Benny Lewis's Blog, page 45
November 7, 2019
Spanish in 3 Months: Elizabeth’s Day 60 Update (with Video!)
Whoot! Whoot! 60 days down. Only 30 days left!
In my last article, I shared about my first 30 days of learning Spanish. How I chose my teachers. Several hostage situations. And my ambitious goal of having a 15-minute conversation completely in Spanish after 90 days of learning.
I’m participating in the Fluent in 3 Months Challenge . This is a three-month online course that promises students they’ll have a 15-minute conversation in their target language after just 90 days.
In this update, I’m going to share about the second month of my Spanish mission. How I kept my learning routine alive while traveling. How I survived an airport shuttle ride from Hades. And how I kept my sanity through it all.
My Day 60 Video -- Here’s Me Speaking Spanish after 60 Days
Whew. The Day 60 video deadline was looming. Glad to be done with it. Making subtitles allows me to hear my mistakes more clearly. I make a lot of the same mistakes in Spanish as I do in French.
Differences between Day 30 & Day 60? I speak faster and I have more comfort with my beginner vocabulary.
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCP0SPA7XYA
I made this video a few short days after my vacation. I was jet lagged and recovering from the worst ever airport shuttle ride.
I had to tell the driver that if he didn’t stop texting while driving, he would need to let me of the van. We were on a six-lane freeway in Los Angeles. Trust me. Walking would have been a safer option. The other passengers broke out in applause when he stopped texting.
Okay, they were too scared to break into applause. But they were grateful. One of them whispered, “Brillant.” And another passenger mouthed a big “Thank you!” Karmically speaking, I saved the lives of six people that day. Sadly, bragging about it loses cosmic brownie points.
All this to say that I was on the road for a good chunk of this month.
Here’s How I Kept My Study Routine While Traveling.
Month two included an 11-day trip to visit a beloved friend out-of-state. At least half the month was filled with planning, packing, flying, exploring, and hugging. I’d heard plenty of horror stories about how travel can mess up a learning routine, so I was nervous. My trip was going to have me back home three days before my Day 60 video was due.
Would I lose my language learning mojo while away? It is easy to get distracted. The wonderful friend I was visiting had planned some fun activities for us. How on earth could I keep up with my Fluent in 3 Months Challenge commitment?
Here’s what I did.
Pre-trip Planning Was Key to My Success
Luckily, there were a few Fi3M challengers in my group that travel for work. I followed their posts closely to see how it was done. It looked like each globetrotter had their own routine. I asked lots of questions in our Fi3M Challenge online forum. From their counsel, I was able to develop my own style.
My routine started with packing the proper tools.
Here’s What I Packed
iPad - I listened to an audiobook during the plane ride. For me, it was the first chapter of Harry Potter book one on repeat. Every night, I read a few pages of the same book. I used the LingQ application for both of these relaxing activities.
Headphones - I was able to rest my eyes during the flight while letting the story of Harry flow over me. I didn’t understand everything. But I enjoyed feeling like a kid whose parents read them a bedtime story.
Laptop - I used my laptop for Skype calls with my italki tutors. I scheduled three lessons during my stay. They occurred in the mornings before breakfast. I could have used a phone but mine is a bit too old and slow for the Skype application. Unfortunately, my schedule conflicted with my Dream Team meetings which was a bummer. Practicing with other participants was one of my favorite Fi3M Challenge activities.
Notebook - I used a notebook to write answers to the grammar exercises in Spanish Uncovered. I usually did 15 minutes of grammar during a midday break. More productive than Facebook. And weirdly restorative, too.
Gel pen - They make me happy to write answers to grammar exercises.
Highlighters - I highlighted interesting vocabulary that popped up during my studies.
All these tools fit nicely into my carry-on backpack. I shared this photo on my Spanish only Instagram account. Every little bit of writing practice counts!
Here’s How I Planned My Study
Since I was a guest in someone’s home, it was important to fit my studies around their routine. I called ahead and explained the Fi3M Challenge to my friend. She’s always been supportive of my learning projects. This time was no different.
We worked out the best times for me to study. Since she was working a few days during my visit, I scheduled my lessons for times when she was at the office.
Setting up my lessons in advance and having them noted in my day planner a few weeks before the trip made it easy to make contact with my language. It also gave me interesting conversation topics at the dinner table each evening.
Plane Rides Are Perfect for Studying
This was the first time I studied languages on a plane. Let me tell you, it was a blast. The ride went so quickly.
I didn’t have to listen to my neighbor tell me about their nasal polyps. (Never again will I tell someone I’m an acupuncturist during a plane ride.) And I didn’t check my watch every 15 minutes.
I was having so much fun completing the Spanish Uncovered grammar worksheets that the flight was over before I knew it. It was almost as delightful as hanging out at the library all day.
What My Routine Looked like During the Visit
Before breakfast: I would do something to quickly start the day with a win. I had a list of easy language tasks that I could do if I found a spare minute. These were Duolingo, Spanish Uncovered exercises, and an Instagram post in Spanish.
Mid-day: I need downtime between social activities. Having a mid-day pause was a great way to recharge my battery. I would go for a walk and listen to Coffee Break Spanish. On very hot days, I would choose an audio book on LingQ and listen as I got my exercise inside the house.
Evening: I stayed on California time which meant that I went to sleep much later than my hosts. I used this night-owl time to read in my target language. It was a great way to help me sleep. My body loves routine. I read at night before sleeping at home, too.
I splurged on a paperback copy of Harry Potter in Spanish while we were at the local bookstore. Yes, I hooted when I noticed the Spanish language bookshelf. I could barely contain myself.
Three Ways I Got Back into a Healthy Routine
I know what you’re thinking, “Yea, yea, yea. That’s all fine and good. Study is easy when you’re lazing about on your friend’s couch eating bon-bons. How did you do when you had to get back to the real world?”
Firstly, I didn’t eat bon-bons. It was big plumb local blueberries. And my friend is an exceptional cook. So, yes. I filled my belly with delicious grub.
Secondly, lazing about and chatting with your friend’s Alexa is exactly what you’re supposed to do an a vacation. Alexa and I had numerous discussions about the weather. I found myself unconsciously thanking her for the report. And then realizing that I was talking to a computer.
But you have a point. It’s important to chat about how I got back into a healthy routine after I returned home.
The First Three Days Are the Hardest. Naps Help.
Even though I stayed on California time, my body doesn’t do all that well with jetlag. I have trouble sleeping the first day or so. My head feels swimmy. And if I don’t get enough sleep, I am prone to crying for ridiculous reasons.
Yes, I’m referring to the Pablo Picasso incident of 2004. I was overly tired and refused to nap because I wanted to visit Pablo’s museum in Paris tout de suite. Yes, we got lost. Yes, that’s not a big deal. Yes, I got a runny nose from crying.
To avoid this uncomfortable incident from reoccurring, I allow myself a nap when I get off the plane. Even if I don’t think I need a nap. Even if I don’t want a nap. I lie down somewhere and rest for thirty minutes. My husband thanks me. All the taxi drivers in the world thank me. Nobody wants a weepy tourist in their cab.
I Schedule Lessons for My First Week Back
Before I leave for my trip, I schedule one or two lessons for my first week back. I never schedule one on the first day of my return. Why? Please refer to the Pablo Picasso incident of 2004.
I don’t expect anything from these lessons except to get me back into routine. I don’t plan for them. Actually, I rarely plan for any of my lessons but definitely not after a trip.
I Make Time for My Language Routine Every Day
I listen to podcasts or audiobooks while unpacking. It takes time to get all my laundry back into its proper home. Why not listen to something in Spanish during this time?
Taking a peek at my list of tools each morning helps me decide what I need to work on next. If I’m feeling especially tired, I go for the easy stuff. Low-energy equals low-hanging fruit. I will watch a TV show in my target language at the end of my day.
No harsh judgement needed here. Just an easy week of staying consistent. The Fi3M Challenge community helps me keep my head on straight. If I start beating myself up, someone is sure to bring me back to compassionate learning. A gentle comment in the online community does wonders.
Three Things I Do to Handle Slumps
These actions helped me maintain my routine and prepare for my Day 60 video. I still hit a language learning slump during this month. They happen from time to time on the long, winding road to fluency.
I talk a bit more about how I handle slumps in this video.
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2CxRF8LZHo
My three tips are:
Practice Extreme Self-Care: Take good care of your body and mind during a slump. Eat well. Sleep enough. Move your body a little.
Find Pleasure: Do things you that lift your spirit in the language. I bought a Word Search book. It’s not in-depth study but I am making contact with Spanish. It feels like a treat which is great for getting my brain to enjoy Spanish.
Don't Go At It Alone: I share a lot on the Fi3M Challenge forum when I’m feeling low. I don’t have to go it alone anymore. My Fi3M friends are always happy to offer suggestions and share insights.
That’s It for Now! Stay Tuned for My Last Spanish Update.
Thanks for joining me in the recap of my second month of Spanish.
Maybe you’re getting out of Dodge soon. Maybe you have a language routine you incorporate into your travels. Let us know in the comments! We can each learn from each others' tips.
In my next post, I’ll share about the final stretch of my three month Spanish mission. The finish line is in sight. Will she make it? Will she be distracted by a shiny object? Will Mr. Freeze foil her plans? Stay tuned for the next installment of Spanish learner!
Wishing each and everyone one of you happy language learning!
The post Spanish in 3 Months: Elizabeth’s Day 60 Update (with Video!) appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.
November 3, 2019
How to Say “I Don’t Know” in Spanish — 33 Spanish Phrases for When You’re Unsure
Everyone feels this way sometimes, but especially when learning a new language. There will be times when you don’t understand someone, you can’t keep up, or you just don’t know how to answer.
It’s best to know how to express your lack of understanding by learning how to say “I don’t know” in Spanish.
Learning and using these phrases doesn’t mean you’re failing in your efforts to speak Spanish. Quite the opposite, in fact! Owning up to where you are now in Spanish, and not faking your skill level, can actually keep you out of trouble and help you grow. When you confess you don’t understand, the other person can help you out. They can teach you the Spanish words you need, or repeat what they said in a different way.
That, my friends, is where the real language learning magic happens.
When you let others know you’re not understanding, you learn how to understand. You overcome one of the biggest language insecurities, fear of mistakes and speaking, and plough right into new territory.
Don’t take these phrases lightly. This is where every beginner’s successful language journey starts.
Feeling better about your insecurities now? Good. Let’s start learning how to tell others “you know nothing”.
How to Say “I don’t know” in Spanish
There are a few ways to say “I don’t know” in Spanish. The most common one you’ll see is no lo sé. But you may also hear yo no sé or just no sé.
Any of those are fine, and they’re often used interchangeably. To be technical, the difference is that lo represents “it” -- the “it” that you don’t know. That’s why you don’t have to use lo. But, it’s common to do so in Spanish, even though in English we would normally omit “it” because it’s implied.
Keep in mind that sé comes from the verb saber meaning “to know”. If the subject of the sentence changes, you’ll have to change sé to match the Spanish pronoun.
For example, if you wanted to say “we don’t understand” it would be nosotros no lo sabemos. And “he doesn’t know” would be él no lo sabe. Again, the lo is optional, as is the pronoun. When you conjugate the verb to match the pronoun, you can drop the pronoun because it’s understood who you’re talking about. no sabe still means “he doesn’t know”.
Maybe you just don’t know the answer right this second. In that case, you can say aun no se or todavía no lo sé for “I don’t know yet.” And if you’re not very confident in your answer, you can use the phrase *no lo sé con certeza for “I don’t know for sure.”
How to Say “I don’t understand” in Spanish
To admit you’re not following, you can say no entiendo for “I don’t understand” in Spanish. This is how most beginners learn to say it, but if you want to be more specific, you can use the past tense form. No entendi means “I didn’t understand.”
Either way you say it is fine and lets the other person know you’ll need a bit of help grasping the context.
How to Say “please could you repeat that” in Spanish
So you admitted you don’t understand, and now you need to ask them to repeat what they said in Spanish. To say “please could you repeat that” you use the phrase por favor, ¿podría repetir eso? Of course, por favor -- or “please” in Spanish -- can go at the beginning or end of the sentence, as in English. The phrase could also be ¿Podrías repetir eso por favor?
Now let’s picture this scenario: your conversation partner has repeated the phrase. It was still too fast and you still didn’t understand! You’re starting to sweat… you don’t know what to do to keep the conversation going.
No worries! Simply ask for them to repeat it again, only this time more slowly. “Speak more slowly please” is habla más despacio, por favor. You could also say, más lento, por favor, which just means “slower, please.” Again, either is fine. It’s personal preference, and whichever you find easier to remember in the moment!
If that still didn’t help, you can say otra vez for “again” or una vez más, por favor to ask “one more time, please.”
How to Say “sorry, I don’t understand you” in Spanish
To apologize for not understanding someone, you can say perdon no te entiendo (“sorry, I don’t understand you”). You could follow this with solo entiendo un poco de español, which is “I only understand a little Spanish.” Or, shorten it to solo entiendo un poco (“I only understand a little.”)
How to Say “I’m a beginner” in Spanish
There’s no shame in admitting you’ve only just begun your Spanish studies!
To let someone know you’ve just started learning Spanish you can say soy principiante. That means “I’m a beginner” in Spanish. You could also use soy novato/novicia to say “I’m a novice.” This is a handy phrase to know because the other person will know they should use simpler speech and vocabulary with you.
You can elaborate a bit more. For instance, you could say Hablo un poco de español, pero sólo soy principiante. (“I speak a little Spanish, but I’m just a beginner”). You could also say “I’m learning Spanish” with estoy aprendiendo español.
You could even add on the time frame of how long you’ve been learning, like llevo tres meses aprendiendo español (“I’ve been learning Spanish for 3 months”). You could change aprender to estudiar as well, meaning you “study” Spanish instead.
How to Say “I’m not sure” in Spanish
Not feeling too sure how to respond? Use the phrase no estoy seguro to say “I’m not sure” in Spanish. Seguro means “sure” or “certain”. You could also use this phrase with “I don’t know for sure.” Instead of no lo sé con certeza, which I shared above, you could use no lo sé con seguro. It’s just a nuanced difference, and a bit more formal.
Of course, keep in mind that you could always drop the no to change these sentences to the positive form. Estoy seguro means “I’m sure,” just as lo sé means “I know.” And if you didn’t understand before but you do now, you can say ahora entiendo meaning “now I understand”.
The Phrase for “I don’t know how to say...” in Spanish
If you don’t know how to express yourself in Spanish, then ask! If your conversation partner speaks a bit of English, they may be able to help.
To say “I don’t know how to say…” in Spanish, you use No se como decir... Then, add on what you don’t know how to say. For example, you could say: No sé cómo decir "wallet" en español. Yes, it’s utilizing a bit of Spanglish here, but you’ll be able to keep the conversation in Spanish as much as you can while also learning.
You could also use the phrase ¿Qué es ___ en español? for “What is __ in Spanish?” Then, you’re learning new vocabulary as it’s relevant to you. It’ll keep you speaking and moving forward, and you’ll remember the new words better because you’re using them in a current situation.
How to Say “I don’t remember” in Spanish
There are two verbs for “to remember” in Spanish: recordar and acordarse. It’s a pretty nuanced difference, but the best way to think about it is that recordar is “to recall” and acordarse is “to remember.”
So, to say you don’t remember in Spanish, you could say both no recuerdo (“I don’t recall”) or no me acordarse (“I don’t remember”). Because acordarse is a reflexive verb, it needs a reflexive pronoun, which is me.
That’s getting into the grammar side of things, so don’t worry about it too much for now. Just remember the phrases themselves and worry about understanding the details of the grammar later as you learn more about pronouns and verbs.
How to Ask “What did you say?” in Spanish
Another way to ask someone to repeat themselves that will probably feel more natural is ¿Qué dijiste? This means “What did you say?” in Spanish. This is the more informal way to say it, but it’s common to use. If you’re talking to someone of authority or you want to show respect, you can use the polite version ¿Qué dijo?
Why not simplify it further? You could say ¿Cómo? for “What?” or “Come again?” Either way, the other person will know you didn’t hear or understand.
Whenever you use these question phrases, make sure to use a higher inflection at the end of the sentence. That lets the other person know it’s a question. You do this naturally in English as well as most languages. But sometimes when we’re overthinking how to say something, we forget inflection. So raise the pitch for questions!
How to Say “I’m sorry” in Spanish
Lastly, if you’re feeling a bit embarrassed by your lack of understanding, you can apologize. You can use lo siento for “I’m sorry.” But you could also use perdón or disculpe for “excuse me”. You can also use this to apologize for being a bother, by saying disculpa la molestia.
Don’t get too caught up in being embarrassed or apologizing, though -- you’re learning, after all! Most people understand. But, sometimes it can feel more polite or necessary to apologize. So you can use these phrases.
Making Mistakes in Spanish? Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff
Don’t worry about the little misunderstandings and mistakes. Don’t worry about how much you know or don’t know. Just don’t sweat the small stuff.
With these phrases, you can get by anyway. You can keep the conversation in your target language, while learning how to better understand it. That’s really all that matters. The whole point of language learning is to make many mistakes and keep pushing forward until it clicks. Because when you don’t understand, or you make a mistake, you’re more likely to remember the correct answer later. Never be afraid to admit you don’t know.
Now, if you’re ready to move on to bigger and better things in Spanish, check out our favourite Spanish resources to improve your learning. Start learning how to make conversational chitchat in Spanish, and pick up small talk tips like learning about the weather in Spanish.
That’s a great place to begin your studies. And if you want a deeper, faster push into the language, work on creating a home-immersion environment.
Have there been situations where you’ve been too afraid to admit you don’t understand someone in Spanish? How did you work through it (or not)? Share your stories with me in the comments!
The post How to Say “I Don’t Know” in Spanish — 33 Spanish Phrases for When You’re Unsure appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.
October 27, 2019
63 Must-Know Japanese Slang Words (to Sound like a Local)
Before you do, here’s my disclaimer: some of these Japanese slang words are NSFW. They’re also not to be used lightly in every conversation, but to be used appropriately with close friends and peers.
Japanese slang is often hard to learn. It’s almost never taught in textbooks (and what they list as “slang” is really just casual speech, or very outdated). Because Japanese is such a polite language, there’s sometimes a misconception that slang isn’t used often. But, Japanese actually boasts tons of slang words!
It’s hard to teach slang because the words are often blended from a long string of other words or pop culture references. Celebrities influence slang, the internet morphs new shorthand every day, and Japan is notorious for shortening and combining words.
Even more than that, depending on the region of Japan, you’ll hear quite a difference in tones, sentence endings, and various new slang only spoken in that region.
But understanding slang is key to having a deeper understanding of the language and sounding like a native. So, below are some common Japanese slang words, phrases, and swear words you’ll hear. I’ve also included some that are exclusive to Tokyo-ben (Tokyo dialect) and Kansai-ben (Osaka/Kyoto/Kobe dialect), which are two of the most common dialects spoken in Japan.
Everyday Japanese Slang
Most Japanese slang is used for descriptions, greetings, and outbursts of emotion. Unlike English, there aren’t too many slang terms to call other people (at least not ones that are nice to say). You won’t really find a translation for “dude,” for instance. To be slangy with nicknames, you would typically shorten someone’s name and add a cute honorific (or omit the honorific altogether).
This is part of why slang is so hard to translate and learn: you won’t find a direct translation between languages, you have to learn them by context.
But these slang words can be heard everyday around Japan, especially among the younger generation. You’ll hear them often in Japanese dramas and reality shows, too! So they’re easy to pick up and use and sound very natural.
A quick grammar note: slang words can often be written in either hiragana or katakana, but if it’s an i-adjective, the “i” is often written in hiragana, even if the rest of the word is in katakana. That’s because adjectives can be conjugated, and the part that gets conjugated is the “i.” You’ll see them written in either kana, though, and both are correct.
Anway, with all that in mind, here are some Japanese slang words to get you started:
やばい (yabai)
やばい can mean… anything. It covers everything from “terrible”, “ridiculous”, and “crappy” to “amazing” and “awesome.” Its literal meaning is “dangerous,” but is used like “wicked” in English. It could be both good and bad.
This one is incredibly common in everyday speech all around Japan. You’ll also hear it shortened to ヤバ (yaba) often, especially by men.
ウザい (uzai)
This is the short, slangy form of the adjective うるさい (urusai), which means to be “annoyingly noisy.” When it’s shortened to ウザイ, though, it takes on a bit of a stronger meaning like “what a pain” or “pain in the ass.” (Although not as rude as using that phrase in English.) It can also be used to describe someone gloomy, with an Eeyore-like personality from Winnie the Pooh. It’s used to express frustration with other people or situations, and it’s often used online as well.
キモい (kimoi)
This one is short for 気持ち悪い (kimochi warui), which means something gives you a “bad feeling.” 気持ち悪い is often used to describe any kind of bad feeling, like feeling sick or sad. It can also be used to describe something that repulses you.
As for キモい, it only means “gross,” “disgusting,” or “ew.” You can use it as an exclamation like “Ew!” or say キモいだね (kimoi da ne) to say it’s “Disgusting, right?”
イケメン (ikemen)
イケメン is used to talk about good-looking men with a very specific style. They’re usually well dressed, intelligent, and slender, with husky voices and aloof personalities. Think of this as Japan’s version of “tall, dark, and handsome.”
It’s often used to talk about celebrities, but any man can be regarded as イケメン. It comes from the word ikeru for “cool” and menzu for the English-derived word for “men.”
マジ (maji)
マジ or マジで (maji de) is used as an exclamation of “Seriously?!” or “For real?!” It comes from the word 真面目 (majime) which means “serious.”
リア充 (riajuu)
This is an interesting slang term because it acknowledges just how deep we’ve gone into the digital era. We don’t have a term like this in English! リア充 means is a portmanteau word for “real world”, リアルワールド (riaru wa-rudo), and “satisfied”, 充実 (juujitsu).
It’s used to describe people who would rather be out in the real world, enjoying life. Or, who are satisfied with their real life rather than an online persona. It’s the opposite of オタク, which means someone who is a nerd, an introvert, or a homebody who is dependent on their persona online.
オッス！ (ossu!)
If you want a greeting closest to “What’s up, dude?” or “Yo, man!”... Well, this is it. It’s a shortened form of the greeting おはようございます (Ohayou gozaimasu, “Good morning”). It’s kind of like surfer-speak, and it’s used by guys to greet each other.
半端ない (hanpa nai)
This one is used the same way やばい is. It means “insane,” “kickass,” “awesome,” or “outrageous.” The word hanpa itself means “halfway” or “unfinished.” Since it’s used in its negative form with nai, you’re saying something’s “not half-assed, it’s whole-assed.” And therefore, it’s amazing.
ムカつく (mukatsuku)
This one comes from the Japanese onomatopoeia phrase, ムカムカする (mukamuka suru), which means to get angry, to be pissed off. つく (tsuku) comes from 作る (tsukuru), “to make.” So this phrase is used to say something has made you pissed off, or irritated you. It’s a strong phrase, but a common complaint.
それな！(sore na!)
This means, “That!” or “Exactly!” It’s used like English slang when we agree with something someone said, and we simply reply with “This!” Meaning, we were thinking the same thing and 100% agree.
おつ (otsu)
Short for お疲れ様でした (otsukaresama deshita), meaning “you worked hard” or “good job.” You can use it as a slangy goodbye.
ガチ (gachi)
Used the same way as マジ, it means “seriously” or “for real.”
さいてい (saitei)
This translates as “the lowest.” But as a slang term, it’s used to call someone or a situation “the worst!”
ずるい (zurui)
This one means “sly” or “sneaky,” but it can also be used as an exclamation like “You suck!” It expresses both disgust and admiration for someone’s sneaky behavior. Think Ferris Bueller’s Day Off -- you’re a bit dismayed at his bad behavior, but also impressed he went through with it.
微妙 (bimyou)
Bimyou means “questionable,” “iffy,” or even “kind of sucks.” It’s somewhere between まあまあ (maa maa, “so-so”) and まずい (mazui, “disgusting”) or ひどい (hidoi, “awful”).
ウケる (ukeru)
It means “that’s funny” or “hilarious.” It’s actually a verb, but it’s used more like “haha!” in English.
Regional Japanese Slang
Tokyo-Ben Slang
Tokyo-ben is what you hear most in the Japanese media, such as on TV, because it’s considered “standard” dialect. Even so, Tokyo is like New York -- people from around the country move there, and their slang gets blended together. The Tokyo region does have some slang used most often in that area, though. Here are a few:
ちょ (cho): Very, totally. Used like とても (totemo).
すげー (suge-): Amazing. It’s the shortened, more masculine form of すごい (sugoi).
はずい (hazui): Embarrassing. Short for 恥ずかしい (hazukashii).
むずい (muzui): Difficult. Short for 難しい (muzukashii)
うそ！ (uso!): No way! You’re lying!
Kansai-Ben Slang
When most people think of Kansai-ben, they think of Osaka, although it includes all the Kansai region. It sounds more harsh than standard Japanese, because it uses more blunt endings like ya nen, na, and hen. At the same time, it’s more casual and flowing because words become shortened. Here are a few you should know from the region:
めっちゃ (meccha): The same as ちょ and とても, it means “very.”
あほ (aho): Idiot.
おおきに (ookini): Thank you.
ほんま (honma): Really?
あかん (akan): Bad, not good
なんやこれ / なんでやねん (nan ya kore / nande ya nen): What’s this?! What the heck?!
おもろい (omoroi): Interesting, amusing, funny
ちゃうで! (chau de!): It’s not like that! That’s wrong!
しょんどい (shondoi): Tired, exhausted
Japanese Text and Internet Slang
Ah, Japanese text and internet slang. This is where things get really interesting and slightly confusing, fast. When it comes to Japanese text lingo, there’s a lot of combining English letters and Japanese characters into shorthand that makes no sense upon first glance. But knowing these will help you immerse yourself in the language online, and understand what you’re reading on Twitter.
KY
KY is an abbreviation for 空気読めない, which romanized reading “kuuki yomenai.” Thus, it became KY, written in English characters. It means someone “can’t read the air” or is oblivious to the mood of the room or another person.
なう (nau)
なう means exactly what it sounds like: “now.” It’s used online to say what someone is doing at that moment, especially on Twitter. An example: ランチなう (ranchi nau). “Eating lunch now.”
ファボる (faboru)
Another Twitterverse term, it means “favorite” and is used as a verb. So, you “favorite” a tweet, or “like” a post.
かまちょ (kamacho)
This is short for 構ってちょうだい (kamatte choudai), which means something like “Please let me know (if we can hang out)”. As a slang term, it’s posted online as a way to say “I’m bored, let’s chat” or “Talk to me.”
W
Yes, just “w.” It’s the Japanese equivalent of “lol” in English text slang. Why “w?” Because the word for “laugh” is 笑い (warai), so it starts with “w.” If you wanted to say “haha” though, you’d use the kanji itself, usually in parenthesis. Like this: (笑)
ぐぐる (Guguru)
Like in English, “Google” has become a verb. To say you’re “googling it,” you use ぐぐる in Japanese. There’s also the text shorthand, GGRKS. It means ググレカス (gugurekasu), and means “Google it yourself, scum.” It’s a bit harsh, to say the least, but you’ll see it on the internet.
ドンマイ (donmai)
This is another slangy phrase that comes from English, and it means “Don’t mind,” “No problem,” or “It was nothing.” You can use it in place of 何でもない (nande monai).
KWSK
Another common shorthand, it means “I need the details!” or “Details, please!” It comes from the Japanese phrase 詳しく (kuwashiku), so it’s the first letter of each syllable when romanized. It’s used to beg someone for all the deets.
WKTK
This is used everywhere. It’s the abbreviation for ワクワクテカテカ (wakuwaku tekateka). That’s onomatopoeia for your heart is racing and you’re trembling with excitement. You can use this for anything and everything that you can’t wait for.
乙
This obscure kanji, which translates as “moth,” is now used as a shorthand for お疲れ様でした, which we talked about earlier. Why 乙? Because it’s read as おつ, which is the same slang term we covered above that means “you must be tired” or “thanks for your hard work.” You’ll see this as praise for someone online. Like when someone posts the answer to the clickbait title of an article in the comments to save you a click.
555
Another one based on how it sounds read aloud in Japanese. The number 5 in Japanese is ご (go). So when writing 555, you’re saying “Go, go, go!” It’s used in online gaming primarily. But it’s not the only number you’ll see pop up as internet slang! 888 is also used because it’s read はちはちはち (hachi hachi hachi), which is the onomatopoeia sound for clapping.
こｎ / んｐ / うｐ(kon / np / up)
Those three look like typos, don’t they? But they’re not typos at all! They’re abbreviated slang terms. こｎ is short for こんばんは, or “hello.” The romanized “n” is basically laziness because to get the ん character, you have to press the key an extra time. So they leave it as the romanized “n.”
As for the other two, んｐ is the same as English “np” which means “no problem.” And うp is short for “upload.”
Japanese Slang Insults
Use these words with care! Although some of these can be used jokingly among friends (guys especially), don’t use these words all the time unless you want to be perceived as quite the Western loudmouth jerk. (A real stereotype.)
ばか (baka): Idiot.
ダサい (dasai): Lame, out of style, dorky, or sucky.
お前 (omae): A rude, blunt way to say “you.” It’s mostly used by men to other men as an insult because it literally means “The thing in front of me.” So, this person is so lowly they’re just this thing in your way. It’s sometimes used jokingly or lightheartedly though between friends.
われ (ware): The same os お前, but more common in Kansai-ben.
やつ (yatsu): Like calling someone “guy” or “bloke.” It can be used casually between friends, but it’s also a bit insulting because it’s something you don’t have much respect for and think of as “lower” than you.
ぶす (busu): An ugly woman. It’s kind of used like “bitch” in English.
悪ガキ (warugaki): Brat.
Japanese Swear Words
In case you feel the need to let out a curse under your breath, you can do so in Japanese. Again, use caution with these. While くそ is quite common in Japanese, none of these words are safe to throw around lightly.
くそ (kuso)
This is your most common, versatile curse word in Japanese. It means “shit,” “fuck,” or “dammit,” like how all of those can be interchangeable in English. It’s common to hear this one muttered under someone’s breath.
死ね! (shi’ne!)
This means “Die!” or “Go to hell!” It’s one that you’ve probably heard in Naruto and other shonen anime and manga.
ファック (fakku)
Exactly what it sounds like: “fuck.” Imported straight into the language from English.
くそったれ (kusottare)
One of the strongest curse words in Japanese. It’s an insult used to call someone an “MF’er” or “shithead.”
ちくしょう (chikushou)
“Son of a bitch” in Japanese, although it can also be used as an exclamation of “Dammit!” The literal translation is a “beast” or a “brute.”
Japanese Slang Phrases
Last up, here are some general slang phrases that you’ll hear and see online.
こんちは (konchiwa): A short form of こんにちは, “hello.”
調子どう? (choushi dou?): “How are you?” or “How’s it going?”
一だす一は？ (Ichi dasu ichi wa?): “One plus one equals?” It’s used in place of “Say cheese!” when taking a picture, and the response is “に！” (*Ni!”) in Japanese.
一杯どう (ippai dou?): A slang way to ask someone if they want to grab a drink. “How about one?”
とりあえずビール (toriaizu bi-ru): “A beer for now.” It’s such a common thing to say, it’s become a set phrase in Japanese.
誰得 (daretoku): It more or less means “Who gets something from this?” or “Why do this?” It’s used like the internet slang, “Y tho?” in English.
相変わらず (aikawarazu): “Same as usual” or “Same as ever.” It’s kind of like saying “so-so” in response to “How are you?”
わりいーね (warii-ne): “My bad.” You can say this instead of ごめん (gomen).
Now it’s Your Turn to Share Japanese Slang!
Did I miss any Japanese slang or other cool Japanese phrases you’ve heard or used? Share it with me in the comments!
If you want to learn more casual speech and slang, make sure to check out JapanesePod101. It’s one of the best ways to listen and learn phrases like these in context!
The post 63 Must-Know Japanese Slang Words (to Sound like a Local) appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.
October 24, 2019
Days of the Week in Spanish — an Easy Way to Learn All the Days in Spanish
Learning how to say the Spanish days of the week is an important first step for beginners. It’s how you’ll read the calendar and make plans with your language exchange partner.
When I first start learning a language, one of my favourite things to do is create a home immersion environment. And the first thing I do to establish this environment? Change my phone and computer settings to my target language! Then I’m greeted with the days of the week every time I log on.
It’s a quick way to learn, by seeing it every day.
But… When you first make that switch, if you don’t know your basic Spanish words to read the calendar... Well, that can get a bit frustrating, fast.
So if you’re starting out, here’s how to say the days of the week in Spanish to get you going.
Spanish Days of the Week
Days in Spanish
Monday
lunes
Tuesday
martes
Wednesday
miércoles
Thursday
jueves
Friday
viernes
Saturday
sábado
Sunday
domingo
Monday - lunes
“Monday” in Spanish is lunes, which comes from the word luna for “moon”. In fact, Monday stems from “moon” in German, English, Japanese, and many other languages. Keeping that in mind will help you remember Monday is lunes!
And, like with German, the Spanish calendar starts on lunes instead of Sunday. This makes sense if you think about it -- Saturday and Sunday are “the weekend” and the days of rest. It makes more sense that the week starts on Monday when you get back to work.
Tuesday - martes
Many of the days of the week come from the names of gods of mythology. “Tuesday” in Spanish is martes, and it comes from the dies Martis, or Mars, the Roman god of war. This is different than in English. “Tuesday” stems from the Norse god, Tyr. Both were gods of war, though, so if you’re interested in mythology, remember Tuesday is the god of war’s day.
Wednesday - miércoles
“Wednesday” is miércoles, named after Mercury, the Roman god of financial gain and trickery. El miércoles can also be used to say “midweek” in Spanish, or you could say la entresemana.
Thursday - jueves
“Thursday” is Jupiter's day -- jueves in Spanish. In English, it’s Thor’s day, and both are the gods of thunder. Since the days of the week in Spanish aren’t cognates (similar words to English), it may help to make the associations between the gods they’re named after. So think of Thor as jueves in Spanish, to… ahem... Spark a connection. (Excuse the bad pun!)
Friday - viernes
“Friday” in Spanish is viernes. Can you guess which famous Roman god this day is named after? The goddess of love and beauty, Venus.
Although lesser known, Venus is also the goddess of prosperity. In that sense, if you think of Friday as Pay Day, bringing you wealth and prosperity, it could help you remember viernes.
Saturday - sábado
“Saturday” in Spanish is sábado. Breaking tradition here, it’s named after the “Sabbath” instead of a god. (In English, Saturday stems from the Roman god, Saturn.)
In biblical terms, the Sabbath is a day of rest, without work. Even if you aren’t religious, Saturdays are usually the first day off work for many people.
Sunday - domingo
“Sunday” in Spanish is domingo, and it comes from the Latin root Domenica. It means “the Lord’s Day,” so both weekend days tie to biblical roots.
How to Say “Today” in Spanish
Of course, there are other date-related Spanish words you should know. To talk about “today” in Spanish, you say hoy. You can use it to ask about the day or date, such as:
What day is today? - ¿Qué día es hoy?
What’s today’s date? - ¿Cuál es la fecha de hoy?
Today is Sunday. - Hoy es domingo.
Today is January 1st. - Hoy es primero de enero.
How to Say “Tomorrow” in Spanish
“Tomorrow” in Spanish is mañana. It can be a bit confusing because mañana also means “morning” in Spanish. You have to learn the difference through context, so keep that in mind.
If you want to talk about “the day after tomorrow,” it’s pasado mañana. It translates as “the day past tomorrow.” But anything past two days from now, and you would use en ___ días. For instance, “in five days” would be en cinco días.
How to Say “Yesterday” in Spanish
“Yesterday” is ayer in Spanish. And “the day before yesterday” is anteayer, literally “before yesterday”. To talk about the days previous, you use hace ___ dias. So, again, if it was “five days ago,” it’s hace cinco dias.
When you’re talking about the past, though, you have to use fue. For example, Ayer fue mi cumpleaños, which means “Yesterday was my birthday.” So for hoy you use es (“is”) and use fue (“was”) with ayer.
“Week” in Spanish and Other Related Phrases
Of course, if we’re going to be talking about days and dates, there are quite a few helpful words and phrases to know. For instance, “week” in Spanish is la semana, and “day of the week” is día de la semana.
Day - El día
Date - La fecha
Month - El mes
Year - El año
Weekend - El fin de semana
Now - Ahora
Next - La próxima
Last - Pasado
Soon - Pronto
Early - Temprano
Late - Tarde
Earlier - Más temprano
Later - Más tarde
Some days - Algunos días
Everyday - Todos los días
Every Saturday - Cada sábado
On Saturday - El sábado
On Saturday morning - El sábado por la mañana
Tomorrow afternoon - Mañana por la tarde
Tomorrow evening - Mañana por la tarde
Tomorrow night - Mañana por la noche
Spanish Grammar using the Days of the Week
Let’s talk a bit about the grammar that goes with the days of the week in Spanish.
The first thing you should know is the gender of the days of the week. All the days of the week are masculine, so you’ll pair them with the masculine un, el, and los. This makes it easy: You don’t have to try to remember what gender they are!
When talking about a day in plural form, when you would use los, only Saturday and Sunday change. That’s because Monday - Friday already end in -s. So when talking about several Mondays, it’s made plural just by using los lunes instead of el lunes. Since Saturday and Sunday don’t end in -s, you add -s to make them plural. They become los sábados and los domingos.
If you want to say “every Monday” you could use todos los lunes or cada lunes. They’re almost the same, but cada means “each” and todos means “every”. It’s more common to say todos los días, but cada lunes is fine, too. It has a bit of a nuanced meaning that “each Monday” you do something, or something happens, that’s habit or routine. And with cada, you drop the article los.
Another thing to notice is that “on Saturday” or “on” whatever day of the week, you don’t use en for “on”. It isn’t en sábado, but * el sábado. And if you want to say “from Monday to Friday” you use *de lunes a viernes. “De _ a __” is the pattern for “from _ to __”.
You may have noticed this point by now: In Spanish, the days aren’t capitalised. They’re always written in lower case unless they’re written at the beginning of a sentence. In that case, it follows the standard grammar rule of capitalising the first word.
Abbreviations for Days of the Week in Spanish
In Spanish, the days of the week are abbreviated to L, M, X, J, V, S, D. Miércoles, depending on the country and preference, is abbreviated to either “M” or “X”, and the “X” is used to avoid confusion with martes. Sometimes Wednesday is even “Mx”.
You’ll also see Lu, Ma, Mi. Ju, Vi, Sá, Do, or sometimes, the three-letter abbreviations Lun, Mar, Mié, Jue, Vie, Sáb, Dom.
Tips for Remembering all the Days in Spanish
As I mentioned above, most of the days of the week in Spanish relate to Roman mythology. Or, if that doesn’t help, remember that the planets were named after Roman gods, so they’re also based on our solar system. Lunes for our lunar moon, martes for Mars, miércoles for Mercury, jueves for Jupiter, viernes for Venus. The weekend is the Sabbath (sábado) and the Lord’s Day -- his dominion (domingo).
I highly recommend trying my language hack of changing your phone and laptop to Spanish so you’re exposed to the day and date every single day. The more you see it, the easier it’s going to be to remember it. If you aim for Spanish immersion on your phone, try downloading a Spanish calendar app. Start writing down the day on the top of your notes at work or school, too.
You could also use mnemonics to help you remember them, or come up with an acronym using the abbreviations for the days of the week.
Over to You!
What language hacks do you use to help memorise days and dates in Spanish? Do you have a clever acronym or mnemonic to share? Leave me a comment and let me hear them below.
The post Days of the Week in Spanish — an Easy Way to Learn All the Days in Spanish appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.
October 20, 2019
I Overcame My Stutter — Here’s What I Can Teach You About Language Learning
However, it’s quite hard for people to justify their assertions that I must have “the natural, God-given language gene” when I tell them that I’m actually a stutterer. Most people don’t believe me at first because I’ve learnt to control it. Nevertheless, when I’m angry or tired (or just really need a pizza...) it can come back, but it rears its ugly head the most when I speak a foreign language.
This All Looks a Bit Familiar…
Having a stutter mirrors the language learning struggle in many ways. Firstly, it made me incredibly self-conscious and I developed a phobia of speaking. I’d avoid verbal communication as much as possible and try and get other people to speak on my behalf. I was most afraid of looking like an idiot, wrongly equating what I was able to verbalize with my own level of intelligence.
Sound familiar? If you’ve ever tried to speak in a foreign language you’ve probably experienced this frustration (if you haven’t, kudos!).
Secondly, this fear of speaking led me to wrongly believe that I was “shy” which couldn’t be farther from the truth. I’m an incredibly sociable and outgoing person but my fear of speaking had warped my own perception of myself. It’s the same with many language learners who dupe themselves into believing that they’re just “shy” and that’s why they have trouble speaking.
Here’s a newsflash: just because you feel uncomfortable in certain situations doesn’t mean you are shy. I flag this because this false belief is such a limiting thought and holds you back indefinitely. If you keep telling yourself that you’re shy when you’re actually not, eventually you start believing it and you’ll cling on to that belief as a means of justifying your lack of effort to speak a new language. Combine this false belief with the “I just don’t have the language gene” excuse and you’re doomed.
Books Won’t Help
I retreated into the written word to compensate for my lack of spoken eloquence. Apart from just finding comfort in those words, I thought that if somehow I knew more words, if I spent more time reading and writing it would somehow improve my ability to speak. Most language learners do the same. They think; if only I knew the grammar inside out I’d be able to speak better! If only I knew more words I’d be more fluent!
So they go to their rooms, alone, and sit down with their books endlessly memorizing verb tables and doing their fill-in-the-blanks exercises in the hope that someday that’ll pay off and help them speak. This is the equivalent of trying to run a marathon by reading books about the mechanics of running instead of actually...running. I’m not saying books and study don’t have their place in language learning, but the main thing that’ll help you speak is, well, speaking.
Reading may have given me endless joy and a pretty good vocabulary, but I still had a stutter and it got worse the less I spoke. The tongue and mouth are like any other muscle, if they don’t practice the sounds and words of a new language regularly they get rusty.
Time for a Change
After one afternoon at the hairdresser’s when I couldn’t even tell the receptionist my own name because I was stuttering so much I decided to go to speech therapy. I finally realized that I couldn’t get over this stutter on my own, books weren’t going to help and I was fed up with living my life in fear of opening my mouth.
I was so nerve-wracked before the first session that I barely slept the day before. Looking back I can see how misplaced my anxiety was: this person was a trained professional whose job it was to help people overcome speech disorders. What was I expecting? For her to laugh at me? For her to secretly record the session and show it to all her friends? I couldn’t have been in safer hands.
This is one of the reasons I also prefer using teachers over language partners when I’m not yet at a conversational level in a language. It helps ease a lot of the anxiety knowing that the person you’re going to speak to is a professional. They know how best to structure lessons to help you speak and express yourself without becoming frustrated or overwhelmed. So, with my needless anxiety still wreaking havoc on my nervous system, I started my journey into speech therapy. This would not only serve to help obliterate my stutter, but also stand by me in my language learning later in life.
The thing I remember most clearly about our sessions was a tiny little clicker that my speech therapist held in her hand. She explained that everytime I stuttered she would click and at the end we’d count up how many clicks I had.
That clicker terrified me.
It was the quantifiable sum of all my speech-related errors. Every time I’d stutter and hear that metallic click! I’d get more nervous, stutter again, click! Start over, stutter again click! Until I wanted to cry.
Click! Click! Click!
It’s a miracle that I went back for the next session. I was hearing that clicker all the way there. Once we had done some breathing exercises and settled in a bit she said she wanted me to try stuttering on purpose.
On purpose!
The Epiphany -- Making Mistakes on Purpose
Being the polite fourteen-year-old that I was I decided to indulge this crazy speech therapy lady in her mad schemes. During our conversation I stuttered on purpose two or three times and something simple, but amazing happened. Making mistakes on purpose gave me a sense of control that I’d totally lost in my speech. My speech was always something I had to fight with, something that plagued my daily life and something as simple as stuttering on purpose made me realize that this little blip in my speaking wasn’t actually that big of a deal.
So, to those who are reading this I urge you to do the same: next time you’re speaking with someone in your target language make a mistake on purpose. Say something wrong, then simply laugh and correct yourself.
You’ll see how the sky doesn’t cave in, the natives don’t burst out laughing and start making fun of you and you’ll also see what little impact making the mistake has on the fluidity of your conversation. And when you make the mistake try laughing at yourself. That was another of the techniques I learnt at speech therapy (I wonder if my therapist was a bit of a maverick...)
Don’t fall into profusely apologizing and overreacting to your mistake because you will make the other person feel uncomfortable and you will end up making it worse for yourself. Addressing the elephant in the room is a fantastic way to relieve tension when you’re speaking with a native. I used to try and fight my way through my stutter and I’d watch as the other person would be painfully unsure of how to help me.
Do you know what I do now when I stutter? I simply make a noise that can only be transcribed as; “blueeeeggh” I laugh, I say “Sorry, let me try that again” and I start over. I do the same when I get tongue-tied in another language and it instantly makes me feel less nervous (and puts the other person at ease too because they aren’t thinking “oh, poor thing!”) And if I’m less nervous and they are more at ease we end up having a much more fluid conversation.
Stutter? What Stutter?
As time went on I learned how to ignore those little clicks! One day at the end of a session I said,
“I’m really tuning out those clicks now, I didn’t notice any today,” and my therapist said,
“That’s because you haven’t stuttered once.”
I almost fell off my chair. By embracing my mistakes and accepting that they were just part and parcel of my daily life I ended up reducing my stutter dramatically. With time I went back to being the outgoing, confident chatterbox that I used to be and I went on to learn two more languages.
Don’t get me wrong, it isn’t always easy. My stutter comes out more with foreign languages and I sometimes feel the same way as I did when I was a nervous, stuttering teenager. So, why do I do it? Am I some type of masochist who enjoys reliving past traumas?
I do it because communication is a gift, not a curse. My interest for languages coincided with the taming of my stammer because I realized what a just how precious language really is. Many won’t appreciate it until it’s been taken away from them or hindered in some way. Think of those people with severe speech impediments, think of those who suffer strokes. Speech is the thing that makes us human, it has enabled us to survive to become what we are today. Learning new languages gives us even more opportunities to connect with people. No other animal has this but us. Don’t waste it, embrace it.
The post I Overcame My Stutter — Here’s What I Can Teach You About Language Learning appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.
October 15, 2019
How I Learned French on the Toilet in 6 Months
That is a good start for this story because I know it might sound unbelievable for one or two folks out there, but I guarantee you that at the time, I was as shameless as the next paragraphs are going to demonstrate.
I am a better person now, I swear. :)
Who is this Shameless Person Who Learns French on the Toilet?
My name is Fabrício Carraro, I am Brazilian, and nowadays I speak something between nine and fourteen languages, depending on the day and on what you consider it means to be able to “speak” a language.
I currently work for Alura Lingua, a language learning platform from Brazil, where I had the challenge of developing what I think is the best English course for Brazilians possible, based on my experience as a language learner, and that included its concept, method, and the lessons, videos, and exercises.
Over the years I gathered a lot of experience in learning foreign languages by myself, and this case was one of my first successes.
Back to the “Learning French on the Toilet” Story
This was not my first attempt to learn French. I had tried to start learning this language a couple of times before, around 2008, when I was still a Computer Engineering undergraduate student at a renowned Brazilian university. However, back then, I lacked two of the most important things when it comes to self-study: a real motivation and, mainly, discipline.
I tried to sign up for regular classes at the Institute of Linguistics, but it was nearly impossible for an Engineering student to get a position at a beginner level French course, since most of them were reserved for students of (...guess...) Linguistics, Literature, Philology, and others.
I Ended Up Split Between Two Worlds of Languages
Fast forward five years... I was then a Junior Software Developer, working at one of the top internet companies in Brazil, our version of PayPal. And I was bored.
Not that I did not like programming, I did. But maybe not as much as many of my colleagues. While they would get excited about the new versions of Java or PHP, I would spend my evenings researching how to learn foreign languages more effectively, the best methods to teach yourself a new language, and all of those things that you fellow language learners also love to do.
In my research I found out that Assimil was one of the favorite self-study methods among polyglots. I had already used it to learn Dutch a couple of years before, and I really liked it. I also discovered Anki , a flashcard app, also highly praised in this sphere, that I had never really properly used.
Here’s What Changed the Language Learning Game for Me
I know it might sound very nerdy (oh, well… we’re among language learners here), but apart from being a beautiful, exciting, important language, what really made me decide to take on French again was polyglottery. Since Assimil is a French company, most of its books were French-based. Yes, I learned French to be able to use it to learn other languages in the future.
Ok, ok. That was only one of the reasons. Back then I also used to attend the Sao Paulo Language Exchange meeting pretty much every week, and there were always some nice French people. It was the perfect opportunity. But when would I have time to do it, being married and having a stressful full-time job?
My Game Plan: How I Found 20 Minutes a Day to Learn French
I needed time. Some free time, even if it wasn’t much. I decided to try the “slow-but-steady” approach, doing a little bit every day - 15 or 20 minutes would suffice. And here’s where the toilet comes into the story. The company where I worked had a good set of three toilets on every floor, the one on the right side being particularly comfy.
I would come back from lunch, work for about an hour (while the other guys were occupying all the “places”), and when the time was right I would stand up, take my old Motorola with me and run over to the toilet. Most often, my favorite spot was free and I could spend some relaxing for 20 minutes while learning the language of Dumas and Alizée.
I had a PDF version of the Assimil book and the audio recordings both on my smartphone, and I would do one new lesson per day. My approach was:
Listen to the audio recordings a couple of times first, without looking at the book
Then listen to the audio again while reading the text (more or less out loud) simultaneously
Read the translation to make sure I understood the whole text
Listen to the audio again, without looking at the book, and making sure I understood every word
Read the grammar notes
The next day, I would start by listening again to the audio of the previous one or two lessons, just to keep it fresh in my mind, and then do the same process shown above for that day’s lesson.
As I mentioned, this whole process would take me about 20 minutes, and probably made my boss suspicious that I had bowel problems. Well… worth it.
After that, I would add the new words to my French deck on Anki, always with a sentence, because learning words in context works much better than just learning them alone. This task could be done while still at work if it was a slow day, but mostly at home in the evening, and it would take me an additional 15 minutes a day.
The Results of My “French on the Toilet” Experiment
Surprisingly, for me at the time, this approach worked much better than others I had tried before. At the same time, it was something too short to get boring, so it was easy to stay consistent. And it would also give me a break from a stressful workday. The best of both worlds.
The Assimil books usually have about 100 lessons. Divided by 5 weekdays, this equals 20 weeks, around four and a half months to complete. That was how long it took me to finish the “main track” of the book. What is the “main track”? Well, after the 50th lesson the book tells you to go back to lesson 1 and review. So, in the same day you would do the new lesson 51 and review lesson 1. The next day, the new lesson 52 and review lesson 2, and so on. I considered the “main track” to be the new lessons, that is, up to when I finished lesson 100 and the review lesson 50. That’s what took me 4.6 months. After that I kept doing the review lessons, but my focus shifted elsewhere.
Remember when I mentioned the Language Exchange meetings in Sao Paulo? I met a lot of lovely French people there, some of whom are still good friends of mine. After about 1 month of study, I started adding some phrases in French here and there to my conversations with them. And after the second or third month, I felt comfortable enough to have full (short) conversations in French. That helped me practice what I learned and gave me a huge motivation boost!
I consider that after about six months of study, by the time I finished the review lessons of the Assimil book, my level was at a solid B1 (lower intermediate), which was more than enough to have longer conversations with native speakers. That was put to the test some time later, when I spent two weeks in Belgium and France, CouchSurfing in the first and staying at a friend’s in the latter, and not using English at all. My CouchSurfing host took me out to meet his friends in Brussels and we spent the whole evening speaking nothing but French. The same happened in Paris during a night out with friends of my friend, who also only spoke French the whole time.
It felt really great to be able to travel, meet new people and do pretty much anything I needed in this new language -- one I already loved.
All thanks to a little time on the toilet, in the right corner of a regular company’s office in Brazil!
What’s your most creative way to learn a language? Let me know in the comments!
The post How I Learned French on the Toilet in 6 Months appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.
October 13, 2019
10 Incredible Japanese Movies You Need to Watch RIGHT Now
Japan has released some legendary, heartfelt, strange, fantastical, and horrifying films over the decades. Many of which were so critically acclaimed, they received their own Hollywood remakes (which were, let's face it, not as amazing). From world-renowned director Hayao Miyazaki to horror legend Hideo Nakata, Japanese movies are seriously addictive.
They’re also a great learning tool!
If you’re actively listening and using the right methods, you can easily use movies and TV as a language learning tool. In fact, movies should be a part of your study routine for success! You’ll learn about the culture, hear the language spoken in a natural way, pick up body language, and more. And besides, it’s a great break from staring at your textbook all day.
Of course, this should only be one part of your studies. You still need to learn how to speak Japanese by studying the essential phrases and core words. And, it’s smart to look up some things about your movie before you get started. This includes character names, locations, basic plot details, and some relevant vocabulary. That will give you a head start in understanding what you hear when you watch the movie.
So, here are the very best Japanese films to watch and learn Japanese from movies.
DeparturesJapanese: おくりびと
Released: 2008
Director: Youjirou Takita
Genre: Drama
IMDb Rating: 8.1/10
I have to start with my all-time favorite Japanese movie: Departures. This movie is so beautiful, I can’t recommend it enough. It follows the story of Daigo, a cellist who loses his job playing with the orchestra and struggles to find what to do next with his life. He finds a job “assisting departures,” and mistakes it to mean flights and travel. Instead, he discovers he’ll be handling the rituals and cremation ceremonies as a mortician.
While that sounds dark, the movie is anything but. Departures focuses on the beauty of the rituals, the impact it has on the families left behind, and Daigo’s struggle with social ostracism. Even though proper attendance to the dead is important, the actual job is considered “dirty,” shameful, and largely looked down upon in society. This movie hits all the right notes, and the ending will tug at your heartstrings.
You’ll learn a lot of nuanced Japanese culture and body language. You’ll also be exposed to a wide range of formalities -- from casual speech between long-time friends to honorific and humble speech appropriate for the heavy situations.
Your NameJapanese: 君の名は
Released: 2016
Director: Makoto Shinkai
Genre: Animation, Drama
IMDb Rating: 8.4/10
Critically acclaimed, Your Name follows high schoolers Mitsuha and Taki, who switch bodies back and forth when they wake up. One day, Mitsuha is Mitsuha. The next, she’s Taki and Taki is Mitsuha. As a result, they begin leaving notes for each other, texting and impacting each other’s lives and social circles.
Enter fantasy, a comet, and a wistful, heartwarming love story. The beautiful animation alone makes this one worth a watch. Director Makoto Shinkai has been labeled “the new Miyazaki” for this film.
Because it’s a “youth drama,” the language will be easier to understand for those newer to the language.
Spirited AwayJapanese: 千と千尋の神隠し
Released: 2001
Director: Hayao Miyazaki, Kirk Wise
Genre: Animation, Adventure
IMDb Rating: 8.6/10
If you haven’t seen this one by now, well… What have you been watching? Hayao Miyazaki’s most acclaimed movie, Spirited Away, follows young Chihiro as she adventures through the spirit world. After her parents are turned into pigs, she is stuck working for a witch in a bathhouse. Miyazaki’s typical fantastical elements and youkai (“spirits” or “demons”) play a big role in this film. With the help of a good spirit named Haku, Chihiro must attempt to save her parents and break free from the spirits to return to the human world.
Although this story takes place in a fantasy setting, there’s still a lot about Japanese culture to pick up here, especially regarding youkai and kami (“god”, “gods” or “god-like things”). The language isn’t too hard to follow, especially if you’ve seen the film before and have context.
Battle RoyaleJapanese: バトル・ロワイアル
Released: 2000
Director: Kinji Fukasaku
Genre: Action
IMDb Rating: 7.7/10
Do you love The Hunger Games? Well here’s the original, real, gory deal. (Although supposedly Suzanne Collins had never heard of Battle Royale before, they’re incredibly similar.)
Following a recession, the Japanese government has designed to hold an annual Battle Royale. The Battle Royale is comprised of misfits and badly behaved youth, as a way to control them. A class of these unruly kids are gassed and kidnapped, brought to a remote island, and told they must fight to the death until there’s one person standing. Obviously, things get crazy and gory fast.
What kind of Japanese will you hear? The typical teen topics… You know, plenty about school, friends, family, foes, death, and blood. All wholesome.
Song to the SunJapanese: タイヨウのうた
Released: 2006
Director: Norihiro Koizumi
Genre: Drama
IMDb Rating: 7.4/10
Starring Japanese acoustic pop singer YUI as Kaoru, a young singer with Xeroderma Pigmentosum (XP). She can’t be exposed to direct sunlight, or ultraviolet radiation could poison her. So every night she goes out to perform on the street. She meets a surfer, Kouji, and tries to hide her worsening condition from him.
A bittersweet, soft romance movie that spawned a drama, manga, and a recent American remake all with the same plot (although the American version is called Midnight Sun). The movie doesn’t have a lot of dialogue and is slow-paced, so it’s very easy to follow along and understand the Japanese. You’ll also hear some surfer slang like “Ossu!” quite often.
The RingJapanese: リング
Released: 1998
Director: Hideo Nakata
Genre: Horror
IMDb Rating: 7.3/10
You’ve probably seen the American version, but if you haven’t watched the original Japanese one, you’re missing out. It’s a cult classic! This is the movie that started the Japanese horror trend and Hollywood remakes, paving the way for similarly eery movies like The Grudge. The Ring follows Reiko and her ex-husband Ryuuji, who watch a cursed tape and have 7 days to break the curse before they will die.
Even though it’s a horror film, it actually showcases the work-life balance of single mothers, gender issues, and patriarchy in Japanese society.
Sweet BeanJapanese: あん
Released: 2015
Director: Naomi Kawase
Genre: Drama
IMDb Rating: 7.4/10
A simple story for any bighearted foodie. This indie flick follows Sentaro, a man running a small dorayaki shop -- a popular Japanese snack like a pancake sandwich with an, or sweet bean paste, in the middle. Sentaro makes good pancakes, but not-so-good an... So he hires Tokue, an elderly woman with a passion for bean paste.
The movie focuses heavily on the process of making the food, which is hunger-inducing. The language isn’t overly complicated, and its emotional wrap-up showcases some of Japan’s history and prejudices, as well as reconciliation.
13 AssassinsJapanese: 十三人の刺客
Released: 2010
Director: Takashi Miike
Genre: Action
IMDb Rating: 7.6/10
Loosely based on real history during the Tokugawa Shogunate, 13 samurai join together to stop an evil daimyou (a “lord” in feudal Japan). If you loved *Game of Thrones *for it’s long, record-breaking fight scenes while still maintaining a sense of story… You’ll love this one. The end fight scene is 45 minutes long!
The language will be more complicated than the other movies on this list, due to taking place in Edo-era Japan. You’ll hear harsher samurai speech and old-fashioned words -- think like the difference between modern English and watching a British movie set in the 1800s. But, it’s an incredible movie to dip your toes into the water of real Japanese history when the shogun ruled Japan.
Dark WaterJapanese: 仄暗い水の底から
Released: 2002
Director: Hideo Nakata
Genre: Horror
IMDb Rating: 6.7/10
Another Japanese horror film that was remade in the US… But the Japanese version is much better. A divorced woman, Yoshimi moves into a run-down apartment following her separation with her daughter, Ikuko. Her apartment has a leak coming from the apartment upstairs, despite it being seemingly abandoned. The longer she lives in the home, the more strange things occur, and she learns about a young girl who died in the building.
Like The Ring, this movie focuses a lot on the struggles of single motherhood in Japan. But it also has a lot of moments focusing on family relationships, and you’ll learn how parents and children talk to each other.
ShopliftersJapanese: 万引き家族
Released: 2018
Director: Hirokazu Koreeda
Genre: Drama
IMDb Rating: 8.0/10
Since its release, this movie’s received tons of acclaim and awards. Shoplifters follows a non-biological family who shoplift in order to get by as they live in poverty.
This movie is really interesting because it pushes past typical Japanese social stereotypes. In Japan, nothing is more important than the family name, blood, and “face” -- one’s image is also one’s family’s. Although this movie focuses on the importance of family, it shows that family is not always blood or the best people for us. In fact, the movie highlights child abuse (a major issue in Japan right now), and even shows what poverty is like in a country where it's overlooked and swept under the rug. It’s a very alternative view of typical Japan.
Boost Your Language Skills with Amazing Japanese Movies
These critically-acclaimed, legendary movies are a great place to start your Japanese movie-watching habit. Not only will you enjoy the story, but you’ll also learn a lot about Japanese culture, history, myths, and language! Just remember to put in the real study time by actively listening, taking notes of new vocab, and rewatching scenes to pick out more phrases.
If you want to prep your language skills and get more listening practice, make sure to check out JapanesePod101. It’s the best Japanese language podcast to pick up everything from beginner survival phrases to advanced dialogue and slang.
What other Japanese movies do you love? Share your top picks in the comments!
The post 10 Incredible Japanese Movies You Need to Watch RIGHT Now appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.
October 10, 2019
Happy in Spanish: How to Express Your Emotions in Spanish
Many beginner language learners get stuck using the same words over and over to describe how they feel. Resorting to only using basic Spanish phrases to answer questions. Or, you may know some of the basics -- like “happy” in Spanish. But what you really wanted to say was “ecstatic”, “joyful”, or “delighted”.
It can get a bit boring to express yourself with the same phrases all the time. Learning synonyms and antonyms can help grow your vocabulary fast and expand your speech. It’s always amazing when you can have a deeper conversation because you actually know the right words you want to say!
So, here’s a list of emotional words, feelings, and moods to get you started. Don’t be overwhelmed by the lists -- many of these words are cognates! That means they’re very similar to English and you’ll easily recognize them. Be on the lookout for those words, as they’ll be the ones you can memorise fastest.
How to Express Your Emotions in Spanish
Spanish is known for being expressive, warm, open, and passionate. So there’s no shortage of ways to express your feelings, or sentimientos. I’ve divided these words by the mood (humor) or emotion (emociones), so you can work on memorising them in groups of synonyms or related feelings.
For all these words, be mindful of the word gender in Spanish. You’ll match the ending to your own gender, or the person you’re talking about. As a rule, words ending in -o are masculine, and words ending in -a are feminine.
Want to learn Spanish fast? Then check out our favourite Spanish course, SpanishPod101. It includes fun, easy to follow lessons on describing your feelings in Spanish.
“Happy” in Spanish and Other Positive Feelings
“Happy” in Spanish is feliz, although it’s used less than you would expect. Usually, to describe happiness, you’ll hear contento / contenta (“content”). Or, you could say “delighted” in Spanish with encantado / encantada. And to feel “excited” in Spanish, it’s emocionado / emocionada.
If you’re happy about some news you heard, you would use the verb alegrarse. It’s a reflexive Spanish verb meaning “rejoice”. So, in the first person, you use the reflexive pronoun to say Me alegro, “I’m glad”.
Here’s some more cheery feelings in Spanish:
Ecstatic - Extático / Extática
Joyful - Alegre
Optimistic - Optimisto / Optimista
Relaxed - Relajado / Relajada
Calm - Tranquilo / Tranquila
Good - Bien
Great, Wonderful - Maravilloso / Maravillosa
Fantastic - Fabuloso / Fabulosa
“Angry” in Spanish and Intense Negative Feelings
Feeling mad? Sometimes you just need to let off steam, vent and have your emotions heard. So you need to know the right words!
“Angry” in Spanish is enfadado / enfadada in Spain, or enojado / enojada in Latin America.
Maybe you’re beyond mad, and feeling furioso / furiosa (“furious”).
If someone’s left you feeling repulsed, “disgust” in Spanish is el asco or la repugnancia. As an adjective, “disgusted” in Spanish is disgustado, asqueado, or repugnado. Which one should you use? Disgustado is the most straightforward translation, also meaning “disgruntled” or “displeased”. Asqueado is more like “It sickens me.” And repugnado should seem familiar -- it’s closest to “repugnant” in English.
Lastly, if you’re feeling the green-eyed monster creeping up in your feelings, then you can say “jealous” in Spanish with celoso / celosa.
Here’s a few more negative sentiments:
Crazy - Loco / Loca
Annoyed - Irritado / Irritada
Aggravated - Agravado / Agravada
Infuriating - Exasperante
“Sad” in Spanish and Other Gloomy Feelings
Everyone feels sad sometimes. If you’re feeling down, you can say “sad” in Spanish with triste. This one is gender-neutral, so that simplifies how to use it.
If you’re travelling abroad, sometimes you can feel intense bouts of homesickness and sadness. If you’re feeling more intense sad emotions, you can say “depressed” in Spanish with deprimido / deprimida. “Anxious” in Spanish is ansioso / ansiosa.
Other ways to express feeling blue:
Unhappy - Infeliz
Gloomy - Melancólico / Melancólica
Downcast - Alicaído / Alicaída
Bad - Mal
Lonely - Solitario / Solitaria
Embarrassed - Avergonzado / Avergonzada
“Afraid” in Spanish and Words To Discuss Your Nerves
Did you go see a scary movie, and it left you feeling skittish? “Afraid” in Spanish is miedo, and in Spanish you “have fear” -- so it’s tengo miedo instead of estoy miedo. If someone shocked you, you can say you’re “surprised” in Spanish with sorprendido / sorprendida.
If someone startled you, though, you may shout ¡Hostia! or ¡Ay Dios mío! The first is a reference to the holy communion host in the Catholic church and a very common slang exclamation. ¡Ay Dios mío! is, of course, “Oh my God!”
A few more to know:
Frightened - Asustado / Asustada
Nervous - Nervioso / Nerviosa
Worried - Preocupado / Preocupada
Confused - Confundido / Confundida
These words often remind me of Harry Potter spells (which came from Spanish or other languages). Especially confundido, which is like the confundus charm often used in the series. (That one, by the way, is Portuguese. But it can still help you remember it in Spanish if you like Harry Potter!)
“Bored”, “Tired” and Other Lukewarm Feelings in Spanish
“Bored” in Spanish is aburrido / aburrida. When talking about how you feel, you use estoy aburrido. But when talking about things that are boring, you use the permanent “to be” verb ser.
If you’re feeling tired, that’s cansado / cansada in Spanish. And if you’re under the weather, use enfermo / enferma.
Other lukewarm emotions:
No matter, not important - No importa
Okay - Regular
Unwell - Indispuesto / Indispuesta
Lousy - Malísimo / Malísima
Groggy - Mareado / Mareada
Weird - Extraño / Extraña
“Love” in Spanish and Passionate Emotions
There are many ways to be romantic in Spanish! “Love” is amor, but “in love” in Spanish is enamorado / enamorada. So to tell someone you’re currently head-over-heels in love, use “Estoy enamorado.”
Here are some Spanish passion words to learn:
Emotional - Emocional
Passionate - Apasionado / Apasionada
Energetic - Enérgico / Enérgica
Funny - Gracioso / Graciosa or Chistoso / Chistosa
Fiery - Ardiente
Sassy - Descarada / Descarado
Note that “funny” can be both chistoso / chistosa and gracioso / graciosa. Gracioso is “funny” in Spain, while chistoso is “funny” in Latin America.
“Busy” and “Free” in Spanish
We all get really busy sometimes. If you’re bogged down with things to do, say “Estoy ocupado ahora” (“I’m busy now”).
“Busy” in Spanish is ocupado / ocupada, and the opposite is libre or “free (not busy)”. You could also use inundado / inundada to say you’re “swamped” or flooded with work right now.
Verbs for Talking about Emotions in Spanish
In Spanish, you either “are”, “have”, or “feel” an emotion. Here’s how to know what verb to pair with your feelings in Spanish.
“I am…” in Spanish - Estar
You use the verb estar to talk about your feelings right now. So, for example, talking about your own current feelings of happiness in Spanish would be “Estoy feliz”.
Most adjectives use estar to say “I am __.”
“Feel” in Spanish - Sentirse
These two verbs make up how you most often describe your emotions: you either “feel” them, or you “are” them. For instance, Me siento feliz (“I feel happy”) vs. Estoy feliz (“I am happy”). They both mean essentially the same thing, but one expresses the emotion you feel and the other describes your current state of being. You choose which verb you want to use the same way you would in English.
So to ask, “How do you feel?” in Spanish, it’s ¿Cómo te sientes? To reply, you say “Me siento…”
“To have” in Spanish - Tener
This one gets a bit tricky for beginners, but you get used to it with time. Some feelings are “had” instead of “felt” in Spanish. Where you would say “I’m hungry” in English, instead, you say Tengo hambre in Spanish. When you pair this verb with a noun, it translates as “I have _”. So, tengo hambre means “I have hunger”.
Some common feelings that pair with this verb are sed (“thirsty”), sueño (“sleepy”), frío (“cold”), and calor (“hot”).
Add Emphasis to Your Emotions
If you want to add more or less emotion to your sentiment, then you can use these phrases below:
A little - Un poco
A little bit / A tiny bit - Un poquito
Very - Muy
Just add them before the adjective, like “Estoy muy ocupado” (“I’m very busy”).
With nouns, you would add de for “a little” or “a little bit”, and use mucha for “very / a lot”. Using the examples from above, it would be un poco de calor (“a little hot”), un poquito de hambre (“a little bit hungry”), and mucha sed (“very thirsty”).
Express Yourself in Spanish!
Ready to go out and tell the world how you feel? Learning these Spanish words and phrases can help you become comfortable talking in depth about how you really feel.
Gone are the days of skimming the surface with the handful of words you know. Now, you can share your emotions in Spanish to deepen your relationships and make new friends. After all, communication in language learning is about expressing yourself, right?
Did I miss any words or phrases you often use to express yourself in Spanish? Share it with me in the comments and let me know what common words you use. Or, if you have tips for memorising Spanish words faster, share them as well!
The post Happy in Spanish: How to Express Your Emotions in Spanish appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.
October 6, 2019
Spanish in 3 Months: Elizabeth’s Day 30 Update (with Video!)
Well, hello again. It’s me. Your friendly language learner. In my last article, I shared about the planning of my three month mission to learn Spanish, what tools I’m using... and my ambitious goal of having a 15-minute conversation completely in Spanish in 90 days or less.
In this update, I’m going to share about my first 30 days of learning Spanish. How I went about choosing a teacher, how my Spanish is coming along, and the many hostage situations that have occurred.
I’m participating in the Fluent in 3 Months Challenge . This is a three-month online course that promises students they’ll have a 15-minute conversation in their target language after just 90 days.
My Day 30 Video -- Here’s Me Speaking Spanish After 30 Days
I made it a few minutes after having a group practice session with my Dream Team. They are other students in the Fluent in 3 Months Challenge that meet weekly to practice speaking in Spanish.
Now, here’s what I’m doing to learn Spanish in 90 days:
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJ6bYncP4p0
I’m Taking Hostages on a Regular Basis
Yes, you read that correctly. My name is Elizabeth. And I’m addicted to taking hostages in the name of language learning. First, it was an unsuspecting neighbor on Day 15.
I pounced on Albert with my two-week-old Spanish as he was watering his lawn. To be fair, I’ve been telling him in English about my plans to learn Spanish for over a year now. I have a feeling he didn’t think it would ever actually happen.
Our first conversation was, um… interesting.
I'm at the utter confusion stage. My first three sentences sound like I've been studying longer than two weeks. Because I’m fluent in nodding, he thought I understood him. He launched into a paragraph of full speed Spanish.
I understood two words of his response. I heard the words “Latin America.”
So, I replied that I prefer Latin American Spanish because it's pretty. He understood me but cocked his head to one side.
Who knows if my comment had anything to do with his 60 mile an hour monologue? He could have been discussing the economic crisis of a particular Latin American country. To which I responded, “Latin Amercian Spanish is pretty.”
The beginner stage is equal parts pain and elation. Most of the time, my brain hurts and my tongue feels like it is doing 100 cartwheels. But a two sentence exchange that works sends me to the stars.
Another Five-Minute Hostage Situation
I can't help myself. My first successful target language was French. Coming from speaking French to starting Spanish is pretty fun. According to a recent survey, only one percent of the population speaks French where I live.
In comparison, there are a ton of Spanish speakers in my area. I’m spoiled with ways to make a fool of myself speaking my new target language.
The retirees in my neighborhood are easy prey when they garden. Luis was utterly confused about why I decided to shuffle up to him in my bedroom slippers and speak Spanish. We've always done just fine in English.
I need to start bringing baked goods to offer as payment for impromptu lessons. Or maybe that would be even more strange.
“Hi, here’s a cookie. Now give me an hour or so of your time while I form a sentence.”
It's like a nature documentary over here. I prey on those too feeble to outrun me. They're sure to wise up sooner or later and start gardening at midnight.
Finding a Spanish Tutor Was Essential
Alas, chasing down unsuspecting senior citizens will not result in fluency. I need to practice regularly. And one of my favorite ways to learn Spanish is speaking with a tutor.
Taking one-on-one lessons in the comfort of my living room sounds costly. And having a tutor come to my house every day could be pricey. But it’s not.
I use italki to schedule online lessons with personal tutors. My lessons occur over Skype which is a free application for video calls. You can download Skype on your phone or your computer. The best part? I can wear pajama bottoms to my lessons!
Here’s What I Look for in a Tutor
Having one on one lessons via my laptop is my one of my top tools for learning Spanish. I’m very selective about my teachers. In this quick video, I share about what I look for in a tutor as well as what progress I’ve noticed in the past 30 days.
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfyR0xQffV0
Here’s my criteria for tutor selection.
Patient. If you’re twitchy when someone takes...a...long...time...to...talk, you are not the right teacher for me. Having a patient teacher is at the top of my list.
Kind. This isn’t difficult to find. But grumpy people do exist. I had a teacher raise her voice when I got something wrong for the fifth time. That was the last lesson I took with her.
Engaging. During a Fi3M Challenge Q&A session, Benny Lewis, the founder of Fluent in 3 Months shared that the teacher’s job is to keep the lesson flowing smoothly. Sometimes the conversation will stall due to a temporary brain melt on my part. My tutor needs to be able to pick up where I fall off.
Flexible. Because I am preparing for a 15-minute conversation in 90 days, I have specific needs. I’ve asked my tutor to practice basic conversations during the first 15 minutes of every lesson. If they are unwilling to change their lesson plan to fit my needs, we are not a match.
Reliable. If I go through the trouble of scheduling time out of my day, I expect my teacher to show up on time. Life happens. So, I don’t get bent out of shape for a one-off. But I don’t waste my precious time with people that aren’t punctual.
Easy to see and hear. If I can’t hear my teacher clearly due to their microphone, it adds an unnecessary obstacle. I also need to see their face. Sometimes reading lips is the best way for me to understand words.
Here’s What My Spanish Lessons Looked Like
Dear Diary
In the Fi3M Challenge community site, we have the option of daily check-ins. We share about the tools were using. The wins we experience. And yes. The trip-ups, too.
The trip-ups are some of my favorite posts. It’s beautiful to see the Fi3M Challenge tribe surround a person that is suffering. Fear, disappointment, exhaustion pop up. The comments that flood in under a “I’m feeling low” post give me hope for humanity.
While I’m not going to share the comments of others in this article, I will give you a peek inside my Fi3M Challenge head.
Day 1: First Skype Lesson
Had my first 60 minute lesson. My brain was doing some serious push-ups during the dictation exercise. I have a teeny-weeny vocabulary at this point. You gotta start somewhere.
Side note: I spoke in caveman Spanish during the lesson. My teacher popped in and out of Spanish and English which I didn’t like. I prefer a teacher that figures out a way to speak Spanish 99% of the time. Sounds impossible? It is doable with a creative tutor.
Day 3: Second Lesson Includes 55% Stuttering
60-minute Spanish lesson. Not gonna lie. It was hard. My brain is now oatmeal.
The first five minutes was an annoying combo of French with a little Spanish. Finally, it leveled out with 5% French, 40% Spanish and 55% stuttering while looking up at the ceiling to find words.
Side note: Mixing French into my Spanish was not a problem I anticipated. I imagine this will get better with practice. For now, my brain assumes that my Spanish vocabulary is just a bunch of new French words.
Day 17: This Tutor Was Not a Good Fit
Lesson with a tutor. She was all over the place. I had a hard time getting my questions answered because she was talking so quickly. Alas, it was more listening practice. I showed up. So that counts. Not sure if she will be my long-term tutor, so I posted about it in the Fi3M Challenge community.
Side note: I received several replies to this post. People shared about what they look for in a teacher. Their comments helped me clarify my needs. Their encouragement helped me keep trying.
Day 19: Finally, I Met a Tutor That Works Well with Me
Best lesson so far. For me, I do well with a teacher that doesn't rush me. Sometimes I need a long time to complete a sentence. Like a caveman shot with a tranquilizer gun.
This tutor was patient, friendly and organized. I feel tired from all the mental work but invigorated from being able to actually understand him.
Here’s How I Found the Best Spanish Tutors
As you can see, I didn’t find the perfect fit right away.
After trying seven different teachers, I selected my favorite three.
Emanuel has a comprehensive lesson plan. We practice basic conversation for 15 minutes. Then he explains a few grammar points to me. He teaches me completely in Spanish. No English. He has never spoken a full sentence of English to me. Very cool.
Fabian doesn’t have a lesson plan. We practice my conversational skills for the first 15 minutes. Then I share my Spanish Uncovered lesson. I send him a premade PDF file the Spanish Uncovered supplies.
And last but not least, there’s Frank. My Fi3M buddies shared about him so much in the online community that I decided to give him a try. His schedule doesn’t match up well with mine. So, he’s my substitute teacher for times when the others are away on vacation.
I have lessons two times per week. I am considering upping them to three times per week because I enjoy them. The lessons I take are reasonable. They currently range from six to twelve dollars per hour depending on the tutor.
My Two Rules for Spanish Lessons
I have only two main rules for my Spanish lessons.
I only speak in Spanish. The only time I will speak in English is when I’m stumped for a word. In which case, I will say in Spanish, ¿Como se dice _? which means “How do you say _?” I make a lot of thinking noises and weird faces while searching for a word in Spanish. But it’s worth the struggle.
I don’t do homework. I never get around to doing any homework. This happens for many reasons. I’m pretty busy working through my other learning tools. Homework has a deadline. And I don’t like homework. Gone!
One Fi3M friend calls me the Hans Solo of language learning. I fly by my own rules! I show up to a lesson and tell the teacher, “Sorry. I didn’t do the homework.” Usually, the tutor gives up on the homework after hearing this a few times.
I Measure Progress by Consistency
Because I don’t need Spanish for a job, I don’t need to do things that I don’t enjoy. My progress is steady but not exceptional. Middle of the road fluency is alright by me.
I have a sordid history of failing at language learning. The taste of disappointment lingers for years. I do whatever I can to keep myself motivated. That means I don’t always do what I’m told.
Comparing Me to Me
As I’ve mentioned in another post, compare and despair is a gnarly trap. I avoid it at all costs.
The first week, I was comparing my French speaking self (intermediate level) to my Spanish self (infant level). I forgot how badly my French smelled when I first started.
I'm back to square one. Not being able to say what I'm thinking. It's frustrating at times.
That doesn’t mean I don’t measure my progress. The yardstick I use is me.
Comparing Solo Learning to Fi3M Challenge Learning
How does my Fi3M Challenge experience weigh against my solo learning experience? This is what I’m using to measure my progress.
I Am Doing Things in the First Month That Took Me Months to Even Consider Trying
I’ve spoken with a number of different native speakers. Over ten in the past 30 days!
I’m already reading a book in Spanish. At a snail’s pace but reading nonetheless.
I am watching TV and understanding it. This is my great for mushy brain days when strong studying is not possible.
I Feel Less Alone
I spent hundreds of hours cobbling together a community while learning French. Those were hours I could have used for learning the language. With the Fi3M Challenge, my tribe is automatic. Just add water and voilà, I’ve got a community.
I Have Way Fewer Language Learning Emergencies
I take full advantage of the support, wisdom and kindness that my Fi3M Challenge buds offer.
When that mean ol’ teacher yelled at me, I immediately shared about it. Not only did I get a heap of supportive replies, I also received a few teacher recommendations.
I Am Learning How to Study
With help from the assignments that stretch my routine, my learning program is way better.
There are a few deep diving exercises. We are guided to look at our beliefs around language learning. It was during one of these assignments that I realized something important. I was comparing my intermediate French with my beginner Spanish.
No wonder I was annoyed. Seeing it. Sharing it. And committing to an action around it helps tremendously. It might have taken me months to even notice it without this written exercise.
That’s It for Now! More Spanish Updates from Me Very Soon
In my next post, I’ll share about month two of my 90-day Spanish mission. With the halfway point approaching, it's time to get my routine in order. You can read about what tools I’ve ditched, what resources I’ve increased and why.
I’ll also be giving you glimpse at my progress with a Day 60 video. It’s bound to be better than Day 30, right? Let’s hope so!
Maybe you’re planning on trying your own 90-day language mission. Maybe you’re in the middle of one right now. Maybe you’re in a Fi3M Challenge with me right now. Give me a holler in the comments. Tell us what you’re up to.
Wishing each and everyone one of you happy language learning!
The post Spanish in 3 Months: Elizabeth’s Day 30 Update (with Video!) appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.
October 3, 2019
15 Ways to Say “Thank You” in Portuguese
In this article, I'll cover everything you need to know on the topic of thanking people in Portuguese. We'll start with the most important and common word you should know, explain its exact usage and teach you some subtleties and intricacies that many learners miss. We'll also cover some less-charted corners, including both colloquialisms and formalities.
Are you ready? Obrigado for your attention:
“Thank You” in Portuguese: Obrigado/Obrigada
The simplest way to say "thank you" in Portuguese is obrigado. You must change the ending to match your own gender; men say obrigado and women say obrigada.
Beginners sometimes miss this point, so let me repeat that the choice of obrigado or obrigada depends on your gender, not the gender of the person you're speaking to. It's like saying "much obliged" in English - you're the one who's obliged, not them.
In casual speech, obrigado and obrigada are often shortened to a simple 'brigado or 'brigada, respectively.
Note that obrigado is also an adjective meaning "obliged", as in "to be obliged to do something." For example: vocês são obrigados a me compensar - "you (plural) are obliged to compensate me." This is derived from the verb obrigar, which can mean "to oblige", "to force", "to impose" or "to compel".
Note that the plural forms obrigados and obrigadas are never used in the sense of "thank you". If you want to thank someone on behalf of a group, you can't do it one word; instead you could say something like te agredecemos.
“Thanks” in Portuguese: 'Brigado, viu?
When I lived in São Paulo I heard the expression 'brigado, viu? all the time.
Viu? is a contraction of ouviu? - "did you hear?", and when you translate it directly it seems like a strange thing to say after thanking someone.
But in Brazil, ending your sentences with viu? is a very common colloquialism; it doesn't really mean anything but it can make the sentence sound more friendly.
Note that the question mark after viu? is no accident; you pronounce it as if it were a question, going up at the end.
In northeastern Brazil, people say obrigado, visse?, which has the same meaning. Visse comes from ouviste, an alternative form of ouviu, but the conjugation ouviste itself isn't used anymore in Brazil. (Brazilians don't use the "tu" forms of verbs, although they remain common in European and African Portuguese.)
"Thank you very much" in Portuguese: Muito obrigado
What if a simple "thanks" isn't enough? If you want to say something like "many thanks" in Portuguese, you can say something like muito obrigado. (Muito means "very", "many", or "much".)
Note that muito is one of the very few Portuguese words that isn't pronounced like it's spelled. The "i" is pronounced nasally, as if it were muinto or muĩto. (Portuguese contains lots of nasal vowel sounds; they're not the very first thing that a beginner should worry about it, but they do need to be learned and understood.)
If you're really thankful, you could take things up a notch with muitíssimo obrigado or obrigadíssimo. However, note that these sound extremely strong - you'd only say this if someone has done something huge for you - for example, given you a thousand dollars for free.
As you can imagine, obrigadíssimo and muitíssimo obrigado aren't said very often.
“Thanks a lot” in Portuguese: Brigadão and Brigadino
"Diminutive" words are very common in Portuguese speech. For example, while casa means "house", casinha means "little house". However, the -inho/inha suffix doesn't always have to mean a literal difference in size; it's often just a way of making a word sound cuter or more colloquial.
Similarly, the opposite of a diminutive is an "augmentative", which implies bigness (casarão = "big house") but can also imply friendliness or casualness. For example, if someone calls you amigão ("big friend"), they're not calling you fat; it's just another way of saying amigo.
So with that in mind, allow me to introduce the words 'brigadão and 'brigadinho/brigadinha. They're the augmentative and diminutive forms of 'brigado, and are both a super-casual and affectionate alternative. So to say "thanks friend!" in Portuguese, try 'brigadão, amigão!
Note that women tend to use brigadinha more than men say brigadinha; it's a somewhat girly word.
"Thank you for..." in Portuguese - Obrigada por
To thank someone for a specific thing in Portuguese, use the word por. Just remember that por becomes pelo or pela when followed by o/a ("the"). It's best explained by example:
Obrigada por cozinhar - "thanks for cooking"
Obrigada pela ajuda - "thanks for the help"
Obrigada pelo dinheiro - "thanks for the money"
“Cheers” in Portuguese: Valeu
Another colloquial alternative to obrigado is valeu. This is extremely common in Brazil, and it just means "thanks", or as we British people might say, “cheers”.
Note that valeu is not used in Portugal.
“To Thank” in Portuguese: Agradecer
You may be wondering how to say "thanks" or "to thank" in a more complex Portuguese sentence, like "I'd like to thank you all for coming" or "he thanked me for my help". Obigrado can't fit in here.
Look no further than the verb agradecer which means - you guessed it - "to thank".
Quero agradecer a todos por estarem aqui essa noite - "I'd like to thank you all for being here tonight."
Me agradeceu porque fiz mais que o necessário - "He thanked me because I did more than necessary"
Você não vai me agradecer? - "Aren't you going to thank me?"
“Thanks to...” in Portuguese: Graças a...
Graça means "grace", in the general sense of "gratitude", and also in the sense of the prayer you say before eating a meal. ("To say grace" is Dar graças.) It can also be used to mean "thanks", especially in an aside that gives thanks to a specific person or entity.
Perhaps the most common of use of graças is in graças a Deus - "thanks to God"! But you don't have to be religious to use this word:
Encontrei o libro, graças ao bibliotecário - "I found the book, thanks to the librarian"
Vamos chegar tarde, graças ao João - "We're going to arrive late, thanks to João"
“Thankful” in Portuguese: Grato
One last word worth knowing about is grato.
Grato/grata is an adjective meaning "grateful" or "thankful". As with obrigado, whether you use grato or grata depends on your gender.
Grato is quite formal and rarely used in speech. It's the kind of word you'd use to sign off a formal letter ("grato/a, [YOUR NAME]"), or see in corporate communication.
"No, thanks" in Portuguese: Obrigado
Here's an interesting subtlety about the word obrigado. In certain situations, it can mean "no".
Picture the scene: your friend is over to visit, and as you sit around the living room, you take a drink out of its case and offer it to them. If they say "obrigado", they're telling you they don't want the drink.
It's like saying "no thanks", except without the "no". In English we might also say "I'm good" in the same situation. Typically if you say obrigado in this context you'd make a dismissive hand gesture as you say it.
What if you do want the drink? Simply say sim, por favor - "yes please!"
"You're Welcome" in Portuguese: De nada
So when someone says obrigado or valeu to you, gives you their graças, or tells you that they want to agradecer you, what should your reply be?
The most common way to say "you're welcome" is de nada; literally "of nothing". You can also say por nada. There's no real difference; de nada is more common.
Another way to politely respond to a "thank you" is não há de quê. This literally means something like "there's nothing of it".
Obrigado Por Reading!
I'd like to agradecer you for reading this article, and also say graças to my Brazilian wife, who helped me with the details.
Is there anything I've missed? Any other pleasantries or phatics which every Portuguese speaker should know? Obrigado in advance for your thoughts - we'd love to hear them in the comments.
The post 15 Ways to Say “Thank You” in Portuguese appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.
