Benny Lewis's Blog, page 39

My Second Language Is a Lifesaver For My Pandemic Anxiety

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Talking to myself in French calms me down as the new normal settles in.

“Stay home and avoid unnecessary travel.”

Ce n’est pas si mal. Chez moi c’est tranquil.
“It’s not that bad. My house is chill.”

“We have to let you go until further notice.”

J’avais besoin de faire une pause quand même.
“I needed a break anyway.”

Getting laid-off from my first, real writing job (after 5 days), it took me a second to regain my composure.

I was in the pharmacy section of Walmart. Scanning the rows for sinus medicine, my phone rang. My editor never called without asking if I was available to chat. I drew in a breath -- between sneezing fits from pollen -- and answered politely.

Whenever anyone begins with “this conversation isn’t going to be easy,” there’s going to be some emotions, especially when you’ve pushed yourself beyond full-time hours and because being in Walmart is the last place you want to be when you get fired.

All of a sudden, the world felt so different.

But rationalizing in my second language helped me to interpret the changes more sensibly.

My second language tones down my pandemic anxiety by keeping me informed about multiple angles of the situation, and, of course, allowing me to stay in touch with friends overseas.

When I started thinking about how people who speak more than one language could experience the pandemic differently, I polled my friends on my Instagram account to test the theory. Some people mentioned their open-mindedness in being able to tap into new feelings between two languages, while others did little in the way of masking their optimism and summed it up in one word: depression.

Can your native language trigger anxiety spikes?

Can you depend on your second language to escape noisy opinions and depressing predictions about the world?

What are the different realities for bi/multilinguals as the pandemic forces us to adapt to unprecedented foreignness?

These questions bubbled in my mind for weeks.
Why Certain Words “Feel” More Intense Than Others
For background research, I contacted a Professor of Language, Communication, and Cultural Cognition at the University of York. She explained how physiological responses change when bilingual speakers hear words in their native and second languages.

Dr. Majid cited a 2003 Boston University study where native speakers elicited a higher response to words with emotional connotations such as reprimands and taboos (Harris, 562). The researchers explored how aversive, or unpleasant, words like death caused participants to report a higher level of anxiety in their native language.

On the other hand, the study also found that speakers felt more comfortable saying taboo words in their non-native tongue.

Dr. Majid’s explanations help me make sense of the reason it’s easier to talk about un décès de personne atteinte du Covid-19 in French than “a death caused by Covid-19” in English.

Reading about Covid-19 news in French, I walk away feeling informed, like I’ve done my duty in keeping up with global news; reading about Covid-19 in English, my heart drops into my gut, and panic washes over me. I tell myself that someone I know is next and they’ll become another statistic in the media.
Different Realities In Different Languages
English is my everyday language. During the pandemic, I use English at the grocery store and online to read the news. I survive because of the English language. It seems pretty self-explanatory as I write this, but there are hidden implications when I consider that French doesn’t perform the same functions in my life as English does. Of course, this has to do with where I live -- an American majority -- but perhaps my French isn’t as useless as I thought in a situation such as a pandemic.

For one, now that staying home is the norm, I’m more accountable for noticing when my anxiety starts to spiral. Millions of people understand the symptoms: chest tightness, immobility, and recourse to doomsday thoughts and hopelessness. The medical symptoms aside, it’s easier to translate anxiety in these terms: someone’s stuffing a couch cushion into my lungs, and oh my god, how much helium can my brain withstand?

In the past few weeks, my emotions ricocheted back-and-forth; reliable guidelines about the virus trickled out at a snail-slow rate.

I applied for unemployment benefits and checked in with the IRS about the status of my stimulus check -- all in English.

Navigating through poorly-designed government databases and confusing instructions, I wondered how difficult it must be for non-native English speakers in the United States.

Trying and struggling to fill out forms that don't make much sense in English, it must be twice as hard for people who don't have a native-level fluency.

A counterargument to the positive use of a second language is that beginner-level skills may not be helpful for everyone during a crisis.

It would be a matter of uneasiness for those trying to translate unemployment benefit applications with poor English reading skills. With little information available in Spanish -- at least in South Carolina -- applying for unemployment may be an obstacle for people who speak English as a second language.
Rationalizing And Keeping Calm In My Second Language
This insight makes me realize how being bilingual may be a privilege during the pandemic -- a privilege because I use French for entertainment and distraction -- nonetheless, a skill that I’ve nurtured and worked at for eight years.

I’m grateful for my second language now more than ever.

French swooped in during the pandemic to help me deal with anxiety.

It’s a pastime that I don’t have to feel guilty about.

Reading social media updates from the Château de Versailles or flipping through old college notes about Baudelaire in literature qualifies a skill that I'm confident about. Days and weeks of feeling unproductive during the stay at home mandate are less stressful knowing I can pick up French and fall into its culture.

There is a German word that sums up a lot of people’s concerns right now: freizeitstress , which means “free-time stress or stress related to one’s leisure time.”

In English, this feeling is best translated to “restlessness” or “cabin fever,” but moving between languages reveals a curious phenomenon.

Emotions are often untranslatable.

As Dr. Majid explains, bilingual speakers “can struggle to find an exact equivalent of an emotion word if they have to convey their experience from one language to the other.”

This happens to me all the time.

I’ll jot down thoughts in French, sit up, and reread the words wondering who wrote them. Me? I sound like another person. The tone reads enlightened, blissfully confident.

Compare this to the English thoughts on the other side of the page, the words sigh in downtrodden resolve to another day in Covid-19 crisis.
Detach Yourself From Panicky Emotions
The perks of thinking, writing, and speaking in French during this experience keep me grounded; my writing advances, French eBooks sustain my reading skills, and my daily translation challenges work my French language muscles.

All the downtime I’ve had in the past two months reminds me to stay focused on my language goals.

There’s an excellent guide called Write in Another Language: 10 Easy Steps by Helena Halme. The author is Finnish and writes novels in English. She advocates writing in a second language as an effective tactic to add emotional distance and foster a unique writer’s voice.

The emotional detachment the author talks about is interesting when I look at my journal entries. I alternate between English and French. While the entries feature similar topics, there are noticeable differences in tone and word choice.

For instance, in French, I write:

“Le monde traverse un temps difficile mais on fait ce qu’on peut faire pour nos proches.”

My English translation:

“The world is going through tough times but we’re doing what we can for our loved ones.”

Rereading the second sentence, my emotions flare-up more than they do in the French version. I picture my family more vividly in my native language than in my second language, naturally, because those are feelings I’ve absorbed as a part of my American identity.

But switching to French, a second identity takes shape. I’m collected, rational, and less prone to doubt and fear.

It’s exactly what I need, a lifeline to hold on to level headed thoughts and sensible emotions.
Language is Such a Powerful Tool
It’s funny that the limitations of my not being a native French speaker are, for now, an advantage. They say ignorance is bliss, so maybe the communication barrier of not knowing certain words means I can’t feel their meaning as intensely as I would in English.

I wrote this blog post in the hope that other language nerds (like me) can realize how powerful communication is during unforeseen changes.

If your native language feels like an obstacle in the way of your well-being, take a second to remind yourself of what you know versus what you don’t know. Calm down, think about the facts, and set your anxious emotions to the side... in another language! You have a unique ability to magically turn on this skill, so use it for the better.

And if you want to tell me how you’re doing with everything, reach out to me. I’m interested to learn from other people and about their language development.
Works Cited
Harris, Catherine, et al. “Taboo words and reprimands elicit greater autonomic reactivity in a first language than in a second language.” Applied Psycholinguistics, vol. 24, 2003, pp. 561-579.

The post My Second Language Is a Lifesaver For My Pandemic Anxiety appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.

Best Podcast to Learn Spanish? SpanishPod101 In-depth Review With Pros and Cons

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If you’re like me and enjoy podcasts, you may be interested in trying them out to learn a language. But sometimes it can be difficult to find the right one that works for you. So, if you’re looking for the best podcast to learn Spanish, then look no further. I’m reviewing SpanishPod101 from Innovative Language, my very favorite language learning podcast!

I’m not going to lie. I had spent quite a bit of time in the past Googling things like “learn Spanish podcast” to try to find one that would work for me.

I had tried other popular podcasts like Coffee Break Spanish but found I didn’t make much progress with them. I’m also focused on learning Mexican Spanish since I live in the USA.

I found many podcasts, like Coffee Break Spanish, focus on the Spanish spoken in Spain, called Castilian Spanish. Or, even worse, would give a hodgepodge of all the Spanish dialects spoken around the world without much context.

But I’d used JapanesePod101 before with a lot of good luck, and decided to give SpanishPod101 a try. After all, Fluent in 3 Months founder Benny Lewis and most of our team have used the Innovative Language podcasts for their language missions. For instance, Holly used it to learn Thai in the past.

So, I’m going to share all the details about SpanishPod101 -- the good, the bad, the amazing, and if it really works.
I Needed Spanish Podcasts for Beginners
Let’s first discuss where I was starting from. I was at an A1 level in Spanish before I got started with SpanishPod101. Meaning, I knew some vocab, the basic grammar and conjugation patterns, and could discuss some very basic things. But, I’d be lying if I said Spanish came easy to me.

Despite the fact that my husband’s family is Cuban and his dad speaks fluent Spanish… I have struggled to grasp the language. I like to say it’s because I started with Japanese, and Spanish is as far from Japanese as English is. But it’s probably because for a long time I didn’t connect with the language and culture as much as I had Japanese or Korean.

But after discovering a love for some Netflix shows in Spanish -- like House of Flowers (La Casa de las Flores) -- I was excited to give it another go.

So, I decided to start with the beginner level in Spanish, and definitely needed a podcast aimed at a beginner level.
Let’s Get Started! Where to Begin with SpanishPod101
One of the best things about SpanishPod101 is how easy it is to get started and jump in. You first create your free lifetime account by selecting your level and entering your email. I chose “Beginner”, but you can also choose “Absolute Beginner”, “Intermediate”, or “Advanced.” Don’t worry if you’re not sure. You can change it later! Once you verify your account, they’ll ask you to “check your level” with a brief explanation of what you should already know at each level.

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You’ll have the option to receive “Word of the Day” emails, and then you have to activate your account by checking your email.

Once you sign in, you’ll see your dashboard. Based on your level, SpanishPod101 will assign you a learning path! It’ll guide you through the robust library of lessons, so you immediately start with the best podcast to learn Spanish at your level.

Now, if you have a free basic account, you’ll be limited in your access to lessons, features, and the app. (The app is free and you can use it in a limited way on the free version, but it’s not as helpful.)

With the Premium version, you get access to all the lessons, word bank, videos and more. Premium Plus allows you to have access to a teacher and personalized study plan for your specific goals.

You’ll also see on your dashboard the newest lessons, vocab lists, and free monthly gifts (helpful cheat sheets and more). Plus, you can see a tally at the top of the dashboard with your lessons completed, words reviewed, and hours studied.
Diving into Spanish Podcast Lessons
When you go to choose your lessons, you’ll have two options. You can either choose to follow your study path for your level, or you can select a “season” of the podcast in the Lesson Library. They have every topic you could think of covered, as well as lessons about different Spanish dialects.

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The lessons typically include the audio podcast about a particular topic or grammar point, the scripted dialogue, and vocab list. You can listen to the individual sentences of the dialogue or the vocab words, and add them to your flashcard deck or word bank.

Next, they list the lesson notes. This focuses on the grammar point and cultural insights they talked about in the audio. You can download the lesson notes as a PDF for future study, too.

They include the lesson transcript, and you can add notes to the lesson as well. When you’re done, you can mark it as complete and move on.

So, there’s a lot of material to review per lesson to hammer home what you’ve learned. Plus, throughout the study plans, they have practice tests to assess how you’re doing.
Using the SpanishPod101 App
Download the Innovative Language app to access your SpanishPod101 account on your phone, too. This can be super handy, and your account syncs so the lessons you complete on desktop or mobile will always be marked.

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The app is simple to use and includes most of the same features as the website. Each lesson still lists the audio, dialogue, line-by-line audio, vocab list, lesson notes, and more. One nice function is that it also shows all the videos and newest lessons. The website does this too, but I like how streamlined it is in the app.

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But you can’t follow your study plan on the app and you can’t take practice quizzes. On the app, you have to choose a season and episode to listen to instead. The study plans jump around in seasons and episodes, so you can’t keep up with it from the app.

I did work around this though by pulling up SpanishPod101 in my mobile web browser.
A Breakdown of the SpanishPod101 Lessons
Depending on the season and level, the lessons will vary a bit. But there’s something for everyone! Most lessons are 10-15 minutes, although they do have a 3-Minute Spanish series, as well as some other 5-10 minute series. Most of the time, there will be a native English speaker and a native Spanish speaker as the episode hosts. The hosts vary by season or videos, especially when jumping to different dialects of Spanish.

Most lessons follow the same format though:

An introduction to the hosts and the topic of the episode.
A short dialogue in Spanish.
A breakdown of the dialogue in slow Spanish, then Spanish with the English translation.
A brief discussion about the dialogue and any culture points or other insights.
The hosts review the vocabulary featured with natural-speed Spanish, English translation, breakdown of the Spanish word slowly, and then natural speed again.
An explanation of the grammar point for the lesson.
A cultural insight or a quiz to answer about the grammar point.
A replay of the dialogue.

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When you get to the more advanced lessons, the hosts tend to chat a bit more between each other in Spanish. Sometimes their conversations get sidetracked, but it can be helpful listening practice.
Flashcards, Dictionary, Word Lists, and More
When you sign up for Premium or Premium Plus access, you also get bonus features. The bonus features can definitely come in handy as a beginner.

The flashcard feature is nice because SpanishPod101 has many pre-made decks or decks for the most common words by frequency. It changes how the flashcards quiz you, too. Sometimes it will show the Spanish word, or the Spanish word with a picture, or the English word. Other times it will play an audio clip of the word or phrase. Then you click “show answer” and it shows you the Spanish word, the English word, and an example sentence. You mark it as correct, incorrect, or mastered and move on.

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I usually use Anki for flashcards, but I did enjoy their built-in flashcard decks. I only wish this feature was available on the mobile app as well.

Besides flashcards, you also have access to a dictionary, tons of themed word lists, Spanish resources, and more.
My Thoughts on SpanishPod101 -- Pros and Cons
I 100% believe this is the best, most effective, and extensive podcast out there. I would argue that it’s one of the best Spanish resources period that you could use to help you learn. Here’s my pros and cons list:
Pro: Extensive Lessons on Everything You Need to Know
This is why I used Pod101 for Japanese, and it’s why I love it for Spanish, too. Spanish finally started to click for me thanks to SpanishPod101.com and the effective way they teach the material.

You’ll find everything from beginner phrases to advanced audio blogs, slang, and regional dialects. With so many different regional expressions, I love that SpanishPod101 breaks it up and lets you choose which region you want to study. While most of the lessons focus on Spain Spanish or Mexican Spanish, it’s nice to learn the differences from other regions, too.
Pro: You Don’t Have to Guess Where to Begin
Oftentimes, people don’t get started because they don’t know where to begin in the language. SpanishPod101 takes the guesswork out of it. Do you only want to learn phrases for while you’re traveling? They have a season for that. Do you want to learn slang terms for the internet? They have a season for that. You’re an intermediate learner and you want to read faster? They have a season for that.

It doesn’t matter what level you’re at or your goals. They have a study plan set up, so there’s no wasted time wondering what you should focus on.
Pro: Many Ways to Learn
Yes, it’s a podcast. But it’s also videos, PDFs, transcripts, vocab lists, and more. I have a hard time learning solely from listening. I usually have to read it as well. I love that SpanishPod101 has it all.
Pro: Super Affordable
The pricepoint for SpanishPod101 can’t be beaten. For how many lessons you get, it’s more robust than any college class or textbook. By comparison, my husband recently paid $300 for his Spanish textbook that only covered the 101 and 102 level courses. SpanishPod101 is a fraction of that price and includes all the way up to advanced levels.
Pro: Tons of Culture Insights
I’m a culture nerd. I love learning about other countries -- in fact, it’s my favorite part of language learning. I love the lessons all about Spanish culture, and that they usually throw a tidbit in every lesson. Culture and history play a huge part in language, and you can’t truly be fluent without learning about it.
Pro: Real Spanish that You’ll Actually Use
These aren’t weird stock phrases or vocab that you’ll never use or hear in real life. This is real Spanish. You can listen to a few lessons and start speaking right away. You won’t be wasting your time learning vocab you’ll never use again.
Con: Sometimes the Lessons are Drawn Out or Deadpan
The newer lessons and videos (especially the ones by Diego and Efraín, they’re hilarious!) are really engaging. I also love the lessons from Alex and Rosa. They’re funny, interesting, real, and to the point.

But… Some of the older lessons are drawn out with too much chatter, too much English, or very deadpan. When I was going through the beginner lessons, I would often zone out during some of the older lessons that were so monotone and scripted. It also has different breaks and formatting because they were recorded when podcasts were a lot different than they are today. The lessons were still helpful, but those lessons would benefit from an update.
Con: The Mobile App Doesn’t Have All the Best Features
I mainly use my phone for my language studies, so I don’t like that I can’t follow my course plan or take the practice quizzes (or even see where they are supposed to be!) in the app. And I love the flashcard deck, but will probably stick to Anki only because I can’t use SpanishPod101’s flashcards in the app, either.

Like I said earlier, I worked around this by using the mobile web browser, but it’d be nice if the app was more complete.
My SpanishPod101 Review: 4.5 Stars
As you can see, I have very little to gripe about. SpanishPod101 is the best podcast for learning Spanish. I even impressed my husband by how much my pronunciation improved and how I could elaborate more in brief conversations together.

If you’re looking for a resource to learn Spanish, this is the most complete and I highly recommend it. In fact, after using SpanishPod101 for the past couple of months for this review, I decided to continue using it as one of my main study tools to finally get to a B2 level in Spanish. And… I’m starting to understand more of La Casa de las Flores without the subtitles now. Huzzah!

Ready to check it out for yourself? Head over to SpanishPod101.com and sign up for your free account so you can start speaking Spanish now!

The post Best Podcast to Learn Spanish? SpanishPod101 In-depth Review With Pros and Cons appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.

110 Useful Chinese Phrases to Have Your First Conversation

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Are you ready to learn Chinese? Then these are the Chinese phrases to get started with so you can start speaking today.

You’ve probably heard how Chinese is one of the hardest languages for English speakers to learn. And how learning Chinese will take years to master. It makes learning the language seem intimidating! But I’m here to tell you it can be done.

In fact, one of my own language learning missions was to speak Chinese in three months. It seemed impossible, but with commitment, I achieved my goal. Now, I actively work on maintaining my Chinese skills.

As a side note, this article is not to teach you hanzi (Chinese characters). I will include them, but I’ll also include the romanization (called pinyin). This way, you can start speaking now instead of getting bogged down in the many Chinese characters. That’s not to say you should never learn hanzi, but learn them as you progress. Speaking is key.

There’s one more thing we should discuss before getting started...
Chinese Pronunciation
Chinese is a tonal language, meaning the same word can have different meanings based on the way you say it. For instance, “ma” could mean “mother” or “horse” depending on the inflexion.

There are five different inflexions and they’re marked with accents. The accent marks help guide you with the pitch because they visually represent what your voice should do. Take a look at these with “ma”. (“Ma” is a common example because it’s a simple, single-syllable word that has a word with each intonation.)

Long, flat tone: mā
Rising tone: má
Falling then rising tone: mǎ
Falling tone: mà
Neutral tone: ma

As you can see, the accent marks help guide you. So pinyin will be your friend when learning to speak Chinese! This Chinese dictionary is an excellent resource for learning Chinese and pinyin tonal accents.

Last thing: We are going to be learning Mandarin Chinese phrases. This is the official language of China, and the most common form of Chinese spoken in China. It’s also spoken in Singapore and Taiwan. But, even though it’s most common, there may be many instances where Mandarin isn’t spoken. For instance, if you’re planning on visiting Hong Kong a major travel destination in China… Well, they speak a completely different language -- Cantonese.
Basic Chinese Phrases and Chinese Greetings
Let’s get started with simple Chinese phrases and greetings to say “hello”. After all, that’s the first step to start speaking -- introducing yourself!
“Hello” in Chinese
“Hello” in Chinese is nǐ hǎo (你好). You may have heard this one before, but pay close attention to your inflexion. The “i” and “a” both have the falling-and-rising intonation accent above them, so you’ll want to practice proper pronunciation. And that means you need to follow a special rule. Whenever there is more than one third tone in a row, all but the last become second tone. So while it’s written nǐ hǎo, it’s actually pronounced ní hǎo.

The hanzi in this word combines two characters meaning “you” and “good”.
“How Are You?” in Chinese
So if “hello” means “you good”, then remembering “how are you” is simple. It’s Nǐ hǎo ma? (你好吗？) The character “吗” is actually the question marker.
“I’m Good” / “I’m Not Good” in Chinese
To reply to Nǐ hǎo ma?, you can say either hěn hǎo (很好) for “I’m good” or bù hǎo (不好) for not good. On hěn hǎo remember the tone change rule!

Notice all these use the “好” character, meaning “good”.
“Please” in Chinese
Qǐng (请) is “please” in Chinese. This one is a bit tricky if you aren’t familiar with pinyin pronunciation of consonants yet. “Q” is pronounced like a soft “ch”. So this sounds like “ching”.
“Thank You” in Chinese
In Chinese, “thank you” is Xièxie (谢谢). The “x’s” here are pronounced like “sh” in English, making this “shi-eh shi-eh”.
“You’re Welcome” in Chinese
Bùyòng xiè! (不用谢) means “You’re welcome”. But it’s literal meaning is “no need for thanks.” The character “不” or bù is the negative prefix, adjective, or adverb meaning “no”, “not” or “non-”. It also follows a tone change rule. When the syllable after bù also includes the fourth tone, the tone for bù changes to second tone. So this would be pronounced bú yòng xiè.
“Good Morning” in Chinese
There are a few different ways to say “good morning” in Chinese, based on formality. The most polite is zǎoshang hǎo (早上好). But you could also say zǎo ān (早安) or just zǎo (早), when speaking to someone casually.
“Good Night” in Chinese
“Good night” in Mandarin is wǎn'ān (晚安). It literally means “safe night.”
“Goodbye” in Chinese
A more formal, “goodbye” in Chinese is zàijiàn (再见). But you could also say huítóu jiàn (回头见) for “see you later”.
“Yes” in Chinese
There aren’t any exact translations for “yes” or “no” in Chinese, but the following examples are the closest expressions. Shì de (是的) can mean “yes”. As an interjection, you could just say Shì!
“No” in Chinese
Like I mentioned earlier, “no” in Chinese is bù (不). But on its own, you could say bùshì (不是).
“Excuse Me” in Chinese
Bù hǎoyìsi (不好意思) means “excuse me” to get someone’s attention or to apologize.
“I’m Sorry” in Chinese
If you need to apologize to someone, use the phrase Duìbùqǐ (对不起). Although you can say Bù hǎoyìsi to apologize as well, duìbùqǐ is more for situations where you made a mistake or did something wrong.
Common Chinese Phrases to Speak Chinese Now
Now you know some of the most important greetings and polite phrases. So let’s get to some questions and essential Chinese phrases to know. These phrases below will help you get to know someone else, get the conversation started, and help you get by during your first time speaking.
“Do You Speak…” in Chinese
To ask if someone speaks a certain language, you can say Nǐ huì shuō… (你会说...). For example, you can ask if they speak English, Nǐ huì shuō yīngyǔ ma? (你会说英语吗?) So, “English” in Chinese is yīngyǔ and you add ma as the question marker.

To ask if someone speaks Chinese, change out yīngyǔ for zhōngwén. That makes the phrase. Nǐ huì shuō zhōngwén ma? (你会说中文吗？)

Some other related phrases:

“I only speak a little Chinese”: Wǒ zhǐ huì shuō yīdiǎn zhōngwén. (我只会说一点中文。)
“Yes, I speak Chinese”: Shì de, wǒ shuō zhōngwén. (是的，我说中文。)
“No, I can’t speak it”: Bù, wǒ bù huì shuō. (不，我不会说。)
“How do you say…”: Nǐ zěnme shuō… (你怎么说...)
“Could you repeat that?”: Néng zàishuō yībiàn ma?. (能再说一遍吗？)
“Can you say it slowly?”: Nǐ néng shuō màn yīdiǎn ma? (你能说慢一点吗？)

“I Don’t Know” in Chinese
If you don’t know the answer to a question, you can use the phrase Bù zhīdào (不知道) for “I don’t know” in Chinese.

But if you just didn’t understand what the speaker said, you can say Bù míngbái (不明白) -- “I don’t understand” in Chinese.

“What does _ mean?”: _ shì shénme yìsi? (_ 是什么意思？)
“I understand”: Míngbái (明白)
“I know”: Zhīdào (知道)
“What did you say?”: Nǐ shuō shénme? (你说什么？)
“What do you mean?”: Nǐ shénme yìsi? (你什么意思？)

“What’s Your Name?” in Chinese
If you’ve introduced yourself and want to ask what the other person’s name is, use the phrase Nǐ jiào shénme míngzì? (你叫什么名字？) for “What’s your name?” When replying to this question, you say Wǒ jiào… (我叫...) and add your name at the end.

Related phrases:

“Where are you from?”: Nǐ cóng nǎlǐ lái? (你从哪里来？)
“I’m from...”: Wǒ láizì… (我来自...)
“How old are you?”: Nǐ jǐ suì? (你几岁？)
“I’m 35 years old.”: Wǒ jīnnián sānshíwǔ suì. (我今年35岁。)
“What do you do for work?”: Nǐ zuò shénme gōngzuò? (你做什么工作？)
“I’m a…”: Wǒ shì... (我是...)
“Nice to meet you”: Hěn gāoxìng jiàndào nǐ (很高兴见到你)

“Very Good” in Chinese
It’s a good idea to have some basic responses or conversation fillers ready if you need them. For instance, if someone told you good news, you could reply hěn hǎo (很好) for “very good” in Chinese. If someone told you something awful, you’d reply Bù hǎo le! (不好了！) for “Oh no!” or duōme kěpà (多么可怕) for “how terrible”.

Here are some words to stall for time when trying to remember your Chinese sentences!

“So, um…”: ēn (嗯)
“Um…”: nèi ge (那个)
“Uh…”: jiù shì (就是)
“Well then”: hǎo ba (好吧)
“Like...”: rán hòu (然后)

“Not This Time” in Chinese
If you’re at a restaurant, and they ask if you’d like dessert, you may say zhè cì bùxíng (这次不行) for “not this time”. But if you do want it, then reply with shì de, qǐng (是的，请).

Some phrases for eating out, shopping, and going out in Chinese:

“I’d like the menu, please”: Qǐng gěi wǒ càidān (请给我菜单)
“I’d like…”: Xiǎng yào… (想要…)
“The bill, please”: Qǐng fùzhàng (请付帐)
“I’ll take this one”: Yào dài zhège (要带这个)
“That one, please”: Qǐng nàgè (请那个)
“How much is it?”: Duōshǎo qián? (多少钱？)
“Where is….”: Nǎlǐ… (哪里...)
“Could you help me?”: Nǐ kěyǐ bāng bāng wǒ ma? (你可以帮帮我吗？)
“Let’s go!”: Wǒmen zǒu ba! (我们走吧！)

Chinese Words to Expand Your Vocab
Now learn some words to customize your phrases and create new sentences! These are some of the most important Chinese words for beginners to learn.

Time:

Today: jīntiān (今天)
Yesterday: zuótiān (昨天)
Tomorrow: míngtiān (明天)
O’clock: diǎn (点)
Time: shíjiān (时间)

Food and drink:

Water: shuǐ (水)
Coffee: kāfēi (咖啡)
Tea: chá (茶)
Beer: píjiǔ (啤酒)
Chicken: jīròu (鸡肉)
Fish: yú (鱼)
Vegetables: shūcài (蔬菜)
Chocolate: qiǎokèlì (巧克力)

Countries:

China: Zhōngguó (中国)
America: Měiguó (美国)
England: Yīngguó (英国)
Ireland: Ài'ěrlán (爱尔兰)
Spain: Xībānyá (西班牙)
France: Fàguó (法国)
Italy: Yìdàlì (意大利)
Canada: Jiānádà (加拿大)
Japan: Rìběn (日本)

Places:

Supermarket: chāojí shìchǎng (超级市场)
Bank: yínháng (银行)
Post office: yóuzhèngjú (邮政局)
Police station: jǐngchá jú (警察局)
Hospital: yīyuàn (医院)
Movie theater: diànyǐngyuàn (电影院)
Store: shāngdiàn (商店)

Numbers:

One: yī (一)
Two: èr (二)
Three: sān (三)
Four: sì (四)
Five: wǔ (五)
Six: liù (六)
Seven: qī (七)
Eight: bā (八)
Nine: jiǔ (九)
Ten: shí (十)

Jobs:

Teacher: lǎoshī (老师)
Salesperson: tuīxiāoyuán (推销员)
Employee: yuángōng (员工)
Writer: zuòjiā (作家)
Doctor: yīshēng (医生)
Programmer: chéngxù shèjìyuán (程序设计员)

Funny Chinese Phrases
Some Chinese phrases don’t translate well into English, making their literal meaning quite funny for English speakers. Here are some funny Chinese phrases, sayings, and slang to add to your list.

A chatterbox | Lit.: “A mouth like running water”: tānhuāluànzhuì (天花乱坠)
Drop dead gorgeous | Lit.: “Sink fish, drop goose”: chén yú, luò yàn (沉鱼落雁)
Don’t be a glutton | Lit.: “A man eating cookies in bed wakes up feeling crummy”: *yí gè zài chuáng shàng chī bǐng gān de nán rén xǐng lái gǎn jué hěn zāo gāo * (一个在床上吃饼干的男人醒来感觉很糟糕)
Idiot, Dumb | Lit.: “Stupid egg”: shǎ dàn (傻蛋)
Are you kidding me? | Lit.: “Being drunk”: yě shì zuì le (也是醉了)

Start Speaking NOW with These Chinese Phrases
That’s a lot of Chinese to get you started. You’ve learned the most common Chinese greetings and polite phrases. Plus, how to introduce yourself, basic Chinese words, and some fun Chinese phrases to throw in.

Now you have no excuse to not have your first conversation in Chinese! Find a language exchange partner or tutor, and get to work. If you don’t use it, you won’t remember it.

What are some basic Chinese phrases you know? Any I missed that you’d like to share? Leave a comment below and let me know.

The post 110 Useful Chinese Phrases to Have Your First Conversation appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.

15 Ways to Wish Someone “Happy New Year” in Chinese

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So you’d like to know how to say “Happy New Year” in Chinese?

Then this is the article for you!

The most common way of saying “Happy New Year” in Chinese is 新年快乐 (xīnnián kuàilè). But there are lots of other phrases you can use to join in the Chinese New Year festivities too.

So, I’ll show you 15 phrases you can use to wish someone a “Happy New Year” in Chinese.

First, a quick note on terminology. In English, we call it the “Chinese New Year” - 新年 (xīnnián). But Chinese people call it the “Lunar New Year” - 农历新年 (nónglì xīnnián) or the “Spring Festival” - 春节 (chūnjié).

Ok, let’s get started!
When is Chinese New Year?
The date of Chinese New Year changes every year, so to answer “when is Chinese New Year celebrated?” is a bit tricky.

Every year, there is a window between January 21st and February 20th into which the Chinese New Year celebrations fall.

The New Year holidays are 7 days long, but the celebrations usually take up to 2 weeks – and that’s how long Chinese New Year lasts.

Chinese people also refer to their New Year as the Spring Festival. That’s because shortly after they say goodbye to the old year, they welcome spring in with the new Lunar Year.
Rats, Dogs and Monkeys - What is the Culture of Chinese New Year like?
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Each year in the Chinese calendar has an animal sign connected with it, and the animal is assigned as a symbol for the whole of the following year.

So what is the meaning behind this tradition?

There are 12 animals in Chinese zodiac: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. They are all considered lucky in different ways and many Chinese people believe that their traits are passed on to people born in the year of each animal.

Chinese people then traditionally believe each year will carry the animal’s trait. The idea is it will ultimatelyl bring them happiness, money, or wisdom, for example.

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How Native Chinese Speakers say “Happy New Year”
Chinese New Year greetings are often associated with wishing wealth and health.

“Happy New Year” on its own might sound a bit dull, so if you want to impress your Chinese friends, mix and match the phrases I’ve listed below.

Also, you can add 祝你 (zhù nǐ, “Wish you”) to the beginning of each way of saying “Happy New Year”. It adds an additional wish of health, prosperity, luck, happiness and wealth. It’s not wrong to omit it; it’s completely up to you whether you use it or not.

Here’s how to write and how to say “Happy New Year” in Chinese:
1. 新年快乐 (xīnnián kuàilè) – “Happy New Year”
Ask any Chinese speaker how to say “Happy New Year” in Chinese and I guarantee this will be their first answer.

The direct translation of “Happy New Year” from the Chinese characters is exactly what it sounds like. 新年 (xīnnián) means “New Year” and 快乐 (kuàilè) is “happy”.

快乐 (kuàilè) can also be translated as “joyful” or “cheerful”. But be aware about the meaning of this particular “happy/joyful”. You wouldn’t want to use 快乐 to express your own happiness; in that case you’d say 高兴 (gāoxìng, “happy, glad”).

So 新年快乐 (xīnnián kuàilè, “Happy New Year”) is your go-to when wishing Happy Chinese New Year in Mandarin.

Let’s now have a look at other expressions and greetings. I recommend learning these if you want to sound like a more native:
2. 春节快乐 (chūnjié kuàilè) – “Happy Spring Festival”
In Western culture, New Year celebrations are generally not connected to welcoming the start of spring.

But Chinese New Year (the lunar new year) starts later than the Western New Year (the solar new year). So at the time of the Chinese New Year, spring is just around the corner.

That’s why the New Year is usually referred to as the “spring festival” in Chinese.
To wish someone a Happy Spring Festival, you say 春节快乐 (chūnjié kuàilè). In this expression 春节 (chūnjié) means “spring festival” and, 快乐 (kuàilè) means “happy”.
3. 新年好 (xīnnián hǎo) – “Happy New Year”, “Good New Year”
Similar to 新年快乐 (xīnnián kuàilè, “Happy New year”), this greeting is used to, well, wish somebody “Happy New Year”.

In Mandarin, 好 (hǎo, “good”) is often added to a word or multiple words to say “hi”.
For example, 你好 (nǐ hǎo) means “hi”, but if you break it down, it is “you good”.

Imagine this: celebrations of the New Year are almost over, but it hasn’t been that long. You see your friend and to start your conversation, instead of just a simple “hi” you can use 新年好 (xīnnián hǎo, “Happy New Year”).

Yes, you say “Happy New Year”, but in Chinese, it’s just a greeting – especially if you carry on with your conversation after that.
4. 恭喜发财 (gōngxǐ fācái) – “Happiness and Prosperity”
This is how you wish someone well in the new year.

If you want to wish a Chinese person “Happy New Year”, greetings typically include longer or shorter wishes. Generally, as long as you wish happiness, money or luck, you’re good to go.

Imagine a birthday card in English: “I wish you all the best, may your special day bring you all the love, happiness and fun.”

That’s a pretty typical thing for one Chinese person to say to another, no matter what the occasion.

恭喜发财 (gōngxǐ fācái) means “happiness and prosperity”, or “I wish you happiness and prosperity (in the new year).” Or “May you have a prosperous year!”
5. 恭贺新禧 (gōnghè xīnxǐ) – “Happy New Year”
恭贺 (gōnghè) is “to congratulate”, and although it’s quite a formal expression, it’s not uncommon to use it in a regular conversation.

新 (xīn) means “new”, but in this context it’s “New Year”.

禧 (xǐ) can be translated as “fortune”, “happiness” or “jubilation”.

Don’t worry too much about the exact translation of each character. The expression, as many others, lost its overly formal meaning over time and is now used as “Happy New Year” or, similar to the previous one, “May you have a prosperous/happy year!”
6. 岁岁平安 (suì suì píng'ān) – “I Wish You Peace”, “May You Always Have Peace Year After Year”
岁 (suì) is a measure word for years; when repeated twice, it means “year after year” or “always”.

You might know the word 平安 (píng'ān, “safe”) from a common phrase 一路平安 (yīlù píng'ān), which means “Have a safe trip”.

But when used in a New Year’s greeting,the meaning changes slightly. More than “safe”, it means “peaceful” - “May your year(s) be peaceful”.
7. 过年好 (guònián hǎo) – “Pass the Year Well”
This is a popular way of saying “hi” during Chinese New Year celebrations.

As I mentioned, 好 (hǎo, “good”) at the end of the phrase signals a greeting in Chinese, but in this case, it actually has the meaning of “good” or “well”.

When you see 年 (nián, “year”) in a phrase, chances are, it’s a Chinese New Year’s greeting.

过 (guò) is “to pass”, so this sentence means “Pass the year well” or “Have a good year”.

When learning Mandarin, as with other languages, it’s always good to know what each word or character means. But as I’ve said before, don’t worry too much about the meaning behind each character. Over time, a lot of phrases have lost their original meanings, and now Chinese people barely think of them and rather use them as a sign of politeness.
8. 万事如意 (wànshì rúyì) – “Best Wishes”
You’ll often hear 万事如意 (wànshì rúyì) during the Chinese New Year. It means “best wishes” or “I hope everything goes well”. Another translation could be “I wish you all well”.

万 (wàn, “ten thousand”) is not commonly used in its true meaning. Most likely, you’ll find it as “loads” or even “everything”.

事 (shì) means “matter” or “thing”. See where the phrase goes? In all your matters, everything you do… may it go well this year!

And lastly, 如意 (rúyì) is often used together, as “according to one’s wishes” or “how you want”.

As in English, you can also use the phrase “best wishes” when celebrating birthdays, promotions or other happy occasions.
9. 财源广进 (cáiyuán guǎng jìn) – “I Wish You Prosperity”
This particular wish can be translated as “I wish you prosperity/fortune” or “May you have lots of sources of income”.

Money plays a big role in Chinese New Year wishes and celebrations.

Apart from giving the 红包 (hóngbāo, “red envelope”) that mostly children receive at New Year, Chinese people also like to wish each other money, prosperity and success in the upcoming year.

Character by character, 财 (cái) means “fortune”, “wealth” or even “income”.

源 (yuan) is “source”, 广 (guǎng) means “extensive” or “numerous” and 进 (jìn) is “to enter”.
10. 新春大吉 (xīnchūn dàjí) – “I Wish You Luck in the New Year”
As Chinese celebrate not only the 新年 (xīnnián, “new year”), but also a 新春 (xīnchūn,“new spring”), you won’t be wrong to use either in your wishes.

大吉 (dàjí) translates as “big/a lot of luck”, so this phrase means “May you have a lucky new spring”.
5 Bonus Phrases You Can Use to Say “Happy New Year” in Chinese
Here are five more phrases you can use during the Chinese New Year celebrations:

给您拜年了 (*gěi nín bàiniánle) – “Happy New Year”
大吉大利 (dàjí dàlì) – “Great luck, great profit”, “I wish you luck and wealth”
鼠年行大运 (shǔ nián xíng dà yùn) – “Happy Year of the Rat”*
恭喜发财，红包拿来 (gōngxǐ fācái, hóngbāo ná lái) – “Wish you happiness and prosperity; give me the red envelope”
心想事成 (*xīn xiǎng shì chéng) – “Wish your dreams come true”

Ready for Chinese New Year?
New Year in China is a celebration of a new spring arriving and luck in the coming year with all the qualities its assigned animal has.

Whether it’s with friends, family or a neighbor, Chinese people love to wish each other lots of good things in the new year. They appreciate health, luck and a fortune in the bank account (or a red envelope).

Thanks to this guide you’ll never be short of New Year’s wishes and phrases.

Here’s wishing you 新年快乐 (xīnnián kuàilè). Happy New Year!

Now that you’ve mastered Chinese New Year wishes, you can level up your Chinese by checking out our guide to ordering in a Chinese restaurant and learn some useful phrases and tips. You can also learn about Mandarin family vocabulary.

The post 15 Ways to Wish Someone “Happy New Year” in Chinese appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.

90+ Italian Terms of Endearment (for the “Speciali” People in Your Life)

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If you want to learn Italian, then must know it’s a language full of passion and love. That’s why you need to learn Italian terms of endearment.

Think about it: how strange would it be if you and your loved ones only called each other by your names and never used nicknames or pet names? Usually, that isn’t a good sign. Problemi in paradiso (“trouble in paradise”), Italians would say.

But it’s not only that. For the most part, Italians are a warm community. They love to share their affection for family members and friends, and goodness is deeply rooted in their culture.

Italians communicate their affection in great part through food, so large social gatherings around the table are quite common and aren’t only for special holidays. Lovers often aim to impress their other half with luxury treats. The nonne (“grandmothers”) are famous for always having something at hand to offer unexpected guests, and do their best to make them feel like family.

But aside from using manicaretti (“delicious dish”) to share the love, Italians also have terms of endearment per tutti i gusti (“for all tastes”).

There are many nomignoli (“nicknames”) for the people you appreciate or love. From the quirky food references - which never fail to come up in Italian conversations - to adding diminutives to first names, there are plenty of funny oddities.

I’m not only talking about the Italian pet names you probably already know about, like amore mio (“my love”) or tesoro (“treasure”). Enrich your vocabulary and spice up your interactions with Italian nicknames such as paperotto/a (“little duck”), gioia (“joy”), and piccolo/a (“little one”).

Plus, stick around until the end, because I will show you how to create your own DIY Italian nicknames!
Share Your Affection in Italian
So, let’s look at the most common terms of endearment used for friends, family members, children, and lovers. I mentioned two ways that Italians share their affection: food and words.

Now, I’m not going to deep-dive into the art of baking love into every Italian dish -- that’s not my speciality! But, I can teach you food-related nicknames and how to communicate your love in Italian through language.
“Terms of Endearment” in Italian: Termini Affettuosi
There are many ways to say “term of endearment” in Italian. The most literal translation is termino affettuoso, but soprannome, nomignolo, and vezzeggiativo are the most common ones.

All three words mean “nickname”, but soprannome is the most formal one and usually refers to abbreviated names, nomignolo would be “pet name”, and vezzeggiativo often describe diminutive nicknames.

Just like in English, the tone, setting, and person who use the nickname all determine whether the term is used genuinely, as mockery, or, say, as an unpleasant catcall. It’s always a good idea to make sure that the person appreciates the nickname you have given them before you start using it.

Now, andiamo al succo (“let’s get to the meat”).
Italian Nicknames for Friends
English speakers might call their friends “pal”, “buddy”, “mate” or “dude”, but these nicknames don’t really have Italian equivalents. If you dig into the Italian language, you might learnabout compa, which is short for compagno and can be translated as “buddy”, and compare (“homie”). But the first is rather obsolete and the second is old-fashioned.

Instead, Italians prefer to address each other as if they were part of a big family.

Frequently, you will hear close friends calling each other fratello (“brother”) and sorella (“sister”). Cugino (masculine version of “cousin”) and cugina (feminine version of “cousin”) are generally used with less intimate friends.

Fun fact: Italians have dubbed the French people i cugini francesi (“our cousins, the French”), a friendlier version of i vicini Francesi (“our neighbors, the French”).

Other Italian nicknames for friends include bello/a, which means beautiful in Italian, mitico/a (“legendary”), and simply… surnames! You know how athletes have their last name stamped on the back of their t-shirts? Italians are big fans of soccer and sports in general, so they’ve taken the habit of calling their friends by their surnames like they do with sports players.

Attributing nicknames to your friends based on their qualities or endearing flaws is also common in Italian. For example, you could call your smart best friend cervellone/a (“big brain”) or your chatty best friend chiacchierone/a (“chatterbox”). Be careful, though, because both could be offensive depending on your tone and the situation.

I wasn’t joking when I said that Italian terms of endearment exist per tutti i gusti, they even exist per tutti i numeri (literally “for all numbers”)! Raga’ (“guys”) is both an interjection and a group nickname that is basically the abbreviation of ragazzi (“guys”).
Italian Terms of Endearment for Family Members
Even if there’s less variety to choose from than in English, terms of endearment for family members are commonly used in Italian.

When they’ve been caught with their hand in the bag - or rather with their fingers in the jam jar - bimbi (“kids”) will implore Mamma (“Mom”) not to get angry. If they don’t get away with it, they’ll turn to Papi (“Dad”) and will fare gli occhi da cucciolo (“give the puppy-dog eyes”).

Note: Apart from being called mamma, una madre (“a mother”) can also be dubbed mammina (“mommy”) by a child usually under the age of 10 years old. The equivalent of mammina for un padre (“a father”) is papino (“daddy”). Mammina and papino can also be used as humorous nicknames by older children for their parents.

If they still haven’t been forgiven for their gluttonous theft, the bimbi can resort to their secret weapon: i nonni (“the grandparents”)! Nonnina (“Granny”) and Nonnino (“Grandpa”) will let no one scold their nipotini (“grandchildren”), or figlioli (“sons/daughters” in old-fashioned Italian, but also used for grandchildren nowadays).

Other members of the family also have their own terms of endearment. The zia (“aunt”) and zio (“uncle”) can be called zietta and zietto. Cugina (feminine for “cousin”) and cugino (masculine for “cousin”) become cuginetta and cuginetto, but this is usually reserved to cousins who are under the age of 10. Sometimes, elder women affectionately considered as aunts or grandmothers are dubbed tata (“nanny”) or tatina by little children.

Pet names for siblings always tend to be more creative and humorous than any others. While there’s no “official” Italian term of endearment used among brothers and sisters, you have a few options: pulce (“flea”), puffo (“Smurf”) or puffetta (“Smurfette”), and batuffolo (“dumpling”).

Unfortunately, there’s no Italian nicknames for mothers-in-law, but complimenting their cooking will always secure you a place in their good graces - and the best spot around the table, right next to the polpette (“meatballs”).
Italian Pet Names for Children
Children’s pet names are arguably the most common terms of endearment in Italian, and they can be divided into categories depending on their frequency and meaning.
Terms of Endearment Used by Everyone
There are a few very common nomignoli for children. These are appropriately used not only by family members and friends, but also by adults who might not know the child’s name, such as store clerks or nurses.

bimbo/a - “kiddo”
gioia - “joy”, a personal favorite of all nonne and tate
stella and its diminutive stellina - “star” and “little star”
caro/a - “dear”
tesoro - “treasure”
signorino and signorina - “young man” and “young lady”. The first is used for boys who are 10 or under while the second also means “miss”, so it is used for girls of any age.

Apart from these, nicknames for children are usually reserved for family members and, occasionally, family friends.
Animal-Inspired Terms of Endearment for Children
Italians love terms of endearment that are literally pet names. They use them regularly with their bimbi, and the most common are:

papera - “duck”, only used for girls
paperotto/a - “little duck”. The Italian suffix -otto/a is tricky to translate into English, but it basically means that something is both small and big at the same time - a big small thing - and makes the moniker sweeter with a tinge of humour.
passerotto/a - “sparrow”, usually exclusive to girls
topolino/a - “little mouse”. Funny enough, Topolino is also the name that Italians use for Mickey Mouse since the character’s creation.
cucciolo/a - “baby animal”, usually meant as “puppy”
cucciolotto/a - “little puppy”

Food-Inspired Terms of Endearment for Children
It’s funny for children to be nicknamed after their favorite food. The most used children pet names inspired by food in Italian include:

patata - “potato”, only used for girls
patatino/a - “little potato” or “french frie”
fragolina - “little strawberry”
caramellino - “butterscotch”, used with boys

Other Cute Italian Nicknames for Children
If none of the monikers above caught your attention, then try one of these ones:

cielo - “sky”
sole - “sun”
angioletto - “little angel”
cocco/a - “sweetie”. Cocca di mamma means “Mommy’s girl”, cocco di papà is “Daddy’s boy”.
coccolona - “cuddly”
donnina - “little woman”
ometto - “little man”
mimmo/a - Tuscan spin of bambino
trottolino/a - “little spinning top”
occhioni - “big eyes”
principessa - “princess”
bambolotta - “little doll”
piccolino/a - “little-little one”
piccino/a - “tiny”

Italian Sweet Names for Lovers
Romantic relationships are the perfect setting for what Italians humorously call parole sdolcinate (“sappy words”).

(Let me tell you a secret: despite making fun of them, Italian secretly love these sappy nicknames.)

Italian terms of endearment for lovers include some of those used for children - such as tesoro and piccolina - but many others are only used in a romantic and intimate context.
How to Say “Lover” in Italian: Innamorato/Innamorata
The word lover covers two meanings in English: either someone who is in love or whom you are in love with, or, well… a lover in an intimate way.

In Italian, innamorato/a describes the first type of lover, while amante stands for the second. To avoid getting confused and saying what you shouldn’t, you can refer to your significant other as your persona amata (“loved one”).

Or you could simply name the stage of your relationship.
“Boyfriend” in Italian and “Girlfriend” in Italian: Ragazzo and Ragazza
There are two main ways to say “girlfriend” and “boyfriend” in Italian: ragazzo/a or fidanzato/a. The former is used by young couples, usually when they are dating, while the latter is for serious relationships and also means fiance.
“Husband” in Italian and “Wife” in Italian: Marito and Moglie
It’s between marito (“husband”) and moglie (“wife”) that terms of endearment get more refined and accurate - after a long time living together, you’re bound to know your other half better than anyone else.

If you call your daughter principessa, you could think about completing the royal family by dubbing your husband re (“king”) or your wife regina (“queen”).
“My Love” in Italian: Amore Mio
Amore is the Italian word for “love”, so “my love” is amore mio.

There’s also another way to use amore and make it “cuter”, by adding the suffix -ino to it: amorino (“little love”).
“My Heart” in Italian: Cuore Mio
There are only a few more tender nicknames than calling your other half cuore mio (“my heart”), but perhaps none of them are as romantic.
“My Beloved” in Italian: Mio Amato/Mia Amata
What a wonderful thingto call someone your beloved! In Italian, you say mio amato for men and mia amata for women.

When talking about your beloved with someone else, you can refer to them as il mio lui (literally “my him”) if he is a man, and la mia lei (literally “my her”) if she is a woman. This is a cute way to say that in the sea of other men and women, your partner is the only one who belongs with you.

You could also call them la mia metà (“my other half”) or dolce metà (loosely translated as “significant other”, literally “sweet half”).
“Darling” in Italian: Tesoro
If Bruno Mars sang in Italian, then the title of one of his songs would actually mean “darling”. In fact, tesoro - literally translated as “treasure” in English - is the equivalent of “darling” in Italian.

You could make the word even more sdolcinato by complementing it with the suffix -ino. Tesorino is a good equivalent for “sweetheart”, “honey”, or “cutie”.
“Sweetheart” in Italian
How do you say “sweetheart” in Italian? That is a very good question, mostly because there is no exact Italian word for “sweetheart”. You could say dolcezza, meaning “sweetness”, to a woman, or tesoro to a man.
“Soulmate” in Italian: Anima Gemella
Not everyone can find their anima gemella (“soulmate”, literally “twin soul”), but those who do sono molto fortunati (“are very lucky”).
“Dear” in Italian: Caro/Cara
The Italian word for “dear” is caro/a. Funny enough, it also means “expensive”, but who wouldn’t consider their dear ones to be worth all the money in the world?

By adding mio or mia after caro/a, you will get the Italian equivalent of “my dear”: caro mio/cara mia.
“Cute” in Italian: Carino/Carina
From what we’ve seen so far, adding the suffix -ino/a acts as a diminutive in Italian. However, -ino/a is sometimes used to create brand new words. You see, carino/a does not mean “a little expensive”, but “cute”!
“Gorgeous” in Italian: Bellissimo/Bellissima
Bello/a means beautiful in Italian, and bellissimo/a is the Italian word for “gorgeous”. It’s perfect pairedwith a blown kiss to your partner.
“I Love You” in Italian: Ti Voglio Bene
There are two ways to say “I love you” in Italian: ti amo and ti voglio bene.

Ti amo is rarely used, because it expresses the burning passion of intimate love and is appropriate only in certain moments of a romantic relationship.

On the other hand, you will often hear ti voglio bene (literally “I wish you well”) sprinkled here and there. Ti voglio bene is the “I love you” for friends and family members - also regularly used in relationships - which expresses warmth, tenderness, and care.

Using ti voglio bene does not mean that you love the person less than if you told them ti amo, it’s connotation is just more affectionate than romantic.
“To Be Affectionate” in Italian: Essere Affettuoso/a
Affetto is the Italian word for “affection”, affettuoso/a means “affectionate”, and the phrase “to be affectionate” is essere affettuoso/a.

As essere affettuoso/a includes the verb essere (“to be”), the phrase changes depending on the subject:

(io) sono affettuoso/a → “I am affectionate”
(tu) sei affettuoso/a → “you are affectionate” (singular)
(lui/lei) è affettuoso/a → “he/she is affectionate”
(noi) siamo affettuosi/e → “we are affectionate”
(voi) siete affettuosi/e → “you are affectionate” (plural)
(loro) sono affettuosi/e → “they are affectionate”

Other Italian Terms of Endearment For Your Partner
Possibilities are endless when it comes to sweet names for your love. Some make no sense and are endearingly childish, like ciccino or pucci, and others are a bit eccentric.

Here are some fun ones:

polpetto/a - “meatball”
orsacchiotto - “teddy bear”
bambola - “doll”
zuccherino - “little sugar”
manina - “little hand”
bacino - “little kiss”

Italian Phrases to Share Your Affection
Pet names are sweet, but you can impress everyone and upgrade your ability to share your affection in Italian by learning specific phrases.

Here are a few of the most common ones:

Luce dei miei occhi - “Apple of my eye”, literally “light of my eyes”
Luce della mia vita - “Light of my life”
Sei un raggio di sole - “You are a ray of sunshine”
Sei la persona a cui tengo di più - “You’re the person I care the most about”
Sei la miglior cosa che mi sia capitata - “You’re the best thing that happened to me”
Sei la ragione di ogni mio sorriso - “You’re the reason for all my smiles”
Sei il mio mondo/universo - “You’re my world/universe”
Sei il mio tutto - “You’re my everything”

DIY! Create Your Own Italian Terms of Endearment
It’s nice to get a few ideas to get you started, but I think we can agree on this: nicknames are much better when they’re su misura (“tailor-made”)!

If you feel like none of the terms of endearment mentioned in this post fit the people you care about, create a nomignoli yourself!

When it comes to making a person you appreciate stand out, imagination has no boundaries.
What Makes a Good Italian Term of Endearment?
What makes a good term of endearment in any language?

Inside jokes are a good starting point, and anything you might find in the candy and pastry aisles in the supermarket will do more than fine. To make up the best parole sdolcinate, make it a funny nickname that only you and the person it’s for will understand.

Actually, any type of food could become a term of endearment: formaggino (“little cheese”) is an amusing nickname for a partner - but it’s quite cheesy, if you ask me.

Any animal you haven’t seen in the lists above? No worries, if you add a suffix to the word, it’ll create the perfect new nickname.

Example:

scimmietta - “little monkey”
pesciolino - “little fish”

Italian Suffixes for Terms of Endearment
The suffix -ino/a is the most common Italian diminutive suffix, but it is not the only one. You can try one of these as well:

-etto/a as in zietta - an alternative to -ino/a
-otto/a as in paperotta - a mix of -etto/a and the augmentative -one/a
-uccio/a as in amoruccio - small and slightly insulting in certain cases, it’s often used to add a pinch of mocking tone to the word

What’s tricky with Italian diminutive suffixes isthere’s no set rule for when to use them. You just learn through practice and dedicated listening.

Sometimes, all suffixes can be used with the same word. Other times, you’ll really want to be careful with how you use them.

For example, another term of endearment for your nonna (“grandmother”) and nonno (“grandfather”) could be nonnetta and nonnetto, but it would depend on the region. In some places, nonnetto/a might come across as affectionate while in others it would mean “old man/woman”.

As always with language learning, it is good to get the hang of the local sayings before throwing around words you’re not too sure of. Asking natives is always a wise choice if you want to improve your skills.
Add “Mio/a” and “Caro/a”
Words that already constitute terms of endearment can be strengthened if you complement them with mio/a (“my”) or caro/a (“dear”).

Examples:

tesoro mio - “my treasure”
piccola mia - “my little one”
caro amico - “dear friend”

The Ultimate Italian Nickname: Abbreviations
Italians love to abbreviate names and words to create nicknames, of which raga’ is an example.

As you know, last names are popular nickname material, and it’s common among youth to shorten them.

Example:

Martinelli becomes Mart or Marti
Messina becomes Mess

Sometimes even nicknames can be abbreviated. Cioccolatino - which is perhaps too much of a mouthful to really be a nickname - can become cicchi.
Be Exotic Almost Effortlessly
Italians truly appreciate culture, and they often turn to foreign languages to enrich their own. When it comes to nicknames, their favorite source is… English!

They might shorten Michele to “Mike”, or Massimo to “Max”. Their tall friend whose name is Roberto might be their “big Robert”. They also might fish for monikers in Hollywood successes from the 50s and call their friend Francesca “Frenchie”, as a tribute to the movie Grease.

You can take advantage of this to create nicknames that will be considered very cool!
Be Affectionate in Italian
Now that you know a ton of Italian terms of endearment, how will you communicate your affection in Italian? Will you call your friend mitica or your child patatino? Or will you cook some manicaretti for your dolce metà? Let me know in the comments!

The post 90+ Italian Terms of Endearment (for the “Speciali” People in Your Life) appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.

101 Core Spanish Words — The Most Common Spanish Words Used Everyday

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What if I told you that you could understand about 50% of Spanish by learning only 100 Spanish words?

Would you think I’m crazy, or would you give it a shot?

It’s true! By learning the 100 most common Spanish words, you can begin to understand half of the language.

I know that sounds far fetched, but hear me out. We use a lot of the same words… all the time.

In English, words like “the”, “a”, “and”, “I”, “you”, “is”, and more are used in almost every sentence. The same is true in Spanish. This is good news, since many people struggle to learn thousands of words. But you don’t need to!

That’s why one of the best ways to go from 0-50% as a beginner Spanish speaker is to start off learning these 100 core Spanish words. It’ll not only help you make the most out of your study time, but it’ll give you a major leg up right away. After all, it doesn’t take much to memorize your first 100 words!
Why Learn Spanish Words by Word Frequency?
These 100 Spanish words are chosen based on analyses of books, websites, newspapers, and more, by word frequency.

The word frequency method helps you learn the most common words first, so you can start understanding more of Spanish speech immediately.

This is a lot more effective than textbooks that start by teaching you Spanish words for the classroom, random careers or college majors. Most of those words you’ll never use again after that. (Seriously, I learned how to say “economics” -- ciencias económicas -- but I’ve never once talked about that in Spanish.)

The words on this list you’ll use, hear, or read all the time. That not only helps you understand faster, it helps you remember them faster, too, because you see them often. That’s why this is my favorite method for learning new words when I first start learning a language.

And it’s interesting because learning your first 100 words can get you up to 50% fluent, and 1,000 words can help you understand about 88% of what’s spoken in Spanish.

Contrast that with 3,000 words, which would get you to about 94% fluency (only an 8% increase!). So those 100 common Spanish words give you a lot of mileage in the language.

That’s not to say you shouldn’t learn more words -- you definitely should. But it just shows you the power of learning the most common words first. It’s one way to study more effectively and get the most for your time right away.

Now, one thing about this article. I’ll be skipping common Spanish articles like “el,” “la,” “un,” “y,” “o,” “con,” and other words like them. Why? Because these words mean “the,” “an,” “and,” etc.. They’re repetitive and quick to learn in a grammar lesson, rather than vocabulary. So, we’ll be skipping over those here and focusing on other important words to know.

I’m also not including personal pronouns or the various conjugations of common verbs. Again, that goes back to learning grammar and conjugation. It’s important to know, but most “word frequency lists” take up a lot of space with various conjugations of the same word. Instead, learn the dictionary form now and how to conjugate it later! You can learn your Spanish pronouns in this article, and basic verb conjugation here.

Once you know these 101 core Spanish words, it becomes much easier to build simple Spanish sentences and start speaking now!
36 Core Spanish Nouns
These will be your most helpful nouns starting out. Of course, you may have different nouns you use in everyday life… And you can change this list according to that! But since we’re going by word frequency here, these words will be useful to know.
Spanish Nouns for Time

Vez - “One time”
Hoy - “Today”
Mañana - “Tomorrow”
Ayer - “Yesterday”
Hora - “Hour”
Año - “Year”
Día - “Day”
Semana - “Week”
Antes - “Before”
Después - “After”
Tiempo - “Time” or “Weather”

Spanish Nouns for Places

Aquí - “Here”
Allí - “There”
Ahora - “Now”
Sitio - “Place”
Escuela - “School”
Tienda - “Shop”
Baño - “Bathroom”
Ciudad - “City”
País - “Country”

Spanish Nouns for Things

Cosa - “Thing”
Nada - “Nothing”
Algo - “Something”
Este/Esto/Esta - “This” or “This one”
Ese/ Eso/Esa - “That” or “That one”
Casa - “House”
Coche - “Car”
Idioma - “Language”
Agua - “Water”
Película - “Movie”

Spanish Nouns for People

Hombre - “Man”
Mujer - “Woman”
Chico/Chica - “Boy”/”Girl”
Amigo - “Friend”
Persona - “Person”
Familia - “Family”

25 Core Spanish Verbs
These are the most common Spanish verbs, and you can say quite a lot with only these 25 Spanish words! The first six verbs listed, especially. These verbs are often used with other verbs to create more complex sentences.

A couple of notes here. The first two verbs, ser and estar both mean “to be.” But ser is used for permanent situations. For example, “soy Caitlin” means “I am Caitlin.” (Soy is ser conjugated for the first person.) We use soy because my name is Caitlin, and unless I decide to change it, it will always be Caitlin.

Estar is used for situations that could change. For example, “estoy bien” means “I’m fine.” (Estoy is estar conjugated for the first person as well.) We use estar for this because I’m fine right now... But tomorrow, who knows? Maybe it’ll be a rough day, and I’m actually “estoy no bien.” (Or “not well.”)

The other note I have for you is that these verbs are unconjugated, so they’re in their infinitive, or dictionary, form. Many are irregular Spanish verbs because they’re so common. The more common words are, the more they change over time causing them to become irregular. But, these verbs are so common, it’ll be easy to master once you get to it!

Ser - “To be” (permanent)
Estar - “To be” (non-permanent)
Haber - “To have”, “To exist”
Tener - “To have”, “To own”
Hacer - “To do”, “To make”
Poder - “Can do”
Ver - “To see”
Ir - “To go”
Dar - “To give”
Saber - “To know”
Querer - “To want”, “To love”
Creer - “To believe”
Hablar - “To talk”
Llevar - “To carry”
Encontrar - “To find”
Gustar - “To like”
Decir - “To tell”
Venir - “To come”
Pensar - “To think”
Entender - “To understand”
Leer - “To read”
Comer - “To eat”
Beber - “To drink”
Trabajar - “To work”
Usar - “To use”

31 Basic Spanish Adjectives and Adverbs
These adjectives will come in handy all the time in Spanish! It’s a good idea to memorize them in sets whenever possible. Like mucho for “a lot” and poco for “a few.” This way you can associate the two words together, making them easier to remember.

And words like bueno can also be used as connecting words. Because bueno is so common, in some dialects like Mexican Spanish, it’s used to say “well then”, “okay”, or “anyway…”

Todo - “All”, “every”
Alguno - “Some”
Más - “More”
Menos - “Less”
Muy - “Very”
Mucho - “A lot”
Otro - “Other”
Casi - “Almost”
Mismo - “Same”
Así - “Like this”
También - “Also”
Hasta - “Until, Even”
Grande - “Large”
Pequeño - “Small”
Bien - “Well”
Poco - “A little bit”
Siempre - “Always”
Nunca - “Never”
Cada - “Each”
Nuevo - “New”
Antigua - “Old”
Bueno - “Good”
Mal - “Bad”
Alto - “High”
Bajo - “Low”
Lejos - “Far”
Cerca - “Near”
Hermosa - “Beautiful”
Feo - “Ugly”
Difícil - “Difficult”
Fácil - “Easy”

9 Common Spanish Words for Conjunctions and Connectors
Conjunctions and connectors help your speech flow in a natural way. They help you make more complex sentences, as well as pause for thought without adding awkward silence to your conversations. Conversation connectors are a valuable tool for your first conversations in Spanish. So here are the nine most common to help you get started:

Que - “That”, “Which”
Como - “Like”, “As”
Pero - “But”
Porque - “Because”
Entonces - “So”, “Then”
Pues - “Well then”
Aunque - “Although”
Mientras - “While”
Además - “Besides that”

Build Your Spanish Word Bank with The Most Common Words in Spanish
Now that you’ve looked over the 101 most common Spanish words, it’s time to memorize them. Add these words to your Anki flashcard deck, or another app you use for memorizing vocab. After that, your next steps would be to learn how to conjugate Spanish verbs, build your Spanish conversation script, and study essential Spanish sentences and phrases.

Then it’s time to find a Spanish language exchange partner and start speaking! Because if you don’t use it, you lose it.

And don’t forget to start building on this list with words you use every day. That will be unique to you, and help you really start learning Spanish you’ll actually use. Learn words to talk about your career, your hobbies, your daily routine, or where you live. Build on that, so you can have a more expressive conversation!

Now tell me, what are the core words in your everyday vocabulary? Leave a comment and let me know -- bonus points if you know it in Spanish!

The post 101 Core Spanish Words — The Most Common Spanish Words Used Everyday appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.

German Uncovered Review — Honest, In-Depth Review on “StoryLearning” German [With Video]

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I decided to learn German for my upcoming trip to Baden Baden and Salzburg. As most of you know, that trip didn’t happen due to That-Which-Must-Not-Be-Named (ok, I’ll say it once, COVID-19). But my three-month German mission did offer me other opportunities.

“Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.” - Albus Dumbledore (AKA J.K. Rowling)

Like a kid in Honeydukes, I had a chance to try out German Uncovered and it was certainly a treat. It’s an online course for people who long for an efficient and engaging way to learn German.

In this article, I’ll explain the magic of German Uncovered. I’ll give an overview, a detailed look at the bonus material and I’ve also included a discussion with another learner. More on that in a moment. Time to grab your broom and fly into the review!

How did German Uncovered stand up? Let’s begin by sharing how it works:
German Uncovered Review: What Is German Uncovered?
German Uncovered in an online course that transforms you from a complete beginner in German to an intermediate German learner. The course’s intricate structure is perfect as a main resource. I’ll share about why that is in a bit.

Olly Richards and Kerstin Cable, who created the course together, call the segments “chapters” because the course is built around a story. But the word chapter doesn’t do each segment justice.
Each Segment of German Uncovered Includes a:

Chapter of Olly’s story written completely in German with an English translation
Audio file of the chapter read by a native speaker
Video lesson on cognates and how to work with them
Discussion area where you can ask questions, receive answers and learn from others
Video lesson focusing on the vocabulary in that chapter
Another discussion area for vocabulary questions
Printable workbook with vocabulary exercises and additional course material
Video lesson explaining key grammar concepts
Third discussion area for grammar - I’m sensing a theme!
Workbook with grammar exercises and additional grammar explanations
Practice document to share with your language exchange partner or tutor
Video lesson on pronunciation with a native speaker
Discussion area for pronunciation help
Chapter quiz to measure your progress

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What Wizards Created This German Uncovered Course?
Kerstin Cable and Olly Richards are the mystical sages who conjured up German Uncovered.

My favorite language podcaster, Kerstin, is the primary course tutor alongside Olly. Another student quipped that Kerstin’s soothing voice makes German grammar relaxing. I couldn’t agree more.

Kerstin has a supernatural way of making language learning accessible to the masses. It’s one of the reasons I’m such a huge fan of her podcast, The Fluent Show. She’s thoughtful, down-to-earth, and smart. That’s exactly the type of teacher you need when learning German.

A native German speaker, she began learning English at age 10. When I first heard her speak, I assumed she was a native English speaker. Her vocabulary is better than mine!

She recently added Mandarin to her growing list of languages she’s studied. Her roll call includes English, French, Italian, Latin, Russian, Spanish, and Welsch.

While Olly speaks nine languages, he didn’t start learning languages until he was 19. Now, he speaks English, French, Italian, German, Portuguese, Japanese, Arabic, Cantonese, and German.

Olly’s a busy language dude. He’s authored over 20 books and is a talented musician! We could add music to his roster of languages.

Guess what? If they can learn languages, so can you! With German Uncovered, they show you all their non-muggle polyglot short-cuts.
How I Tested German Uncovered Before Writing This Review
Before diving into this course, I spent over a year with its sister course, Spanish Uncovered. Don’t worry. You can get through this course faster than that. I enjoy taking my time.

Take a look at my article reviewing the Spanish version. In it, I share videos of where I started and where I landed after 90 days of using this product. Spanish Uncovered was my main squeeze during my first year of learning Spanish.

For this review, I committed to 5 hours of using German Uncovered. During that time I tried all the available features. I was curious to see if there were vast differences between German Uncovered and my beloved Spanish Uncovered.

To my delight, the structure of the course stayed the same. German Uncovered focuses on six areas of learning:

Building a strong foundation in your target language
Developing your vocabulary
Learning how to recognize and utilize cognates
Understanding essential grammar points
Improving your pronunciation
Establishing a routine for learning German

German Uncovered is quite versatile. It’s possible to use this course on your own. The course also works as a blueprint when working with a tutor or language exchange partner.

In this video, you’ll be able to sit in on a discussion of what Suzanne, a Fi3M Community Coach and I thought of this course:

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fUuxXhTb38

There are currently five languages available in this course series: German, French, Spanish (review here), Japanese and Italian.
German Uncovered: Bonus Material
This biggest surprise was the amount of bonus material in this course. Kerstin and Olly outdid themselves. Here’s what you’ll encounter.
Welcome Party
The dynamic duo hosted a live Q&A about learning German through German Uncovered. In the video, you’ll hear them answer questions from students like you. Lots of insider tips are offered. It’s definitely worth a listen. They give great explanations of how best to work through the course.
Little Black Book of German Tutors
In this section, the creators share a number of vetted tutors. This will save you precious time. You can skip the hours it takes to sort through hundreds of profiles. Try one of the recommended tutors for free.

That’s right. If you mention German Uncovered, the tutor will give you a free trial lesson. Each tutor on the list understands the German Uncovered method. They can create lesson plans that fit your personal schedule.
Demystifying German Dialects
Language nerds, this is for you! This video is a compelling discussion about the dialects of Germany. Much like listening in on a conversation between Professor McGonagall and Professor Lupin. I especially like when they compared German and Spanish.
The German Golden 100
I’m not a big fan of high frequency word lists. Flashcards are not a part of my language routine. Yet, Kerstin’s top 100 words seemed like a nice place to start.

I wrote them out in my German journal and refer to them when I get stuck in lessons. If I can’t remember the word for “but” aber or “and” und it’s waiting for me on this list. It sort of takes the edge off when beginning as an absolute newbie.

As with all the other sections, be sure to take a peek at the comments. You’ll find answers to questions you might also have. It’s like having access to your own personal polyglot.
German Travel Secrets Workshop
This was my favorite of the bonus materials. A person who is learning German for a trip will find this workshop indispensable. Kerstin walks you through the essentials of traveling in Germany. This is the perfect lecture when you need to boost your motivation with travel daydreams.

What did I think of German Uncovered?
Here’s Why I Recommend German Uncovered
I have to admit, I’m biased. I’ve used Spanish Uncovered before trying the German version. My Spanish skyrocketed with the help of that course. If I were to continue studying German, there’s no doubt in my mind that I would use German Uncovered.

In the five short hours that I used the course, my understanding of German grew exponentially. Those hours flew by because the content was engaging. Drats. I might have to continue learning German just to finish that course.

I’m under the Uncovered German Permanent Sticking Charm!!

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The grammar and vocabulary exercises immersed me into the world of Deutsch -- “German”. It was easy to start an exercise and lose myself in the fun of learning. That’s a rare occurrence for most of us these days. It was a lovely break from the realities of lockdown.

Kerstin’s concise lectures made the daunting task of understanding German manageable. Coming from no-German-ever, I was relieved to hear her explain the grammar. This helped me tremendously when I wanted to read German in my leisure time.

I used the German Uncovered chapters much the same way that I did with Spanish Uncovered.

I downloaded the audio of each chapter onto my phone. I combined my daily routine with listening practice. While stretching after a run or cooking, I listened to each chapter repeatedly. I then read through each chapter.

After my listening sessions, I would sit down and follow along with the cognate lecture. It was helpful to have a pen and my German notebook with me during this time. The lectures are numerous but not overwhelming. Most are around 20 minutes which is the perfect time for information digestion.

I’ve listened to every single episode of The Fluent Show. So I am very familiar with Kerstin’s public speaking style. What I didn’t know was that her teaching style is as top notch as her podcast persona. She must have trained at Hogwarts!

If someone held a wand to my head, I would pick German Uncovered over Transfiguration class. Now, that’s saying something!

Seriously though, I don’t think there’s a better story-driven German course on the market. You’ll walk away with more information in this course than you would in a university language class.
German Uncovered Review: What I Liked
There are the top three aspects of German Uncovered:
1. German Uncovered is Structured to Get You Immediate Success
This course walks you through the acquisition path of a polyglot. You learn like the magical wizards of languages learn. No guessing necessary. Much of what you learn can be recycled for your third and fourth languages. Olly and Kerstin teach you how to learn a language with ease.

Not only does the program walk you through the path of a polyglot, they also check in with you from time to time. There's a progress report and chat boxes for communicating with your tutors.

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I appreciate knowing there are experts available to help me along the way.

The patterns that Kerstin shows us are helpful for long-term understanding. Before her lectures, I didn’t notice the connection between the English letter D and the German letter T.

Once she pointed it out, I cannot unsee it. Insta-learning! My favorite kind of sorcery.
2. German Uncovered Has The Best Teaching Team
I hope that Olly and Kerstin team up for an intermediate-advanced German course. Their two different teaching styles complement each other. You can clearly see that each of them offer their secret tips and techniques for making German a part of your life.

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3. Grab and Go Handouts for Your Tutor or Language Exchange Partner
I can’t say enough good things about the Grab and Go handouts. Each chapter offers a PDF file that you can share with your teacher or language exchange partner. Dedicated tutors will ask you what you’d like to work on for each lesson. Who has time to figure that out?

With German Uncovered, you don’t need to plan for your lessons. Simply share the document for the chapter you have studied. Your tutor can take it from there. It really takes the pressure off of deciding what to discuss.

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German Uncovered: What’s Not So Hot?
This course is the closest thing to perfect that I’ve found. So, finding a negative aspect is hard.

If pressed, I would say the option of ordering a printed version of the workbook exercises would be nice. I used my printer at times. Other times, I wrote out my answers in my notebook. Another work around would be to send the documents to a copy store and have them print and bind it for you.

I’ve yet to find a spell that can print and bind books but maybe I haven’t spent enough time in the restricted section.
What’s the Score for German Uncovered?
I give German Uncovered 150 points for catching the Golden Snitch. I would love to see this course available in public schools around the world. Muggles everywhere would finally become fluent in German.
German Uncovered: One Last Look
I completed my five hour commitment of German Uncovered. To be honest, I would love to continue with the course. If only there were more hours in the day! I could deepen my Spanish, continue with German and start Italian Uncovered.

If you’d like a thorough understanding of German, this is a great course. If you’d like to peer inside the minds of two multilinguals, here’s your chance. If you’re looking for a secret tunnel to Hogsmeade village, you’ll need to talk to the Weasley twins.

Try out German Uncovered, there’s no better time than now.

The post German Uncovered Review — Honest, In-Depth Review on “StoryLearning” German [With Video] appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.

Top 5 Healthy Things to do in Spain

There can be a million and one things to do in Spain because it’s such a culturally diverse, well-developed country with a lot of history. But what healthy things could you get up to?

In this article, you’re going to learn the top five healthy (yet fun) things you can do in Spain to spice up your fitness life.

Sound good? Let’s get started.
1. Go to the Beach
There is nothing better than rocking up to a white, sandy beach in Spain and gazing into the oceanic distance as far as the eye can see. Who doesn’t love a trip to the seaside?

Everyone loves the beach, and just being outside in the fresh open air is one of the best things that you could do to improve your energy, creativity, and even your blood pressure.

Read on to find out what you can do at the beach to make it as enjoyable as possible.
Healthy Things to Do at the Beach in Spain
A. Workout at an Outdoor Gym
Ever thought of swapping your paid gym membership for a free outdoor workout?

In Spain, there are various outdoor gyms all across the country that are completely free for public use. One outdoor gym that I went to was the famous ‘Barcelona Beach - Street Workout Park’.

I went to Barcelona for a week when I was in-between jobs back home in the U.K., and during this fantastic retreat, I was walking through the The Arc de Triomf where I met a Venezuelan man and now dear friend called Jesús, who is a systems engineer fluent in six languages including Spanish.

During this time, we’d get together for delicious food, talk about Barcelona, and he also taught me Spanish as a way of learning by doing where we weren't allowed to speak English together for a period of time.

Jesús has inspired me to continue learning Spanish to this day, although at the time, I have to say - I wasn’t a very good student as I sometimes responded back in English out of pure frustration. :)

The reason I’ve mentioned my friend is because he also introduced me to the Street Workout Park at Barcelona Beach which he goes to consistently. I found it to be a brilliant experience. The outdoor gym has everything you need for a true CrossFit workout, including horizontal bars, exercise bars, and a stunning sunset with an orange reflection emitting from the sea.

What if you don’t have an outdoor training gym near your beach?

Even if the beach near you doesn’t have an outdoor gym, it doesn’t mean you can’t train.

Instead, you could:

Do cardiovascular exercises such as football, volleyball, shadow boxing, beach cricket, chase your kids in a game of Tag etc.
Do a bodyweight workout.
Bring along cheap training equipment for resistance training as you can see me doing below:


B. Long Walks or Runs on the Beach
Long walks or runs are another brilliant way to be healthy when you’re on a beach. Spain has an array of beautiful sandy and rocky beaches across the coast such as:

Cala Galdana
Playa de las Teresitas
Es Trenc
Cala Saona
Plus many more

You may also have a dog you could bring with you? Then why not learn some Spanish dog commands? The beach can give both you and your dog the happiest day of your lives.



A few things to watch out for when taking your dog to the beach include:

Finding dog-friendly beaches
Keeping your dog cool
Seawater and strong tides
Dog waste
Discarded food or sharp objects

So whether you’d prefer to walk, run, or both, getting into a natural environment with the beauty of the blue turquoise sea to your side is one of the best things that you could do for your physical and mental wellbeing.
C. Swimming in the Sea
Sea swimming is a great form of exercise that can help strengthen muscles, increase endurance, and improve your skin.

I love swimming in the sea. When I was growing up, no matter what the weather or what beach me and my family went to, I was going to swim in it (this includes Brighton beach in the UK!). Thanks to my youthful bravery, I still enjoy a good lap to the sea-buoy and back, even in icy-cold water.

If you're more sensible than me, which I’m sure you may be, here is a great resource where you can discover the exact temperature of the sea where you’re staying.
2. Play a Spanish Sport


Sports are a great way to build healthy exercise habits because they can be so much fun. Team sports are especially great because you can make friends with like-minded people, commit to regular exercise, and you also have an opportunity to learn the language’s cultural baggage (jokes, figures of speech, idioms).
What Spanish Sports Can You Do?
Spain itself is a very established sporty nation thanks to its history, diverse culture, and climates. Continue reading to learn Spain's most popular sports that you can try:
Football
When it comes to Spanish sports, Football is king. In 1872, a group of English workmen for Rio Tinto mining company introduced the game of football to their Spanish coworkers which resulted in the first soccer club in Spain six years later in 1878 called Recreativo de Huelva; football was officially born.

Today, with the likes of world-class football teams: Real Madrid and Barcelona FC, football is a multi-billion Euro industry generating more than €7.6 billion or 0.75% of Spanish GDP in 2013 alone. There is an abundant number of football clubs all across the country with both beginner and advanced football teams that you’d be welcomed to join.

In my personal experience playing Sunday football for a local team as a kid, I can tell you that it’s a brilliant game you’re bound to love, maybe even more than the Spaniards, although that is hard to beat.
Skiing
Skiing in Spain is terrific throughout the winter months because of the country's continental climate (meaning very hot air in the summer and very cool air in the winter) and mountainous terrain. The country has over thirty great ski-resorts with some of the best including:

La Molina: Situated only two hours from Barcelona and the home of Spain’s first ski-lift, La Molina is one of the most popular resorts in the country.
Benasque: A perfect resort for cross country skiers with beginner and advanced routes you’ll love.
Masella: Ninety minutes from Barcelona, Masella resort contains 65 pistes for all levels spread over a massive 75km - meaning every day on the mountain can be a different one for you.
Baqueira-Beret: Officially Spain’s biggest ski resort with 153km of pistes located in the Aran and Àneu Valleys of the Pyrenees.
Navacerrada: One of the closest ski resorts to the capital with a mixture or easy and challenging pistes, a slalom stadium, and a ski jump.
While I’ve never been to a Spanish ski resort, I usually ski every year with my family across the globe where we have fun, test our physical endurance, and spend meaningful time with one another.

Dancing
Have you got any moves? I certainly don’t… The Spanish on the other hand, certainly DO.

During the Renaissance period (1300 AD-1600 AD), folk dance gained both national and international popularity kickstarting the region's growth with the sport.

Fast forward to the Baroque period (1600 AD-1750 AD) there came an increasing popularity of gypsy music and dance due to the influx of Gitanos that made a historical change in Spanish dance.

Some of the most popular Spanish dance genres you can try include:

Sevillana: Influenced by Flamenco in 19th century, Sevillana is a colourful and exciting folk dance.
Muiñeira: Founded in north-western Galicia, Muiñeira is another vibrant folk dance where one of the main instruments played is called the gaita (bagpipes).
Flamenco: Documented for over two-hundred years, Flamenco is one of the original Spanish folk dances that involves hand-clapping, foot-stomping, and shouts of encouragement.
Sardana: The Sarda is a popular Catalan dance where people hold hands in a growing circle that rotates with precise steps.
Paso Doble: A fast, sexy, and colourful dance that shouts passion at any audience. The music played in Paso Doble (double-step) also became background sounds for bullfights.

With these and many more famous Spanish dance genres across the country, you’ll find an excellent healthy hobby to challenge yourself in.
3. Go Hiking in Spain


Spain is packed full of historic monuments, places, and trails that you can explore with a good hike.

Hiking has a combined effect of physical activity and time spent in nature that can lead to a joyful, nourishing experience of:

Calm
Creativity
Improved cardiovascular fitness

Where Can You Go Hiking in Spain?
Ruta del Cares, Picos de Europa
Ruta del Cares, also known as ‘The Divine Gorge’ located in Picos de Europa National Park is a beautiful 12km hike with winding paths carved out the side of a rock gorge. This hike is known to be one of the best in Europe, let alone Spain, which could be due to delightful bridges, streams, and nature that appear along the path.
Camino de Santiago
The Camino de Santiago (The Way of St James) consists of over seven established pilgrimage routes that start along the French border and end at the tomb of St. James’s located in Santiago de Compostela.

Some of these routes include:

French Way (Roncesvalles > Logrono > Leon > Burgos > Sarria > Santiago)
North Coast Camino (San Sebastián > Bilbao > Oviedo > Santiago)
Portuguese Way (Lisboa > Fatima > Santiago)
Andalusian Camino (Madrid > Granada > Córdoba > Mérida > Santiago)
Primitive Way (Oviedo > Lugo > Melide > Santiago)

While this is traditionally a religious walking tour, many people choose it as a walking holiday for fitness reasons as well as for the sociable atmosphere and sense of community.
Caminito del Rey, Malaga
Caminito del Rey, also known as El Camino del Rey has historically been one of the most dangerous hikes in the world, closing in 2000 due to old, unstable pathways made by sand and concrete in 1905.

With substantial renovations, the Caminito del Ray reopened in 2015 with safely fenced pathways, metal handrails, stairs, and bridges alongside the gorge that provides a spectacular view. The hike is a fun 7.7 kilometres long which takes close to four hours to complete.
4. Tuck Into Delicious Local Cuisine


It’s impossible to overlook the healthy local cuisine in Spain that positively overwhelms tourists with an explosion of delicious flavours, tastes, textures and colours. Whether this food is enjoyed in a tapas bar or a Catalan restaurant by the sea, you’ll most likely be pleased.

I’m going to show you a list of the three most popular Spanish dishes which have been around for centuries.
Tapas
Going to Spain and eating tapas is like going to France and having a pastry. Whether it is enjoyed hot or cold, this strong-flavoured appetizer (or complete meal) is commonly complemented with:

Bread
Meat
Olive
Fish
Cheese
Mushroom

And typically flavoured with:

Garlic
Olive oil
Chilies
Paprika
Cumin
Saffron

Before the 21st century (or 1975 in particular after the death of dictator Francisco Franco), the norm of tapas were to be served for free with a drink in order to boost business and repeat customers. This was particularly true in areas such as Andalucía or the Basque Country but as Spain became increasingly popular, with more and more tourists coming back each year, the small dish turned into something that could be profited from.

If you’ve never tried it before, tapas can be delicious beyond comparison and an excellent way to stay healthy because of the nutrient-rich ingredients it offers.
Paella
¿Cómo no se puede incluir la paella? (How could paella not be included?)

One of Spain’s most popular dishes, paella is a healthy, delicious hodgepodge of harmonious flavours that blend together irresistibly well.

Paella has originally evolved from Valencia in the mid-19th century, with the name paella meaning ‘frying-pan’ in Valencian.

The original ingredients of the paella valenciana (what they named paella in Valencia) include:

Round grain rice
Varieties of green beans
Butter bean
Chicken
Rabbit
Duck on occasion
Olive oil
Whole rosemary

With the increasing reputation of this delectable dish, more and more recipes were created with other types of ingredients, most notably: seafood.

Seafood paella is one of the most globally favoured recipes of today and will be on the menu whenever you’re eating out at a Spanish restaurant.

You can also find an easy to make, delicious paella recipe right here if you’re thinking of eating from home.
Tortilla Española
Tortilla Española, or ‘Spanish omelette’, may ring some bells. It’s one of Spain's most beloved dishes. Simplicity is everything when it comes to Tortilla Española where you’ll find the ingredients include:

egg
onion
potato

These ingredients are then cooked in a fresh glug of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper.

As simple as this dish is, it can be profoundly scrumptious when the right timing and technique is applied. What I love about this dish when it’s made right is how silky-smooth, creamy-like everything is in the centre and how crispy yet fragile everything is on the outside.

While this healthy dish is commonly served with tapas for lunch or dinner, you’ll also find it impossible to pick up another bowl of cereal for breakfast after enjoying it first thing in the morning.
5. Take a Nap at a Spanish ‘Nap Bar’


A Spanish nap bar you may be wondering? Yes, the Spanish have taken the siesta (meaning ‘nap’) one step further with the very first ‘nap bar’ in Madrid known as Siesta & Go. If you’re out and about in Chamartín Madrid and fancy getting a bit of kip, this is the go-to place.

If you’re elsewhere in Spain, then a siesta where you’re staying could be just as good for you. In fact, science shows that adults who take regular naps may be better at processing information before carrying out work that demands alertness and inhibition as proven in the Flanker Task.

I use to take naps (a nappuccino) during my lunchtimes at work, where I would drink a cup of caffeinated coffee in my car, recline my seat until nobody could see me (they could

111 Core French Words — The Most Commonly Used Words in French

Want to jumpstart your French by learning the core words you need to understand the language?

With about 100 French words, you can understand the majority of what you hear. It’s important to learn the right words, though!

These words are those that appear most in newspapers, novels, and even conversations. Why? Many words like le, la, les, de, etc. appear in almost every French sentence, much like the English “a”, “the”, or “of”.

Building a foundation in French with these words can help you become fluent in French faster. And the best part is -- because these are core words you’ll come across again and again in different contexts, they’re easy to remember!

Something to note is that this word list isn’t just for beginners. Instead, it shares which words to start with based on word-frequency. You can, however, learn some of the basics of French with these French greetings, how to say “thank you” in French, and learn to ask someone “how are you?” in French. Then, you can come back here to pair the basics with what you learn in this post and have a huge headstart!

This list of core French words include nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and other connecting words. Once you get the hang of these core 100 French words, you can continue building your vocabulary to 500 or even 5,000 words in French! On y va ! (“Let’s get to it!”).
The 18 Core French Pronouns
French pronouns -- these are words like “I”, “he” or “she” -- are important to know. You’ll notice that “you” is on this list twice. That’s because French has two forms for speaking to another person: formal and informal.

je - “I”
tu - “you”, singular and informal
il - “he”
elle - “she”
on - “one”
nous - “we”
vous - “you”, plural, or singular and formal
ils and elles - they; ils is used for a group of males or mixed gender while elles is used for groups of females only
ça - “it, that”
ce, cet, cette - “this” (ces, cettes - “these”)
moi - “me”
toi - “you”, used as an indirect object and as the subject in special cases for emphasis
lui - “him, her, it”

The 15 Core French Possessive Pronouns

mon, ma, mes - “my”
ton, ta, tes - “your”, singular and informal
son, sa, ses - “his”, “her”, or “their”
notre, nos- “our”
votre, vos - “your”, singular and formal or plural
leur, leurs - “their”

The Core 6 French Question Words
Who, what, when, where, why, and how. These are core words in every language. Here’s how to say them in French.

qui - “who”
quoi - “what”
quand - “when”
où - “where”
pourquoi - “why”
comment - “how”

The 2 Core French Interjections
Interjections are words that occur on their own as a kind of utterance. There are a few French interjections that are useful to know.

Non - “no”
Oui - “yes”

The 22 Core French Nouns
Wondering which French nouns are the best to learn? Depending on what activities interest you, different nouns are going to be more relevant than others. We highly recommend creating your own lists and scripts. Based on word frequency, however, these are the words you’re most likely to come across.

tout, tous, toute, toutes - “any, every, entire, very, whole, all”
ici - “here”
là - “there”
rien - “nothing”
peu - “little, not very, bit, few”
chose - “thing”
autre - “other”
temps - “time, times, weather, days”
vie - “life”
accord - “agreement, understanding, deal”
monde - “world”
fois - “time, times”
été - “summer”
homme - “man, person”
père - “father”
veut - “want, wish, will, desire”
quelque - “some, a few, about”
besoin - “need’
femme - “woman”

The 12 Core French Verbs
You can get by with knowing a few key verbs in French, but here are 12 of the most common verbs you’ll come across and their conjugations to help get you started.

Many of the most common French verbs are irregular -- that means they don’t follow the rules for the three groups of French verbs (-er, -ir, and -re).

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background-color: #134b68;
font-style: italic;
}

être - “to be”




je suis
I am
nous sommes
we are


tu es
you are
vous êtes
you are (formal, plural)


il/elle/on est
he/she/one is
ils/elles sont
they are




avoir - “to have”




j'ai
I have
nous avons
we have


tu as
you have
vous avez
you have (formal, plural)


il/elle/on a
he/she/one has
ils/elles ont
they have



aller - “to go”




je vais
I go
nous allons
we go


tu vas
you go
vous allez
you go(formal, plural)


il/elle/on va
he/she/one goes
ils/elles vont
they go



faire - “to do, to make”




je fais
I do/make
nous faisons
we do/make


tu fais
you do/make
vous faites
you do/make(formal, plural)


il/elle/on fait
he/she/one does/makes
ils/elles font
they do/make



savoir - “to know (something)”




je sais
I know
nous savons
we know


tu sais
you know
vous savez
you know (formal, plural)


il/elle/on sait
he/she/one knows
ils/elles savent
they know



vouloir - “to want”




je veux
I want
nous voulons
we want


tu veux
you want
vous voulez
you want (formal, plural)


il/elle/on veut
he/she/one wants
ils/elles veulent
they want



dire - “to say”




je dis
I say
nous disons
we say


tu dis
you say
vous dites
you say (formal, plural)


il/elle/on dit
he/she/one says
ils/elles disent
they say



pouvoir - “to be able to”




je peux
I can
nous pouvons
we can


tu peux
you can
vous pouvez
you can (formal, plural)


il/elle/on peut
he/she/one can
ils/elles peuvent
they can



voir - “to see”




je vois
I see
nous voyons
we see


tu vois
you see
vous voyez
you see (formal, plural)


il/elle/on voit
he/she/one sees
ils/elles voient
they see



venir - “to come”




je viens
I come
nous venons
we come


tu viens
you come
vous venez
you come (formal, plural)


il/elle/on vient
he/she/one comes
ils/elles viennent
they come



croire - “to believe”




je crois
I believe
nous croyons
we believe


tu crois
you believe
vous croyez
you believe (formal, plural)


il/elle/on croit
he/she/one believes
ils/elles croient
they believe



devoir - “to have to”




je dois
I must
nous devons
we must


tu dois
you must
vous devez
you must (formal, plural)


il/elle/on doit
he/she/one must
ils/elles doient
they must



 
The 15 Core French Adjectives and Adverbs
Wondering what the most common French adjectives and adverbs are? Look no further than these 15 core French adjectives and adverbs!

ne… pas - “not”
le, la, les - “the”
un, une, des - “a, an”
bien - “good, well”
plus - “more, most, further, plus”
y - “there”, differs from the noun “là” in use as an adverb
vraiment - “really, truly, genuinely, actually, indeed”
maintenant - “now”
toujours - “always, forever”
très - “very”
même - “same, even”
encore - “still, yet, again”
jamais - “never”
juste - “just, fair, right”
trop - “too, overly, too much”

The 21 Core French Conjunctions and Connectors
Learning connector words and conjunctions is a useful way to form sentences and speak French more smoothly. Many of these connectors have multiple translations, but which meaning you’ll use is often deducible through context.

de - “of, to, from, by, with, than, at”
et - “and”
mais - “but”
pour - “for*
que - “that, whether, than, which, what”
à - “to, in, at, with, by”
en - “in, into, to, of, at”
dans - “in, into, within, on”
si - “if, whether, so, that, such, as”
avec - “with, to, along with, together with”
sur - “on, about, to, over, at, upon, onto, with”
comme - “since, as, like, such as”
avant - ”prior, before, until, front, forward”
après - “afterwards, after, following”
ou - “or”
par - “by, per, through, via, to, on”
aussi - “also, too, as well”
alors - “then”
sans - “without”
sûr - “sure, certain, safe”
chez - “in, among, to, amongst”

Strengthen Your French Core with the Most Common French Words
Now that you know the 111 core French words, you can get started and try them out with exchange partners. Looking for a good place to put them to use? Try participating in the Fluent in 3 Months Challenge and level up your French in 90 days.

There are countless directions you can take from here in your French learning. And now that you know your core French words, figuring out what the next step is easier than ever. You’re well on your way to diving into the words that are relevant for your personal, daily use. And if you’re looking for more French resources, you can check out our French resources page.

What are the most frequently used English words for you? Do you already know them in French? What French words do you use most often? I’d love to know what they are -- share them with me in the comments below!

 

The post 111 Core French Words — The Most Commonly Used Words in French appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.

65+ Ways to Say “Goodbye” in Spanish

How exactly do you say “goodbye” in Spanish? Is it okay to say adiós? Does hasta la vista, baby work?

Answers to all those questions coming up...

If you’re planning on travelling to a Spanish-speaking region or having interactions in Spanish, one of the first things you need to learn is how to say “goodbye” in Spanish.

Why?

Because whether you’re mainly using English, or speaking entirely in Spanish, the conversation will come to an end, and it will be time to say “goodbye”.

So why not say “goodbye” in Spanish?

No te preocupes, amigo! (“Don’t worry, friend!”) I’ve got you covered and I’m about to show you exactly how to do just that.

Below you’ll find the many different ways to say “goodbye” in Spanish. In less than it takes to take a siesta (“nap”), you’ll be all set to say “bye” in Spanish like a pro.

Listos? Vamos! (“Ready? Let’s go!”)
How To Say Goodbye in Spanish: Adiós, the First Spanish Goodbye Students Learn
Adiós is often used as “goodbye” or more rarely as “farewell” in Spanish. In some cultures, it sounds a lot like a permanent statement, a ‘final goodbye’.

If you don’t want to get too involved with adiós yet or feel like being more creative, you could consider…
Using Phrases with Hasta... (“Until...”)
Building phrases with hasta... is very practical as you can create many customized expressions.
“Until Next Time” in Spanish: Hasta La Próxima
“Next time” in Spanish is la próxima vez, but hasta la próxima vez is not used as a goodbye. Instead, you say hasta la próxima, in which la próxima (the feminine version of “the next”) stands alone. The expression literally translates as “until the next” but it means “until next time”.

You can “upgrade” hasta la próxima - or hasta el próximo if the word you add is masculine - by adding time expressions. In this case, the phrase would be translated as “see you next...”

Examples:

Hasta el próximo mes. - “See you next month.”
Hasta la próxima semana. - “See you next week.”
Hasta el próximo martes. - “See you next Tuesday.”

You can forego the próximo before mentioning the day of the week: Hasta el martes (“See you on Tuesday”). It helps make it less of a mouthful.

While hasta la próxima is informal in any region, the various expressions that use it as a base are fit for formal conversations that still remain borderline casual -- like with colleagues or a boss you’re on easy terms with.
“See You Later” in Spanish: Hasta Luego
Luego is “after” in Spanish, but in the expression hasta luego it means “later”. This goodbye can be both formal and informal.
“See You Soon” in Spanish: Hasta Pronto
When you pair hasta… with pronto (“soon”), you get one of the Spanish phrases for “see you soon”: hasta pronto. It is less used than hasta luego and is usually informal.
“See You Tomorrow” in Spanish: Hasta Mañana
Mañana is defined as both “morning” and “tomorrow” in Spanish, but when used in hasta mañana it has only one meaning: “see you tomorrow”.
“See You Then” in Spanish: Hasta Entonces
Though rarely used, hasta entonces (“see you then”) can be employed to say goodbye to someone if the time of your next meeting has been agreed upon.
The Popular Hasta La Vista...
This one has fallen in disuse as it has become almost a reflex to conclude it with “baby”. Ah, Hollywood…

Hasta la vista (literally “until sight”) is now mostly meant to be a ridiculous, fancy or sassy goodbye.
Hasta Siempre - A Farewell in Spanish
Hasta siempre (literally “until forever”) is not much used as it has a never-to-see-you-again connotation as a last goodbye.

When you say hasta siempre, you mean that even though the person will be physically far from you, they will forever remain in your mind and heart. It has its place in teary final scenes of tragic romantic movies but not in everyday life.

Tip: If you are saying goodbye to someone you think you’ll never see again -- or not for a long time -- and aren’t willing to get all dramatic about it, opt for the standard adiós, que te/le/os/les vaya bien (“take care”, literally “that everything will go well for you”), or suerte con todo (“good luck with everything”).
Hasta Nunca - “Until Never”
If you’ve been seriously offended by someone and plan on never crossing paths with them again, you can make your intention stand clear with an hasta nunca (“until never”). They will know how angry you are.

Hasta nunca can also be used as a joke among close friends if you use a playful tone. It even has a softer and very informal version (hasta nunqui) which is childish and completely defeats the purpose of the sharp nunca.
Using Nos Vemos - “We’ll See Each Other”
Casual and informal -- but just slightly so -- nos vemos is literally translated as “we see ourselves” but it means “we’ll see each other” in the sense of “see you”. When used alone, nos vemos usually refers to seeing each other in the near future, but it can also form the basis of other phrases.

Like hasta…, nos vemos… can be paired with luego (“later”) and pronto (“soon”). It even has more possibilities, among which you can count después (“after”), más tarde (“later”), and a las cuatro (“at four” or any other hour).

Expressions created with nos vemos… can be informal or formal depending on the region: nos vemos más tarde is informal in any case while nos vemos a las cuatro can be formal or colloquial.
“See You Around” in Spanish: Nos Vemos Por Ahí
An appropriate goodbye to part ways with people with whom you haven’t fixed a precise time to see each other again is nos vemos por ahí (“see you around”). Beware the heavy informality! You should use this one only with people with whom you would use tú.

Variants of this expression include:

Allí nos vemos - literally: “We’ll see each other there.” This one may be used to indicate an actual place (if you’ve decided that you’ll meet at a restaurant, for example), but if used in a general sense, the allí takes the meaning of “around”.
A ver si nos vemos un día de estos - literally: “Let’s see if we see each other one of these days.”
Ya nos veremos un día de estos - literally: “We’ll see each other one of these days.”

Using Te Veo - “I’ll See You”
Te veo literally translates as “I see you”, but it has a far less creepy meaning when used as a goodbye in Spanish. It is informal, for which it is fairly commonly used to say bye to a friend, and has no version with usted.

As with nos vemos, you can complement te veo with an indication of when you expect to see the other person again:

Te veo luego - “I’ll see you later.”
Te veo a las cuatro - “I’ll see you at four.”
Te veo en la próxima reunión - “I’ll see you at the next meeting.”

Other Informal Ways to Say Goodbye in Spanish
There is no exact way to say “bye bye” in Spanish, but there are some colloquial expressions that you can use instead. These are reserved for friends and people with whom you are on informal terms.
Foreign Words to Say Goodbye in Spanish
Like any living language, Spanish has adopted some foreign expressions into its vocabulary. Sometimes, they even outrank the original Spanish words in frequency of use.

In many Spanish-speaking regions, a common way to say “bye” is chao, or chau, which you might recognize as a mutation of the Italian ciao. This four-lettered word is part of the legacy of the considerable Italian 19th-century immigration. It is particularly popular in Argentina.

Be ready for the next one, because it is mind-blowing. In some parts of Latin America, such as in the Dominican Republic, you might often hear people parting ways with a… “Bye!” This is due to the United States’ influence on Latin American countries both in the past and present days.
How to Say “I’m out” in Spanish: Ya Me Voy
How can you say “bye” more informally than by saying (ya) me voy (“I’m out”, literally “I’m leaving”)?

It is possible, and Spanish-speaking people have their own version of it. In some Latin American countries, you could tell your friends me fui (“I’m gone”).
Warmer Goodbyes in Spanish
Yes, saying “goodbye” is polite, but sometimes you may want to say something warmer before parting ways with a friend or someone you appreciate.

“Take care”, “have a good day”, and “have fun” all have equivalents in Spanish.
How to Say “Take Care” in Spanish: Cuídate
Cuidarse means “taking care of oneself”, so cuídate is Spanish for “take care”.

Remember to adapt the conjugation of cuidarse depending on the person or people you are addressing:

cuídate → singular and informal “you” (tú)
cuidate → singular and informal “you” (vos)
cuídese → singular, formal “you” (usted)
cuidaos → plural informal “you” in Spain (vosotros)
cuídense → general plural “you” in Latin America and plural formal “you” in Spain (ustedes)

To show even more consideration, you can add bien (“good”) or mucho (“a lot”): cuídate bien, cuídense mucho.
How to Say “Have a Good Day” in Spanish: Que Tengas un Buen Día
Spanish is a language that seems to have a fondness for abundance. This is reflected in the many ways available to say “have a good day”.

The first and most formal one is feliz día (literally “happy day”). You might use it with in-laws, a boss, or an elder person with whom you use usted. If you’d rather wish a “good rest of the day”, then say feliz resto del día.

For a goodbye a couple of notches down on the formality scale, use que tengas (un) buen día and que pases (un) buen día, or simply buen día. Remember to conjugate the verb appropriately depending on the person or people you are addressing:

(tú or vos) tengas/pases
(usted) tenga/pase
(vosotros) tengais/paseis
(ustedes)tengan/pasen

How to Say “Have a Good Evening” in Spanish
There is no way to translate “have a good evening” in Spanish simply because there isn’t a Spanish equivalent for “evening”. In fact, as soon as the tarde (“afternoon”) is over, the noche (“night”) kicks in. This happens around 6, 7, or 8 pm, depending on the region’s culture.

Therefore, if you want to wish someone a good evening in Spanish, you will need to wish them a good night.
How to Say “Have a Good Night” in Spanish: Feliz Noche
Like with “have a good day”, there are several ways to tell someone to “have a good night” in Spanish.

You should use feliz noche (literally “happy night”) with the same people with whom you would use feliz día.

Que tengas (una) buena noche, que pases (una) buena noche, or simply buena noche are also good options.
How to Say “Have a Good Time” in Spanish: Pásalo Bien or Disfruta
Pásalo bien is more informal than disfruta, but both are ways to say “have a good time” or “enjoy”.

The two expressions can also be used with the other “you” pronouns.

(usted) páselo bien/disfrute
(vosotros) pasadlo bien/disfrutad
(ustedes) pásenlo bien/disfruten

How to Say “Have Fun” in Spanish: Diviértete
Divertirse is the Spanish verb for “having fun”. To tell someone to have fun when you part ways, you will say:

(tu or vos) diviértete
(usted) diviértase
(vosotros) divertíos
(ustedes) diviértanse

How to Say “Rest” in Spanish: Descansa
Let’s say you’ve had an exceptionally tense week at work, or you’ve just had a tiresome dance training. Either way, you can tell your colleagues/dance partner to “rest”, which in Spanish is as thoughtful as it would be to wish someone to have a good day.

Here’s how you can do it:

(tú or vos) descansa
(usted) descanse
(vosotros) descasad
(ustedes) descansen

How to Say “You Too” in Spanish
When someone tells you to “take care”, you will most probably answer with a variant of “you too”.

In Spanish, you can say tú también (“you too”), tú igual (“you too”, literally “you equal”), igualmente (“(you) equally”), or, more informally, igual (“same”).

What if you want to say “you too” to someone with whom you don’t use tú? As there is no verb in the phrases, nothing will change except for the pronoun: usted también, vosotros igual.
How to Say “I Hope to See You Soon” in Spanish: Espero verte pronto
Espero verte pronto (“I hope to see you soon”) is a good way to make sure you part ways in a friendly way.

If you don’t know whether you’ll cross paths with someone again, you can tell them espero volver a verte (“I hope to see you again”).

You can answer to such a goodbye by saying yo también (“me too”).
Say Goodbye to Someone You Just Met in Spanish
When you have just met someone and are about to leave each on your own way, opt for an encantado/a (“glad (to have met you)”, literally “enchanted”), un placer (“a pleasure”), or mucho gusto (“nice to meet you”). It is common to repeat it as a goodbye, even if you had already said it right after introducing each other.
Sometimes, More Is Better for Saying “Goodbye” in Spanish!
Have you ever eaten in a Spanish restaurant? They are famous for the incredible quantities of food they serve. Likewise, you can get a double-portion of goodbyes in Spanish.

Examples:

Bye, ¡nos vemos!
Adiós, ya me voy.
Chao, nos vemos el martes.
Te veo, ¡cuídate!
Nos vemos mañana, descansa.

Additionally, Spanish-speaking people are very fond of filling blank spaces in conversations with bueno (“well”) and pues (“then”) that somewhat stand for “ok”. Very often, they will say one of the two to conclude your interaction and then add the goodbye phrase. They might even say both!

Examples:

Bueno, ya nos vemos. - “Ok, see you.”
Pues, ¡hasta manana! - “Ok, see you tomorrow.”
Bueno… Pues, te veo en el aeropuerto - “Well, I’ll see you at the airport, then.”

Spanish Goodbyes for Letters, Emails, Texts, and Phone Calls
As you’ve already seen with in-person goodbyes, there are a myriad of ways to say bye in Spanish, including for written correspondence or by phone.

Here is a list of the most common:
Letters and Emails
Closing emails and letters is an art form in all languages, but you cannot go wrong if you use these words and phrases in Spanish.

On a scale of most to least formal, here are the principal Spanish written closures:

Atentamente - “sincerely”, literally “with attention”. Atentamente can be used on its own or as le(s) saluda atentamente, me despido atentamente, or se despide atentamente.
Cordialmente - “cordially”. It can be used in the same way as “atentamente”, but it is a notch below in formality.
Mejores saludos/deseos - “best regards/wishes”
Cariñosos saludos - “affectionate regards”
Afectuosamente - “affectionately” or “yours affectionately”
Con todo mi cariño/afecto - “with all my affection”
Besos y abrazos - “kisses and hugs”

Texts and Phone Calls
In addition to most of the spoken phrases you’ve previously learnt in this post, there are a few typical expressions you may use to end a call. “Talk to you later” in Spanish is hablamos luego, which actually translates as “we’ll talk later”. It can also be contracted to simply hablamos (“we (will) talk”), and its more correct equivalent is te vuelvo a llamar pronto (“I’ll call you again soon”).

Un beso (“a kiss”) and un abrazo (“a hug”) can conclude a call and are also used in texting given their shortness. Chau/o and bye serve the same purpose. In the language of extra-short messages, you can obviously opt for a TQM, the abbreviation of te quiero mucho (“I love you a lot”) or salu2, which stands for saludos (“goodbye”).
The Noun “Goodbye” in Spanish
If you haven’t learnt the correct way to say goodbye in Spanish, you might be in for some awkward despedidas (“goodbyes”).

The despedida is the act of saying goodbye, but it also means “farewell” and “farewell party”. A despedida de soltera is a bachelorette’s party while una despedida para un colega is a going-away party for a colleague.
The Verb Despedirse (“To Say Goodbye”)
Despedirse (“to say goodbye”) is a reflexive verb that belongs to the third group of Spanish verbs. It is irregular, for which its root changes when it is conjugated.

(yo) me despido
(tú) te despides (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) te despedís instead of (tú) te despides.)
(él/ella/usted) se despide (Note: Usted is the formal singular “you”.)
(nosotros) nos despedimos
(vosotros) os despedís (Note: Vosotros is the informal plural “you” used in Spain, but not in other Spanish-speaking countries.)
(ellos/ellas/ustedes) se despiden (Note: Ustedes is the formal plural “you” in Spain, but it is employed as the plural “you” for any occasion throughout Latin America.)

In certain Spanish-speaking regions, me despido or nos despedimos can be used as a goodbye when a person addresses a group of people, either on their behalf or that of the group of people that will leave with them (e.g.: their children). It is polite and formal enough to be uncommon among close friends or youth, but adult acquaintances do use it.

Formal letters may also end in me despido, se despide, or se despiden.
Here’s Why There are So Many Ways to Say “Goodbye” in Spanish
An estimated 580 million people are either fluent in Spanish or learning it.

Spanish is the official language in 21 countries spread over three continents, and in some big countries, such as in Venezuela, the connotation of a word might change slightly from region to region.

The purpose of this introduction is to make you aware that… there isn’t only one way to speak Spanish!

What may be considered a formal and distant goodbye in some regions might turn out to be casual and warm in others -- simply because there is a literal ocean in between the two places.

You might think this will make your learning harder, but it does the exact opposite! Once you get acquainted with all the ways to say goodbye in Spanish listed in this post, it will be easy for you to get the hang of which are most used by the people with whom you’ll interact.

With that knowledge in hand and your desire to learn, you are going to be terrific at saying goodbye in Spanish!
How Will You Say Goodbye in Spanish?
Now that you know many ways to say bye in Spanish, which phrases will you use? Do you know any goodbye specific to a Spanish-speaking region? Let me know in the comments!

Bueno, pues… Hasta la próxima!

The post 65+ Ways to Say “Goodbye” in Spanish appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.