Benny Lewis's Blog, page 41

25+ Spanish Slang Words and Phrases You Won’t Learn from a Textbook [With Examples]

Spanish slang is amazing! Spanish is a passionate and rich language, full of emotion. It’s also full of some of the craziest slang terms.

Learning Spanish slang words can be a fun challenge. Slang is sometimes difficult to pick up because the phrases don’t always make sense when you first hear them. The first time you hear “¡Hostia!” in Spain, you may think… “Why are they exclaiming, ‘The host of Christ’?”

It’s good to know Spanish slang if you’re preparing to travel to Spain, too. After you’ve prepared how to introduce yourself and order at a restaurant, the next step is to learn some common Spanish slang.

Spanish has lots of different words and phrases based on the region you’re speaking in. For instance, Mexican slang is quite different from Castilian slang spoken in Spain.

For that reason, I’ll be focusing on Castilian Spanish slang. It’s the Spanish I learned first, and obviously had closer proximity to me while living in Europe.

These Spanish slang terms are so common you’ll hear them all the time in everyday speech in Spain. But keep in mind, some are NSFW. There are some cuss words below, and you want to be mindful of who you’re using these slang terms with. These are for your friends, and some may be okay with family, but don’t use them with strangers.
Spanish Slang Words
The below Spanish slang words are from Castilian Spanish, the dialect used in Spain.
¡Hostia! - “Bloody Hell”
One of the most common slang expressions which comes from Spain’s Catholic heritage. Hostia literally refers to the eucharist in a Catholic mass, la eucaristía. But as slang, it’s an exclamation for when you’re surprised, shocked, alarmed or concerned. It’s like saying “bloody hell” in British English, or “what the hell” in American English.

There are quite a few religious Spanish slang phrases like this. For instance, you could say dar una hostia, which means “to give a host”. This is used to say you’ll slap someone across the face. Te voy a dar una hostia! means “I’m going to give you a beating!”

La Virgen María, or “the Virgin Mary”, is also sometimes used as an exclamation, like “Oh my God!”
Guay - “Cool” or “Amazing”
Guay is another must-know slang word in Spanish. Just like “cool”, “amazing”, or “great” in English, you’ll hear this one all the time in Spain. Sometimes it’s used to show agreement, or say “okay” in response to a question instead of sí for “yes”.

¡Qué guay! Me gusta ese programa de televisión también. ¿Quién es tu personaje favorito?
“How cool! I like that TV show, too. Who’s your favourite character?”
Chula / Chulo - “Cool” or “Attractive”
Chulo or chula means “cool” and can be used to say something is “pretty” or “attractive”. The main difference between chulo and guay is that, in Spain, chulo can only be used as a positive phrase when talking about inanimate objects. If you use it to talk about a person, it can mean they’re “cocky” or “conceited”.

Ese auto es muy chulo.
“That car is really cool.”
Venga - “Come on!”
This is a filler word that can have either a positive or negative meaning. You can use it as an exclamation, like when watching Real Madrid in a football game: Venga! Ve, ve, ve! or “Come on! Go, go, go!”
¡Jolín! - “Heck!”
This one is not quite as strong as some of the other expressions on the list. When you’re irritated, you can say ¡Jolín! It means “darn”, “heck”, “jeez”, or “blast it!”

¡Jolín! Olvidé comprar la leche.
“Blast! I forgot to buy milk.”
Vale - “Okay”
You’ll hear this one in almost any conversation. It can replace sí to acknowledge someone or agree, and it’s an exclamation, too, like “Yes!”

Vale, vamos.
“Okay, let’s go.”
Joder - “Fuck”
Joder is used exactly the same way as “fuck” in English. It’s a catch-all term like jolín, but much more crude. It means everything from an angry or amazed exclamation, to talking about sex.

As in English, this isn’t the kindest term you could use, so use it wisely. But it is a common term you’ll hear often (especially on TV):

¡Joder! ¡Esa fue una jugada increíble!
“Fuck! That was an incredible play!”
Colega - “Buddy” or “Friend”
This slang word often replaces amigo when spoken in Spain. In other dialects it means “co-worker”. When using this phrase, because it’s slang, you don’t have to change the ending to be gender-specific. Colega is fine for both men and women.

Hola, colega. ¿Qué pasa?
“Hey, friend. What’s up?”
Los Viejos - “Parents / Old Folks”
This phrase is similar to calling your parents your “‘rents” in English, or your dad your “old man”. It means “the elderly”, so it’s not the best thing you could call your parents. It’s typically used in a light-hearted and affectionate way:

Los viejos pueden ser guay a veces.
“My ‘rents can be cool sometimes.”
No Pasa Nada - “No Worries”
This literally means “nothing is happening.” It’s used to say “no worries” or “no problem”. If someone thanks you for doing them a favour, you can reply with this.

Ey, gracias por todo hoy.
No pasa nada, colega.

“Hey, thanks for everything today.”
“No problem, buddy.”
Majo - “Pleasant” or “Attractive”
In your Spanish textbooks, you may have learned simpático means “nice” or “friendly”. And it does… But it’s more natural to hear majo or maja in Spain. Besides meaning “friendly”, “nice” or “pleasant”, it can also be used to describe someone as “pretty”.

¡Vaya! Tu colega José es muy majo.
“Wow! Your friend José is really nice.”
Empanado - “Spaced Out”
Empanado means something is breaded, and empanada is a pastry. (Or… a woman’s private parts in some Spanish-speaking countries, so be careful where you say it.) But in Spain, empanado can also mean you feel sluggish, or you’re spaced out and forgetful.

Soy todo empanado. Olvidé mis llaves, otra vez.
“I’m all spaced out. I forgot my keys again.”
Cabrearse - “Pissed Off”
When you’re feeling furious, or pissed off, you can use this phrase to more accurately describe your frustration. It is a bit strong, so watch who you say it to.

Soy muy cabrearse. Alguien robó mi cartera.
“I’m so pissed off. Someone stole my wallet.”
Bocachancla - “Gossip”
This one is a funny expression to me. It literally means “flip flop mouth”, because someone keeps talking smack like flip flops smack the ground when you walk. This person is a gossip, a big mouth, or likes to “run their mouth” about someone else. It can also be used to call someone an idiot or asshole.

Deja de ser tan bocachancla, Tina
“Stop being such a big mouth, Tina.”
Tío / Tía - “Dude” or “Chick”
Tío and tía mean “uncle” and “aunt” in most Spanish-speaking countries. And they do in Spain as well, but they’re more often used to call someone a “guy” and “girl”, or “dude” and “chick”. You can call your friends this, or even refer to strangers as tío and tía.

¡Ey tío! ¿Cómo te va?
“Hey man! How’s it going?”
Pijo - “Snobby”
Someone who is un pijo or una pija is a brat, or a spoiled kid. It can also be used to call someone snobby, stuck up, or condescending. It’s like calling someone una fresa (“a strawberry”) in Mexican Spanish slang. Similarly, you can call someone a gilipollas - a “douchebag”.

Ella siempre es tan grosera conmigo. Ella es tan pija.
“She’s always so rude to me. She’s such a snob.”
Baboso - “Dummy*
Baboso means “slimy”, but as slang, it means someone is an idiot or a dummy.

No seas baboso.
“Don’t be an idiot.”
Spanish Slang Phrases
The below Spanish slang phrases are from Castilian Spanish, the dialect used in Spain.
Ser la Leche - “Cool”, “Sick”
This phrase can mean something is cool, someone has swagger, or even something is awful. It’s used like “sick” in English, where it can be positive or negative.

Esa película fue la leche.
“That movie was cool.”

Él piensa que es la leche. Es muy molesto.
“He thinks he’s all that. It’s really annoying.”
Me Cago en la Leche - “Piss Off”
A pretty vulgar (but amusing) Spanish slang phrase is Me cago en la leche. It literally means “I crap in the milk”. It’s short for the much longer phrase Me cago en la leche de la puta que te date la luz, which means “I crap in the milk of the whore who gave birth to you”. Yes, Spaniards went there. And yes, it’s a common insult.

In fact, Spaniards love to us me cago en… for… many things. You can “crap in” anything in Spain to add injury to insult.

Another one with leche, you can use mala leche (“bad milk”) to say you’re in a bad mood.

Me cago en la leche. Déjame solo.
“You’re pissing me off. Leave me alone.”
*Estar Como una Cabra” - “A Nutcase”
If someone is really crazy, you can say they’re a “nut job” or “nutcase” by saying Está como una cabra, which means “Like a goat”. Goats are pretty unpredictable, and have a crazy scream, so this saying makes sense when you think about it.

¡Está como una cabra! ¿Viste lo que hizo?
“He’s crazy! Did you see what he did?”
Ir a Su Bola - “To Do Your Own Thing”
This phrase literally translates as “go to your ball”, but it means “to do your own thing”. It’s used with a negative undertone, though. It implies the person’s blowing off other people, or what they’re doing isn’t rational.

Mi hijo va a su bola, incluso si eso significa hacerse daño.
“My son does his own thing, even if it means getting hurt.”
Me Importa un Pimiento - “I Couldn’t Care Less”
This means “It’s as important as a pepper”. You use it to say something doesn’t matter, or you don’t care.

*Me importa un pimiento el juego. Prefiero ver una película.”
“I couldn’t care less about the game. I’d rather watch a movie.”
Estar en Pelotas - “Buttnaked”
Pelotas is like cojones, or “balls”. So this one means, “to be in balls”, or “to be buttnaked”.

¡Tuve un sueño que estaba en pelotas frente de todo la clase!
“I had a dream I was buttnaked in front of the class!”
Now It’s Your Turn
Ready to go forth and use some of these crazy Spanish slang phrases? You’ll sound muy guay when you visit Spain and chat with your friends.

What other Castilian Spanish slang words or phrases do you know? Share your favourites in the comments below!

The post 25+ Spanish Slang Words and Phrases You Won’t Learn from a Textbook [With Examples] appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.

How I Learned Dutch in 365 Days with Drops and a Language Tutor

I learned how to speak conversational Dutch in one year. And I had some amazing experiences as a result of this journey.

It was a journey that began 10 years earlier, on a stage in New York City, with a pack of cards.
One Mistake and You Were Out
“Two of Hearts,” I confidently said.

It was the final event of the 2010 USA Memory Championships. Moments before, me and two other finalists had been backstage memorizing two decks of cards. One red. One blue. In that order. Back out on stage, I was selected to recite the first card and kick off the event to determine the champion.

“I’m sorry, Nelson, but that is incorrect…”
Wait, What? How?
I memorized both decks cold…there is no way I could have…oh no.

At that moment I realized I had flubbed the order of the decks. Memorizing the blue one first. A rookie mistake, but such a stupid mistake.
From Stupid Mistake to Grandmaster of Memory
Years later, I would probably consider it the best mistake I ever made in my life.

Ultimately, it pushed me to train harder for the next year’s competition, which I won. Then I won another time, and then another, and then another.

Since then, I have been fortunate enough to be crowned the US champion four times, broken numerous memory records, and even claimed the highly coveted title of Grandmaster of Memory.
It Was All Because of
In 2009, my grandmother passed away from Alzheimer’s disease. Her passing led me on a search for some kind of mental regimen that would help keep my brain sharp and healthy.

What I eventually discovered were the memory techniques that would bring me to the USA Memory Championship––the rest is history.
Now, My Memory Pays My Rent
Over the years, memory has become my career. I now teach people how they, too, can improve their memories.

Naturally, one of the most common questions I’ve gotten as a memory expert is, “can you easily learn a language?” Upon first thought, the answer might seem like an obvious “yes”. But in actuality, learning a language is so much more than just memory. Is memory helpful for languages? Of course, but only in part.
But I’ve Never Been Great at Languages...
Regardless, my track record with language learning has never been great.

I was lucky enough to have been brought up in a French-speaking household and then learned English through school. Outside of that, no other languages.

You’d think that living in Miami, Florida (often called the gateway to Latin America) I’d have mastered Spanish. But, no. I can speak very bad gringo Spanish at best. And that’s even having dated a number of Hispanic women through my 20s. There was even a time where I wanted to learn Chinese, then Russian, then Italian, then Arabic. I even dated a Dutch girl for a while and tried to start learning Dutch. All without any success.
So, I Set Myself a Language Goal
It wasn’t until last year when I decided to really set a goal and see if it was going to be any easier for me, the memory guy, to learn a language.

I decided 2019 would be that year.

The next thing was to decide on which language I’d learn. I figured that the best results would come from a language that actually meant something to me.
And I Wanted It to Be a BIG Challenge
At first, I thought maybe Italian––my wife’s side of the family is Italian and it’s not too far off from French. Then I thought, no, I want something that is really foreign from anything I already know. I landed on Dutch/Flemish, which is my mother’s native language (my mother and her side of the family is from Belgium, the Flemish-speaking side).

Now, she had spoken French to us all through our childhood, but not a lick of Flemish (I think the reason for that was because my father only spoke French). The only times I heard Flemish were when my mother would speak on the phone to her sisters, that’s it.

I guess you could argue that I had previously heard the language growing up and that I had some preliminary exposure to it, but believe me when I say it really was minimal. I knew absolutely zero words. I was starting from scratch.
I Was Excited to Memorize Something I Would Use in the Real World
Once I had decided on Dutch, I was really excited. It would bring me closer to my mother and allow me to reconnect with her side of the family––something which I had never truly been able to do over the years because of the language barrier. I was also really excited for the project.

Training my memory for memory competitions is great and all, but most of the information we memorize during an event is useless. It was going to be nice, for a change, to memorize and learn something I could keep with me and that would improve my life.
The Next Big Decision -- My Method for Learning a Language in One Year
The next thing I had to figure out was my approach. How was I going to attack this project and learn a language in a year?

My first thought was, well, I should probably take advantage of my memory.

Memorizing a large chunk of vocabulary to kickstart my journey to fluency would be a good approach for me. Then, with that out of the way, start learning grammar, idioms, word order, rules, etc.



Around that time, I had been playing around with some language learning apps, but one, in particular, kept drawing me in: the Drops app.

Drops has a beautiful interface, tons of words to learn, and addictive gameplay. I reached out to them and asked if they would like to partner on a project I was working on.

I know what you’re thinking… learn a language from an app, “Nelson? Really?” I know, I know. Not realistic. It’s not reasonable to expect any kind of fluency from an app alone.

I mean this guy studied Spanish for almost three years on Duolingo and still didn’t achieve fluency.

But that wasn’t what I had in mind. My goal was to learn vocabulary to start, and having a fun app on my phone to help me achieve this would be super helpful.

Together, we ended up creating the 90 Days With Drops Challenge. My goal now: to memorize 2,000+ Dutch words (and their meaning) using only the Drops app. This would kickstart my project and after the 90 days, I’d have 2,000+ words under my belt with which I could start learning with.

I got to work:

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEts1QAxVUs
I Spent 10 Minutes Each Day Learning with Drops
Every day, I’d spend about 5-10 minutes on the Drops app, learning new words, reviewing old ones; putting my memory to the test.

At first, it was easy. Learning the first 800–1,000 words was really quick, especially with my memory techniques. The last 1,000 or so took a bit more work, and a lot more review. But I got through it.
In 90 Days, I’d Learned 2,000 Dutch Words
After the 90 days, I had all the words. I had my mother even quiz me!

I think the beauty and strength of the Drops app was that it was easy to get started. Drops talks about their “3 C’s methodology”: core vocabulary, consistency, and confidence.

While playing an app for 5 minutes a day won’t make you fluent, it will build up your vocabulary, get you to start being consistent in your commitment to learning a language (I mean, how hard is doing something for 5 minutes every day?), and as a result, make you become confident in your progress.


My Method for Learning with Drops
How did I go about such massive amounts of memorizing? It wasn’t too complex.

The memory systems I used were basic associations. Visualize an image for the foreign word (something it sounds like, reminds you of, or looks like), then anchor it to an image for its meaning.

Doing this is quick and painless, and you get quite good at it the more you practice.

Here’s an example: the word for horse in dutch is paard (pronounced like “part”). To memorize that, I’d think of a horse cut up into parts. Gruesome yes, but also unforgettable.

Another example: pencil  --  in Dutch, it’s potlood (pronounced “pot-load”). For this one, I thought of loading a bunch of pots into the shaft of a pencil. Kind of ridiculous, but out of this world memorable!

Obviously, you don’t have to be a memory champion to learn a new language. But memorizing the 2,000 words helped me recognize those words to build my comprehension and confidence in Dutch -- a good starting point if you will.
My Next Steps Learning Dutch After the 90 Day Challenge
Once that challenge was complete, my next step was to work with a tutor on the nitty-gritty of the language itself. For that, I used a platform called Preply, an easy-to-use, online platform where you can hire a tutor and structure your sessions.

I found an amazing tutor, named Carina, who was Dutch and spoke both dialects: Dutch and Flemish. Perfect!

For the remainder of the year, Carina and I met twice a week for an hour, going over verb conjugations, word order, correct pronunciation, reading, and writing. We’d even just have sessions where we would talk -- nothing else.

In the off days of our sessions, I’d spend a lot of time studying on my own, watching cartoons and reading in Dutch. I’d also continue using the Drops app on a regular basis to upkeep some of my basic vocabulary. I really was just trying to maximize my exposure to the language every day. By December, I felt really confident in where I was.


Was I Fluent After One Year of Learning?
Was I fluent? I’d say conversationally, yes. To test that, Drops organized a trip for me and my mother to go to Belgium and visit her family.

The last time I had been to Belgium, must have been in my early teen years. But once I found myself sitting in the living room of my aunt, surrounded by my mother and her cousins, nephews, brothers, and sisters, with Flemish being spoken all around me, I suddenly felt so proud. Proud because of how far I had made it on my own effort. But also proud because I was able to really connect with my family, for the first time in my life.

There I was, listening, hearing, talking, laughing, with my family. Not perfectly, but to a point where it made me feel like I belonged and like I was a part of this family.


Learning a New Language Enriched My Life
After that trip, it really made me realize how amazing knowing a foreign language can be. At first, I had thought of it at a very superficial level: it’ll bring me closer to my mother and I’ll be able to converse with someone from Belgium or the Netherlands. But it was so much more than that.

My life became enriched in a way that was so much more profound. And now I plan on using my Dutch skills to spend more quality time with my Belgian relatives and getting to know the history of my maternal heritage.

That is the power of language learning.

And if the only thing that’s holding you back is getting started, then an app like Drops can help. That is where the power of learning a language with an app lies.

The post How I Learned Dutch in 365 Days with Drops and a Language Tutor appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.

16 Different Ways to Say “Thank You” in French

Learning to say “thank you” in French is one of the most important things you will ever do.

Why? It’s simple. Figure out the culture of your target language and you will find the heart of its people. And France loves a person with good manners.

Learn what’s considered polite in your target language. That’s what Julia Child did. And Parisians loved her for it.

“The sweetness and generosity and politeness and gentleness and humanity of the French had shown me how lovely life can be if one takes time to be friendly.” ― Julia Child, My Life in France

“Thank you” in French - A Quick and Easy Guide
What is "thank you" in French?

Here’s a quick and easy table for how to say "thank you" in French. For the ins and out on how do you say “thank you” in French, keep reading.




Formal "Thank you"
Je vous remercie


Informal "Thank you"
Je te remercie


"Thanks"
Merci


"Thank you very much"
Merci beaucoup


"Thank you so much"
Un immense merci


"No, thank you"
Non, merci


"Thank you my friend"
Merci, mon ami/amie


"Thank u" via cell phone
Mci


"Thank you" in French slang
Ci Mer


"Thank God"
Dieu merci


"Many thanks"
Mille mercis


"Thank you beautiful"
Merci, ma belle


"Thank you for everything"
Merci pour tout


"Thank you for the meal"
Merci pour le repas


"Thank you for the succulent meal"
Merci pour le repas succulent


"Thank you for your business"
Nous sommes heureux de faire affaire avec vous


"Thank you" in formal correspondance
Je vous prie de recevoir l'expression de mes salutations distinguées


Formal "You're welcome"
Je vous en prie


Informal "You're welcome"
Je t'en prie


"It's nothing at all"
C'est rien du tout


"With pleasure"
Avec plaisir


"No problem"
Pas de problème


"It's nothing"
De rien




What’s the best way to say “thanks” in French? Well, that depends.

Let’s take a closer look and find out what will best suit you. In any situation.

In this article, I’ll explain the different ways to say “thank you” in French. So that you can make new French friends. And keep the ones you already have!

Some of our tips may surprise you. Like how to avoid looking like a pushy tourist. More on that in a bit.

And be sure to watch our video with French teacher, Léa, founder of The Staircase Method to be sure you pronounce these different ways of saying “thank you” in French correctly:

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQuYSFW9SgI
1. “Thanks” in French - Merci
Merci is the first version of “thank you” in French that I recommend learning. Why? Because it’s easy and it’s versatile. You can use it in most situations. You can say merci to thank a shopkeeper. You can use it to show gratitude for the favor your friend did for you.

The place to avoid using merci? In particularly formal situations. This phrase wouldn’t be seen as acceptable for using at work in France with a strict boss.
2. “Thank you” in French to a stranger: Je vous remercie
In French, there are two forms of the word “you”. Vous is the formal version of “you”. Tu is the informal version. To be safe, stick with vous until your conversation partner suggests otherwise.

Using tu with someone you don’t know well can be considered impolite. So much so, that French police are required to use the formal version of you everytime they speak to someone. It’s the law, yo!

You even use the vous form when speaking to a salesperson. When in doubt, pull vous out.
3. “Thank you” in French to a friend: Je te remercie
Je te remercie is one way of saying “thank you” to someone you know well. Maybe it’s your language exchange partner. Maybe it’s a friend from school. If they use the informal tu with you, it’s safe to use it with them, too.

Te the reflexive pronoun for tu. You’ll learn more about that as you enter into intermediate territory.

Benny Lewis, founder of Fluent in Three Months, recommends that beginners pick one form of “you” (vous or tu) and learn that one first. This is exactly what I did with my italki tutor when I was only a few days into my French studies. I used tu at first.

But of course, I asked her permission.
4. “Thank you very much” in French - Merci beaucoup
Merci beaucoup is another nice phrase that you can use in most situations. You’ll likely hear it a lot, too.

Some learners say something that sounds like merci beau cul which means “Thanks, nice butt.” In most situations, you’ll want to avoid that.
5. “Thank you so much” in French - Un immense merci
This way of saying thank you in French isn’t used a great deal in France. Why? Because Amercians exaggerate in everyday conversations. The French do not. Saying that you ate at the best restaurant in the world might puzzle your Parisan buddy. Likewise, it’s rare for French people to give an “immense” thank you.

Merci beaucoup is more often used by native speakers in Paris and across France.
6. “No, thank you” in French - Non, merci
Another short and sweet phrase to get your point across. Don’t want an extra helping of escargot at Auntie Lisette’s house? Non merci will come in handy for this occasion.
7. “Thank you, my friend” in French - Merci, mon ami/e
When a French person calls you their friend (ami), they mean friend for life. When an American calls you their friend, it has a lighter feel. Be careful with throwing the word “friend” around. It might lead to hurt feelings if you decide not to hang out with that person in the future.

You can read more about French culture in the book The Bonjour Effect.

Here’s a reminder about the French words for friend:

Ami - Male version of “friend”
Amie - Female version of “friend”

8. “Thank u” in French via cell phone - Mci
Ah, texting. What would a post on a modern language learning blog be without a sample of how to text a quick “thx” in French?

Mci will do the trick. You’ll look like an sms native!
9. “Thank you” in French slang - Ci Mer
There is a version of Pig Latin in French. Only it’s not outdated like its porky English cousin. It’s called Verlan . It’s slang. It’s hip. And it’s confusing.



To use this phrase when thanking someone, switch the two syllables of merci around and there you have it. Ci mer is Verlan for “thanks”.
10. “Thank God” in French - Dieu merci
You’re stuck in the rain after a night on the town. It’s two in the morning. All the gift shops are closed except one. And yes, they sell umbrellas.

Now would be a great time to thank your lucky stars by saying, Dieu merci! That’s “Thank God!” in French.
11. “Many thanks” in French - Mille mercis
This phrase literally means “a thousand thank yous”. It’s used from time to time in the Instagram language learning community. A good Samaritan will correct someone’s French and the poster will add a mille mercis to the comment thread.
12. “Thank you, beautiful” in French - Merci, ma belle/ma grande
Be careful with this one. You don’t want to overstep your boundaries. This phrase can be used for little ones you know or someone very close to you.

Don’t use this phrase with people you don’t know, it’s inappropriate.
13. “Thank you for everything” in French - Merci pour tout
Your tutor helped you figure out how to tackle the subjunctive. Merci pour tout would be appropriate for this type of appreciation. If you don’t agree, you haven’t studied the subjunctive yet.
14. “Thank you for the meal” in French - Merci pour le repas
Bellies warm with an exquisite French meal. How ever will you thank the chef when he comes to your table? A simple merci pour le repas will suffice.

But what about a meal that makes the room glow? Merci pour le repas succulent. “Thanks for the succulent meal.” Yup, that should do the trick.
15. “Thank you for your business” in French - Nous sommes heureux de faire affaire avec vous
Nous sommes heureux de faire affaire avec vous means “We are happy to do business with you.”

You just signed a multimillion dollar deal with your new French client. You want to show them that you’re grateful for their business. This is the perfect phrase. Notice we use the vous form of “you”.

Don’t want to miss out on all the profit by slipping into informal speech.
16. “Thank you” in formal French - Je vous prie de recevoir l'expression de mes salutations distinguées
This phrase translates to, “I beg you to receive the expression of my best regards.” It’s a decorative way of signing off in a formal letter. Ah, the French and their curlicue ways of signing off in letters!
Bonus Round 1: How to avoid being seen as a pushy tourist in France
There’s a secret to not looking like the pushy genie in Aladdin when speaking to a French native speaker.

Stop smiling so much. In America, we are big on smiles. It’s our thing. But it’s a little too much for other parts of the world.

My language partner shared that someone who smiles too often is considered untrustworthy. Smiles are sacred in France. Because of this, making a Parisian waiter smile is one of my favorite things to do.
Bonus Round 2: “You’re welcome” in French to a stranger - Je vous en prie
Someone thanks you in French. What do you do? You do the hokey-pokey and you turn yourself around. That’s what it’s all about! Just kidding. Actually, you say Je vous en prie.

With this bonus round phrase, you can respond to your French coworker when she thanks you for help on the last minute deadline. Remember, vous is formal.
Bonus Round 3: “You’re welcome” in French to a friend - Je t'en prie
What about when your friend thanks you for offering him a ticket to the Cannes festival? Well, je t’en prie is the perfect response.

The te (“you”) is shortened in this phrase to t’. Get used to it. The French language has a serious apostrophe addiction.

Other informal ways to say, you’re welcome in French:

C'est rien du tout. - “It is nothing.”
Avec plaisir ! - “With pleasure!”
Pas de problème. - “No problem.”
De rien. - “It’s nothing.”

How to Say “Thank You” in Canadian French
You’re in luck because you can use all the phrases listed in the article in Quebec, too.
Take Your Pick!
What’s your favorite phrase from this post? Let us know in the comments. And if you have a fun story about your French learning journey, please share it. I love hearing from other learners.

Bonne chance, mes amis ! “Good luck, my friends!”

The post 16 Different Ways to Say “Thank You” in French appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.

Mexican Slang: 30+ Mexican Words and Phrases to Master Casual Conversations in Spanish

Hola, compa. ¿Qué onda?

Have you learned these Mexican slang words yet? Or are you used to Hola, amigo. ¿Qué tal?

Learning Spanish slang terms helps you sound like a more natural Spanish speaker. But one of the difficult aspects of any language is learning the regional differences, especially when it comes to slang. This is particularly true with Spanish, where there are many different dialects.

I started by learning Castilian Spanish, the Spanish dialect that’s native to Spain. But since then, I’ve picked up regional dialects and vocabulary from my travels around the Spanish-speaking world. And not least of all, I’ve learned some Mexican slang terms along the way.

If you live in North America, you’re probably most familiar with Mexican Spanish and Mexican slang thanks to the proximity to Mexico. And English has influenced Mexican Spanish in return. Out of all the regional dialects, Mexican Spanish has the most English terms.

If you’re a beginner Spanish learner, you’ll want to use these Mexican slang words with care. Some of them are not appropriate to use with strangers or even with your family. While it’s fun to learn slang, if you’re brand new to Spanish, I recommend that you start with essential words and phrases to start speaking Spanish now.

Let’s get right to it.
Mexican Slang to Master for Casual Conversations
Some of these terms and phrases below are NSFW.
Wey - “Dude”
Let’s start with the most common Mexican slang term. Wey means “dude” when talking to friends. It can also be used to call someone a “bro”, or, in general, refer to a guy. Sometimes you’ll see it spelt güey, but it’s pronounced the same and means the same thing.

It’s natural to greet a friend in Mexico with ¿Qué onda, wey?

It can also be used as conversational filler or an exclamation, like Wey, ¿viste eso? which means, “Bro, did you see that?”

Or another example:

Estaba estudiando español, y wey esta frase fue muy difícil …
“I was studying Spanish, and like, this phrase was really difficult…”

You may also hear vato in Mexican slang, but it’s not as common as wey. It’s more cholo, or gangster.
¿Qué onda? - “What’s Up?”
Like ¿Qué tal? or ¿Qué pasa? in Spain, this means “What’s up?” in Spanish. ¿Qué onda? literally means “What wave?” like, “What wave you riding, dude?” or “How’s it hangin’?”

More crudely, you can use ¿Qué pedo?, which also means “What’s up?” But pedo means “fart”, so the actual translation is “What fart?”
No Manches - “No Way” or “For Real”
This is an exclamation, typically used when someone’s telling you a story. Wherever you might say things like “No way!”, “For real?” or “Are you serious?” in English, you’d use no manches in Mexican Spanish.
No Mames - “No Way!”
Similarly, no mames is also used as an exclamation, but it’s more intense. It’s closer to “No fucking way!” Be careful with this one since it has a strong connotation.

The literal meaning is “don’t suck”.
Pinche - “Fucking” or “The Worst”
Pinche can be used to describe something as “the worst”, “ugly”, “awful”. Or it can be an intensifying cuss word, like “fucking” in English. Besides wey, this word’s a dead giveaway someone is from Mexico.
Mijo and Mija - “My Son” and “My Daughter”
This one is simple. Many words in Spanish get smushed together for convenience. One example is mijo and mija, which is mi hijo and mi hija (“my son” and “my daughter”) smushed together.

You can do this with many words, but this one is especially common to hear. If you’re learning Spanish slang, keep an eye out for these casual “smushed” words that combine two words together.
La Neta - “The Truth”
La neta means “the truth”, but when used as slang, it has several different meanings. It can be an interjection, meaning “For real?” or “No way!” when used like ¿Es neta?*

If someone does you a favour, you can say eres la neta, which roughly translates as “you’re trustworthy” or “you’re amazing.”
Fresa - “Snobby”
Fresa usually means “strawberry”. But when you call someone fresa, it means they’re snobby or from a rich family.
Pendejo - “Dumbass”
This one has a couple of literal translations, including “asshole” and “pubic hair”. But when calling someone this, joking or otherwise, it means “you’re stupid”, “dumbass”, or “idiot”.

¿Cuándo vas a dejar de actuar estúpido?
Nunca, pendejo.
“When are you going to stop acting stupid?”
“Never, dumbass.”
Carnal - “Buddy”
This word is used between close guy friends, or “bros”, to call each other “buddy” or “pal”. It’s a bit threatening and gangster when using it to a stranger. Saying it to a stranger is a bit like calling someone out and making sure they know you see through them and what they’re up to.
Chamaco / Chamaca - “The Kid”
This is a slang term to refer to a kid, usually one who’s a bit of a punk or pain to deal with. Here’s an example:

Ese chamaca necesita calmarse. Me estoy irritando.
“That kid needs to calm down. I’m getting irritated.”
Gacho - “Uncool”
Gacho or gacha is used to describe someone or something totally uncool, or even sloppy. For example:

El cine era muy gacho. No lo recomiendo.
“That movie was so lame. I wouldn’t recommend it.”
Culero - “Asshole”
Exactly as it sounds. If someone’s being an asshole, this is what you’d call them.
Aguas - “Watch Out!”
This translates as “waters”, but when used as an exclamation, it’s a slang term for “Watch out!” or “Be careful!” You can use this in place of ayuda.

It may seem strange, but it comes from when people used to dump their sewage out the window onto the street. They’d say aguas to let others know they were about to empty el bacín (their “chamber pot” from back in the day).
Chancla - The Mom Beating
This one isn’t necessarily a slang term, but more a cultural reference. Chancla means “flip flop” but it’s become a meme in Mexican culture as the preferred weapon for every madre.

For example:
¡Aguas! Chanclas de mamá!
Watch out! Mom’s flip flops!


Jaina - “Chick”
This means “chick” or “chica”. You could say:

¿Qué tal, jaina?
“What’s up, chick?”
Compra - “Friend”
This is the Mexican slang for “friend”. It’s short for compañero or compañera. But it doesn’t need gender changes like the whole word. So you wouldn’t use it as compro for a guy. Everyone is compra.
Mexican Slang Phrases
Here are some essential Mexican slang phrases you’ll want to know. You’ll hear these often on Mexican TV shows, for instance.
Me Vale Madres - “I Don’t Care”
This literally means “I don’t care mothers”, but a better translation would be “I don’t give a fuck” or “I don’t care, motherfucker”.
A Huevo - “Hell Yeah”
This one means “of course”, “hell yeah” or “fuck yeah”, so you use this one for enthusiastic agreement. The actual meaning is “to egg”.

In English, how we refer to “testicles” as “balls”, in Spanish, they’re huevos. So, there are lots of other dirty or not nice phrases with huevo. Like Qué huevos, which more or less means “What balls!” to say someone did something that took guts.
Eso que ni qué - “No Doubt About It”
This one literally means “That what or what.” or “That what nor what”. As a slang phrase, it’s used to mean “No doubt about it”.
Ando bien pedo - “I’m Drunk”
This is another phrase that uses pedo, or “fart” and means more or less “I’m very fart”. You say this when you’re smashed from a hard night of partying.
Estoy Crudo - “I’m Hungover”
Crudo means “raw” and the next day after feeling ando bien pedo, your stomach may feel pretty raw. So this one makes sense as “I’m hungover”.
No Pos Wow - “Not Good, Wow”
This one stems from a meme like this one:


In Spanish, guau (which sounds like “wow”) is the onomatopoeia for a dog barking. So it’s a play on that, using improper spelling like an American meme would. (Pos is meant to be pues).

It’s used like “Oh, wow” or “Oh, no good”. Sometimes it’s used sincerely, but it’s mainly used in a sarcastic way, like “You don’t say. eye roll”
Vales Verga - “Worthless”
If you really want to insult someone, use this phrase. Translated word-by-word, it means “worth penis” or even “cheap penis”. When you say it, you’re calling someone “worthless”.
A La Verga - “Aw, Shit”
Another slang using verga, this time it’s an exclamation. When something goes wrong, you can say ¡A la verga! The actual meaning is “to cock”, so it basically means the same as “it went to shit” or “shit hit the fan” in English.
Tu es Chismosa - “You’re a Gossip”
This one stems from chisme, which means “gossip”. But if you want to call someone a gossip, you would say tu es chismosa or tu es chismoso.
Start Using Mexican Slang Words!
This article just grazes the surface of the interesting Spanish slang you’ll stumble upon in Mexico. But it’s a good start to Mexican slang you’ll hear in the movies, telenovelas, and shows. The more you immerse yourself in Spanish and practice these phrases, the more natural your conversations will sound. And, you’ll have an easier time picking up other slang terms, too.

What other Mexican slang did I miss? Do you have a favourite that I didn’t list here? Share it with me in the comments below!

The post Mexican Slang: 30+ Mexican Words and Phrases to Master Casual Conversations in Spanish appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.

How Long Does it Take To Learn Japanese? Here’s the Real, Honest Answer

How long does it take to learn Japanese? The honest answer may surprise you.

The truth? Learning Japanese takes as little as 90 days. We’ve seen plenty of learners start having in-depth conversations in Japanese in this time. Follow the right methods, and you’ll get there fast.

Now, of course, a lot depends on your learning goals.

How long it takes to learn Japanese on average depends on if you want to learn Japanese for anime. Or are you learning to speak conversationally? Or to speak Japanese fluently?

If you want to be an undercover spy who sounds like a native speaker of Japanese, then you’ll likely need thousands of hours. Conversely, learning basic Japanese to attend the 2020 Tokyo Olympics will only take you a few hours.

So, let’s deep dive into exactly how long it takes to learn Japanese, depending on your end goal.
How Long Does it Take to Learn a Language?
First, let’s talk about language learning in general. What does fluency mean?

While the common definition of fluency is to speak perfectly and understand at a native level, that’s not the only definition. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, fluency is to speak in a natural manner with ease.

Benny Lewis, founder of Fluent in 3 Months, defines this goal as social fluency. This is the ability to handle social situations about as comfortably as you would in your native language.

Depending on the language you select and its relation to your native language, it can be harder or easier to learn. For example, if your native language is English, then Spanish or Dutch would be easier to learn because they are similar to English. The less like your native language your target language is, the harder it may be to learn.
So… How Hard is it to Learn Japanese?
According to the US Department of State, Japanese is one of the hardest languages for English natives to learn. It doesn’t have many similarities in structure to English. They estimate it takes 88 weeks of learning, or 2200 hours, to reach fluency. That’s about a B2 level on the CEFR charts, or JLPT N2 level (conversational).

Some estimate that it takes English-language students (or non-Asian, without prior kanji knowledge) about 4800 hours to reach true Japanese fluency and pass the JLPT N1 exam.

On a Reddit thread about how long it take to learn Japanese, users shared that it took about 800 hours of study time to be able to watch anime with full comprehension. Others said it takes 2-5 years of effort to reach mastery, adding that you could survive in the language after one year.
Here’s Why Many “Hours” Spent Learning Japanese are Wasted
You can see that it varies a lot based on your goal and how many hours you put in each day.

But how do we define those “hours”? Is it study time, reading, watching TV, speaking, homework, Japanese class… or a mix of all the above?

The truth is, most “study time” is less than optimal. Let’s say you’re putting in five hours of study time in the classroom in college. But if you don’t apply it outside of class or actually speak the language, then you’re not really putting in the intense hours you need. It’s the speaking time that’s actually the most important. That’s why we recommend you Speak from Day One.

As for my own Japanese skills, I spent years studying in high school and took Japanese for 3 years in college. But my study hours weren’t as valuable as they could’ve been. I didn’t speak it; I only studied it. But once I started using all four language learning skills while participating in the Fi3M Challenge, I leveled up my Japanese to a solid B1. That’s conversational, at a JLPT N3 level. During that time, I intensively studied Japanese every day and immersed myself as much as possible. I also met with my Japanese language exchange partner every Saturday, so I got at least 30 solid minutes of speaking only in Japanese a week.
You Can Learn Japanese to a Good Level After Just a Few Months
Chris Broad (Abroad in Japan) shows that it’s possible to survive in Japanese with as little as 6 months of studying. Fluent in 3 Months Challenge head coach Shannon Kennedy learned Japanese in 3 months to a conversational level (around A2-B1). I also participated in the Fi3M Challenge with Rodylyn, who had a 15-minute conversation in Japanese in only 90 days.
How Long Does it Take to Learn Japanese on Average?
With consistent studying and speaking, for about 30 minutes to an hour a day, you could speak at a conversational level in Japanese in about 3 months.

It’s all about using the right method, and I’ll say it again: speak from day one! You could start speaking Japanese right now. In fact, I encourage you to do so. The more speaking practice you get in, the faster you’ll learn Japanese. Here are the steps I recommend to learn Japanese fast.
Learning Kanji Will Take You Longer
If you want to reach an advanced level of Japanese, you’d also have to learn kanji. If you only focused on kanji, and learned about 30 a day, you could learn all 2200 jouyou kanji (the “essential” kanji that Japanese kids learn throughout grade school) in about 3 months, too… With the right methods.

To pass the Japanese Language Proficiency Test N1, which is considered fluent Japanese? You would have to know all the jouyou kanji, 10,000 words, and know hundreds of grammar patterns. So, to reach near-native levels of fluency, you’d need at least a year of full-time, immersive studying. That doesn’t mean you’d have to live in Japan, but you would definitely have to create an immersive environment at home. Even still, the average time it takes someone to reach this level with intense, but not full-time, studying is 3-5 years.

The reason it’s so hard and takes so long is because you have to learn kanji on top of everything else. It segments your learning between speaking and listening, and reading and writing. But if you have the motivation, you can do it with effective study habits.

So don’t let those big number of hours discourage you. That’s focused on inefficient study hours. If you know how you learn best, you have amazing Japanese resources, and you put in real study and speaking time, you can get there fast.
Tips to Make Learning Japanese Easier
If you’re serious about learning Japanese, then here are some tips to help you learn the language faster.
1. Set Your Goal for Speaking Japanese
Your end goal matters. So decide what “fluent” means for you. If you want to understand anime in Japanese, you need to learn vocabulary specifically for that. And even the type of anime matters, too. Naruto uses a lot of “ninja speech” that’s harsher and less polite than, say, Sailor Moon.

And if your goal is to speak naturally in everyday conversations, watching anime won’t get you there. Anime is dramatic and not realistic Japanese speech. So, you need more “real life” resources and vocabulary, like NHK News.
2. Break Down Your Goal into Daily Chunks
Okay, let’s say you want to reach JLPT N1 or near-native fluency. As we already discussed, you’d need to know 2200 kanji, 10,000+ vocabulary, and hundreds of grammar patterns.

If you can commit to studying 60 minutes a day, then you’d need to break that goal down into daily chunks. 10 new kanji a day, 30 new words, 1 new grammar pattern… Divide it up based on how much you know you can fit in a study session. Or, study kanji on Mondays and Wednesdays, vocabulary on Tuesdays and Thursdays, grammar on the weekends… Whatever works best for you.

Once you know how much you can fit into a study session, break down your goal. How many days will it take of studying to learn all those kanji and vocabulary? That’s how long it will take you to learn Japanese to a fluent level.
3. Start Speaking and Writing NOW
Find a Japanese language exchange partner and start speaking today. Even if all you know how to say is “Hello, my name is…” start using it. If you don’t use it, you lose it. And making mistakes is the best way to learn. So get out there, make mistakes, and start speaking.
4. Find an Entertaining Japanese Resource
The only way you’ll enjoy studying all the time is if you make it fun. And the good news is, you can learn from things you already enjoy in Japanese.

If you like to play video games, switch the language to Japanese. Pokemon games are great for this. The language is simple, and it’s easy to switch it to Japanese when you start a new game.

If you like to read manga, find the manga you enjoy in Japanese. Push yourself to read a little each day. The more you read, the easier it will get.

Watch your favorite shows in Japanese. I love to watch Terrace House on Netflix! There are several different seasons and locales, and it’s fun to watch. You’ll pick up lots of slang terms, too. Turn off subtitles the first time around and try to actively listen as you watch. Take notes, and then watch again with subtitles on. What did you understand or what new words did you pick up?
5. Immerse Yourself in Japanese Culture
Adding on to that last point, Japanese is a contextual and cultural language. To master it, you would need a deep understanding of Japanese body language, history, and cultural insights and mannerisms. You won’t learn that from a textbook.

As much as you can, study the history and culture. Watch the news, variety shows (they’re full of pop culture references), and read Japanese message boards or social media. If something confuses you, Google it. You’ll pick up all kinds of shorthand, slang, and cultural references. The more you understand them, the more you’ll be able to speak Japanese.
6. Squeeze More Japanese into Your Life
Can you listen to a podcast during your commute? Can you read the news in Japanese while drinking your morning coffee? Can you do your Anki flashcards while using the bathroom?

Most people feel like they don’t have time for tons of studying. But you can usually find small pockets of time, or swap out one thing for another. Instead of watching TV in English, watch it in Japanese. Instead of skimming Instagram in English, look up Japanese hashtags and read the captions. Instead of listening to the radio, turn on a Japanese podcast or J-Pop station.
7. Join the Fluent in 3 Months Challenge
Don’t underestimate the power of accountability. More times than not, the difference between succeeding and failing in language studies is building a habit and sticking with it.

That’s where the Fluent in 3 Months Challenge comes in. It’s a community of learners who all share the same goal as you. Having someone who can relate, share tips, and give encouragement makes a big difference. Plus, you’ll be assigned specific tasks that are strategic to push you to the next level in fluency. You’ll start to learn areas you’re weak in, and how to strengthen them. And most importantly, you’ll stick with your study habits for 90 days to complete the challenge.

I already shared mine, Shannon’s, and Rodylyn’s success stories with you from taking this challenge. I can say with certainty my study habits drastically changed and I wouldn’t be at the Japanese level I’m at without it.
How Long it Takes to Speak Japanese Depends on YOU
There are so many variables when it comes to learning how to speak Japanese. But with the right study habits, effective time management, and consistent commitment, you can learn to speak conversational Japanese in as little 3 months.

If you’ve already learned the language, how long did it take you to speak Japanese? And if you’re just getting started… What’s your goal? Share it with me in the comments!

The post How Long Does it Take To Learn Japanese? Here’s the Real, Honest Answer appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.

5 Brilliant Workouts to Flex Your French Writing Muscles

Writing in French can seem like a difficult skill to learn. That’s why it’s important to practice your French writing.

After all, writing is one of the four essential language skills.

The path to polishing your French writing skills is simple but requires commitment.

I assure you that writing in French is only a matter of mental endurance. Stay focused, and you will learn to write in French.

I studied French in college, and I did it in the American South. My all-time favorite experiences were sitting in classrooms with students more skilled and less fearful than myself because I argue this is the best way to learn French.

When I took my first college-level French course, feedback from professors was also advantageous for my writing. Comments and notations from them on homework assignments seemed about as star-worthy as getting a book signed by my favorite author. My name on a paper returned to me smeared in red x’s, all the better if an entire sentence was scratched out with an incisive “I do not understand”﹣all welcomed criticism.

They were making me a better writer.

Four years went by. Receiving a scholarship to work in France at a digital media company stands out among the noteworthy moments. So when I finished college the natural question followed﹣Now what? I’m an American woman who reads and writes in French, but without the constant immersion from classroom discussion and professional work, it seemed like I’d be taking a giant step backward.

Here’s where I am today and why I want to give you practical strategies to nurture your second language: I read, write, and follow the book market in France. Even though I cannot speak and interact with the language as I’d like to every day, I have a vested interest in writing. I calculate the return on investment as immeasurable, by the way, because every time I pound out 300 words without stopping to check my spelling, I know I am growing as a writer.

Before I share the five strategies that enabled me to write more fluidly in French, I want to acknowledge the readers here who did not major in French or even enroll at college for that matter. If you’re a beginner who independently studies French while working a full-time job or raising kids, you can still benefit from these exercises. The gatekeepers of proper French usage, known as the Académie française, will not snub you for an incorrect article or adjective agreement.

You’re showing up to write because you know you make mistakes. And with each one you are turning into a more competent writer.

Alright French writers, let’s head to our notebooks and laptops for writing strategies that will set us up for success!


Strategy #1: Keep a Journal in French
If you haven’t started already, it’s time to hop on the journal train. I cannot stress enough how useful this is for writing commentary about daily life and conversations. Go out and buy yourself a journal, one that fits your personality and visual needs. If you want to write in French, you’ve got to handwrite in French. Later when you can type without fretting about setting off the grammar sirens on Google Docs or Word, you may work on a computer. But it’s best to fall back on pen to paper, because you’ll be less inclined to stop writing in French when you do question a grammar rule.

Are you a lined paper lover or does a blank page stir your creativity? It sounds like I’m asking you to decide if ivory white is better than eggshell white, but the details matter folks. Writing doesn’t work in uncoordinated conditions. Any writing is better writing than words that fly thoughtlessly onto pages in disarray. Do not let an inkless pen or a dingy notebook slow up inspiration. Set the mood, one that makes you feel like a writer with intention.

I recommend dating your entries. This comes in handy later when writer’s block hits. Being able to reference another day when writing ideas were more abundant is useful. Plus it’s always entertaining to read back and hear yourself going through a phase that seemed earth-shattering at the time (it wasn’t).

Now you may be asking yourself what to write about. You and your notebook are together, but making a connection is frightening. You’ve pulled away from the cushy grammar exercises your French teacher guided you through, as well as the language applications which clapped and sang when you tapped the right answer.

When journaling, especially when you’re doing it in French, it’s essential to write what you know. Talk about your mood, activities you enjoy (remember reflexive verbs), what you’re reading, or plans for the weekend (great for working on the futur proche!) Whatever it is, write from the heart and head. You don’t want to journal about topics that aren’t relevant to you.

This is not a graded exercise or a formal email.

Here’s a snippet from a French entry I journaled in 2018:

Caro m’as appris le mot “klaxonner” quand elle parlait des fêtes après le Coupe du Monde.

“Caro taught me the word for “honk” when she was talking about parties after the Word Cup.”

I noted a new word and referenced my friend Caro. Today, I make an association between the World Cup and Caro to remember klaxonner. Remember to journal about your life, interests, and thoughts. If you need to keep a French dictionary alongside you, you will work slower but expand your vocabulary.
Strategy #2: Use Simple French Vocabulary
Maybe you’re writing about how dreary your day turned out because of a snowstorm that swept through your city, and how a trip to the grocery store was the most disturbing scene you’d witnessed in ages. Tinkering with your knowledge of the passé composé and the plus-que-parfait, you manage to write about the snowstorm and the store visit, using action verbs. But say the situation led you to the sentence “The grandma made a mad dash for the milk like a football player’s urgency to the end zone.” Here you might fumble with “mad dash” and “football player’s urgency.”

I present this hypothetical situation to explain what retired French professor Dr. Harlan Patton calls circumlocution skills. These are strategies “you use to describe something when you don’t have the specific word and don’t feel like looking it up, or simply don’t have the chance to do so.”

So when we’re writing in French, instead of narrowing our French word choice to our native language equivalent, it is important to find synonyms.

Imagine that you’re surfing. You look for the best wave before paddling out to catch it, and when you do, the ride is seamless. But if you swim out too early or too late, the wave falls short of epic.

I think this applies to word choice when writing in French. Writers are paddling in uncharted waters, craning their necks for the best word (wave) to compose thoughtful sentences. More often than not, beginner French writers try and take on waves that are too big for them. With continued practice, it is possible to master complex vocabulary, but in the early stage, set your sights on simple adjectives and noun phrases.

Back to the grocery store example above, if I were new to journaling, I’d describe the grandma walking quickly/elle marchait vite for “mad dash,” and that the football player was in a hurry/le joueur de foot a été pressé for “football player’s urgency.” Again, keep it simple. Sophistication comes after discipline.


Strategy #3: The 5-Word Work Method
This strategy rests on writers being diligent readers . If you want to become a better writer, you must read. Nothing new there, but as you read in a foreign language, it can be frustrating to have to stop and start again when confronting unfamiliar words. You read three sentences and then resign yourself to a dictionary, but the back-and-forth eventually leads to distraction, and then the book is face down no longer in your hands. I’ve been there.

Let me suggest that you underline words you don’t know and keep reading. Set a timer or plan to read uninterrupted for 15 pages. You can jot down the underlined words after making progress in your reading.

I love the 5-word work method because it allows me to get to know new vocabulary on a more personal level. Here’s how it works: choose five words from your reading and write them at the top of the page. Learn their meaning and let them be your guide. Vary parts of speech so you feel challenged (try not to work only with adjectives.) How about adverbial phrases like d’une façon jubilant (“gleefully”) or conjunctions like tandis que (“whereas, while”)?

Now write a short paragraph using these new words. It can be about anything. The goal is to work with 5 new words, understand how they’re used, and develop a reservoir of vocabulary.
Strategy #4: Use the Internet Responsibly
I say responsibly because distractions are everywhere. Be mindful. However, if you’re journaling in a notebook, having your computer or phone near you gives you easy access to Wordreference . For those who aren’t familiar with it, Wordreference is a hero for quick word searches. Choose from dozens of language pairs and download the app. A bonus feature is their translator thread where professionals respond to language concerns. I can tell you that Wordreference has come in handy for me when I’m stumped between feminine and masculine articles.

Linguee is another resource for translating longer phrases. Simply type what you’re looking for in the search bar and the site scours the Internet for published articles, speeches, and other written material featuring your search. I like this one because it gives me different translations from varied sources. It’s also useful with understanding the context a word/phrase falls into.

The two sources are not an exhaustive list of French writing tools. They work for me, but if you know of others please feel free to share them.


Strategy #5: Write To-Do Lists, Book Reviews, and Goals in French
This last strategy reinforces the other four. Once you’ve started journaling, learning vocabulary, practicing the 5-word work method, and referencing online sources to amp up your French writing, I impart the importance of regular practice and discipline to you.

Take writing seriously and results will follow. Instead of writing a grocery list in your native language, why not do it in French? This is good practice with food vocabulary. Or read a book and critique it in French. Do it in first-person narration, then move up to third-person to remove yourself from the review. Again, this constant practice is like electrolytes for the muscles.

If there is an exercise worth trying, start by writing out your goals. They can speak to your writing, like what I wrote yesterday: Mon écriture progresse du jour au lendemain. Je lis comme une folle. Je me fixe un but de lire quatre bouquins par mois. (“Overnight there’s progress in my writing. I’m reading nonstop. I’m setting a goal to read four books a month.”)

I would love to hear from you and know if any of my strategies helped you, so please leave a comment below. Bonne continuation!

The post 5 Brilliant Workouts to Flex Your French Writing Muscles appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.

15 Ways to Say “Goodbye” in Portuguese

There are a few different ways to say "goodbye" in Portuguese. In this article, I'll cover everything you need to know.

Learn all the words and expressions below, and you'll have everything you need to say "farewell" in Portuguese - from formal situations to everyday, casual encounters on the street.

And while you’re at it, make sure to check out our previous article on how to say "hello" in Portuguese!
“Bye” in Portuguese: Tchau
By far the most common way to say "bye" in Portuguese is tchau. It's widely used in both Brazil and Portugal.

Tchau comes the Italian word ciao, and is pronounced the same way.

Supposedly, tchau become a popular way to say "goodbye" in Brazilian Portuguese during the early twentieth century, when large numbers of Italians immigrated into Brazil. Since then, tchau has crossed back across the Atlantic and is also common in Portugal.

However, if you speak Italian, you should be aware of one important difference between tchau and ciao. In Italy, ciao can mean both "hello" and "goodbye". In Portuguese, tchau can only mean "goodbye", never "hello". So don't use it to greet someone!

Tchau is sometimes also written xau, txau, tiao, or chau, especially in "text speak" and on social networking sites. But tchau is considered to be the correct spelling.
“Goodbye” in Portuguese: Adeus
Adeus is a more formal way of saying "goodbye" that is rarely used in speech. It carries rather dramatic overtones: saying adeus implies that you won't see the other person again for a very long time, or that you won't see them again at all.

For that reason, you won't hear adeus very much in spoken Portuguese.

One way you might use it, however, is to emphatically end a conversation that you don't want to be in - sort of like saying "goodbye, and get lost!". For example, you might say adeus to a persistent door-to-door salesman right before you slam the door in his face.

Adeus originated as an abbreviation for a Deus vos recomendo - "I recommend you to God." Vos is an old-timey way of saying "you" that you'll rarely hear outside of the Bible. You may have noticed the similarity with the Spanish adios, which is widely used in English.
“See You Later” in Portuguese: Até mais
Até is usually translated as "until". As we'll see, there are many ways you can use até to say your goodbyes in Portuguese.

Let's start with até mais, which is a common way to say something like "see you around" or "see you later" in Portuguese. It comes from até mais ver - "until I see you again", or more literally, "until more to see".

Another variant is até mais tarde - "see you later!"

If someone says até mais to you, you can respond with a simple até!, or even just té!

As well as meaning "more", mais can also mean "plus". So sometimes you'll see people writing até mais online as t+. Geddit?
“See You Soon” in Portuguese: Até logo
To say "see you soon" in Portuguese, use até logo.

Até logo is mostly used in the same situations in which you'd say "see you soon" in English. For example, if you're on the phone with someone whom you'll see later that day, you could sign off with an até logo.

Até logo can also be used in a more general sense to mean "goodbye", but this isn't very common, especially in informal, everyday speech.

Até breve is synonymous with até logo; however, it's not very widely used these days.
“See You Tomorrow” in Portuguese: Até amanhã
One more point regarding até. As you may have figured out, this word functions a lot like the English expression "see ya!" in Portuguese. And like in English, you can use it with a specific time-related word if you have a good idea of when you're going to see the person again.

So you could say até amanhã! ("see you tomorrow"), até a semana que vem! ("see you next week"), or até segunda/terça/quarta/quinta ("see you on Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday/Friday"). And, of course, there are many more possibilities.
“I’m Outta Here” in Portuguese: Vou vazar / tô vazando
Vazar literally means "to leak". However, vou vazar has nothing to do with the English expression "to take a leak"!

In Brazil, vou vazar or tô vazando is a super-informal way to say that you're leaving. It's like saying "I'm getting outta here!" or "I'm taking off!" in English.
“May God Be With You” in Portuguese: Vai com Deus
We already covered adeus, but that's not the only religion-tinted expression you'll find in a country as Christian as Brazil.

Another phrase to know is vai com Deus -- or the more formal alternative, vá com Deus -- which literally means "Go with God!" It's kind of like saying "goodbye, and bless you!"; you're wishing blessings and good fortune to the person you're talking to.

A similar expression is fica com Deus - "be with God". This is something you might say when you’re leaving a place to the people who are staying behind. You're blessing them and the place they're in. May God be with them!
“I’m Off” in Portuguese: Fui
Fui is the first-person singular past tense of ir, "to go". So it means "I went" or "I'm gone".

Use it when you're leaving a place - that is, if you don't feel the need to bless everybody with a fica com Deus!

It's like saying "I'm off!" in English.
Another Way to Say “Bye” in Portuguese: Falou
Falou literally means "you/he/she said (it)!" It's a highly informal way of saying "goodbye", and is very common among young people.

The implication behind falou is that you've already said everything that needs to be said; the conversation is over.

In text speak you'll often see this written as "flw". You might also see "vlw flw", which is short for valeu, falou - "thanks, bye!"
“I’ve Gotta Run” in Portuguese: Vou Nessa
Vou nessa is short for vou nessa onda - "I'm going on this wave". Strange as it may sound, this is yet another way to say "goodbye" in Portuguese.

In particular, vou nessa is the kind of thing you'd say if you're at a party or someone's house and you want to leave earlier than anticipated; sort of an apologetic "goodbye".

"Gente, vou nessa porque tô com muito sono" - "Guys, I'm 'going on this (wave)' because I'm really tired".
Formal Goodbyes in Portuguese: Bom dia/Boa tarde/Boa noite
Finally, it's time to examine three very common Portuguese expressions: bom dia, boa tarde, and boa noite, which respectively mean "good morning", "good afternoon/evening", and "good night".

All three are typically used as greetings, rather than as ways to say goodbye. You, of course, should only say them at the appropriate time of day (before midday for bom dia, between midday and 7pm for boa tarde, and after 7pm for boa noite. Note that bom dia is literally "good day" in Portuguese, but it's only used to mean "good morning".)

However, you might sometimes hear these three expressions being used to mean "goodbye" in certain formal situations. For example, on TV news, when the anchor is signing off at the end of the show, they might say bom dia or boa tarde.

Also, you can say boa noite to mean "goodbye" if it's late at night. The implication -- just like in English -- is that you, or the person you're speaking to, is about to go to bed. So it's just like saying the English "good night" in Portuguese.
And Now It’s Time for Me to Say “Goodbye” in Portuguese!
Falou! I hope you've learned a thing or two. If there's anything you think we've missed, we'd love to know in the comments below.

And until the next time, tchau.

The post 15 Ways to Say “Goodbye” in Portuguese appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.

How to Order Chinese Food in an Authentic Chinese Restaurant: 40+ Chinese Words and Phrases (Plus Eating Etiquette)

If you’ve ever been to a Chinese restaurant, you might think it’s super easy to order. Everything on the menu is in English, there are usually even pictures in the menu list. You just arrive, order, eat, drink and go.

If this is the case, then you probably haven’t been to a real Chinese restaurant. The rules in these restaurants are something else.

And there is no pinyin. No English. Just characters. (You can read this if Chinese characters scare you.)

Before you panic and decide to never go to a Chinese restaurant (with Chinese friends), have a look at the most common phrases and items on a Chinese menu.

Even if you don’t have a chance to go to China, I’m sure wherever you live, you can practice your new skills in a Chinese restaurant. Get inspired on how to do it here.
And while you’re at it, remember these simple rules to avoid embarrassing yourself or offending anyone while you’re having a proper Chinese dinner.


Chinese Phrases to Book a Table in a Real Chinese Restaurant
Booking a table in a Chinese restaurant is probably one of the easiest parts. Make sure you know all these phrases before you call or visit a restaurant to reserve a spot:

我想订一张五人桌 (wǒ xiǎng dìng yī zhāng wǔ rén zhuō) - “I would like to book a table for five people.” Literal meaning: “I would like to book one five people(’s) table.”
有什么特殊的场合吗？(yǒu shé me tèshū de chǎnghé ma?) - “Are you celebrating a special occasion?” Literal meaning: “What special occasion do you have?”
我朋友的生日 (wǒ péngyǒu de shēngrì) - “My friend’s birthday.”
您想几点预定桌？(nín xiǎng jǐ diǎn yùdìng zhuō?) - “What time would you like to book your table for?” Note: 您 (nín) is used as a polite way to say “you”; usually if you don’t know the person that well, they’re older and you want to show them respect. In Chinese, 你 (nǐ) is much more common, as an informal way to say “you”.
我想订六点钟的桌 (wǒ xiǎng dìng liù diǎn zhōng de zhuō) - “I would like to book a table for six o’clock.” Literal meaning: “I would like a six o’clock(’s) table.”
好的，这一切都为您预订 (hǎo de, zhè yīqiè dōu wèi nín yùdìng) - “Okay, that’s all booked for you.”
谢谢 (xièxiè) - “Thank you.”


Browsing the Menu in a Chinese Restaurant -- The Most Common Chinese Dishes
Although we all have some experience with Chinese cuisine, if you’re only used to Western bistros, you might be unpleasantly surprised how different the real Chinese food is.

Less meat, less oil, more vegetables. In general, the diet is much healthier, portions are smaller and the taste is also different.

Here are some Chinese foods and dishes you’re most likely to see when you browse a Chinese restaurant’s menu:

水饺 (shuǐjiǎo) or 饺子 (jiǎozi) - “chinese dumplings”. Both mean the same thing with only a small difference: 水饺 is boiled, while 饺子 usually refers to steamed. You’re more likely to see 饺子.
春卷 (chūnjuǎn) - “spring rolls”. Chinese spring rolls are very similar to the ones we know in Western world. With either vegetables or meat filling, they’re fried and crispy.
火锅 (huǒguō) - “hotpot”. One of the most popular Chinese dishes. The base is usually a meat broth with multiple different ingredients, such as meat, seafood, vegetables and dumplings.
北京烤鸭 (Běijīng kǎoyā) - “Peking duck”. This dish is so popular, some consider it a Chinese national dish. Peking duck has a strong distinct flavor and smell and is often eaten with sweet bean sauce or soy sauce.
宫保鸡丁 (gōngbào jīdīng) - “kung pao chicken”. The Chinese kung pao is a bit different to the Western one. Instead of a thick, cornstarch texture, the Chinese kung pao is usually just stir fried with soy sauce, garlic, nuts and ginger or honey.
麻婆豆腐 (mápó dòufǔ) - “ma po tofu”. A spicy, flavorful dish. Tofu is sprinkled with beef or pork and green onions.
炒面 (chǎomiàn) - “chow mein”. Chow mein are fried noodles. There are varieties with different meats, vegetables or seafood.
汤面 (tāngmiàn*) - “noodle soup”. Chinese noodle soup is a bit different to the one we have in mind when we say “chicken noodle soup” or “chicken broth”. Apart from a different taste, Chinese noodle soup is much thicker, with a lot of vegetables, meat and, of course, noodles.

Although there is so much food Chinese restaurants offer, recognizing and knowing these foods and ingredients in Chinese is essential:

猪肉 (zhūròu) - “pork”
*牛肉 (niúròu) - “beef”
*鸭肉 (yāròu) - “duck”
*鸡肉 (jīròu) - “chicken”
*豆腐 (dòufu) - “tofu”
*虾肉 (xiāròu) - “shrimp”
*米饭 (mǐfàn) - “rice”
*炒饭 (chǎofàn) - “fried rice”
*米粉 (mǐfěn) - “rice noodles”
*面条 (miàntiáo) - “flour noodles”
*蔬菜 (shūcài) - “vegetables”
*白菜 (báicài) - “Chinese cabbage”
*酱油 (jiàngyóu) - “soy sauce”
*大蒜 (dàsuàn) - “garlic”
*花生 (huāshēng*) - “peanuts”


Ordering Food in a Real Chinese Restaurant -- Remember to Share Your Food!
The tradition in China is to share food. When you go to eat at a Chinese restaurant with multiple people, know that you’re all ordering for everyone.

Keep these expressions handy for when you are ready to order:

请给我刀叉 (qǐng gěi wǒ dāo chā) - “Can I please have a fork and knife?” Literal meaning: “Please, give me cutlery.” In Western Chinese restaurants, or even in bigger, more touristy restaurants in China, cutlery will be available. But keep in mind, a lot of times you’re going to have to use only chopsticks to eat.
有筷子吗？(yǒu kuài zi ma?) - “Do you have chopsticks?”
有勺子吗？(yǒu shǎo zi ma?) - “Do you have spoons?”
我不能吃... (wǒ bù néng chī…) - “I can’t eat…” You can use this phrase when you have allergies or don’t want an ingredient in your food.
请给我们菜单(qǐng gěi wǒmen càidān) - “Can we please have a menu?”
请给我们三碗米饭 (qǐng gěi wǒmen sān wǎn mǐfàn) - “Can we please have three bowls of rice?”
请给我们六杯水 (qǐng gěi wǒmen liù bēi shuǐ) - “Can we please have six glasses of water?”

When ordering and eating with Chinese people, always wait for the eldest one, or the one whose celebration it is, to order and start eating first. Nowadays, it doesn’t matter as much with young people, but older Chinese people might get offended, if you don’t respect this etiquette.


Eating Etiquette -- Slurp and Don't Eat it All
When eating Chinese food, you might be surprised at the apparent rude behaviour you see around you. But is it really rude?

In the Western world, we are taught to eat quietly, neatly and to eat everything we have on our plate, otherwise, it’d look like we didn’t enjoy the food.

But in China? Unless you don’t slurp, you are not enjoying your meal at all! Loud tongue clicking and slurping is a sign of being happy with your food. And eating everything that’s on the table? That’s quite rude in Chinese culture, too.

Although your grandma would always make you practically lick your plate clean to make sure you didn’t leave her house hungry, or in a restaurant you’re used to the waiter offering you a box to take your leftovers home, in Chinese restaurants, the situation is different.

To show the chef and your co-eaters you enjoyed your meal and you’re now full, you are always expected to leave at least a little bit on your plate.

So next time, leave your manners at home, and be loud.


Paying in a Chinese Restaurant -- Fight for the Bill
Fighting for the bill is common in a lot of countries.

Sometimes you want to treat someone, sometimes you don’t actually want to pay, but it’s polite to offer.

We all have friends who say: “Today I pay, next time you will.” And we don’t want to cause a scene or attract attention, so we agree.

But in a Chinese restaurant? No, no, no way you agree to this.

You have to fight hard.

Chinese fights for the bill last long and sometimes, they even end up being physical.
All of this, of course, only applies when you go eat with your friends or close acquaintances.
Otherwise, with older people or with business partners, it’s not appropriate even in a Chinese restaurant to fight physically or offer to pay more than twice or three times.

In China, men usually pay for women on a date and older people pay for younger people.
Also, if somebody invites you for a meal to celebrate their birthday or other event, you are not expected to fight hard for the bill either.

Eating with young people means they are also more likely to be willing to split the bill as well.

Here are a couple of phrases to remember when you’re ready to pay, fight for the bill and thank someone else for paying:

服务员(fú wù yuán) - “waiter”. Although Western people might find it rude, it’s completely normal and expected in a Chinese restaurant for you to shout at a waiter and just say “waiter”.
请给我帐单 (qǐng gěi wǒ zhàng dān) - “Can I have a bill please?”
用卡可以吗？(yòng kǎ kěyǐ ma?) - “Can I pay by card?”
我今天要付款 (wǒ jīntiān yào fùkuǎn) - “I’m going to pay today.”
下次可以付款 (xià cì kěyǐ fùkuǎn) - “You can pay next time.”
多谢你，你太客气了(duōxiè nǐ, nǐ tài kèqìle) - “Thank you so much, you’re too kind.”
下次一定让我来 (xià cì yīdìng ràng wǒ lái) - “You have to let me pay next time.”
Literal meaning: “Next time, for sure let me come/let me do it.”

In China, it’s not a common practice to tip and there also shouldn’t be any service fee added to your bill. If you still want to tip, you can do it, but expect another little fight.

小费 (xiǎofèi) - “tip”. Literal meaning: “small fee”.


Ready for a Chinese Restaurant?
It might seem like a lot -- learning all the characters and Chinese foods, remembering etiquette and maybe using chopsticks the whole time, too. The fear of getting embarrassed or offending someone.

But here’s the thing -- Chinese culture might be different to Western one, but Chinese people are incredibly nice and welcoming. Even if you don’t strictly follow their rules, it’s easy to observe from them and they would hardly ever judge you.

Nowadays, it is even easier. Young Chinese people love Western culture and they’re getting used to fast food, cutlery, splitting the bill, and everything we know.

Don’t be afraid to ask and admit you’re not sure about something -- they will love to help you!

The post How to Order Chinese Food in an Authentic Chinese Restaurant: 40+ Chinese Words and Phrases (Plus Eating Etiquette) appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.

12+ Ways to Say “Please” and “Thank You” in German

If you want to know how to say "thank you" in German, look no further! Master the phrases below and you shouldn't have any problem dealing with German niceties and etiquette.

There are several different ways to say “thanks” in German and if you want to be polite, it's worth knowing them all.

I'll also cover how to respond to a “thank you”, i.e. how to say "you're welcome" in German.

German and English are fairly closely related (they're both considered to be Germanic languages), so some of the words you'll learn below look quite similar to words you already know from English. Nowhere is this more obvious than with the first word to learn:
“Thank You” in German: Danke
Danke is the most common and simple way to say "thank you" in German. It's an obvious cognate of the English word "thanks".

You can use danke in any situation, formal or informal.
“Thank You So Much” in German - Danke Schön
Schön, alternatively written schoen, is an adjective meaning "pretty" or "beautiful". Combine it with danke and you get danke schön, which could be translated as "thank you kindly".

Danke schön is an extremely common saying in German; it's a slightly more formal or emphatic way of saying danke. For example, the cashier in a supermarket might say danke schön to you while handing you your change.
“Many Thanks” in German - Danke Sehr
Sehr means "very". Danke sehr is another common way of making your danke sound a bit more formal or polite. It's more or less interchangeable with danke schön.
“Thanks a Lot” in German - Vielen Dank
What if you're very thankful, and a simple danke or danke schön isn't enough to convey your gratitude? In this case, one thing you can say is vielen Dank ("thanks a lot").

Remember that in this case it's the masculine noun der Dank (don't forget that nouns in German are always written with a capital letter), not the interjection danke.

Viel, pronounced very similarly to the English word "feel", means "much" or "many". Here, we use the singular accusative form vielen.

Why vielen and not viel? It gets a bit complicated, so if you're new to German, I wouldn't worry about it for now. Just memorise vielen Dank and you'll be fine. You can skip ahead to the next way of saying “thank you” in German.

If you would like to know, it’s actually pretty interesting. First, we need to talk about the difference between countable and uncountable nouns in German. It's not hard to understand, because we have the same distinction in English: a countable noun is one that you can put an "a" or "an" in front of, and has a singular and plural form. An uncountable noun, on the other hand, is one that has no plural.

So for example "car" and "school" are countable ("a car", "a school") but "air" and "happiness" aren't (you can inhale "some air" but not "an air".)

When you have a lot of something, you say "many" if it's countable and "much" if it's uncountable. So you can say "many books" but not "much books", and "much love" but not "many love". Unlike English, German only has one word (viel) for both of these cases.

Since Dank is uncountable, it has no plural. So a more literal translation of vielen Dank would be "much thank", as unnatural as that would sound in English.

This explains why vielen is singular, but not why it's accusative. This point is easier to explain: when you say vielen Dank, it's really a contraction of the longer sentence ich schulde dir vielen Dank ("I owe you 'much thank'").

If you understand how cases work in German, it's obvious that Dank here is the object of the sentence, and thus the adjective requires an accusative ending.

Now it's time to move on to some other ways to say "thanks" in German.
“Thanks a Million” in German - Tausend Dank
In English, you might thank someone deeply by saying "thanks a million!" In German, the equivalent expression is the slightly more subdued Tausend Dank( "a thousand thanks").

Perhaps English speakers feel 1000 times more gratitude than Germans? Or maybe Germans are just less prone to hyperbole...
“Best Thanks” in German - Besten Dank
C'mon, you can figure out what beste means, can't you? Would it help if I told you that gut means "good" and besser means "better"?

That's right, beste means "best", and besten Dank means "best thanks!" - not really something we'd say in English, but a gut expression to know in German.
“Thank You Very Much” in German - Danke vielmals
Another good way to say "thanks a lot" in German is danke vielmals.
Another Way to Say “Thank You” in German - Ich danke dir/Ihnen/euch für…
Another relative of Dank and danke is the verb danken, which means, unsurprisingly, "to thank".

Ich danke dir - "I thank you (singular, informal)"
Ich danke Ihnen - "I thank you (singular, formal)"
Ich danke euch - "I thank you (plural)"

Note that danken requires a dative pronoun; dir, Ihnen, and euch are the dative versions of du, Sie, and ihr respectively.

Don't forget that Sie, the formal form of du, is written with a capital "S"! When you write it with a lowercase "s" (sie) it means "she" or "they".
“Heartfelt Thanks” in German - Herzlichen Dank
We've covered a few ways of saying "many thanks" in German. Here's another one: herzlichen Dank.

Herz means heart, and the suffix -lich is roughly equivalent to the English "-ly" - see e.g. German Freund and freundlich vs. the English "friend" and "friendly". "Heartly" isn't a word in English, but herzlich means something like "heartful" or "heartfelt".

So herzlichen Dank - again, note that herzlichen is accusative just like in vielen Dank - means "heartfelt thanks!" It's quite a formal way to thank someone in German.

You might recognize herzlich from the common expression herzlichen glückwunsch - "congratulations!". See also: herzlichen glückwunsch zum Geburtstag = "happy birthday!"
“Thankful” in German - Dankbar
Dankbar is an adjective meaning thankful or grateful.

For example: Wir sind sehr dankbar für deine Hilfe ("we are very thankful for your help").
“Thank God” in German - Gott sei Dank
Gott sei Dank is a common phrase which means "thank God", although it's often more naturally translated as "fortunately" or "thankfully".

Wir hatten Gott sei Dank einen Ersatzreifen - "Fortunately, we had a spare tyre"

Like with "thank God" in English, you don't need to be religious to say Gott sei Dank; it's widely used by people of all persuasions. It's more common in speech than in writing.
“Thank You” in Bavaria and Austria - Vergelt’s Gott
This interesting phrase is rarely heard outside of Austria and southern Germany. Historically, Catholicism has been more dominant in these regions, and it's reflected in a few religion-tinged expressions of the local dialects.

Vergelt es Gott means "may God reward you for it", which sounds rather dramatic, but it's really just another mainstream way of saying "thank you" in places like Bavaria or Austria.

Typically, you'd respond to Vergelt's Gott with Segne es Gott ("Bless it, God").
“Thanks, you too!” in German - Danke, gleichfalls
Gleichfalls means "likewise" or "the same to you". So if someone thanks you with a danke, you can respond with danke, gleichfalls as a way of acknowledging their gratitude while thanking them in return. "Thanks to you too!"
"Thank you for..." in German - Danke für
What are you so grateful about anyway? If you want to say that you're thankful for a specific thing, use für.

Remember that the noun that comes after für must always be accusative.

Combine für with any of the expressions you learned above:

Danke für das Geschenk - "Thank you for the gift"
Ich danke Sie für Ihre Zeit - "I thank you for your time"
Ich bin sehr dankbar für deine Hilfe - "I'm very thankful for your help"

Okay, we've covered a lot of ways to say "thanks". But if someone thanks you in German, how should you respond to a German “thank you”? There are several options:
“You’re Welcome” in German - Bitte
Bitte is a common and versatile word. You can use it as a response to danke. It's by far the most common way to say "you're welcome" in German.

As with danke, you can add schön or sehr on the end and say bitte schön or danke schön.

Bitte can have some other meanings. Firstly, it's how you say "please" in German. Secondly, it can mean "excuse me". Say bitte? or wie bitte? as a polite way to ask someone to repeat themselves.

If someone offers you something, bitte is one way to say "yes". Saying danke to an offer means "no".
“My Pleasure” in German - Gern geschehen
Gern is a very common adverb that's often hard to translate directly. The most literal translation would be something like "gladly" or "with pleasure". In general, you use it to express that you're willing, or even enthusiastic, to do something.

Suppose that you do someone a favour, for which they thank you. You can respond with a gern geschehen - "done gladly". It's a friendly and polite way to accept the other person's gratitude.

You can also say gern in response to an offer; like bitte, it's a way of saying "yes, please".
“No Problem” in German - Kein Problem / Keine Ursache
A common way to respond to a "thanks" in English is "no problem!" The same expression exists in German - Kein Problem!

An equivalent expression is keine Ursache. It literally means something like "no reason", but it can be used interchangeably with kein Problem.
“Oh it’s Nothing!” in German - Nichts zu danken!
Finally, you have the expression nichts zu danken.

While nicht means "not", nichts means "nothing" - and I already told you what danken means. So you can probably guess what nichts zu danken means - "nothing to thank (me for)!"
Now You Know How to Say “Thank You” in German -- So Start Speaking!
Danke for reading this far. I've covered everything you need to know if you want to be polite and show gratitude when interacting with German speakers.

Is there anything I've missed - more regionalisms, perhaps? Do you have any advice, struggles, or stories regarding the topic of saying "thank you" and "please" in German? Bitte schön, let me know in the comments.

Want more? You can read here about how I learned fluent German in 3 months.

The post 12+ Ways to Say “Please” and “Thank You” in German appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.

Learn Colors in Spanish Easily

Learning colors in Spanish is really important and should be among the first topics you master.

Colors are everywhere, and knowing them really well will allow you to talk about so many different topics -- from clothes to food to art to many other topics. Color words are important for many things, from creative writing and understanding poetry to pointing out objects and even talking about your likes and dislikes.

In this article, we will look at colors in Spanish as well as some important grammar rules. For instance, unlike in English, color words in Spanish often change according to the gender and number of the noun they describe -- but more on that, with some examples, later.

We’ll also cover a few useful expressions in Spanish with color words.
All the Colors in Spanish
Let’s take a quick look at all the colors in Spanish -- los colores.

Rojo — red
Amarillo — yellow
Azul — blue
Negro — black
Blanco — white
Verde — green
Morado, púrpura — purple
Anaranjado, naranja — orange
Marrón, café — brown
Rosado, rosa — pink
Gris — grey
Beige — beige
Ocre — ocher
Escarlata — scarlet
Granate — maroon
Dorado — gold
Plateado — silver
Borgoña — burgundy
Marfil — ivory
Indigo, añil — indigo
Bronce — bronze
Cobre — copper
Turquesa — turquoise
Ámbar — amber
Aguamarina — aquamarine
Cian — cyan
Limón — lemon
Lima — lime
Violeta — violet
Lila — lilac
Salmón — salmon
Fucsia — fuchsia
Magenta — magenta
Champaña — champagne
Jade — jade

How to Talk About Shades of Color in Spanish
If you need even more colors in Spanish -- say, you are talking about a painting and want to discuss subtle shades of color, here is how you can do that.

The most common words you can add are claro, oscuro, and fuerte.

To talk about light shades, add claro, which literally means “clear” or “light” -- azul claro (“light blue”), verde claro (“light green”)
To talk about dark shades, add oscuro, which means “dark” -- azul oscuro (“dark blue”), verde oscuro (“dark green”)
When you say a color is fuerte, it means that it’s bright and intense -- azul fuerte (“bright blue”), verde fuerte (“bright green”)

There are even more shades of color in Spanish that you can make by adding other words:

Lila pálido — “pale lilac”
Azúl eléctrico — “electric blue”
Naranja pastel — “pastel orange”
Verde intenso — “deep green”

By the way, note that all the words that help you identify shades of color come after the color words. While we say “light blue” in English, the Spanish equivalent is azul claro.
How to Memorize Colors in Spanish
Wow, that’s so many colors! I know, it’s hard to memorize them all at once. There is one thing that can help you memorize colors in Spanish, other vocabulary units, and learn the language overall -- flashcards.

Flashcards have proven themselves over centuries of use and still remain effective, if used properly. It is a simple and fun way of using “active recall” for learning vocabulary.

You probably do not want to make the flashcards the old-fashioned way -- write words and their translations with pen or pencil on pieces of paper. But don’t worry, modern technology has got you covered.

Nowadays. practically everything can be done digitally, including flashcards, and there are some amazing apps for that. Take a look at this post to read about some of the best flashcard apps that you can use to learn colors in Spanish and other vocabulary items.
The Grammar of Colors in Spanish
There are a few things that you need to be aware of when using color words in the Spanish language, such as word order, the gender and number of nouns, the verbs you can use with colors.
Word Order for Spanish Colors
In Spanish, unlike in English, adjectives, including color words, are used after the nouns they modify, and not before them.

La alfombra roja — “the red carpet”
Los lapices azules — “the blue pencils”
El coche azul — “the blue car”

You can also describe the color of an object by adding de color, literally meaning ‘of color’.

Una casa de color rosa — “a pink house”
Un gato de color gris — “a grey cat”

This does not add to the meaning but is another way to turn a phrase which you can hear from some Spanish speakers. You can also use this as a trick to avoid using gender and number endings if you forgot them, as in this construction, the singular masculine form of the adjective is always used: la alfombra de color rojo (“the red carpet”).

This phrase also allows you to use practically any object as a reference to color. For instance, you can say un coche de color cielo (“a car the color of the sky”). It can be a way out if you can’t remember the word azul or just want to use a different phrase for a change.
Gender and Numbers for Spanish Colors
In the Spanish language, every noun has a number (singular or plural) and a gender (masculine or feminine). Most color words agree with the nouns they describe in both gender and number.

Some Spanish color words change the ending depending on the gender of the noun, which usually just involves changing the final letter to o for masculine nouns or to a for feminine ones.

un coche amarillo -- “a yellow car” (the word coche is masculine)
una taza amarilla -- “a yellow cup” (the word taza is feminine)

If the noun described by the adjective is in the plural form, you need to add s or es to the end of the color word. The rule about agreeing with gender still applies!

coches amarillos -- “yellow cars”
tazas amarillas -- “yellow cups”

Color words that do not change with gender include naranja, azul, verde, lila, gris, rosa, marrón, turquesa, magenta, granate, púrpura, beige, ocre, marfil, añil, bronce, cobre, ámbar, cian, limón, lima, salmón, fucsia, champaña, jade.

Compound colors, those made of more than one word, using words like claro or oscuro, do not change with gender or number: hojas verde oscuro (“dark-green leaves”).

Sometimes a color word can also be a noun in the sentence: El rojo enfurece a los toros (“Red makes bulls angry” - which is, by the way, not true, but a grammatically correct way to use an adjective rojo as a noun).
The Verbs Ser and Estar, and How They Relate to Colors in Spanish
To describe what color something is, like “the sky is blue”, we often use the verb “to be” in English. In the Spanish language, there are two equivalents to the verb “to be” -- the verbs ser and estar.

The verb ser is used to describe permanent states. When you describe the permanent color of an object, you will most likely use this verb.

El cielo es azul. —” The sky is blue.”
Mis gatas son negras. — “My cats are black.”

Don’t forget about the number and gender agreement. The color words function as adjectives in such phrases as well and the same grammar rules apply.

Another common use of the verb ser is to describe people’s physical appearance, like, for instance, height, as it is pretty permanent -- at least in adults: El es alto (“He is tall”).

The verb estar is used to describe temporary states. It is not used with colors in Spanish too often, but it can be used when we want to stress that the object can change its color or is not normally of this color.

Sus ojos están rojos. — “Her eyes are red.” (they are not normally red, but maybe she has been crying)
El cielo está gris hoy. — “The sky is grey today.” (it’s not usually grey, and it’ll likely change its color soon)

These two verbs are very useful when learning Spanish, so don’t forget about them when you are using color words, either.
Useful Expressions with Colors in Spanish
Just like in English, colors in Spanish are used not only to describe the literal color of an object -- un coche rojo, una taza blanca. Color words are used in some idiomatic phrases that you can use to make your speech more expressive and a bit ‘more Spanish’.

Let’s take a look at some useful expressions using color words:

Pensa amarilla — “yellow press” (Ella lee mucha pensa amarilla).
Novela negra — “a crime novel” (No me dustan novels negras).
Ponerse rojo — “to blush” (Cuando lo miro, me pongo roja).
Ver la vida de color rosa — “to be optimistic” (Siempre ve la vida de color rosa).
Chiste verde — “an adult joke” (Él siempre cuenta chistes verdes).
Príncipe azul — “an ideal man, prince charming” (Sigo esperando a mi príncipe azul).
Pasar la noche en blanco — “to have a sleepless night” (Ayer pasé la noche en blanco).
Ponerse morado — “to stuff one’s face, to overeat” (Se puso morado en la festa).
Media naranja — “soulmate, one’s better half” (Por fin he encontrado a mi media naranja).

As you can see, colors can be found anywhere -- on your cheeks, in someone’s jokes, and even in people’s relationships. Use these phrases to add some “color” to your speech and to impress your Spanish speaking friends with your knowledge of idioms.

Some of these phrases can be easier to understand than others. For instance, the color negro is usually associated with something negative or dark. Some may be more tricky -- media naranja (literally, “half an orange”) doesn’t immediately scream soulmate.

If you hear something you don’t quite understand from a Spanish speaker, don’t hesitate to ask. They will probably be glad to explain anyway, and asking for an explanation is much better than a misunderstanding.
You’re On Your Way to Mastering Colors in Spanish!
Colors in Spanish are quite easy to learn and -- forgive the repetition -- are very colorful. They can be used to describe objects, talk about art, read or even write poetry. Color words can make for very interesting idiomatic expressions.

To put it in a nutshell, color words are a great tool for your Spanish vocabulary that will definitely be of great use to you.

Practice Spanish colors with flashcards until you memorize them and use them when speaking Spanish -- whenever appropriate, of course -- and you will be the master of colors in no time!

The post Learn Colors in Spanish Easily appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.