il Mattino Ha l’Oro in Bocca - “The Early Bird Catches the Worm”
If you’re an early riser, this Italian quote could be your motto.

Literally translated as “the morning has gold in its mouth”, il mattino ha l’oro in bocca suggests that the early morning hours are the ones which bring about more productivity.

This phrase is considered to be the equivalent of the English “the early bird catches the worm” because, despite not meaning the exact same thing, they have a similar message: those who start off before others catch the best opportunities.
Nulla Nuova, Buona Nuova - “No News Is Good News”
There is little to explain about Nulla nuova, buona nuova as it has an exact alter ego in English: “No news is good news.”

If you’re not familiar with the phrase in either languages, you’ll catch its meaning after reading its Italian counterpart: Le notizie brutte si sanno subito. (“Bad news is immediately known.”)

Not hearing any news about a person usually means that their routine is going on as always, hence there is no need to report any changes.
Ai Mali Estremi, Estremi Rimedi - “Desperate Times Call for Drastic Measures”
This Italian phrase comes from the Latin Extremis malis, extrema remedia. It literally translates to “to extreme wrongs, extreme cures”, but would usually be rendered in English as “desperate times call for drastic measures”.

This phrase is used when talking about serious situations. If a problem is harsh, the proverb suggests that the solution should be equally heavy.
Finché C’È Vita C’È Speranza - “While There's Life, There's Hope”
Italians are fond of this phrase. They like to remember that they should keep hoping for the best, even when they are in a dire situation or things look impossible.

Finché c’è vita, c’è speranza has a sibling proverb: la speranza è l'ultima a morire (literally: “hope is the last one to die”).
Meglio Tardi Che Mai - “Better Late Than Never”
Meglio tardi che mai is another Italian phrase that points to a glass-half-full mindset. It is a reminder that it’s better when things happen late, but still happen, rather than not happening at all.

This proverb has a twin related to quantities: meglio poco che niente. (“something’s better than nothing.”)

Both phrases are often used sarcastically.
Ride Bene Chi Ride Ultimo - “He Who Laughs Last, Laughs Longest”
Because of this saying, I’ve always been cautious during competitions. You should never feel like the victory is yours before the competition is actually over!

Ride bene chi ride ultimo is not only used as a warning but also as a moral. Its meaning sometimes coincides with that of the sayings non vendere la pelle dell'orso prima di averlo ucciso (literally: “don’t sell the bear’s skin before having killed it”) or non dire gatto se non ce l'hai nel sacco (literally: “don’t say cat if you don’t have it in the bag”), which both mean “don't count your chickens before they're hatched”.
7. L’Abito Non Fa il Monaco - “Clothes Don’t Make the Man” and “Don’t Judge a Book by Its Cover”
Literally translated in English l’abito non fa il monaco becomes “the clothes do not make the monk”. We can see in it a trace of the heavy importance of the Catholic religion on Italian culture.

If we were to look for the English equivalent of this idiom, we’d find two. Let’s see why.

Firstly, it’s not the monk’s clothes that make him a holy man, but his actions. In this case, the phrase means “clothes don’t make the man”.

But then, if a man is clothed as a monk, he isn’t necessarily one. In this case, the English translation would be “don’t judge a book by its cover”. There even is another saying for this in Italian: “non è tutt'oro ciò che luccica” (“all that glitters is not gold”).
A Caval Donato Non si Guarda in Bocca - “Don't Look a Gift Horse in the Mouth”
You’d be surprised at how often this saying is used in Italy. How weird is it to talk about looking a horse in the mouth?

When horses were a crucial resource, buyers checked a horse's mouth before purchasing them to make sure it was in good health. They assured themselves that the horse was worth the money spent and would be able to perform its tasks well. That’s what we still do when we’re considering buying a product, after all.

But would you check the quality of a gift you’ve received in front of the person who’s gifted it to you? That’d be rude.

That’s what this saying means. You should be grateful for what you get and not look for reasons to dismiss a gift.
Batti il Ferro Finché È Caldo - “Make Hay While the Sun Shines”
Batti il ferro finché è caldo (literally: “Beat the iron while it’s hot”) is the Italian phrase used when you want to encourage someone to act while there is an opportunity to grab. In fact, giving iron shape is possible only when it’s hot enough to be reformed. When it cools down, there’s nothing you can do to bend it.
Chi Troppo Vuole Nulla Stringe - “Grasp All, Lose All”
Chi troppo vuole nulla stringe literally means “those who want too much end up keeping/getting nothing”.

It’s a colloquial but wise saying that brings to mind one of Aesop's fables: Il Cane e l’Osso (“The Dog and The Bone”).

In this story, a dog is enjoying a bone on the side of a river. While he is chewing his meal, he happens to look down at the water’s surface. He mistakes his reflection for another dog chewing on what seems to him like a bigger bone. Eager to get a better meal, the dog opens his mouth to get the other bone… But what happens instead is that his own meal falls into the river, where the dog can’t get it back.

There’s another Italian phrase with a similar meaning. It says il meglio è il nemico del bene (“the perfect is the enemy of good.”) While there’s nothing wrong in aiming to give your best effort, the proverb teaches that wanting too much perfection might lead you to lose the work you put up to get something simply good.
Bonus Italian Saying: La Vita È Come Una Fotografia. Se Sorridi, Viene Meglio (“Life is Like a Photograph. If You Smile, It’s Better”)
This one is not very popular as it is more recent than any of the above-mentioned phrases, but I wanted to include it because it’s one of the most beautiful Italian sayings I’ve ever heard.
5 Italian Phrases About Success
There are quite a few Italian expressions related to success. Here are five that are frequently used in Italy:
Chi Dorme Non Piglia Pesci - “You Snooze, You Lose”
Chi dorme non piglia pesci literally translates to “those who sleep don’t catch fish.”

Does it sound like it makes no sense? Well, think about it. You can’t expect to catch fish if all you do when going out to the river is sleep on the bank.

Similarly, you can’t expect to get results if you’re too lazy to work for them.
Chi Fa Da Sé, Fa Per Tre - “Do It Yourself if You Want It Done Right”
According to this saying, doing things yourself is as if you did the job of three people. What Italians want to say is that you have to do things yourself if you want them to be done properly. And here I am writing this excellent article about Italian sayings, so of course, I think it’s true.

Gomen Nasai! How to Say “I’m Sorry” in Japanese

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Did you know there are over a dozen different ways to say “sorry” in Japanese?

Like in English, there’s “I’m sorry” or “my apologies” in Japanese, too. But there are also different levels of formality and intensity of the apology, depending on the situation.

So how do you apologize in Japanese? How will you know what is the difference between sumimasen and gomen nasai, and when to use which?

Well, that’s what we’re going to break down!

Mastering how to say “I’m sorry” in Japanese is super important for good communication. Not only is it a crucial part of the culture and context, it’s just polite to learn in any language.

So, here’s what we’re going to be learning today:

How to say “I’m sorry” in formal Japanese
How to say “I’m sorry” casually in Japanese
The difference between common Japanese apology phrases like sumimasen and gomen nasai
The art of the Japanese apology: customs and how to apologize
Extra ways to ask for forgiveness in Japanese

Let’s dive right in!
How Do You Say “I’m Sorry” in Japanese? - ごめんなさい (Gomen Nasai)
This is the standard way to say “sorry” in Japanese, and you can use it in most situations.

ごめんなさい (gomen nasai) is the polite way to say “I’m sorry,” but you can make it more casual, too. Switching it to ごめん (gomen, masculine) or ごめんね (gomen ne, feminine) makes it more casual and lighthearted for minor issues.

On the flip side, you can make it more sincere by adding 本当に (hontou ni), to say 本当にごめんなさい (hontou ni gomen nasai) which means “I’m truly sorry.”

Be careful, though, because this phrase is not a strong enough apology if you have to say you’re sorry to someone “above” you in Japanese society (like your boss!). In that case, you would use…
“I’m Terribly Sorry” - 申し訳ございません (Moushiwake Gozaimasen)
If you did something wrong at work, this would be the phrase to use. It’s in humble speech and shows your sincerity more than ごめん(ね).

申し訳ございません (moushiwake gozaimasen) is also said if you do something wrong in any situation where you must apologize to someone of authority. That could mean law enforcement, too.

You’ll also hear 申し訳ありません (moushiwake arimasen), which essentially means the same thing, but is slightly less polite because it’s not in humble speech.
“Excuse Me” in Japanese - すみません (Sumimasen)
すみません (sumimasen) is a super common way to apologize in most situations. It’s used in the same way as “excuse me” is in English. If you need to pass someone in a tight space, you’d say すみません. Bumped into someone by accident? “ああ、すみません！” (Aa, sumimasen, “Ah, I’m sorry!”)
What’s the Difference Between Sumimasen and Gomen Nasai?
I’m glad you asked! ごめんなさい (gomen nasai) is only used to apologize for something you did wrong. すみません (sumimasen) is used to apologize, too, but also used to get someone’s attention. It’s not necessarily casual but it’s the more laid-back apology in Japanese.

So, sumimasen vs. gomen nasai is a bit nuanced, and they’re often used interchangeably. But the main the is, sumimasen isn’t just for apologizing.
“Please Excuse Me” - 失礼します (Shitsure Shimasu)
失礼します (shitsure shimasu) has a few different uses, but this is one. It’s most common to hear in the workplace, especially if someone helped you with something. You use this phrase to apologize for the inconvenience, as a polite way of saying “thanks for your help.”

You can also use this phrase when leaving work. If you leave before anyone else at work, you’ll say お先に失礼します (osaki ni shitsure shimasu / “Excuse me, I have to go now”) to apologize for leaving before they do. They’ll reply with お疲れ様でした (otsukaresama deshita), which means both “You must be tired” and “Thanks for all your hard work.”

This phrase is also used to say, “I’m sorry for being rude” or “I’m sorry for messing up.”
“Please Forgive Me” in Japanese - 許してください (Yurushite Kudasai)
This is another deep, sincere apology. You don’t use this one lightly. Saying 許してください (yurushite kudasai) is a much more intense apology for when you’ve made someone mad. It doesn’t matter who it is or their social level compared to yours. This is the phrase you use when you want to ease tensions by asking for forgiveness.

By the way, in case you were wondering, this phrase comes from the word 許し (yurushi), which means “forgiveness” in Japanese.
“My Apologies” in Japanese - 謝罪いたします (Shazai Itashimasu)
謝罪いたします (shazai itashimasu) is a super intense and formal way to apologize. It uses the humble form いたします (itashimasu) to emphasize the depth of the apology. 謝罪 (shazai) is the Japanese word for “apology”, so it’s like saying “My deepest apologies” or “I sincerely apologize.”

This isn’t often heard, though. It’s mostly used in writing by politicians, celebrities, and the like, who have to issue a public written apology for a scandal that’s released to the press.
“Sorry to Bother You” - お邪魔します (Ojama Shimasu)
A standard 挨拶 (aisatsu) phrase for interrupting or bothering someone is お邪魔します (ojama shimasu). You can use this any time and to anyone who you may be interrupting.

For instance, if you knock on a colleague’s office to ask a question at work, you would knock and say お邪魔します. You also use this phrase any time you enter someone’s home, whether you were invited over or not. And whenever you leave, you say the same phrase in past tense: お邪魔しました (ojama shimashita / “Sorry to have bothered you”).
“I’m Sorry for the Inconvenience” - ご迷惑をおかけして、申し訳ありません。(Gomeiwaku Wo Okake Shite, Moushiwake Arimasen)
This is a humble, polite way to apologize to someone for helping you. It’s actually more of a way of saying “thank you” than an apology. But in Japanese, it’s more polite to apologize for needing help than it is to say “thank you.”

There are two variations of this phrase:

ご迷惑をおかけして、申し訳ありません。 (gomeiwaku o okake shite, moushiwake arimasen)
ご迷惑をおかけして、すみません。(gomeiwaku o okake shite, sumimasen)

They both mean the same thing. But 申し訳 (moushiwake) is the humble and more polite form of すみません (sumimasen). So the humble form is more appropriate if you’re apologizing to someone superior to you, while the すみません version is a good phrase for anyone who has helped you.
“My Bad” - 悪い悪い (Warui Warui)
悪い悪い (warui warui) is used exactly the same as “My bad” in English. It’s the most casual way to apologize, and should only be used with friends.
“Have Mercy” - 勘弁してください (Kanben Shite Kudasai)
No, I'm not referencing Uncle Jesse’s catchphrase from Full House.

[have mercy.gif: https://giphy.com/gifs/full-house-unc...]

In Japanese, if you’ve made a huge mistake, it’s necessary to apologize in more than one way. So usually, you’ll say something like 申し訳ございません。勘弁してください。(Moushiwake gozaimasen. Kanben shite kudasai). This more or less means “I’m so terribly sorry, please have mercy on me.”

勘弁してください (kanben shite kudasai) may seem odd to English speakers, as we wouldn’t ever use a phrase like it to apologize (unless in a soap opera!). But in Japanese, this is one of the most intense ways to apologize for major mistakes. That could be something that deeply hurt a loved one (like cheating or keeping a hurtful secret), or messing up on a project so bad at work that you lost the company a lot of money (ouch).
The Art of the Japanese Apology: How Do You Apologize in Japanese?
Apologies are a bit different in Japanese because they’re intrinsically tied to the values of Japanese culture.

In Japan, it’s crucial to maintain “face” by keeping up polite, proper appearances. The concept of “face” plays a huge role in Japanese society. You always want to be seen as a team player, conscientious of your actions, and responsible for your mistakes.

The other important aspect of Japanese culture is 和 (wa), which means “harmony.” The Japanese value peace and harmony in the society above almost anything else. So, the art of apologizing in Japanese is a big factor.

You may have already noticed from the examples I’ve shared that in Japanese culture it’s common to apologize to someone when they do a favor for you, rather than say thank you. That’s because you’re grateful, but also didn’t want to cause them an unnecessary burden. You don’t want to disturb the harmony by causing others trouble, so it’s better to apologize.

When you apologize, it’s good manners to bow at the same time. When you bow, you can place your hands along both sides of your legs and bow (a bit more masculine). Or place your hands right below your navel, one on top of the other, and bow (a bit more feminine). Again, this is to show that you are regretful and humble. The deeper the bow (and the more from your body you bow rather than your head), the deeper the apology.

In the case of 勘弁してください (kanben shite kudasai), you may even drop to your knees and bow, dropping your forehead to the floor. This is the deepest level of apology possible in Japanese culture, and it’s called 土下座 (dogeza). You’ll see this in anime and dramas more often than in real life, though.

And, as I mentioned earlier, the bigger the mistake, the more you must apologize. For a small error you can mutter ごめん(ね). But when it comes to big mistakes, you need to use two, three, or even four of these sayings, as well as bowing at the appropriate level.
Save Face and Apologize the Right Way
Now you know the basics of apologizing in Japanese! From the most common, casual ways, to the extreme and intense apologies -- you’ve got it all covered now.

While some of these will be more useful to you in everyday life, it’s a good idea to learn all of them… In case you ever need it!

This is by no means an exhaustive list (there are so many ways to apologize!), nor all the ways to conjugate the phrases above. You could change them to more formal or informal, present or past tense, etc. But most of that will come naturally to you as you continue to learn Japanese, and this is a great place to start.

Because culture does play such a huge part in the language and saying “I’m sorry” in Japanese… Why not learn more Japanese culture tidbits?

You could also learn slang from around Japan, how to be polite with Japanese honorifics, or start learning how to read and write Hiragana.

The post Gomen Nasai! How to Say “I’m Sorry” in Japanese appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.

French Numbers: Counting in French from 1-100+

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Do you want to learn how to count in French? If you’re looking to get a handle on French numbers, I’ve got you and your Eiffel Tower keychain covered.

In this article, I explain everything you need to master counting in French. I'll walk you through both cardinal numbers (“one, two, three..) and ordinal numbers (“first, second, third…”).

Impress your friends. Dazzle your French lover. Have a baguette count-a-thon at the bakery. All this and more is possible. But first, read this article.

Let’s start with a handy-dandy list of French numbers from one to ten. There will be a few cheat sheets in this article. Scroll down for tables on counting up to 100 and ordinal numbers. I’ve also included a video that will help you with French numbers pronunciation. You can use this video for listening and speaking practice.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d39GGgfLwbY
French Numbers 1-10: How to Count to Ten in French
Let’s start with the basics. Counting from one to ten in French is relatively simple. The French numbers up to 10 are as follows.




#
French Number




0
Zéro


1
Un


2
Deux


3
Trois


4
Quatre


5
Cinq


6
Six


7
Sept


8
Huit


9
Neuf


10
Dix




French for "One": Un or Une
Sitting at your favorite Parisian cafe and wanting to order a coffee? Un café, s'il vous plaît will get you properly caffeinated. That’s French for “One coffee, please.”

Later that night, you meet up with some pals for a cold one. Une bière, s'il vous plaît might be useful. It means, “One beer, please.”

Did you notice that there are two versions of one/a/an in French? Un is the masculine version and une is the feminine version. To learn more about genders in your target language, read this article by Benny Lewis, founder of Fluent in 3 Months.
French Numbers Pronunciation
Here’s a video I made that will help you pronounce French numbers.

[Video French Numbers]

There are two ways to pronounce six “six”, huit “eight”, and dix “ten”.

This bit of information is for intermediate learners. If you’re a beginner, it doesn’t hurt to read this section. Simply let the ideas flow over you for the first time.

The pronunciation of six “six”, huit “eight”, and dix “ten” will depend on the word that follows them in a sentence. Let’s look at a few examples to help you understand the differences.
When Six, Huit or Dix Is the Last Word in the sentence
Let’s start with the easiest pronunciation. This is the one we use when we are simply counting. We also use this pronunciation when the number comes at the very end of a sentence.

Combien de billets avez-vous? - “How many tickets do you have?”

J’en ai six. (“seese”) - “I have six of them.”
J’en ai huit. (“weet”) - “I have eight of them.”
J’en ai dix. (“deese”) - “I have ten of them.”

When Six, Huit or Dix Is Followed by a Consonant
If six is followed by a word starting with a consonant such as chiens (“dogs”), it will be pronounced “see”. This rule applies to all three numbers.

Six chiens (“see”)
Huit chiens (“wee”)
Dix chiens (“dee”)

When Six, Huit or Dix Is Followed by a Vowel
If six or dix is followed by a word starting with a vowel, it will be pronounced with a Z on the end.

Six oranges (seez)
Dix oranges (deez)

French Numbers 1-100: How to Count to 100 in French
Let’s take a look at the first 100 numbers in French. After you’ve reviewed this, I’ll walk you through some hacks for getting them into your long term memory.




1-10
11-20
21-30
31-40
41-50
51-60
61-70
71-80
81-90
91-100




1
un
11
onze
21
vingt-et-un
31
trente-et-un
41
quarante-et-un
51
cinquante-et-un
61
soixante-et-un
71
soixante-onze
81
quatre-vingt-et-un
91
quatre-vingt-onze


2
deux
12
douze
22
vingt-deux
32
trente-deux
42
quarante-deux
52
cinquante-deux
62
soixante-deux
72
soixante-douze
82
quatre-vingt-et-deux
92
quatre-vingt-douze


3
trois
13
treize
23
vingt-trois
33
trente-trois
43
quarante-trois
53
cinquante-trois
63
soixante-trois
73
soixante-treize
83
quatre-vingt-et-trois
93
quatre-vingt-treize


4
quatre
14
quatorze
24
vingt-quatre
34
trente-quatre
44
quarante-quatre
54
cinquante-quatre
64
soixante-quatre
74
soixante-quatorze
84
quatre-vingt-et-quatre
94
quatre-vingt-quatorze


5
cinq
15
quinze
25
vingt-cinq
35
trente-cinq
45
quarante-cinq
55
cinquante-cinq
65
soixante-cinq
75
soixante-quinze
85
quatre-vingt-et-cinq
95
quatre-vingt-quinze


6
six
16
seize
26
vingt-six
36
trente-six
46
quarante-six
56
cinquante-six
66
soixante-six
76
soixante-seize
86
quatre-vingt-et-six
96
quatre-vingt-seize


7
sept
17
dix-sept
27
vingt-sept
37
trente-sept
47
quarante-sept
57
cinquante-sept
67
soixante-sept
77
soixante-dix-sept
87
quatre-vingt-et-sept
97
quatre-vingt-sept


8
huit
18
dix-huit
28
vingt-huit
38
trente-huit
48
quarante-huit
58
cinquante-huit
68
soixante-huit
78
soixante-dix-huit
88
quatre-vingt-et-huit
98
quatre-vingt-dix-huit


9
neuf
19
dix-neuf
29
vingt-neuf
39
trente-neuf
49
quarante-neuf
59
cinquante-neuf
69
soixante-neuf
79
soixante-dix-neuf
89
quatre-vingt-et-neuf
99
quatre-vingt-dix-neuf


10
dix
20
vingt
30
trente
40
quarante
50
cinquante
60
soixante
70
soixante-dix
80
quatre-vingt
90
quatre-vingt-dix
100
cent




As you can see from the table, everything is hunky-dory from one to 69.

Things get a little tricky for 70, 80 & 90. We’ll look at them closely in a moment. Don’t fret. If Napoleon could handle French numbers, you can, too!

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1-100 in French. Whew! That’s a whole lotta numbers. Let’s see if we can find some patterns.

Start by learning the numbers for 1-15. This is the foundation for all other numbers: un, deux, trois, quatre, cinq, six, sept, huit, neuf, dix, onze, douze, treize, quatorze, quinze.
Memorize the numbers for the multiples of ten: vingt, trente, quarante, cinquante, soixante, soixante-dix, quatre-vingt, quatre-vingt-dix.

Language Hack: Mundane memorization can be helped by incorporating movement into the sessions. I still hear splashing water when I count in French. Years ago, I took my flashcards into the shallow end of a pool. I memorized them out loud while hopping from one side of the pool to the other. Hey, whatever floats your boat!

Once you've memorized the above, you can fill in the gaps with a simple formula:

For numbers from 16-19, take the rightmost digit and say “dix + (digit)”. E.g. 17 = dix + sept = dix-sept. This is like English: 17 is “seven + ten” i.e. “seventeen”.
It’s pretty simple for 21, 31, 41, 51, 61 and 81. You simply add “and one” which is et un. E.G. 51 = “fifty and one” = cinquante-et-un. (The exceptions to this rule are 71 & 91.)
The numbers from 22-29, 32-39 and so on get contracted into a single word – so instead of vingt et huit, it's vingt-huit. You merely add the single number to the tens number.

Two easy wins:

zero = zéro: Add a fancy accent and you’ve got this one.
100 = cent: Just remember that 100 cents make a dollar.

A few tricky numbers to master:

70 = soixante-dix which is “60 + 10”
80 = quatre-vingts which is “four 20s”
90 = quatre-vingt which is “four 20s + 10”

The country of France is where this wacky math comes into play. In Switzerland and Belgium, you can use a simpler version.

70 = septante
80 = huitante
90 = nonante

Folks in France would be able to understand you if you use those numbers. But what fun is speaking in French without a little Parisian calculation?

Because 70 and 90 are 60 and 80 plus 10, they use teens to express their digits from 71-79 and 91-99. For example, 71 is soixante-et-onze (“60 + 11”) while 95 is quatre-vingt-quinze (“80 + 15”). You can scroll back up to the numbers table to practice.

It sounds complicated but it’s not. Once you run through these a few times, you’ll have a solid grasp on the 70s and 90s. Or rather bell-bottoms and flannel plaid shirts.
What’s the Word in French for 100?
We mentioned it earlier but I didn’t want you to miss it. So, here it is again. The word for 100 in French is cent.

Here an interesting fact. 100 and 1000 (cent and mille) never use the indefinite article (un). Whereas the other larger numbers do. In English, we use the indefinite “a” and “an”. For example, we have a hundred people here. Or we have a thousand people here.

In French, we say, “We have hundred people here.” or “We have thousand people here.” The indefinite article (un) is only omitted when using the numbers cent and mille. When we get to a million, the indefinite article is used again. Let’s look at some examples.

Nous avons cent personnes ici. - “We have hundred people here.”
Nous avons mille personnes ici. - “We have thousand people here.”
Nous avons un million de personnes ici. - “We have a million people here.”
Nous avons un milliard de personnes ici. - “We have a billion people here.”
French Numbers 1-1000: How to Count to 1000 in French
Larger French numbers follow a few simple rules:

For numbers from 100 to 199, use cent followed by the rest of the number:

105 = cent cinq
149 = cent quarante-neuf
181 = cent quatre-vingt-un

For numbers from 200 to 999, you’re going to be happy. They are relatively simple:

200 = deux cents
300 = trois cents
400 = quatre cents
500 = cinq cents
600 = six cents
700 = sept cents
800 = huit cents
900 = neuf cents

To fill in the gaps for the remaining numbers from 200-999, follow the same patterns as 100:

501 = cinq cent un
508 = cinq cent huit
530 = cinq cent trente
531 = cinq cent trente-et-un
565 = cinq cent soixante-cinq
598 = cinq cent quatre-vingt-dix-huit
French Numbers from 1 Thousand to 1 Million
And now, on to the huge numbers.

Great news! You only need to learn two new words to be able to count to 1,000,000. Those essential words are mille (1,000) and un millon (1,000,000).

The only time you'll see un mille is in numbers like soixante et un mille (61,000). You need to put an un in this number to differentiate it from soixante mille (60,000). When talking about 1,000 with nothing in the “ten-thousands” column, write mille, with no un.

Forming new numbers with mille and un millon is fairly straightforward. It is best illustrated by example:

1,000 = mille
1,001 = mille et un
1,500 = mille cinq cents
1,766 = sept cent soixante-six
2,001 = deux mille un
40,000 = quarante mille
74,000 = soixante-quatorze mille
100,000 = cent mille
415,297 = quatre cent quinze mille deux cent quatre-vingt-dix-sept
1,000,000 = un million
3,000,000 = trois millions
6,492,000 = six millions quatre cent quatre-vingt-douze mille
8,841,932 = huit millions huit cent quarante et un mille neuf cent trente-deux

When you're using un million or a million with a noun, you must use de. “One million cats” is un millon de chats. Literally, you're saying “one million of cats”. That would be one serious cat-lady.
Billions and Trillions in French
1,000,000,000 (one billion) = un milliard
1,000,000,000,000 (one trillion) = un billion

While English uses the French word for million, billion is not a cognate. A cognate is a word that sounds or looks similar to another word in another language. Sometimes this is because they come from the same family. Other times, it’s because the word is borrowed.

Un billion is French is what we call a false friend. It looks exactly the same as our English word but it means something different. Un billion means a trillion in French. With a little practice, you’ll have it down pat in no time.
Ordinal Numbers in French
Let’s wrap this up with ordinal numbers.

What is an ordinal number? It is a number that explains a noun's place in a sequence (e.g. the first runner to cross the finish line, the second house on the right).

First things first. Here’s a table to give you the most important ordinal numbers. See if any of these words look familiar to you. I bet you’ll see a few words you already know.




English
Français (M/F)
English
Français




first
premier/première
eleventh
onzième


second
deuxième
twelfth
douzième


third
troisième
thirteenth
treizième


fourth
quatrième
fourteenth
quatorzième


fifth
cinquième
fifteenth
quinzième


sixth
sixième
sixteenth
seizième


seventh
septième
seventeenth
dix-septième


eighth
huitième
eighteenth
dix-huitième


ninth
neuvième
nineteenth
dix-neuvième


tenth
dixième
twentieth
vingtième




Our second tip: In French, adjectives must agree with the gender of the noun it is describing. I have some wonderful news for you! Most ordinal numbers can be used for both masculine and feminine words.

The important exception is first. It’s première for feminine nouns and premier for masculine nouns.

And third but not least, word order for ordinal numbers is similar to English. The ordinal number comes before the word. The majority of adjectives come after the noun is French. So, this is a little freebie for anglophones.

the first dog = le premier chien
the brown dog = le chien brun

the fifth house = la cinquième maison
the clean house = la maison propre
The Napoleon of French Numbers - That’s you!
So, there you have it. You now know how to count from one to infinity in French.
I recommend watching the pronunciation video a few times and repeating the phrases. And don’t forget to habit stack while you’re doing it. Pronunciation videos pair well with mindless tasks like walking or menial chores.

I hope you enjoyed this article. Please let me know in the comments what you’d like us to cover next in the fabulous world of French. Á bientôt ! - “See you soon!”

The post French Numbers: Counting in French from 1-100+ appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.

Hello in Spanish: “¡Hola!” and 70+ More Spanish Greetings for All Occasions

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So you want to say “hello” in Spanish?

Hola, amigo and welcome to this extensive guide on Spanish greetings!

Yes, you’ve read the title right: I’m going to teach you how to greet someone in Spanish in 70+ different ways, because this article covers all occasions!

Why bother learning this many Spanish ways to say hi, you may ask? After all, knowing hola might be enough, right?

Well, let me give you a few reasons to go the extra mile and become a pro at using Spanish greetings.

First of all, saying “hello” is one of the most crucial parts of a conversation - that’s whether you say “hello” in Spanish, or in any language. We all know how important first impressions are to build solid relationships. It takes only a few seconds for a person to form an opinion of you, so you might as well use this short time for your benefit. By using a good greeting to start a conversation, you’ll surely be putting your best foot forward!

Secondly, you need to know when to use a formal Spanish greeting, and when to go with an informal one. Think about it. Do you greet your boss and friends the same way? Probably not. That’s why it’s better to learn how to say both “good morning” and “hey, what's up?” in Spanish before you set off for an adventure in a Spanish-speaking region.

Last but not least… I don’t know about you, but I’m not one to always use the generic “hi”. Spanish has a rich variety of greetings available and I take full advantage of that. Switching ways to say hi is a great way to add some spice to a conversation.

So, are you ready to learn how to say “hello” in Spanish?

Genial, ¡vamos! (“Great, let’s go!”)
“Hello” in Spanish: ¡Hola!
”Hello” en español es “hola”. (“Hello in Spanish is hola.”)

Hola is the standard Spanish greeting. It’s not too formal nor does it sound colloquial, so you can use it in most situations.

In Spanish, the h is silent, so you would pronounce hola as you would ola. Don’t confuse the two, however, because the latter means “wave”.
“Hi” in Spanish: ¡Hola!
There isn’t really a way to say “hi” in Spanish. In fact, it’s exactly the same as “hello”: you simply say hola.

In some Latin-American countries, you will probably hear some cutified versions of hola such as holi or holis, but they’re not fit for use outside of informal groups. They’re also mainlyused by young girls.
“Hey” in Spanish: Hey
Just like with “hi”, there isn’t an outright equivalent to “hey” in Spanish, so you should translate it as hola.

You might use oye (“hear”) as a very informal greeting with close friends, but that may come across as a little rude.

Hey is quite frequent in Latin America along with its phonetically adapted version uey, but you might want to avoid the latter if you’re not yet sure how and when to use it properly because it’s extremely slangy.
“How Are You?” in Spanish: ¿Cómo estás?
The best way to say “Hello, how are you?” in Spanish is Hola, ¿cómo estás? This phrase is composed of the first greeting we learned plus the interrogative word cómo, and the second-person conjugation of the verb estar (“to be”).

To use the phrase properly, you have to remember that, in Spanish, there are several “you” pronouns. Pay attention to the number of people you are addressing and the way you are addressing them -- formal or informal -- to choose the right conjugation of estar:

tú (informal singular “you”) - ¿Cómo estás?
vos (informal singular “you” used in some Latin American countries) - ¿Cómo estás?
usted (formal singular “you”) - ¿Cómo está?
vosotros (the informal plural “you” used in Spain, but not in other Spanish-speaking countries) - ¿Cómo estáis?
ustedes (formal plural “you” in Spain, standard plural “you” in Latin America) - ¿Cómo están?

In Spanish, the pronoun is often dropped from the sentence because it’s easily recognized in the conjugated form -- as the verb agrees with the pronoun in number and formality. However, in Central America, it is common to punctuate the formal versions of ¿Cómo est-? with the corresponding pronoun: ¿Cómo está usted?, ¿Cómo están ustedes?
An Alternative Way to Say “How Are You?” in Spanish: ¿Cómo andas?
¿Cómo andas? is more informal than ¿Cómo estás?, but it’s a fairly frequent way to say “How are you?” in Spanish.

It’s a tricky phrase to translate into English because the verb andar can mean a lot of things, among which “to walk”, “to go”, and “to ride”. When used in sentences, ¿Cómo andas? can mean “how are you doing?”, “how’s it going?”, and “how are you fixed?”, as in ¿Cómo andas de dinero? (“How are you for money?”).

However, when used alone, ¿Cómo andas? is a casual greeting.

Just like with ¿Cómo estás?, pay attention to the correct conjugation of andar based on the person you’re greeting:

tú - ¿Cómo andas? (With vos, it’s ¿Cómo andás?)
usted - ¿Cómo anda?
vosotros - ¿Cómo andáis?
ustedes - ¿Cómo andan?

You might wonder why I’ve included formal pronouns if ¿Cómo andas? is informal. In Latin America, it’s common for people to use slightly informal greetings with someone they speak to formally, so it’s probable that you will come across formal versions of ¿Cómo andas? if you’re headed there.
“How Are You Today?” in Spanish
If you want to ask “How are you today?” in Spanish, just add hoy (“today”) to ¿Cómo estás? or ¿Cómo andas?: ¿Cómo estás hoy? / ¿Cómo andas hoy?
Replace cómo with qué tal
¿Qué tal? on its own means “What’s up?” in Spanish, and I’ll share more on that later. When it replaces cómo, however, qué tal stands for “how”.

¿Cómo estás? becomes ¿Qué tal estás? (“How are you?”)
¿Cómo andas? becomes ¿Qué tal andas? (“How are you?”)

“How Are You Doing?” in Spanish: ¿Cómo te va?
Instead of saying “How are you doing?”, Spanish-speaking people say ¿Cómo te va? (“How is it going for you?”)

The phrase includes the verb ir conjugated at the singular third-person, so the only thing that changes depending on the “you” is the indirect object pronoun.

Check them out:

tú and vos - ¿Cómo te va?
usted - ¿Cómo le va?
vosotros - ¿Cómo os va?
ustedes - ¿Cómo les va?

Spanish Responses to “How You’re Doing?”
Let’s imagine the conversation between two friends who’ve just crossed paths on their way to work (it needs to be quick and effective):

“John, hi! How are you?”
“Patrick! Good, and you?”
“Very well, thanks!”
“Alright, see you soon!”
“Bye!”

With the vocabulary you’ve learnt so far in this article, you’d be able to carry out the first part of this conversation just fine in Spanish:

¡Pablo, hola! ¿Cómo estás?

Now let’s learn how to reproduce the next two lines, the ones to respond to “How are you?”

(For the goodbyes part, you should check out our post on how to say goodbye in Spanish in 65+ ways!)
How to Say “Good, and You?” in Spanish
The best way to say “Good, and you?” in Spanish is Bien, ¿y tú?

If you want to say more than bien, you could say todo bien (“everything’s good”).
How to Say “Very Well, Thanks” in Spanish
To say “Very well, thanks” in Spanish, you would say Muy bien, gracias.

You can replace muy bien by bien, excelente (“excellent”) or genial (“amazing”), though genial is more informal.

In some Latin American countries, the gracias part is sometimes extended to gracias a Dios (“thanks to God”).
How to Say “So-So” in Spanish
Here are some answers to use if you’re not feeling good but not feeling bad either:

Así así - “so-so”
Más o menos - “so-so”
Normal - “okay”
Regular - “okay”

How to Say “Not So Good” in Spanish
If you want to say the truth and tell your friend that you’re not feeling good, you could say:

No tan bien - “Not so good.”
No muy bien - “Not very well.”
Mal - “bad”
Fatal - “awful”. (Fatal is colloquial and mostly used in Spain.)

“What's Up” in Spanish: ¿Qué tal?
What if “How are you?” and “How are you doing?” are too serious and you want to use a more laid-back greeting? “What’s up?” is exactly what you need.

Prepare yourself for some of the variety I warned you about in the introduction. It’s hard to count how many ways there are to say “what’s up?” in Spanish!

The reason for this is the large number of Spanish dialects. Almost every Spanish-speaking country has its own regionalism to translate “what’s up?”. Even some countries where Spanish is not the official language have their own version!

Here are some ways to say “what’s up?” in Spanish:

¿Qué tal? - It’s mostly used in Spain but it can pop up in conversations in other Spanish-speaking regions as well. It’s also used as “How is it going?” or to replace “how” in questions, as we saw above.
¿Qué pasa? - “What’s happening?”
¿Qué pasó? - “What happened?”
¿Qué onda? - This one is popular in Central America and sometimes concluded with güey or güero (“dude”).
¿Qué más? - Literally “What else?”
¿Qué hay? - Hay is the third person conjugation of the verb haber, so the question is “What is there?” in the sense of “What’s happening?” or “What’s new?”
¿Qué hubo? - Literally “What happened”, this phrase’s meaning is the same as that of ¿Qué hay?
¿Qué hay de nuevo? - “What’s new?”
¿Qué es lo que? - Contracted version of ¿Qué es lo que hay? (“What is there?”). Tthis one is chiefly used in the Dominican Republic, and you’ll also hear its shorter form Qué lo que?
¿Qué cuentas? - It’s hard to translate this one, but it means something along the lines of “What news do you have to tell?” It also sometimes appears as ¿Qué me cuentas? (“Tell me what’s new”) and ¿Qué nos cuentas? (“Tell us what’s new.”)
¿Qué haces? - “What are you doing?”

You can see that in ¿Qué cuentas? and ¿Qué haces?, the verbs are conjugated with tú, the informal second-person pronoun. It’s important to remember to modify the verbs in these two phrases depending on the appropriate Spanish “you”.

Here’s how you would do that:

tú - ¿Qué cuentas? and ¿Qué haces? (With vos, it’s ¿Qué contás? and ¿Qué hacés?)
usted - ¿Qué cuenta? and ¿Qué hace?
vosotros - ¿Qué contáis? and ¿Qué hacéis?
ustedes - ¿Qué cuentan? and ¿Qué hacen?

Obviously, as “what’s up?” is a informal greeting, you might not use the formal versions of these phrases very often, but it’s good to know them nonetheless. As I mentioned before, in Latin America, people sometimes use slightly informal greetings with someone they speak to formally.
“Good Morning” in Spanish: ¡Buenos días!
To wish someone a good morning in Spanish, you would say ¡Buenos días!, literally “good days.” In fact, the singular version of the phrase, buen día, means “good day” in Spanish.

So why use the plural?

There are several theories to answer this question. One I like is that ¡Buenos días! is only the contraction of a longer expression -- which might have been something along the lines of Buenos días guarden a vos (a way to say “May your days be good” in dated Spanish). Since technology wasn’t present to make conversations instantaneous back then, people often didn’t see each other every day So, they would swap greetings that lasted a good amount of time.

Today, you say ¡Buenos días!, meaning “good morning”, but it’s not uncommon to simply hear ¡Buen día!

Note that ¡Buen día! is also used as a goodbye.
“Good Afternoon” in Spanish: ¡Buenas tardes!
¡Buenas tardes! is the correct way to say “good afternoon” in Spanish. In Latin America, you might also hear its shorter version: ¡Buenas!. The tardes is implied.

Unlike with ¡Buenos días!, the singular version of ¡Buenas tardes! isn’t a correct way to say “good afternoon”.
“Good Evening” in Spanish: ¡Buenas noches!
There is no literal translation of “good evening” in Spanish simply because there isn’t a Spanish equivalent for “evening”. In fact, the noche (“night”) comes immediately after the tarde -- around 6, 7, or 8 pm, depending on the region’s culture.

¡Buenas noches! is also a way to wish someone a good night.
How to Greet Someone You’ve Just Met in Spanish
We don’t usually use the same greetings with friends as with people we’ve just met. To the first, we might say something like, “What’s up, dude?” To the latter, it’s more along the lines of “Nice to meet you.”
“Nice to Meet You” in Spanish
There are two ways to say “nice to meet you” in Spanish:

Mucho gusto (literally “much pleasure”)
Encantado/a (“glad”, literally “enchanted”)

To make the phrases fuller, you can add the verb conocer (“know”) along with the appropriate direct object pronoun depending on the “you” you are using:

tú or vos - Mucho gusto conocerte
usted - Mucho gusto en conocerle (This is not the grammatically correct form, but it’s frequently used.)
usted (with a man) - Mucho gusto en conocerlo
usted (with a woman) - Mucho gusto en conocerla
vosotros - Encantado de conoceros
ustedes - Encantada de conocerles (Again, not the grammatically correct form, but it is often used.)
ustedes (with men) - Encantada de conocerlos
ustedes (with women) - Encantada de conocerlas

Note: You can say both Mucho gusto conocerte and Mucho gusto en conocerte.
“What’s Your Name” in Spanish: ¿Cómo te llamas?
To ask someone for their name in Spanish, you would ask them ¿Cómo te llamas? (literally “How are you called?”)

tú - ¿Cómo te llamas? (With vos, it’s ¿Cómo te llamás?)
usted - ¿Cómo se llama usted?
vosotros - ¿Cómo os llamáis?
ustedes - ¿Cómo se llaman?

You could also say: ¿Cuál es tu nombre? (“What’s your name?”)

Remember to use the correct possessive pronoun:

tú and vos - ¿Cuál es tu nombre?
usted - ¿Cuál es su nombre?
vosotros - ¿Cuál es vuestro nombre?
ustedes - ¿Cuál es su nombre?

“My Name Is...” in Spanish: Mi nombre es…
To introduce yourself in Spanish, you can say:

Mi nombre es… - “My name is…”
Soy… - “I am…”
Me llamo… - “I am called…”

How to Say “Welcome!” in Spanish:
To greet someone in Spanish by letting them know they’re welcome, you would say ¡Bienvenido! if your guest is a man, ¡Bienvenida! if she is a woman.

If you’re having several people over, say ¡Bienvenidos! to only men or a mixed group and ¡Bienvenidas! to only women.
Spanish Greetings for Letters, Emails, Texts, and Phone Calls
Saying “hi” in person is not the same as opening an email or picking up the phone. So what Spanish greetings are appropriate to use in letters, emails, texts, and phone calls?

Let me introduce you to some of the most common:
Spanish Greetings for Letters and Emails
Not all letters and emails can start in the same way, right? In some, you need to be formal, in others, more friendly. Maybe you might not even know who you are writing to and need something neutral.

Here are some of the most common Spanish greetings to use in letters and emails:

Estimado/a Señor/Señora/Señorita - “Dear Sir/Mrs./Ms.” or “Esteemed Sir/Mrs./Ms.” This is a formal greeting. You can complete the title with the last name of the person you’re addressing. The plural form is Estimados Señores” with men and *Estimadas Señoras/Señoritas with women.
Distinguido/a Señor/Señora/Señorita - “Distinguished Sir/Mrs./Ms.” This is another formal greeting, to which you can add the person’s name as well. The plural form is Distinguidos Señores” with men and *Distinguidas Señoras/Señoritas with women.
Querido/a… - “Dear…” This is an informal greeting, one you would use with someone with whom you use tú. Add the person’s name for a more personal effect.
A quien corresponda - “To Whom it May Concern”

It’s also possible that you receive correspondence starting with a simple Buenos días.

Note: Remember that greetings in Spanish letters or emails are always followed by a colon and not a coma, like this:
Estimado Señor Vásquez:

Texts and Phone Calls
In Spanish, you can send a quick greeting by only typing:

hla - It’s hola, but without the o.
q tl - ¿Qué tal?
salu2 - saludos (“greetings”)

There also are abbreviations for most of the different ways to say “what’s up”. In the Dominican Republic, you can text a friend klk, which stands for Qué lo que? It’s easy to pick these up once you’re in contact with natives.

Now let’s talk about phone calls. Spanish-speakers have different ways to answer when they pick up the phone depending on the region where they are from. Some you might come across are:

Hola - “Hello”
Aló or jaló - Typical interjections for picking up a call.
Olá - Another interjection typical of answering phone calls, mainly used in Latin America.
Bueno - “Well”
Dígame - “Tell me”
Diga - “Tell” and the “me” is implied. Diga can also translate as “do tell”.
Sí - “Yes?”
Gracias por llamar... - “Thank you for calling...” This one is a standard answer you may receive when you call a company or business.
En que le puedo ayudar? - “How may I help you?”

If you’re the one calling, you can use phrases you’ve previously learned in this post while keeping in mind the details about formality and proper use of pronouns.
Spanish Greetings for Specific Occasions
There are specific occasions throughout the year for which we use special greetings. Whether it’s a holiday, birthday or any other noteworthy event, these dates all have their own Spanish phrase.

Most often, these greetings are composed of the adjective feliz (“happy”) and the occasion’s name.

Examples:

Cumpleaños (“Birthday”) - Feliz cumpleaños
Aniversario (“Anniversary”) - Feliz aniversario
Año Nuevo (“New Year”) - Feliz Año Nuevo; Another common greeting for the New Year is Prospero Año Nuevo (“Prosperous New Year”)
San Valentín (“Valentine’s Day”) - Feliz San Valentín
Día de la Mujer (“Women’s Day”) - Feliz Día de la Mujer
Pascua (“Easter”) - Feliz Pascua
Jánuca (“Hanukkah”) - Feliz Jánuca
Navidad (“Christmas”) - Feliz Navidad

You can also say mejores deseos (“best wishes”) on occasions such as birthdays.
The Noun “Greetings” in Spanish
In Spanish, the noun for “greeting” is saludo, which derives from the verb saludar (“say hi”).

Funnily enough, saludo is also used to say bye, but generally when it’s in plural form -- saludos. For example, a formal Spanish letter closure is cordiales saludos (“best regards”).
The Verbs “To Say Hi” in Spanish
There are two ways in Spanish to cover the meaning of “to say hi”: decir hola and saludar.
Decir Hola
Decir hola is composed of the verb decir (“say”) and the greeting hola.

Indicative conjugation of decir:

(yo) digo
(tú) dices (Note: The people of certain Latin American countries, such as Argentina, use vos instead of tú as the informal singular “you”, for which they would say (vos) decís instead of (tú) dices.)
(él/ella/usted) dice (Note: Usted is the formal singular “you”.)
(nosotros) decimos
(vosotros) decis (Note: Vosotros is the informal plural “you” used in Spain, but not in other Spanish-speaking countries.)
(ellos/ellas/ustedes) dicen (Note: Ustedes is the formal plural “you” in Spain, but it is used as the plural “you” for any occasion throughout Latin America.)

Decir hola is often used in imperative mode. It’s said in sentences such as: Dile hola a tu amiga de mi parte (“Say hi to your friend from me”) or Digámosle hola al vecino (“Let’s say hi to our neighbor.”)

Imperative conjugation of decir:

(tú) di (With vos, it’s (vos) decí.)
(usted) diga
(nosotros) digamos
(vosotros) decid
(ustedes) digan

To complete the phrase, add the appropriate indirect object pronoun:

dime hola - “Say hi to me”
dile hola - “Say hi to him/her” → Dile hola a tu hermana (“Say hi to your sister.”)
dinos hola - “Si hi to us”
diles hola - “Say hi to them” → Diles hola a tus primos (“Say hi to your cousins.”)

Saludar
The second verb to say hi in Spanish is saludar:

(yo) saludo
(tú) saludas (With vos, it’s (vos) saludás.)
(él/ella/usted) saluda
(nosotros) saludamos
(vosotros) saludáis
(ellos/ellas/ustedes) saludan

Over to You!
¿Qué tal, amigos?

Now that you know many ways to say hello in Spanish, what greetings will you use? Do you know any other way to say “what’s up” in Spanish? Let me know in the comments!

The post Hello in Spanish: “¡Hola!” and 70+ More Spanish Greetings for All Occasions appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.

Learn 300 French Cognates in Just a Few Minutes

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With French cognates, you can learn hundreds of French words in a matter of minutes.

French cognates are words that are spelled the same in English and French. There are hundreds of these words.

To put it another way, even if you’ve never spent a single minute learning French, you already know a lot of French words.

That’s because French and English have so much in common.

Learning French cognates is a fast and simple way to build your French vocabulary. And best of all, there are simple rules you can follow when you’re looking for cognates. So you don’t even have to learn cognates word-by-word. You can learn hundreds (or even thousands) of them in just a few minutes.

To get you started, I’ve put together this list of 300 true French cognates and words that are very similar in French and English.

At first glance, languages can seem hard. While there are obstacles to overcome, there are also many language hacks that can get us communicating quickly. Cognates are one such hack.

Before I get to the list of 300 words, let me show you just how simple this can be…
I’ve Put the French Cognates in Bold:
French and English have an abondance of cognates, so English speakers have a huge head start before ever putting forth any effort.

It should come as no surprise that you already speak French. You have a lot of information already. Without preparation, you will be able to improve your communication without reservation.

During the evolution of the English language,* a lot of French found its way into English. Therefore, French shares a lot of vocabulaire with English. Some estimates say that about 10,000 words came to English via French.

You may have a sense of déjà vu as you read this article, as you have already seen these words before.

If you know cities in the United States, you might know Boise (wooded), Bel Air  (beautiful air), Detroit (a straight), Montclair (clear mountain), Des Moines (River of the Monks). If you know the states, you are familiar with Vermont (green mountain), or Oregon  (the word for hurricane from French via the Taino language), used to describe the windy river there.

If you work in journalism, you might work in a bureau. Regardless of your profession, you likely use a téléphone and a calendaire. A professeur helped you learn the skills you needed somewhere along the way. Perhaps you work for yourself and are an entrepreneur.

Regardless of your location, you have an address. Without question, you visit the pharmacie, banque, dentiste  and restaurant at times. Every city has a place where the police are located.

Do you wish people bon voyage  as they travel to new destinations? Do they collect souvenirs? What do they do when they are en route?

What gives you joie de vivre? Perhaps on le-weekend , you watch television. Do you enjoy littérature?A certain genre? A book with an immense number of pages?

Perhaps you enjoy culture and the arts  outside your home. Ballet? Travelling, and seeing all kinds of architecture? Do you enjoy a good festival – a fete that is estival , and takes place in summer? Or maybe creating with papier mâché  helps you unwind.

What about fashion? Do you think certain things are chic? Do you own an eau de toilette, such as Chanel?

Sport more your thing? Do you like rugby, golf, ski?

During our éducation, we take many classes. Histoire, biologie, maths, arts, latin, religion, or geographie. Most people hated révision before exams.

In the military, we use many of the words from the French system. There are cadets in académies. We have colonels and lieutenants.

Do you like to eat? Perhaps you love a meal prepared for you by a chef? If you live in the U.K., you might eat courgette (zucchini) or aubergine (eggplant). Do you read the menu when you go to a café? Do you like to picnic? Salade with vinaigrette is a great lunch option, and so is soupe.

A popular breakfast dish is an omelette.

Do you like fruits? Oranges? When you receive an invitation, do you R.S.V.P.? In English, we know this means that we should Respond So Very Promptly. This came from an abréviation of Répondez s’il vous plaît (please respond). Not exactly the same, but you get the point.

When you describe people, are they intelligent? Blonde? Brunette? Calme? Timide?
300 French Cognates -- Words You Already Know in French
More than 1,500 English words from French are true cognates–exactly the same in both languages. Many others are close, with minor differences in spelling and therefore easy to learn. Check out this guide to see how much French YOU already know:
Words that end in -ion are often the same in French and English
Some examples:

acceleration -  l’accélération
action -  action
addiction -  addiction
ambition -  ambition
attention -  attention
celebration -  celebration
champion -  champion
communication -  communication
condition -  condition
conversation -  conversation
donation -  donation
diction -  diction
edition -  édition
election -  election
equation -  equation
emotion -  emotion
erosion -  érosion
fiction -  fiction
function -  function
generation -  génération
infection -  infection
information -  l’information
injection -  injection
invasion -  invasion
legion -  legion
motion -  motion
notion -  notion
nation -  nation
omission -  omission
option -  option
passion -  passion
population -  population
presentation -  présentation
pronunciation-  prononciation
question -  question
ration -  ration
reflection -  reflection
religion -  religion
reservation -  réservation
region -  région
rotation -  rotation
session -  session
station -  station
solution -  solution
transaction -  transaction

Words that end in -al are often French cognates:

animal -  animal
central -  central
national -  national
final -  final
international -  international
mental -  mental
vertical -  vertical

Many words that end in -able are the same in English and French:

adorable -  adorable
admirable - admirable
applicable -  applicable
cable -  cable
capable -  capable
double -  double
durable -  durable
favorable -  favorable
habitable -  habitable
incurable -  incurable
identifiable -  identifiable
improbable - improbable
inseparable -  inséparable
justifiable -  justifiable
notable -  notable
recyclable -  recyclable
respectable -  respectable
sociable -  sociable
table -  table
vulnerable - vulnérable

Many words that end in -ible are the same in English and French:

horrible -  horrible
flexible -  flexible
impossible -  impossible
inaccessible -  inaccessible
incredible - incrédible
perceptible - perceptible
visible -  visible

Many words that end in -ance are the same in English and French:

ambiance -  ambiance
ambulance -  ambulance
appearance -  appearance
alliance -  alliance
arrogance -  arrogance
assistance -  assistance
assurance -  assurance
brilliance -  brilliance
circumstance -  circumstance
deliverance -  deliverance
distance -  distance
dominance -  dominance
endurance -  endurance
elegance -  elegance
fiance - fiancé
finance -  finance
fragrance -  fragrance
intolerance -  intolerance
importance -  importance
nuance -  nuance
nuisance - nuisance
perseverance -  perseverance
renaissance -  renaissance
resemblance -  resemblance
resonance -  resonance
substance -  substance
tolerance -  tolerance
vibrance -  vibrance

In French, the gerund ends in -ant. You might know a  bon vivant (person who loves living well). Something might be dormant (sleeping). Here are some more French-English cognates that end in -ant:

brilliant -  brilliant(e)
elephant -  éléphant
extravagant-  extravagant
ignorant -  ignorant(e)
immigrant -  immigrant
important - important(e
nonchalant  nonchalant
restaurant -  restaurant
triumphant -  triumphant(e)
vacant -  vacant
vibrant -  vibrant

Many words that end in -ct are the same in French and English:

contract -  contracter
correct -  correct
direct -  direct
distinct -  distinct
exact -  exact
impact -  impact
insect -  insecte
instinct -  instinct
object -  objet
perfect -  parfait
respect -  respect
suspect -  suspect

Often words that end in -ence are the same:

absence -  absence
conscience -  conscience
convergence -  convergence
indulgence -  indulgence
impatience -  impatience
Independence -  indépendance
innocence -  innocence
intelligence -  intelligence
obedience -  obédience
patience -  patience
science -  science
silence -  silence
violence -  violence

Many words that end in -ent are the same in English and French:

absent -  absent
accent -  accent
accident -  accident
adjacent -  adjacent
adolescent -  adolescent
affluent -  affluent
amendment -  amendement
apartment -  appartement
agent - agent
ardent -  ardent
client -  client
compliment -  compliment
continent -  continent
decent -  décent
deficient -  déficient
different -  différent(e)
diligent -  diligent
document -  document
encouragement -  encouragement
element -  élément
evident -  évident
excellent -  excellent
increment -  incrément
incident -  incident
innocent -  innocent
intelligent -  intelligent
latent -  latent
monument -  monument
negligent -  négligent
payment -  paiement
parent -  parent
permanent -  permanent(e)
pertinent -  pertinent
president -  président
prudent -  prudent(e)
recent -  récent
segment -  segment
talent -  talent
transparent -  transparent
urgent -  urgent

The words listed thus far are almost identical to English. You can easily increase your vocabulary by learning a few patterns and suffixes.

Many words that end in -ary in English have their equivalent as -aire in French:

actuary -  actuaire
arbitrary -  arbitraire
dictionary -  dictionnaire
extraordinary -  extraordinaire
imaginary -  imaginaire
ordinary -  ordinaire
anniversary -  anniversaire
dictionary -  dictionnaire
salary -  salaire
vocabulary -  vocabulaire
military -  militaire
necessary -  néccessaire
contrary -  contraire

Many words that end in -ical have -ique equivalents in French:

alphabetical -  alphabetique
analytical -  analytique
Catholic -  Catholique
chemical -  chemique
critical -  critique
cubical -  cubique
dramatic -  dramatique
electrical -  electrique
ethical -  èthique
historical -  historique
identical -  identique
logical -  logique
lyrical -  lyrique
music -  musique
practical -  pratique
romantic -  romantique
statistical -  statistique
symmetrical -  symetrique
typical -  typique

Many words that end in -ist have the equivalent -iste in French:

cyclist -  cycliste
artist -  artiste
dentist -  dentiste

Many adverbs that end in -ly in English have an equivalent in French ending in -ment:

absolutely - absolument
correctly -  correctement
directly -  directement
especially -  spécialement
evidently -  évidemment
exactly -  exactement
finally -  finalement
immediately -  immédiatement
naturally -  naturellement
normally -  normalement
totally - totalement

Many English words have a close French equivalent with circumflex:

coast -  côte
forest -  forêt
hotel -  hôtel
hospital -  hôpital
theatre -  théâtre

Looking for more French resources? Check out Benny’s favorites here.

The post Learn 300 French Cognates in Just a Few Minutes appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.

How I Learned Fluent German in 10 Months and Lived in Germany for Free, and How You Can Too!

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I learned fluent German in just 10 months, and I want to share how I did it.

At the age of 16, I moved to Germany alone, attended a German high school, and lived with a host family for 10 months. Returning home to the U.S., I had reached a C1 (advanced) level of fluency, read over 15 books in German, and given a speech to nearly 2,000 German students in their native language.

What’s more, my airfare, housing, basic meals, and even a month-long language camp, all organized by an exchange agency, were completely free.

I can appreciate this may sound unbelievable, so let me explain how it was possible.
It All Started When My Sister Met a German Guy Named Tim
“Bro, you should totally apply for this”, exclaimed my sister.

She’d learned about a high school study abroad program from her friend Tim. Tim came from Germany and attended my high school for a year as a foreign exchange student.

Tim told my sister about the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange program, a study abroad program administered by the governments of the United States and Germany. The program funded Tim’s year in the US, and it sends 250 Americans students to Germany and around 300 German students to America each year.

Due to my interests in language and travel, my sister needed little effort to convince me to apply, and with a week to go until the deadline, I began my application. I wrote six short essays, answered dozens of questions, and agreed to attend an interview.

After the interview, I felt confident I would be accepted for the program. I had prepared with my sister and I answered all their questions thoroughly. I guess they thought so too, because a few months after the interview I received an acceptance letter and began preparing immediately.

There are a few lessons I learned on the journey to speaking German in 10 months that I’d like to share with you.
Lesson 1: Always Be Prepared
My exchange organization instructed me to learn as much German as I could before my departure.

So, I began to learn German with the methods I learned from my previous attempts at language learning. I had tried to learn Japanese in middle school and Mandarin Chinese in high school. Although I never reached the proficiency I hoped for in those languages, I still discovered many great language learning techniques and resources that I put to good use with German.

This included the idea that I should...
Lesson 2: Speak from Day One… or Maybe Day 30
I wanted to start speaking as soon as possible, but I didn’t feel confident without a solid vocabulary base. So, I began learning new words with Memrise. Every day, I would try to spend about a half-hour learning and reviewing words. After a few weeks, I felt confident enough to have my first conversation in German. After a few months, I had learned the 1,000 most commonly used German words, which make up 70-80% of typical conversations.

With a few hundred words, I started speaking to native speakers with italki, a website which connects students to language tutors and learning communities all around the world. After completing several italki lessons before my departure, I felt prepared to have basic conversations. I even impressed my new German classmates when I told them I had only been studying for a few months. However, I was nowhere near ready to be thrust into all-German classes and to live with a German family!

To supplement my basic knowledge of German, my exchange program started with a month-long language camp in Würzburg, Germany. There, I stayed in a hostel with 50 other exchange students, and we took classes in the morning and explored the city in the afternoon. I expected to significantly improve my German in those four weeks. But despite the daily lessons, the constant discussions in English with the other exchange students caused my progress to plateau and left me unprepared and nervous when I boarded the train to take me to my host family in Aachen, Germany.

That’s when I realised Lesson 3:
Lesson 3: Do Not Speak English
The most valuable lesson I learned from the language camp had nothing to do with grammar or vocabulary. Instead, I left understanding that to make significant improvements in a language, you must speak in and surround yourself with only the target language whenever possible. In other words, it’s best to follow a “No English” rule.

I learned this at the language camp in Würzburg, but I continued to make the same mistake in Aachen. I was lucky and simultaneously unlucky to attend a high school with two other exchange students, Jolie and Victoria. Jolie was on the same exchange program as me and Victoria was with the same agency. At first, it was nice to have friends like them who were also new and confused. Friends that I could actually talk to. But, after a while, I developed the habit of only speaking with them in English, when I should have been speaking in German with Germans. Eventually, I talked to them less and made clear my intentions of speaking less English. It helped, but I still struggled in school, at home and with friends.
Lesson 4: Just Say Something - Even if it’s Wrong!
Back home, my parents and friends had always told me the best way to become fluent in a language was to immerse oneself in it by living in a foreign country. They talked about immersion as if it were a passive process, evoking images in my head of me walking down the streets of Germany, hearing conversations and naturally becoming more fluent. When reality finally revealed the truth about language acquisition (namely that it’s everything but a passive process) I had already fallen into a routine of daydreaming through my classes and sitting around the house after school. I began to understand then that living in Germany and mastering the language would be one of the most difficult challenges of my life.

The realization came in Mr. Hinz’s Religious Studies class, where I read antiquated German documents with the reading comprehension of a five-year-old and listened to confusing lectures and convoluted discussions about dignity and free will (I think).

The class challenged me every day, contrasting greatly with my self-created study sessions in the evenings, comprised of looking up new words I encountered while reading Harry Potter und der Stein der Weisen. After several weeks of struggling and being labelled the “confused American” or “guest student” by my classmates and teachers, my participation worsened as I felt ignored, neglected and severely demotivated.

One day, Mr. Hinz approached me after class and asked about my reluctance to participate. I explained to him my fear of saying something wrong and illogical. He told me that it didn’t matter if what I said was correct, I should mach einfach etwas mit, or “just do something.” His words inspired me to embrace my mistakes and learn from them, and I found more confidence and reapplied myself.

I acknowledged that one cannot learn a language with immersion alone. It takes hard work. Everyday. That means making mistakes, asking questions and actively trying to understand the language around you.
Lesson 5: Take Up Hobbies in German
I enjoyed reading in German, and I wanted to continue learning new vocab with books. So, I read more and more, eventually finishing the entire Harry Potter series in German. I read with my notebook beside me, and I would write down all the words I didn’t recognize. Then, I would translate them and write sentences with them. That way, I could practice vocabulary and grammar.

Additionally, I read a German B2 grammar textbook cover to cover. I completed all the exercises I could and aimed to read at least a few pages everyday. After learning a new concept, I searched for ways to practice it. I would write sentences, short stories, or use in conversations with friends and my host family.

To further immerse myself, I limited my access to English media, and I started watching German YouTubers and reading German news. I even started listening to German podcasts instead of my American music on the bus to and from school.

In the classroom, I participated more, collaborating with other students on projects and presentations. I challenged myself to approach new people and truly integrate into my school. I even joined my school’s circus club and learned to juggle.
Lesson 6: In Any Language, Hard Work Translates to Success
By Christmas, just five months after I moved to Germany, I spoke intermediate (B2) German, and by February, I felt comfortable having discussions about almost all everyday topics with my friends and host family.

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Lesson 7: Use Your Language Skills to Make a Difference
As my German improved, the Fridays For Future climate change protests gained popularity across Europe. Started by Swedish student activist Greta Thunberg, Fridays For Future encourages youth to get active in environmental reform by leaving school every Friday to protest the lack of political efforts made to reduce climate change.

The protests roused my activist spirit, inspiring me to attend each one I could. However, my agency didn’t allow skipping school, so I attended only when I had no afternoon classes or during Spring break.

My desire to be involved with Fridays For Future grew, and I decided my simple attendance was not enough. I wanted to share my message and perspective as a citizen of the country so well-known for ignoring climate change.

I had heard of an international protest, which was to be held in March in my city, Aachen, Germany. As the date of the protest approached, I asked an organizer who also attended my school if I could give a speech in German, sharing an American’s perspective about the fight against climate change.

She thought it was a great idea. I wrote my speech and corrected the grammar and vocabulary with my friends and German teacher. I practiced it over and over again until I had it memorized. Then, I practiced some more.

On March 15, the day of the protest, a student-organizer handed me a microphone, and I stood on a small box, looking out over a sea of nearly 2,000 students and activists, and I delivered my speech, fluently.
What I Achieved During My 10 Months in Germany
By the end of my exchange year, I had learned thousands of words, read over a dozen books in German, given one speech to students and activists and another one to my exchange organization, both in German. I travelled to Berlin and Weimar with my organization and also to Prague, Amsterdam, Hamburg, Cologne, and the Canary Islands (although, the agency did not fund those excursions). Apart from new language skills, I returned home with more confidence and individuality, knowing that the first step to fulfilling lifelong goals may be as simple as filling out an application and completing an interview.
Where Are You Gonna Go?
Moving to Germany and learning a foregin language was a dream come true for me, and it was all made possible by the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange scholarship and a little encouragement from my sister.

Before my sophomore year, I considered studying abroad, but the price always turned me away. Then, I learned that there are hundreds of scholarships available, only a Google Search away. One Google Search and an application which could result in the fulfillment of goals and dreams. And if you don’t get accepted, there are hundreds of more scholarships and opportunities.
Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX) - Would I Recommend It?
From my personal experience, I highly recommend learning more about the CBYX program, which offers scholarships to Americans, ages 15-24. The CBYX program serves to improve international relations through citizen diplomacy, and it includes airfare, a language camp, organized trips to Weimar, Berlin, and Washington D.C.
Tips When Interviewing for an Exchange Program
As a program alumni, I also had the opportunity to serve on the interview panel this year to help select next year’s scholarship recipients. And as someone who has been on both sides of the interview, I can give some advice.

Be confident. That may be quite vague to some, but what I mean is be comfortable. Interviews may sometimes feel nerve-racking and daunting, but the ability to speak comfortably and honestly will show the interviewers you care and that you can connect with others.

Show your passion. If you plan on leaving your home and family to live in another country, you must have some strong desire to see the world and learn a language, and the interviewers want to see that.

Answer thoughtfully. Before my interview, I talked to my school’s speech and debate teacher for advice and practiced answering several interview questions with my sister. When I went into the interview, I already knew how to respond to most of their questions, and I understood my own motivations better.

Understand the scholarship’s purpose. Understanding and supporting the goals of the program is key. Organizations do not want to pay for people to go on vacation or waste their time in a foreign country; they want to send determined individuals who will support their cause. With the CBYX program, for example, they fund students who will support diplomacy, represent their country’s culture, and be respectful of their host country’s culture.
The World Is Your Oyster
“A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step.” – Lao Tzu

An amazing experience awaits you. All you have to do is find it.

The post How I Learned Fluent German in 10 Months and Lived in Germany for Free, and How You Can Too! appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.

Chinese Numbers – Your Go-to Guide for Counting in Chinese from 0 – 100+

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Are you ready to explore Chinese numbers 1-100 and beyond?

Read this article, and you’ll have a solid knowledge of counting in Chinese.
Today, I’ll teach you all numbers in Chinese, from 1 to 10, 10 to 100, and I’ll also include thousands and millions.

And if you’re interested in a little bonus, I’ll talk a bit about words for measurements in Chinese too.

Also, let’s not forget we need to learn how to say “Chinese numerals” first. So here it is: 中文数字 (zhōngwén shùzì) - “Chinese numerals” / ”Chinese numbers”.

Ok, so now, are you ready to start? Let’s jump right into it!

(Note that, for the sake of clarity, I’ve written both a number and a word that represents it when translating in the text. For example: “forty-five (45).)

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Chinese Numbers 1-10
Chinese people use their characters even for numbers. But nowadays, it’s not uncommon to see Arabic numerals in China either.

Here, I’ll show you how to count 1-10 in Chinese and I’ll also include both Chinese characters and pinyin to help you learn. (Pinyin is the English romanization of Chinese characters.)




Number
Chinese Character
Pinyin




1
一
yī


2
二
èr


3
三
sān


4
四
sì


5
五
wǔ


6
六
liù


7
七
qī


8
八
bā


9
九
jiǔ


10
十
shí




Also, “zero” in Chinese is super easy.

It’s very common to see this Chinese character: 〇 (líng) for “zero (0)”, but you might still run into this one: 零 (líng) - “zero (0)” as well.

Note that 二 (èr, “two (2)”) is mostly used when counting or giving out a phone number.
When referring to a quantity of something, such as using measure words and saying “both” or “two of something” instead of just “two”, 两 (liǎng) is the one you want to use.

For example:

二十块钱 (èrshí kuài qián) - “twenty (20) renminbi”
两本书 (liǎng běn shū) - “two (2) books”

When you speak quickly, especially when sharing a phone number, use 幺 (yāo) - “one (1)” instead of 一 (yī) - “one (1)”.

In Chinese, 一 (yī, “one (1)”) sounds too similar to 七 (qī, “seven (7)”), so it can get easily confused when speaking fast.

You’ll also need to remember that the number “four (4)” - 四 (sì) - symbolizes bad luck in Chinese. That’s because it sounds similar to 死 (sǐ) - “death”.

Number 4 in Chinese is like number 13 in the Western world. Often, the 4th floor is left out in buildings and hotels, and Chinese people wouldn’t be happy if you gave them four of something, such as flowers or fruits.
Chinese Numbers 11-20 & Above
The Chinese numerals 11-20 are quite easy - all you need to know is how to count 1-10 and you’ll just combine these characters as you go further. Think of it like stacking the numbers together.

The same goes for numbers 30, 40, and so on.




Number
Chinese Characters
Pinyin




11
十一
shíyī


12
十二
shí'èr


13
十三
shísān


14
十四
shísì


15
十五
shíwǔ


16
十六
shíliù


17
十七
shíqī


18
十八
shíbā


19
十九
shíjiǔ


20
二十
èrshí


30
三十
sānshí


40
四十
sìshí


50
五十
wǔshí


60
六十
liùshí


70
七十
qīshí


80
八十
bāshí


90
九十
jiǔshí




Numbers 11-19 are just a combination of the number 10 + the following number.

So the pattern to say these numbers is: 10+1 for 11, 10+2 for 12, and so on.

Numerals 20, 30, and following, are the same way, but just the other way around: 20 is two tens, 30 is 3 tens, and so on.

For numbers in between, like 21, 22, 45, and others, the pattern of “two tens” continues. You’ll just add the last number at the end.

It goes like this:

二十五 (èrshíwǔ) - “twenty-five (25)”
三十三 (sānshísān) - “thirty-three (33)”
九十六 (jiǔshíliù) - “ninety-six (96)”

As long as you learn Mandarin numbers 1-10, you can master all the numbers. And when you get to 100, you’ll need to learn a new character, but it’s still quite easy.

Counting in Chinese is one thing that’s easy about learning Chinese!
Chinese Numbers 100-999
You can get away with the knowledge of just 1-10 until you get to 100, but even after that, it’s not that hard.

To say “One hundred (100)” in Chinese, you need a new word - 百 (bǎi) or 一百 (yìbǎi).

The difference is the same as it is in English: 百 (bǎi) means “a hundred” and 百 (yìbǎi) is “one hundred”. Both of them are correct, but when counting, it’s more common to use 百 (yìbǎi) - “one hundred”.

When you count from 101-109, there’s a slight difference compared to English. Whereas in English you’d say “one hundred and one”, in Chinese, you would say “one hundred zero and one”. If you omit the “zero”, the number changes to a different one.

Take a look:

一百零一 or 一百〇一 (yìbǎi líng yī) - “one hundred and one (101)”
一百零二 or 一百〇二 (yìbǎi líng èr) - “one hundred and two (102)”

From 110, there are two different ways you can say a number.

The pattern stays the same:

一百一(十) (yìbǎi yī (shí)) - “one hundred and ten (110)”
一百三(十) (yìbǎi sān (shí)) - “one hundred and thirty (130)”

You’ll notice that in both cases, 十 (shí, “ten (10)”) is in brackets. That’s because you can leave it out completely.

That’s the reason why 101-109 always need to be said with a zero - otherwise they’d sound the same as 120-190.

This only applies as long as the number ends with a zero. Otherwise, you can’t leave 十 (shí) - “ten (10)” out.

Here’s an example of that:

一百三十五 (yìbǎi sānshíwǔ) - “one hundred thirty-five (135)”

Now, let’s have a look at examples of how to combine the numbers that we already know into bigger, more complicated ones. Try to test yourself with this table:




Numbers
Chinese Characters
Pinyin




129
一百二十九
yìbǎi èrshíjiǔ


145
一百四十五
yìbǎi sìshíwǔ


175
一百七十五
yìbǎi qīshíwǔ


188
一百八十八
yìbǎi bāshíbā


191
一百九十一
yìbǎi jiǔshíyī




With hundreds, the concept is similar to tens. You’re counting as if you’re adding:

二百 (èrbǎi) or 两百 (liǎngbǎi) - “two hundred (200)” (both are right)
三百 (sānbǎi) - “three hundred (300)”
四百 (sìbǎi) - “four hundred (400)”
五百 (wǔbǎi) - “five hundred (500)”
六百 (liùbǎi) - “six hundred (600)”
七百 (qībǎi) - “seven hundred (700)”
八百 (bābǎi) - “eight hundred (800)”
九百 (jiǔbǎi) - “nine hundred (900)”

There is one thing you should remember connected to number 250. Be careful when using this number, especially interacting with a Chinese person. In China, being called “250” is an insult - basically, you’re calling the person you’re speaking to an idiot.

You don’t even need to refer to a person as “250”; it’s enough to just mention the number when talking about price or bargaining and yes, you’ve just insulted someone.
Chinese Numbers 1,000 & Above - the Big Numbers
Even the “big” Mandarin numbers aren’t as scary as you might think.

You’ll notice that in Chinese, these numbers get their own character, so instead of saying “ten thousand” or “a million”, you’ll need to remember these particular names and how many zeros they mean.

The rest is easier - just like with the numbers I’ve already shown you.

These are all the Chinese numbers with three or more zeros:




Number
Chinese Characters
Pinyin




1,000
一千
yīqiān


10,000
万
wàn


100,000
十万
shí wàn


1,000,000
一百万
yìbǎi wàn


10,000,000
一千万
yīqiān wàn


100,000,000
亿
yì


1,000,000,000
十亿
shí yì




You can see the difference between forming the big numbers in English and in Chinese.

Instead of “ten thousand (10,000)”, Chinese have 万 (wàn) and instead of “a million (1,000,000)”, Chinese have 一百万 (yìbǎi wàn), which literally means “one hundred of ten thousand”.

It’s a bit math-heavy, but you can see that it does add up to a million.

Here are some examples of numbers I’m sure you’ll be able to say in Chinese after reading this guide:

两万三百零九 (liǎng wàn sānbǎi líng jiǔ) - “twenty thousand three hundred and nine (20,309)”
一百万三十万二十五 (yìbǎi wàn sānshí wàn èrshíwǔ) - “one million three hundred thousand and twenty-five (1,300,025)”

Enjoying learning about Chinese numbers? Don’t worry, we’re not done yet. I still have a bonus ready for you!

Before we get to our Chinese measure words, have a look at this brief guide to Chinese ordinal numbers, days of the week and months of the year:

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First, Second, and Once… Chinese Ordinal Numbers
If you’re still waiting for a catch and can’t believe how easy Chinese numbers are… Well, this isn’t it!

Chinese ordinal numbers are simply a combination of the word 第 (dì) and a number just the way you learnt it.

It goes like this:

第一 (dì yī) - “first (1st)”
第二 (dì èr) - “second (2nd)”
第五十四 (dì wǔshísì) - “fifty-fourth (54th)”

And if you want to say something happened once, twice or three times, you simply add 次 (cì) - “times” after the number:

一次 (yīcì) - “once”
两次 (liǎng cì) - “twice”
三次 (sāncì) - “three times”

Chinese Days of the Week and Months of the Year
天 (tiān) means “day” in Chinese, 星期 (xīngqí) is “week” and 月 (yuè) means “month”.

Can you guess why I told you these?

If you learn at least the last two out of these three words and remember the numbers from this article, you’re all set to name all the days and months in the calendar.

Let me show you the pattern of Chinese days:

星期一 (xīngqíyī) - “Monday” (literally: “day of the week one”)
星期二 (xīngqí'èr) - “Tuesday” (literally: “day of the week two”)
星期六 (xīngqíliù) - “Saturday” (literally: “day of the week six”)

The only day that is not combined with the word “week” and a number is Sunday, and that is because 七 (qī) - “seven (7)”, as in the 7th day of the week, sounds too similar to 期 (qī), which is the component of 星期 (xīngqí) - “week”.

So “Sunday” would be 星期日 (xīngqírì) or 星期天 (xīngqítiān). Both are correct.

When it comes to months, their names are straightforward, too:

一月 (yī yuè) - “January” (literally: “month one”)
四月 (sì yuè) - “April” (literally: “month four”)
十二月 (shí’èr yuè) - “December” (literally: “month twelve”)

As you can see, the number of each month comes first, followed by the word 月 (yuè) - “month”.

And now, let’s finally have a look at the bonus I promised you at the beginning of this guide:

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Chinese Measure Words
In Mandarin Chinese, you can’t combine a number and a noun without a measure word in between them.

Although even in English we are familiar with some sort of “measure words”, such as “a cup of tea” or “ten groups of people”, we can almost always leave them out.

In Chinese, these words cannot be omitted, and they are not interchangeable.

Every noun, or group of nouns, has its own measure word that can be used with it.
Some are logical, but some just need to be memorized.

Here’s a list of 10 common measure words with examples:




Measure Word
Pinyin
Use
Example




个
gè
people, general objects
三个人 (*sān gè rén*) - “three people”


把
bǎ
objects that can be grasped/a bunch
两把刀 (*liǎng bǎ dāo*) - “two knives”


只
zhǐ
animals and body parts in pairs
九只猫 (*jiǔ zhǐ māo*) - “nine cats”


本
běn
books and paper products
十五本书 (*shíwǔ běn shū*) - “fifteen books”


双
shuāng
a pair
一双筷子 (*yī shuāng kuàizi*) - “a pair of chopsticks”


张
zhāng
flat objects
七张电车票 (*qī zhāng diàn chēpiào* - “seven tram tickets”


家
jiā
gatherings of people, establishments
这家饭店 (*zhè jiā fàndiàn*) - “this restaurant”


支
zhī
thin, long objects
一支铅笔 (*yī zhī qiānbǐ*) - “a pencil”


间
jiān
rooms
两间卧室 (*liǎng jiān wòshì*) - “two bedrooms”


杯
bēi
glass
两杯葡萄酒 (*liǎng bēi pútáojiǔ*) - “two glasses of wine”




Chinese Numbers Made Easy!
Mandarin Chinese is a specific and difficult language to learn.

But the good news is, its numbers are quite easy!

Remember, learn numbers 1-10, then 100, 1,000 and 10,000 and by combining these together, you can literally count to infinity and beyond.

And if you’re looking for even more things to say in Chinese, check out this article about 25+ ways to say hello in Chinese.

Or if you haven’t had enough of counting in another language, learn the Spanish numbers or Japanese numbers today. (Japanese is surprisingly similar!)

Now… Get to counting!

The post Chinese Numbers – Your Go-to Guide for Counting in Chinese from 0 – 100+ appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.

Italian Uncovered Review — What’s the “Secret Ingredient” of this Italian Course?

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Looking for an Italian Uncovered review? You’re in the right place!

First, let me tell you, starting to learn a language is no piece of cake.

I discovered that when I had to learn English at the age of 13, as a native Italian speaker. If you’re here, you probably want to do the inverse journey: English to Italian.

You might be about to embark on a fruitful adventure, perhaps one of the most worthy ones in your life. Or you might be stepping into a total disaster -- although I speak four languages to a high level, my experience with Croatian was a total flop, not gonna lie.

So what’s the deal-breaker? There is no standard perfect recipe, as we’re all different and have different learning preferences, but if you want to secure all the chances on your side, it’s better to use the right method and tools to guide you along the way.

Wondering how to do that? We’ve got you covered! If you’re a budding Italian-speaker, you could check out Benny Lewis’ list of top resources for learning Italian. Or you could stick around and find out more about one of Benny’s favorite Italian courses: Italian Uncovered.

Have you heard about it? It’s the story-based course created by polyglot Olly Richards which aims to convert absolute beginners into intermediate Italian speakers in 20 segments.

Sounds like what you need?

Well, grab your cutlery and a notebook, because today’s Fluent in 3 Months specialità (“speciality”) is an Italian Uncovered review.

In this article, I’ll give you my honest opinion on the course and serve you a side dish of video and screenshots to show you how it works from the inside. I’ll also add a sprinkle of food wordplay on top, as the Italian in me demands it.

Ahh, two things us language geeks love: language learning and food. This is going to be interesting.

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Italian Uncovered: What Is It, Exactly?
Italian Uncovered isn’t a typical Calabrian dish, but don’t worry, it’s the next best thing.

Italian Uncovered is a course that aims to convert absolute beginners into intermediate Italian speakers in only 20 chapters.

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The “chapters” are segments built around chapters of a story created especially for the Italian Uncovered students. The story acts as a base for the segments’ content and helps the course to keep a logical thread.

Using storytelling as a teaching technique is one of the characteristics that make Italian Uncovered unique, but I’ll tell you more about how great that is later in the post.

First, let’s first boil the course down to its core structure.

Each of the 20 Italian Uncovered segments includes:

An audio recording of a chapter of the story read by a native speaker
The transcript of the chapter in Italian plus the English translation
A video lesson on cognates and how to spot them
A video lesson explaining the new vocabulary employed in the chapter
A workbook with more vocabulary resources and exercises
A grammar video lesson
A workbook with grammar exercises and additional grammar explanations
A video lesson on pronunciation with a native speaker
A sheet for spoken practice to share with your tutor or language exchange partner
A chapter quiz
Comments section on every page where the staff of the course answers questions

There are also several progress checks and pep talks along the way to make sure your experience is as smooth as possible, and the bonuses are super fun.

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How Does Italian Uncovered Work?
Italian Uncovered is hosted completely online, meaning you do not have to wait for textbooks or CDs to get to you by mail and that you can study at your own pace at whatever time suits you best.

It is composed of a mix of audio, video, reading, and writing, and encourages speaking. I say “encourages” because it doesn’t provide you with a speaking partner, but it does provide links where to find one as well as extensive guidelines for the speaking sessions.

Through its 20 chapters, Italian Uncovered focuses on:

Challenging you from beginning to end
Helping you build a solid basic knowledge in Italian
Breaking barriers by getting you used to identify and take advantage of cognates
Expanding your vocabulary
Making grammar simple to understand and remember
Making pronunciation easier to grasp thanks to memorable tips

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The Team in the Italian Uncovered Kitchen
The “Head Chef” of Italian Uncovered is Olly Richards, a fellow language lover who speaks English, French, Italian, German, Portuguese, Japanese, Arabic, Cantonese, and German. He’s written over 20 books and created several language courses to help people like you and me to achieve our dream of learning foreign languages.

Olly’s “Sous Chefs” are Martina Scattolin and Stefano Suigo.

Martina is the tutor at Italian Uncovered. She’s a specialist in teaching Italian as a foreign language, so she’s the one who guides learners through the video lessons. She also occasionally pops in over in the comments section to answer questions.

Stefano is the resident language expert. Most of the time, he’s the one who helps learners who struggle in the comments section.
Why I Tested Italian Uncovered
I “met” Olly while listening to the Language Hacking podcast from Fluent in 3 Months -- I advise you to listen to his episode, it’s one of my favorites! He talks, among other things, about his impressive projects and shares interesting takes on language learning that I hadn’t heard of much before.

I was curious to experience his method of language teaching firsthand, so when Fluent in 3 Months asked me to review Italian Uncovered, I didn’t hesitate!

As a native Italian speaker who became fluent in English, I know the intricacies that come with handling an Anglo-Saxon language when you speak a Romance language, or vice versa. I’m familiar enough with the struggles in both languages to give a point of view above that of a simple beginner, so that’s what I will do in this review.
How I Tested Italian Uncovered
To write this review, I committed to eating my favorite cookies while exploring Italian Uncovered for over five hours

42 Beautiful Japanese Words Every Japanese Learner Should Know

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Since I was little, I’ve loved the cadence of the beautiful Japanese language.

I loved the way it sounds. The way it rolled off people’s tongues and the way the words carry more weight to them because of subtext. And most of all, I love how Japanese describes beautiful things and beautiful feelings.

Japanese has some really cool words and phrases that capture feelings perfectly, and in a way, the English language can’t come close. In fact, some Japanese words I often find myself wanting to use in English... Because they capture what I’m feeling better!

With so many beautiful words in the language and ways to describe beauty, it’d be a shame if you didn’t learn it!

So let’s dive into some beautiful Japanese words.
Beautiful Japanese Words and Phrases to Know
Beautiful in Japanese - 美しい
“Beautiful” in Japanese is one of my favorite words: 美しい (utsukushii). But it’s an intense word, usually used for nature and not casually thrown around. You can also use 素敵な (suteki na) for “beautiful”, which is more common when talking about a woman’s beauty.

“Beautiful woman” in Japanese could be 美少女 (bishoujo), especially when talking about the shoujo anime characters. But in everyday real life, it would be more common to say something like きれいな女性 (kirei na josei), which means “pretty woman”.

And a guy can be beautiful too! 美少年 (bishounen) are men who are incredibly beautiful, like the leading male characters in many shoujo anime.
Beauty in Japanese - 美しさ
“Beauty” in Japanese is utsukushisa. You can use it to describe many things, like nature: 自然の美しさ (shizen no utsukushisa), “beauty in nature.”

You can also use 素晴らしい (subarashii) to describe something that’s stunningly beautiful or gorgeous.

夕日が素晴らしい。
Yuuhi ga subarashii.
The sunset is stunning.
Pretty in Japanese - 綺麗な
きれいな (kireina), or written in kanji - 綺麗な - means both “clean” and “pretty.” You can use it to describe your room as clean, like: 部屋はきれいです。(heya wa kirei desu) Or, you can use it to describe a someone or something as “pretty,” such as: 彼女は本当にきれいです (Kanojo wa hontou ni kirei desu), “She’s really pretty.”

It’s more common to write this word in hiragana than kanji, but both are used.
Cute in Japanese - 可愛い
Probably one of the most well known Japanese words to foreigners. かわいい, or with its kanji 可愛い, means “cute.” You might hear something like めっちゃかわいい (meccha kawaii, “super cute”).

In Japan, everything is cute. Cuteness overload. In fact, as a culture, Japanese people highly value cuteness, even to the point of obsession sometimes. Many girl idol groups have crazed fans because of their かわいい factor.

Like with “pretty,” it’s more common to write “cute” in hiragana instead of kanji.
Love in Japanese and Other Beautiful Japanese words for Relationships
There are some lovely words for describing love and feelings of passion or respect. For example, 愛 (ai) is well known as the Japanese word and kanji for “love.” Many people get this Japanese word as a tattoo because the kanji is beautiful and elegant.

恋 (koi) also means love, but a deeper, more intense love. The radicals in the kanji (the smaller elements that make up the whole) are “red” and “heart.” So this kanji is kind of like the equivalent to the emoji ❤️.

守る means “to protect” and can be used in a romantic way. Like 守りたい (mamoritai), which gives the romantic feeling of “I want to protect you forever.”

生きがい (ikigai) translates as “reason to live,” but more or less means someone has their whole heart. But it can also talk about someone’s passion and purpose in life.

故郷 (furusato) means “hometown,” but it’s deeper than that. It gives the feeling that you used to live there, and your heart still belongs to that city. Almost like a homesick feeling.

And 憧れ (akogare) translates as “longing” or “yearning.” But again, the nuance is deeper than that, and doesn’t translate as beautifully into English. Because it’s more used to describe the wish to be like someone you admire.
Peace in Japanese and Other Beautiful Japanese Words for Feelings
The Japanese word for “peace” is 平和 (heiwa). The kanji here are interesting. The first kanji means “broad” and the second kanji means “harmony.” It gives the feeling that only when there is broad harmony among all the people, will there be peace.

And that ideology is important to Japanese culture, which values the community and their role in it. Japanese people are incredibly mindful about how their actions might be perceived or affect others around them. So they tend to be more reserved and more willing to do what’s best for others even if it’s inconvenient for themselves. This mindset actually has a word: おもてなし (omotenashi). It means “hospitality” but translates more like “mindfulness towards others.”

There are several words that describe the feeling of letting go of perfection. わびさび (wabisabi) is the mindset that there’s beauty in the imperfect. しょうがない (shouganai) means “it can’t be helped”. Rather than a phrase used to say someone is giving up on fixing something, it’s about accepting what can’t be changed and moving forward.

懐かしさ (natsukashisa) is a beautiful Japanese word that means “nostalgia”. You can feel nostalgic with the adjective form, 懐かしい (natsukashii). If you’re feeling nostalgic, you may be stuck 空想 (kuusou), or “daydreaming” about the past.

甘美な (kanbina) is a sound that’s sweet to the ear, or “luscious.” It’s something that flows off the tongue well, and you love the sound of it. In another sense, 渋い (shibui) means “cool minimalist design or style” and describes things like a KonMari aesthetic. Simple, clean, white and grey, but sophisticated and cool.

One more feeling that maybe you can relate to: 積読 (tsundoku). It’s the Japanese word to describe people who love to buy new books but never get around to reading them. I feel called out!
Sky in Japanese and Other Beautiful Japanese words for Nature
“Sky” in Japanese is 空 (sora). It’s one of my favorite Japanese words and is also a beautiful Japanese name. Sora was the lead character in the video games, Kingdom Hearts, for example. But interestingly, the same kanji, when read as 空く (aku), means to “become empty.” So the kanji 空 can refer to empty vastness, too.

Another absolutely beautiful Japanese word that perfectly captures a scene: 花吹雪 (hanafubuki). This is when falling cherry blossom petals fall so fast, it looks like snow.

And speaking of cherry blossoms, that’s 桜 (sakura) in Japanese. That’s another common name and a beloved word in Japanese culture. There’s a lot of revere for the Japanese cherry blossom trees, and many festivals center around them.

森林浴 (shinrin-yoku) means “forest bath.” You may have heard of this one because it’s become a bit trendy. But there’s evidence that “forest bathing” -- AKA, walking through the forest and taking in the greenery -- is beneficial for your health and wellbeing. There’s also the beautiful word 木漏れ日 (komorebi) that describes the sunlight shining through the leaves, and the slight green hue it takes on in the forest. And during autumn, you’ll see 落葉 (rakuyou), which are the colorful leaves falling to the ground.

木枯らし (kogarashi) describe the cold wintry wind felt at the beginning of the season. And 川あかり (kawa-akari) is the peaceful way lights reflect off a river in the evenings and at night.

Many Japanese find beauty in things not immediately obvious to be beautiful, so they have a word for that feeling, too. 幽玄 (yuugen) means “mysterious” but all ties into the concept of meditation and reflecting on the mysterious beauty of the universe.

Lastly, 金次 (kintsugi), which means “golden repair.” It’s another trend from Japan that’s become popular recently, and for good reason. 金次 is the art of repairing broken things, like pottery or dishes, by piecing it back together and sealing it with gold lacquer. This makes the object more beautiful and unique than it was before. It gives off the vibes that “nothing’s ever broken beyond repair” and “there’s beauty in imperfection.”
Beautiful Japanese Names and Meanings
Many Japanese names are beautiful, too! The kanji a parent picks out to make their child’s name has a lot of significance. It’s supposed to imbue some of those positive traits to the child. So many names have lovely meanings! Here are a few. I marked if they were female (f), male (m), or neutral (n).

Aika (f) - “love song”
Aiko (f)- “beloved one”
Akira (n) - “bright dawn”
Chikako (f) - “child of wisdom”
Daisuke (m) - “great helper”
Hanako (f) - “flower child”
Haru (m) - “born in spring”
Hikaru (m) - “rays of light”
Hotaru (f) - “firefly”
Isao (m) - “honor”
Kichi (m) - “good luck”
Mako (f) - “truth”
Mamoru (m) - “protect”
Mirai (f) - “future”
Nobuyuki (m) - “faithful happiness”
Sayuri (f) - “little lily”
Yasuo (m) - “peaceful one”

You can tell by their names, that their parents take care to come up with a beautiful combo of kanji. The kanji used to write someone’s name, even if pronounced the same, can be written differently and have different meanings.
Enjoy the Beautiful Japanese Language
The Japanese language is full of beautiful, captivating words, and this list is just the tip of the iceberg. What other beautiful Japanese words do you know? Leave them for me in the comments! I’d love to hear them.

If you want to dive deeper into the language, read up on Japanese culture and all the things you need to know about Japan. Or watch some incredible Japanese movies that will give you 懐かしい (natsukashii) vibes.

Thanks for reading! And wishing you 平和 heiwa (“peace”).

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