Benny Lewis's Blog, page 62
April 30, 2018
Why Learn a Language? Here’s What 8 World Class Polyglots Said
In the last couple of years I have had the honour to interview some of the most popular polyglots in the world, and I had the opportunity to ask them about why they learn languages.
I am a polyglot myself. I speak six languages fluently and I have been writing about language learning for three years on Sprachheld. Therefore, I thought I knew a lot about language learning. But speaking to all these polyglots I learned so much more.
I learned that every polyglot had their own reasons and motivation to learn languages. But different as they may seem, they also share a lot of similarities. In this post, I would like to share all the reasons and motivation that these polyglots told me about and analyze what these reasons have in common.
Let’s start with one of my very first interview partners:
Olly Richards -- Inspired for Languages by Working in a Cafe
Olly Richards of I Will Teach You a Language didn’t get into languages until he was 19 when he started to work in an international café in London. There, he met lots of tourists speaking all kinds of different languages.
This got him intrigued and he wanted to also be able to speak the languages that surrounded him.
Nowadays, he motivates himself to learn new languages by going to the countries where they are spoken. He spent time in Japan, Qatar, Egypt and France. He went to France on a whim without knowing what to expect. This forced his hand and made him learn French to be able to get around.
Olly also has a way to motivate himself in bad times. He knows he already learned several languages. He knows the process to learn a foreign language and that he can master it because he was able to do so before. This motivates him even when doesn’t feel like he is making progress.
Luca Sadurny -- Paid for a Language Test, then Started Studying!
Luca Sadurny, co-founder of MosaLingua , became interested in foreign languages began when he went to Amsterdam and had a hard time conversing with the locals in English. This motivated him to learn his first foreign language to a proper level.
To turn up the heat he registered himself for an English certificate test. He had four months to prepare and paid the €130 registration fee -- a significant expense for the then-student Luca. The time frame and the cost of the test motivated him to learn English.
He did something similar with French. He got into the Erasmus-program to go to France. He had four months to get his French up to speed to be able to follow the lectures. These were, surprise, surprise, completely in French. That was motivation enough to learn the language.
His interest in Romanian came about because his wife is from Romania. He wanted to be able to speak to her, her family and her friends in their native language.
Vladimir Skultety -- Grew Up With Three Languages
Vladimir Skultety from Forever a Student grew up with three languages at the same time: Czech, Slovak and Hungarian. The first two were due to him living in Czech Republic, while the third was because his nanny was Hungarian and spoke Hungarian to him.
They had German TV at home and he watched all the shows and movies from Hollywood in German (in Germany everything is dubbed). This way he learned German.
He has lived in nine countries in total and is always motivated to learn the language of the country that he’s in. That’s the main reason he travels – to motivate himself to learn the local language. Once he surrounded himself with a language, he was more than motivated to learn it because he would be able to actually use it.
However, he recognizes that without having that motivation it is hard for him to learn a foreign language. This is the reason why he still hasn’t learned Turkish even though he would really like to.
Luca Lampariello -- It All Started with an English Tutor
Luca Lampariello of The Polyglot Dream got into languages when his mother got him a language tutor for English. He says that she was very helpful and he improved very quickly with her. This gave him lots of motivation to continue learning English and later motivated him to learn French.
For French, he was watching French TV regularly. This way he improved quickly and was also motivated to understand even more.
Later, when he already spoke German and went to Sardinia he met Germans. They said that he speaks German really well and inquired whether he had German parents. This motivated him a lot to continue learning languages.
Steve Kaufmann -- Learned German for Business Trips
In the 90’s Steve Kaufmann, founder of LingQ , was a lot in Germany on business trips. He was constantly on the road with his agent and his clients. They spoke a lot of German. This motivated him to learn that language and he was able to do so.
We conducted the interview in German. Since Steve hasn’t spoken German in a while this was great motivation for him to brush up his skills. The week before speaking with me he was motivated to get his German back up to speed to be able to speak with me as well as possible.
Alex Rawlings -- Wants to Speak with Friends Across Europe
Alex Rawlings, Polyglot in Residence at Memrise, only learns languages that he is really interested in and for which he has a use. Since he has friends in different countries across Europe and travels a lot he is able to use and improve all of his languages.
His advice for language learners is to write down 10 reasons why they want to learn their language and have a look at these reasons when they are less motivated.
Kerstin Cable -- Gets Encouragement from Instagram
Kerstin Cable from Fluent Language found a great way to motivate herself to learn a foreign language: by using social media.
She posts her results on Instagram for instance. This way she gets encouragement from other Instagram users. She also gets her mistakes corrected. She sees this as a double win!
Furthermore, she likes to learn languages that she is really interested in. Welsh being her latest example. This way she really enjoys the process.
Lindsay Williams
Lindsay Williams (of Lindsay Does Languages fame) has a similar approach to Kerstin to motivate herself to learn her foreign languages: speaking about it online.
She says that her blog really helps her stay motivated to keep learning her languages. Because all the world (figuratively speaking) is watching her and she has to perform.
As a language coach, her advice to learn a language based on one’s own interests. It’s important to learn stuff that is really relevant to a language learner. This could be football but it could also be songs by Shakira (that was the reason Lindsay wanted to learn Spanish). You like to talk about football? Learn the necessary words to be able to speak about the topic. If you love Shakira’s songs you’ll be more motivated to learn the lyrics and the words.
For her it’s also important to work towards milestones. It’s much easier to motivate oneself for goals that are easily achievable like speaking about a certain topic rather than big goals like learning to speak a foreign language fluently.
Why Learn a Language? -- the 3 Core Principles
In this section of the article, I will:
Analyze the three core motivation principles that polyglots learn languages
Give examples from polyglots of how this principle applies to them
Present a way how you can apply this principle to motivate yourself to learn your language.
Let’s get started!
Core Principle 1: Being Surrounded by the Language (Immersion)
This is the number one reason polyglots learn a foreign language. If they have people in their surroundings speaking that language, they have a very good reason to pick it up.
Immersion could mean living in a foreign country and wanting to learn the local language to be able to fit in. It could also mean there are tourists around you and you want to be able to communicate with them in their language.
Here are some examples for this:
Vladimir Skultety liked to watch German TV because it had the best movies
Olly Richards worked in an international café with foreigners and tourists
Steve Kaufmann was surrounded by German in Germany, where he travelled for business reasons.
Conclusion: Surround yourself with your target language. Listen to and see the language as often as possible through TV, radio and online. If possible, make friends with native speakers, or travel to a country where the language is spoken.
Core Principle 2: Brute Force and Deadlines
If you go to the supermarket and check out the magazines at the cashier's you will find headlines like “get fit in 4 weeks” or “get a beach body before going on vacation in one month”.
These articles capitalize on the fact that it is easy to motivate ourselves for a short time frame, because most of us want quick results.
It’s easier to motivate yourself to work really hard for a short amount of time and get quick results rather than stay motivated for longer periods of time by consistent work and see little results (who doesn’t want that quick fix?).
That’s also why people are so motivated to workout super hard for a few weeks before going on beach vacation. It may not have the biggest impact but it will have some impact and motivation will stay intact until the end of the vacation.
It works the same way with language learning. If you have an upcoming trip or test you are more motivated to learn the language because you will soon be “forced” to use your newly acquired skills. This is a great way to motivate yourself to work really hard for some time.
Here are some examples for:
Luca Sadurny booked an English test and had four months to prepare and he went on Erasmus to France and had four months to be ready to attend French lectures
Steve Kaufmann had the deadline of his interview with me to brush up his German
Conclusion: Get yourself into a position where you have a deadline for learning your language. Sitting a test is an excellent way of doing this. The Add1Challenge is another.
Core Principle 3: Peer Pressure (and Peer Praise)
People around us are a great motivator to learn a foreign language. So, when we tell others that we want to learn a language we don’t want to let them down. That’s why we stay motivated for longer periods of time.
This works even better when we show our progress to our peers. Their positive feedback motivates us even more to improve our language skills.
Here are some examples for this:
Lindsay Williams’ blog where she talks about language learning motivates her to continue learning
Kerstin Cable posts her progress on social media to get encouragement and her mistakes corrected
Luca Lampariello received praise about his German in Sardinia from German tourists
Conclusion: Tell as many people as possible about the fact that you are learning a language. Even better, get other friends to learn the language with you.
If You Enjoyed This Article…
And you would like to know more reasons from the Fluent in 3 Months community for learning a foreign language, check out this article.
You can watch all the interviews I conducted for this article here.
The post Why Learn a Language? Here’s What 8 World Class Polyglots Said appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.
April 27, 2018
Spanish Adjectives: 50 Descriptive Spanish Words to Make Your Spanish Sentences Sparkle
Below, I'll list 50 of the most common and useful Spanish adjectives - like the words for common and useful. But first, a brief overview of how adjectives work with Spanish sentence structure.
What is an Adjective Anyway?
An adjective is a word that describes a noun. Examples in English:
I'm reading an interesting book
Elephants are big
I bought a red car
Spanish adjectives work the same way, with just a couple differences to English. Here's what you need to remember:
How Spanish Adjectives Work With Gendered Nouns
As you probably know, every noun in Spanish has a gender - either masculine or feminine. When describing a noun with an adjective, the adjective must agree with the noun in number and gender.
"Agreement" means that the ending of the adjective must be altered depending on the noun's gender, and on whether the noun is singular or plural. For example:
El libro rojo - the red book (masculine)
Los libros rojos - the red books (masculine plural)
La pared roja - the red wall (feminine)
Las paredes rojas - the red walls (feminine plural)
Notice how the ending of rojo - "red" - changes to match the gender and number of the noun it describes. Let's briefly cover the ways in which an adjective ending might change.
(As for remembering which gender the noun has, remember the cardinal rule: it's the words that have the genders, not the objects they describe.)
In Spanish dictionaries, adjectives are usually given in their masculine singular form. In the above example, that's rojo. So when you see me talking about "adjectives which end in o", for example, I mean adjectives whose masculine singular form ends in "o".
Most Spanish adjectives end in o, and follow the above pattern (pequeño means "small"):
masculine singular: -o (pequeño)
feminine singular: -a (pequeña)
masculine plural: -os (pequeños)
feminine plural: -as (pequeñas)
If a Spanish adjective ends with e or ista, then it's the same for both genders. But it still needs an "s" in the plural. Excelente means "excellent" and realista means "realistic":
masculine singular: excelente, realista
feminine singular: excelente, realista
masculine plural: excelentes, realistas
feminine plural: excelentes, realistas
If it ends with a consonant, then you add "-es" in the plural. If that consonant is z, you must change it to a c.
Débil means "weak" and feliz means "happy":
masculine singular: débil, feliz
feminine singular: débil, feliz
masculine plural: débiles, felices
feminine plural: débiles, felices
-o
(example: pequeño)
-e and -ista
(examples: excelente and realista)
ends in any consonant but Z
(example: débil)
ends in Z
(example: feliz)
masculine singular
pequeño
excelente, realista
débil
feliz
feminine singular
pequeña
excelente, realista
débil
feliz
mascular plural
pequeños
excelentes, realistas
débiles
felices
feminine plural
pequeñas
excelentes, realistas
débiles
felices
Where Should You Put Spanish Adjectives in a Spanish Sentence?
In English, the adjective almost always goes before the noun. We say "a red car", not "a car red". (Two notable exceptions to this rule: a "court martial" and the "surgeon general".)
In Spanish adjectives usually go after the noun:
Estoy leyendo un libro interesante
Los elefantes son grandes
Compré una coche roja
There are some exceptions, as we'll see in the examples below. But generally: if in doubt, put the adjective after the noun.
Ser vs. Estar: These Can Change the Meanings of a Spanish Adjective
Remember that Spanish has two words for to be. Ser is used for permanent qualities while estar is used for temporary states.
It's usually obvious whether to use ser or estar with a given adjective. For example, you'd say soy inglés (“I am English”) but estoy enfadado (“I am angry”).
However, some adjectives change their meaning depending on whether they're used with ser or estar:
Ella está aburrida - she's bored
Ella es aburrida - she's boring
Él está orgulloso - he's proud
Él es orgulloso - he's arrogant
I'll give some more examples of words like this below.
50 of the Most Useful Spanish Adjectives
Here are some of the most useful Spanish adjectives to know:
1. & 2. Bueno and Malo (Good and Bad)
Bueno and malo mean "good" and "bad" respectively:
El libro es bueno - “The book is good”
La película es mala - “The film is bad”
There are a couple things to keep in mind about these two adjectives.
First of all, when they come before a masculine singular noun, they drop the final "o". (A few other adjectives do this as well, as you'll see later in this article).
Un buen libro - “a good book”
Un mal libro - “a bad book”
Secondly, the meaning changes slightly depending on whether you use these adjectives with ser or estar.
With people, if you use bueno and malo with ser, it means "good" or "bad" in the sense of their moral character. If you use estar, you're talking about their appearance.
Él es bueno/malo - “he's a good/bad person”
Él está bueno/malo - “he's good-looking/unattractive”
With food, ser bueno/malo means that the food is good quality and healthy. Estar bueno/malo means that it tastes good - although it might not be healthy!
Esta hamburguesa está muy buena, pero no es buena - This burger tastes good, but it's not good-quality/healthy
One more thing: bueno is also commonly used as a filler word, similar to how we say "well" or "so" in English.
Don't worry! Not all Spanish adjectives are as complicated as bueno or malo. Let's continue:
3. Grande (Big)
Grande means "big":
Tu casa es muy grande - “your house is very big”
Like bueno and malo, this adjective has a slightly different meaning when it’s placed before or after a noun. When placed after the noun, grande means "big" in the physical sense. When before the noun, it means "big" in terms of status or significance - a better translation might be "great" or, well, "grand".
Also note that before a noun of either gender, grande gets shortened to gran.
Un hombre grande - “a big man”
Un gran hombre - “a great man”
This may seem complex, but there’s one great thing about grande: It’s the same for both masculine and feminine nouns!
Una caja grande - “a big box”
Un perro grande - “a big dog”
4. Pequeño (Small)
Pequeño means "small":
Vive en una casa pequeña - “He/she lives in a small house”
Una manzana pequeña - “A small apple”
5. Rápido (Fast)
Be rapid! this word means "fast" or “quick”:
Usain Bolt es la persona más rápido del mundo - “Usain Bolt is the fastest person in the world”
¿Tienes un carro rápido? - “Do you have a fast car?”
6. Lento (Slow)
Are you as slow as a lentil? Lento (“slow”) is the opposite of rápido.
Sea paciente, es un proceso lento - “Be patient, it's a slow process”
Las tortugas son lentas - “Tortoises are slow”
7. Caro (Expensive)
Lo compraría si no fuera tan caro - “I'd buy it if it wasn't so expensive”
¿Vives en una casa cara? - “Do you live in an expensive house?”
8. Barato (Cheap)
Me gusta mucho el precio. ¡Qué barato! - “I like the price a lot. How cheap!”
Una botella de su vino más barato, por favor - “A bottle of your cheapest wine, please”
9. Seco (Dry)
Seco means "dry". You can see a trace of it in the English word desiccated.
Será un verano seco - “It'll be a dry summer”
Ponte esta ropa seca - “Put these dry clothes on”
10. Mojado (Wet)
Mis zapatos están mojados - “My shoes are wet”
La sala aún está mojada - “The room is still wet”
11. Fácil (Easy)
This is an easy word to remember - fácil means "easy". It's a cousin of English words like "facile" and "facility".
¡Español es fácil! - “Spanish is easy!”
No hay soluciones fáciles - “There aren't easy answers”
12. Difícil (Difficult)
It's not difícil to guess what this word means - it's "difficult":
¡Español no es difícil! - “Spanish isn't difficult”
Es difícil dar otro ejemplo - “It's difficult to give another example”
Remember that accent: unlike the English word "difficult", the stress in difícil falls on the second syllable, not the first.
13. Joven (Young)
Joven means "young". In the plural form, you need to add an accent on the o:
Ella es muy joven - “She's very young”
Ellos son muy jóvenes - “They're very young”
14. Viejo (Old)
Viejo means "old". Use it for people or things:
Soy un hombre viejo - “I'm an old man”
Tengo que comprar un nuevo ordenador; el mío es demasiado viejo. - “I have to buy a new computer; mine is too old”
Viejo can subtly change its meaning depending on whether it goes before or after the noun:
un viejo amigo - “an old friend” (you've known each other for a long time)
un amigo viejo - “an old friend” (he or she is advanced in age)
15. Nuevo (New)
Nuevo means new. Like viejo, its meaning changes subtly depending on the word order. When it goes after the noun, it means "new" in the sense of "brand new" - it's just been made. When it's before the noun, it means "new" in the sense of "newly acquired":
Ella compró un nuevo carro - “She bought a new car” (The car may be used, but it's newly in her possession)
El carro nuevo tiene aire acondicionado - “The new car has air-conditioning (The car is brand new)
16. Alto (High/Tall)
Alto means "high" or "tall":
Un edificio alto - “A tall building”
Una tasa alta - “A high rate”
Es un hombre alto - “He's a tall man”
Subir una montaña alta - “To climb a high mountain”
Bonus fact: alto is written on stop signs in Mexico and most other Spanish-speaking countries in Central America. It comes from the German word halt, which means “stop” (or “halt”, obviously!) in English.
17. Bajo (Low)
Los Países Bajos - “The Low Countries (i.e. the Netherlands)”
Tocar las notas bajas - “To play the low notes”
It also means "short", in the sense of someone’s height:
Bruno Mars es muy bajo - “Bruno Mars is very short”
18. Corto (Short)
Corto is the more general word for "short". While bajo is used when talking about height, corto is used for distances.
Un viaje corto - “A short trip “
Una historia corta - “A short story”
19. Largo (Long)
Watch out - this word is a false cognate. It doesn't mean "large", it means "long"! It can be used for lengths of measurement, time or distance:
Ese es un cuchillo largo - “That is a long knife”
La reunión fue demasiado larga - “The meeting was too long”
La Carretera Transcanadiense es una de las autopistas más largas del mundo - “The Trans-Canada Highway is one of the longest highways in the world”
20. Aburrido (Bored/Boring)
I hope you're not aburrido with this list. This adjective means bored - or it can mean boring, depending on whether you use ser or estar.
Juan es una persona muy aburrida - “Juan is a very boring person”
Estoy muy aburrido - “I'm very bored”
21. Vivo (alive)
Vivo can mean "alive" or "living":
El rey está vivo - “The king is alive”
Ella es la persona viva más vieja del mundo - “She is the oldest living person in the world”
Use the term en vivo to refer to a TV programme being broadcast “live”.
22. Muerto (Dead)
Muerto means "dead":
Zed está muerto, chica - “Zed's dead, baby”
Notice that I didn’t write Zed es muerto. This adjective uses estar, not ser. Estar is supposed to be used for temporary states, but if you ask me, being dead is pretty permanent! I’m afraid that this is just one of those exceptions to the ser/estar rule that you’ll have to learn. A good way to remember it is to note that both vivo and muerto use the same verb - and vivo (alive) is definitely a temporary state, so it uses estar. Meaning muerto does too.
23. Listo (Ready/Smart)
Listo is another example of an adjective that changes its meaning when you use ser vs estar. With estar, it means ready:
Estoy listo para firmar el contrato - “I'm ready to sign the contract”
But with ser, it means "smart":
Ella es muy lista - “She's very smart!”
24. Inteligente (Intelligent)
If you're inteligente, you can figure out that this word means "intelligent". It's an alternative to listo.
Eres la persona más inteligente que he conocido - “You're the smartest person I've ever met”
25. Pobre (poor)
Pobre means "poor". When it's after the noun, it means "financially poor". When it's before the noun, it means unfortunate or disadvantaged, such as in the English sentence "you poor thing!":
Bolivia es un país pobre - “Bolivia is a poor country”
¡Deja de asustar a este pobre niño! - “Stop scaring this poor child!”
26. Rico (Rich)
Bill Gates es muy rico - “Bill Gates is very rich”
You can also use it to describe food:
¡Que rica es esta comida! - “This food is so rich/tasty/great!”
27. Común (Common)
Can you guess what this común word means? That's right: "common". It can also mean "shared".
Es una enfermedad común - “It's a common illness”
Tenemos una responsabilidad común - “We have a common/shared responsibility”
In the plural form, drop the accent from the "u":
Tenemos valores comunes - “We have shared/common values”
28. Raro (Rare)
This word means what you'd guess it means: "rare". It can also mean "strange" or "weird".
En raras ocasiones - “On rare occasions”
Es raro conducir por la izquierda - “It's weird to drive on the left”
29. Útil (Useful)
This word has some útil-ity - it means "useful":
Es una herramienta útil - “It's a useful tool”
Esta opción es útil - “This option is useful”
30. Guapo (Beautiful)
An important word if you want to flirt! This adjective means "beautiful" or “good-looking”, and can be applied to men or women.
Podría ser muy guapo si quisiera - “He/she could be very beautiful if he/she wanted”
¡Qué guapa estás! - “You're so beautiful!”
31. Feo (Ugly)
The opposite of guapo, this word means "ugly".
Él es feo - “He's ugly”
Cinderella tiene dos hermanastras feas - “Cinderella has two ugly step-sisters”
32. Feliz (Happy)
Feliz is related to the English word (and girl's name) "Felicity".
Tú me haces feliz - “You make me happy”
Los animales no parecen felices - “The animals don't look happy”
33. Triste (Sad)
Cuando estoy triste, lloro - “When I'm sad, I cry”
Estaba pensando de cosas tristes - “I was thinking about sad things.”
34. Pesado (Heavy)
Pesado means "heavy". If you're talking about weight, it's more common to use the verb pesar, "to weigh":
El piano pesa mucho - “The piano weighs a lot”
El piano es pesado - “The piano is heavy” (not wrong, but uncommon)
You can also describe a person as pesado. This means the person is boring, gloomy, or annoying. Think of Marvin the Paranoid Android from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy:
Marvin es pesado - “Marvin is gloomy/a downer.”
35. Tranquilo (Calm)
Are you in a tranquil situation? This word means calm or quiet:
Estaba tranquilo en la casa - “It was quiet in the house”
Tranquilo can also be used as an interjection. It's like saying "calm down!" or "don't worry" in English.
Tranquilo, todo irá bien - “Don't worry, everything will be okay”
36. Importante (Important)
No lo hice porque no parecía importante - “I didn't do it because it didn't seem important”
Olvidé los partes importantes - “I forgot the important parts”
37. Fuerte (Strong)
This adjective has a faint resemblance to the English word "force" - or “forte”, as in, “Speaking Spanish is one of my fortes”. So it should be easy to remember that it means “strong”.
Arnold es fuerte - “Arnold is strong”
El chile ha tenido una fuerte influencia en la cocina del Sudeste Asiático - “The chili pepper has had a strong influence on Southeast Asian cuisine”
38. Débil (Weak)
If you're debilitated, you're "weak" - and that's what débil means:
Mi doctor me dijo que tengo una corazón débil - “My doctor told me I have a weak heat”
Él es muy débil - “he's very weak”
39. Abierto (Open)
Abierto means "open":
La puerta está abierta - “The door is open”
You can use abierto to describe a person, which is just like calling someone "open" in English - it means they're sociable, friendly, agreeable:
Ana es una persona muy abierta - “Ana is a very open person”
40. Cerrado (Closed)
Está cerrado porque olvidé abrirlo - “It's closed because I forgot to open it”
Perdona, pero la cocina está cerrada - “Sorry, but the kitchen is closed”
41. Cansado (Tired)
I hope that all these adjectives aren't making you cansado - "tired":
Estoy cansada, he trabajado mucho - “I'm tired, I've been working hard”
Está cansado de luchar - “He's tired of fighting”
42. Despierto (Awake)
Si no estoy despierta, despiértame - “If I'm not awake, wake me up”
Los dos están despiertos - “Both of them are awake”
43. Loco (Crazy)
You might recognise this word from the title of the song Livin' La Vida Loca - it means "crazy":
Cree en cosas locas - “He/she believes in crazy things”
El mundo se está volviendo loco - “The world's going crazy”
(P.S. did you hear about the Mexican train killer? He had loco-motives. I'll show myself out...)
44. Limpio (Clean)
No tengo una camisa limpia - “I don't have a clean shirt”
Quiero dejarlo todo limpio - “I want to leave it all clean”
45. Sucio (Dirty)
Su pañal está sucio - “His/her diaper is dirty”
Tienes una mente sucia - “You have a dirty mind”
46. Rojo (Red)
Let's wrap it up with some of the most common adjectives you'll need to describe colours. First of all, rojo, which means "red":
Mi coche es roja - “My car is red”
El árbitro está mostrando una tarjeta roja - “The referee is showing a red card”
If you speak Portuguese, beware of the false friend! The Portuguese word roxo means not "red" but "purple." (The correct translation of rojo into Portuguese is vermelho.)
47. Azul (Blue)
Like the English word "azure", azul means "blue":
Tengo ojos azules - “I have blue eyes”
¿Por qué es el cielo azul? - “Why is the sky blue?”
48. Verde (Green)
Verde resembles the English word “verdure”, which means “lush green vegetation”. So of course, verde means "green":
El césped es verde - “The grass (or lawn) is green”
No compres esas manzanas, aún están verdes - “Don't buy those apples, they're still unripe”
Like in English, you can say that someone is verde de envidia - "green with envy". A chiste verde - literally, "green joke" - means a "dirty joke".
49. Amarillo (Yellow)
[Is this the way to Amarillo? This word means "yellow":
Me puse una camiseta amarilla - “I put a yellow shirt on”
Veo un letrero amarillo - “I see a yellow sign”
50. Naranja (Orange)
Just like in English, naranja can be both a noun and an adjective in Spanish. The noun “una naranja” refers to the fruit.
Fun fact: in English, the colour "orange" was named after the fruit, not the other way around. (Previously, the colour was called "reddish-yellow" or "yellowish-red", or something like that). The same is true for the word naranja in Spanish.
Note that, thanks to this adjective's weird origins, it doesn't change its ending for number or gender. Masculine or feminine, singular or plural, it's always "naranja":
Zanahorias son naranja - “Carrots are orange”
Esta es una caja naranja - “This is an orange box”
El libro naranja - “The orange book”
Another fun fact: while the noun naranja means the fruit, the noun naranjo means the tree on which naranjas grow.
Whew! Those were a lot of adjectives. What other ones are the most important to learn? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
The post Spanish Adjectives: 50 Descriptive Spanish Words to Make Your Spanish Sentences Sparkle appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.
April 23, 2018
The Transcription Technique: A Simple Way to Improve Your Listening Comprehension
I’ve never heard of any school or language class teaching this technique. And I’ve never seen it mentioned in anything I’ve read about language learning. But it’s incredibly powerful -- it has made active listening pretty much effortless for me.
I thought it would be good to share this technique to help others with their language learning. I actually came across it by happy accident. Let me tell you how:
How I Discovered the Transcription Technique
A few years ago, I was taking a Chinese class that focused on listening skills, and mentioned to a classmate that I found listening to the recordings ‘boring’ because the talking speed was too slow. He asked, have you tried typing a transcript while you listen? I hadn’t-- in fact, as someone who often has trouble properly understanding song lyrics in my native English, it sounded like an impossible task. Clearly there was a disconnect between my ‘boredom’ and actual skill level. But, I had no problem understanding the recordings overall, and didn’t struggle the next day in class when we read over the transcript and discussed the material, so I decided to take on the challenge.
I opened a blank word document, and hit play. It was hard. Really hard. I had to listen twice to pretty much every sentence, sometimes more. In the end, there were still a few blanks in my transcript, but I had gotten most of it down. It was humbling to see how much I didn’t know, and that put the class I had previously thought “boring” in a whole new light. The other amazing thing was how long I focused on listening to the recording-- at least three times longer than I had before. And it didn’t involve forcing myself to focus-- that just happened naturally while I was trying to type out what I was hearing.
What is the ‘Transcription Technique’?
In basic form, the Transcription Technique has just two steps:
Listen to a recording in your target language, and transcribe (write down) the recording as you listen.
Record yourself speaking the text that you’ve written down.
You then repeat these two steps until you’ve mastered that piece of text.
This creates a full skill circle from listening to writing then back to reading, speaking and listening.
During the first step (listening and transcribing), I recommend that you listen to a recording in short segments, pausing and repeating the recording regularly to type or write what you hear.
Once your transcript is complete, check that it’s correct before you record yourself reading it aloud.
Does the Transcription Technique Really Work? (Spoiler: Yes!)
Now I’ve explained the steps, perhaps the Transcription Technique sounds like a lot of work. It is! It does take time, but I’ve found it pays back handsomely on every minute I invest in it.
Now, if you’re happy with how well you speak, listen and read, there’s no need to use the technique. However, if you want to improve on any of the above, and especially if you want to practise putting these skills together (for instance, having a conversation where you must listen, understand, process and speak a response), transcription practice can help you move forward, faster.
The 6 Reasons I Use the Transcription Technique
1. I’ve Developed Effortless Active Listening Skills
Close to 100% of the time you spend listening using this technique will be active, since that’s a natural consequence of trying to understand every word, phrase and sentence to write it down. You won’t put on a recording to practice and find yourself zoning out that ‘noise’ by accident.
2. It’s a Super-Efficient Way to Learn All Four Language Skills
With the Transcription Technique you’ll simultaneously practice listening and writing, then reading and speaking. As I mentioned above, every minute I’ve spent on this technique, I’ve noticed my language skills improving.
3. I Can Understand Native Voices at Normal Speed
Making the jump from listening to materials prepared specially for second language learners (where speakers talk slowly, with perfect pronunciation and clear pauses between words) to a regular native speaker (who will likely speak fast, combine words and might have a regional accent) is a big challenge for many language learners.
With the transcription technique, you can not only practise listening to a regular native speaker again and again, but also learn to connect the sounds you hear to words and phrases that you may in fact already know, but which, at first, your brain didn’t connect to the sounds you heard.
This builds your confidence for real life conversations, and comes without the horrific embarrassment you might feel if you asked someone to repeat themselves over and over again in an actual conversation!
4. I’ve Got a Better Understanding of Sentence Structure
If you are learning a language that’s written without spaces between the words (such as Chinese or Arabic) or spoken without spaces between the words (such as French), then listening and then creating a written version helps you learn how to break up a sentence at the right places so that the resulting words make sense.
5. I’ve Developed an Intuitive Grasp of the Visual-Audio Connection
Going back and forth between hearing or speaking and the written language helps your brain build a connection between the visual cues you see and the sounds you hear. Even if you’re learning a phonetic language, such as Spanish, it can be a challenge at first to connect the sounds that you hear to the letters on the page. If you are learning a non-phonetic language, such as Chinese or Japanese, this exercise reinforces the connection between what a word looks like and how it sounds, which you can't get from reading something silently.
6. I’m a Better Contextual Learner
With transcription, you learn to figure out words based on context as you listen. The becomes especially apparent when you run into a sound that you can’t understand. You can’t look it up in a dictionary, so what do you? Look at the words surrounding your blank to see what might make sense, and see if anything you think of fits with what you’re heard. This skill is invaluable in real world conversations when you need to understand the overall thread of a conversation, but don’t understand every word.
The Transcription Technique: An In-Depth Step by Step Guide
Step 1: Find a suitable audio clip.
Some things to keep in mind as you pick yours:
Start short: Just 30 seconds or one minute is good to start; if you want this can be a part of a longer audio recording
Make it level appropriate: it should push you out of your comfort zone, but if you don’t understand anything that’s being said, you won’t be able to transcribe it! Aim for 50-80% general understanding when you do a ‘test listen’
Interest: Pick a topic that interests you’ll, as you’ll be spending a significant amount of time with this recording.
Transcript: If the audio comes with a transcript (or is a video with subtitles) this will make it easier to check your work at the end. However, DO NOT look at the transcript / subtitles before step 6, as that defeats the purpose of doing this
Don’t rush: Take the time to pick a recording that’s right for your level and interests, as this is the most important factor in determining your results
Step 2: Listen once without trying to write anything down, just focusing on getting the big picture and general context. If you’re having trouble with this, consider going back to #1 and picking an easier recording.
Step 3: Set up a blank Word / Google doc, or a pencil plus a blank piece of paper if you prefer to write by hand. If you want to hand write, double spacing your lines will make steps #7 and #8 easier. Restart the recording, and begin writing what you hear, pausing or rewinding the audio whenever needed. If you listen to something a few times and still can't figure out what's being said, don't worry-- put a () in place of the words you can't figure out, and keep moving forward until you finish the recording.
Step 4: Read over the first draft of your transcript-- does it seem logical and generally make sense? Almost all of the time you'll have a some blanks-- but that’s ok if it makes overall sense. As you read, think about what words might make sense there based on the context, and write them in, leaving the () around them.
Step 5: Restart the recording, and this time pay special attention to those () areas, and see if the combination of sound plus context makes any () clearer. You’ll often have a few “aha moments” at this step.
Step 6 (OPTIONAL): If you have remaining () areas after step 5 and want to really challenge yourself, go back and do #4 and #5 again to reduce those pesky () even more.
Step 7:Have a native speaker friend / tutor / teacher take a look at your transcript to correct it and fill in any remaining blanks. Or, if you have a transcript or subtitles, use those to correct your transcript. My favorite way to do this step is to print out my transcript double spaced, and then hand write corrections. Hand writing the corrections seems to help me remember them better. However, you could also use Word with tracked changes activated (Google Docs automatically tracks changes). If there are any words you don’t know, look them up in a dictionary.
Step 8: Take your fully correct transcript, set up your recording device, and listen one last time while reading along, giving your brain a chance to connect the sound of the phrases you originally couldn’t understand with the written words (which you’ve already looked up if you didn’t know already).
Step 9: Record yourself reading your transcript.
What Are You Waiting For?
Having doubts about whether you can do this? I know you can. But if you’re feeling a bit hesitant, just commit for 25 minutes to start. Pick an audio clip and set a timer.
So that you have absolutely no excuse to not try this, here are a few places where the perfect recording is waiting for you:
Your textbook, or an online course, if you’re using one. Almost every language textbook or online course includes accompanying audio / video resources. Depending on your level, this may be a recording of the lesson, or supplemental materials. Skip ahead a lesson or two, and listen to a recording-- just don’t give in to the temptation to peek at the written text or transcript first!
Movies. Pick a short scene (or part of one). This is great if you’re trying to make that jump from listening to materials created for foreign learners to regular native speakers. Having the video can also give you some visual clues to meaning if you are stuck but don’t want to look at the transcript (don’t cheat!). Also, being able to turn on subtitles makes it easy to check your transcript.
News sites. A wealth of short videos, often with native speakers who have relatively standard pronunciation but are still speaking for a native audience. Many international news outlets (e.g. the BBC) have stories and videos in multiple languages. Sometimes there will even be closed captioning available.
Podcasts / radio shows. These tend to be the most challenging, as there are no visual clues and you can get people with heavy accents speaking at length (e.g. podcast guests or listener call-ins). Getting through one of these will boost your confidence to talk with native speakers like no other, though!
This list is just a starting point, so if you’re inspired to look elsewhere for a recording, go ahead!
So, How Did it Go?
Feeling super strong after getting through your first session Transcription Technique? Leave a comment below and tell me what was your biggest surprise as you went through this process.
Or, if you’re still having doubts or trouble getting started, please leave a comment below to tell me what’s holding you back.
I love to hear from readers and read every message or comment you send :-)
The post The Transcription Technique: A Simple Way to Improve Your Listening Comprehension appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.
April 19, 2018
French YouTube Channels: 10 Youtube Channels to Take Your French to the Next Level
Here’s how I think of it: The key to create a successful immersion environment at home is to use native content. That is: movies, music, TV shows, videos, anything made by (and for) native speakers of your target language.
A few years ago, it used to be complicated to find native French content. Now, we have YouTube. It’s free. And you can find pretty much any kind of video in French. Whatever your interests, you’ll find videos in French that you enjoy watching
In this post, I’m going to give you 10 French YouTube channels to learn French. Some of them have subtitles, some of them feature gamers, or recipes, and some of them aren’t even real YouTubers or French native speakers. I’d suggest you use this list as a starting point to start exploring the wealth of French content that’s available on YouTube.
The first five channels are French YouTubers with subtitles available. For each of these channels, I’ll outline the frequency of the subtitles (all videos, or only some) and which language you can find (French, English or both). The other channels on this list don’t have subtitles available, so they’re more appropriate for intermediate and advanced learners.
Also, I guess you already know, but just in case: The Internet is a living entity, forever changing. So the indications for the channels and the subtitles aren’t set in stone. They may evolve with time.
Want to know the best way to watch these YouTube videos? Then check out this article on learning a language with short videos.
Now, let’s get stuck in.
1. SQUEEZIE -- French Vlogger with English Subtitles
Squeezie started making videos in 2008. And he is now one of the most popular French YouTubers, with millions of subscribers. He plays random games on the Internet, and also makes funny vlogs.
One video I recommend is his parody of Pokemon Go where he dresses up as a Pokemon trainer and goes to the street to interact with people and capture Pokemons.
Like most popular YouTubers, he speaks fast, and his videos have quick transitions. So if you just started learning French, his content is going to be challenging. It’s perfect if you’re at an intermediate or advanced level.
Subtitles: Available on all videos in French or English.
2. Poisson Fécond -- Videos About Surprising Facts in French
Chris is a curious YouTuber who makes videos about surprising facts.
One of his most popular series is Et si…? (“What if…?”) where he asks very unlikely questions. For example: Et si Internet cessait de marcher subitement? (”What if the Internet suddenly stopped?”). Chris then gives a potential scenario of the situation, with a hint of irony. I found this video in particular really interesting and funny.
His videos have quick transitions, but he doesn’t speak that fast.
Subtitles: Available on some videos in French.
3. Joueur du Grenier -- French Video Games from the 80’s and 90’s
Le joueur du grenier is a guy who tests video games with his unique comedic style (and his unique yellow shirt!).
Joueur means “player”, and grenier means “attic”. So his channel’s name translates as “the attic player”. He plays old video games, from the attic (video games we were playing 10, 20, 30 years ago and that aren’t so popular nowadays).
He created his YouTube account in 2009, and his channel is now very popular among French gamers and nostalgists. Most of his videos last 10-15 minutes. He also has a second channel (le Bazar du Grenier with gameplays and reviews.
Subtitles: All videos have subtitles in French and in English.
4. EnjoyPhoenix -- French Fashion and Beauty Tips
Marie gives fashion and beauty tips on her channel. She makes GRWM videos (YouTube lingo for Get Ready With Me, where girls show you their morning routine for example), tutorials and tag videos.
She has two other channels: EnjoyVlogging, where she vlogs and shows her daily life, and Enjoy Cooking, where she cooks her favorite recipes.
Recently, she came under fire for her first book and one of her videos. I don’t like to promote negativity, so I’ll let you look it up yourself if you want to know more.
The reason why I recommend her channel is because, in spite of everything, she’s still one of the most popular female YouTubers in France. I like how she’s still here, making videos and writing. Doing her own thing, and moving on. As language hackers, our goal isn’t only to learn a foreign language. Our goal is to be open-minded, not just to foreign cultures, but also to our neighbors. And eventually to stop being judgemental with each other.
Subtitles: Some videos have French subtitles available.
5. SEB -- Funny Skits in French
Seb makes funny vlogs and skits. One of his most popular series is Ce mec… (“ This guy…”), where he makes fun of everyday situations. For example: Ce mec… - Au supermarché (“This guy…- At the supermarket”) is a skit about people’s behavior in a grocery store.
You can also see him on Sofyan’s channel where they made their own French dubbing of Harry Potter movies. His channel’s name used to be Seb la frite, which means Seb the French fry.
Subtitles: All videos have French and English subtitles.
6. FastGoodCuisine -- French Fast Food
Quick recipes and fast-food classics revisited! I know: You’re wondering why you’re reading an article about French YouTube channels and here I come with a fast-food channel, right?
I’m sorry to inform you that there’s no popular French YouTube channel about good ol’ French cuisine (or I haven’t found it yet). Shocking, I know. But Charles’ recipes are a gift for your palate, and offer healthy home-made alternatives to junk food. He speaks fast, and he’ll leave you hungry with all the delicious recipes.
7. Alice Esmeralda -- Vegan Living in France
Alice’s channel focuses entirely on a vegan lifestyle.
Even though it’s not typical French food, you are likely to get hungry while watching her videos. You will find many recipes (all vegans, of course!) on her channel and her blog. She doesn’t speak too fast, so her videos are relatively easy to follow..
French YouTubers from Outside France
French isn’t spoken only in France. Actually, it’s one of the only languages to be found on every continent. These last three YouTubers are not from France, so you can hear different accents.
8. Amélie Barbeau -- DIY and Recipes from Quebec
On Amélie’s channel, you will find DIY, recipes, comedy, and recommendations. She’s from Quebec, and has a lovely accent.
Many French people make fun of the Quebec accent. I’m not sure why. I guess somehow there’s this French disdain thinking we, the French, are the ones who speak the original French language, and thus the best version of it. Yet for some reason I love the Quebec accent. It has un air de je-ne-sais-quoi.
Maybe learning new languages has opened my mind and made me less judgemental with native speakers of my mother tongue. Amélie has a second channel where you can follow her through her everyday life.
9. JamCore DZ -- Fitness Videos in French
Jamo makes videos about fitness, bodybuilding, and food. He’s an ex-pro bodybuilder from Algeria, and now fitness coach. You can also see vlogs about his life on his channel. And he gives tips about ramadan like how to deal with it when you’re a bodybuilder.
10. Lauranne -- Beauty and Fashion Reviews in French
Lauranne makes vlogs and review videos about beauty and fashion. She’s also a great fan of Disney and Harry Potter.
Lauranne is from Belgium. But you can’t really tell since she only has a slight accent. If you pay really close attention, you can hear it in words like rien, on the nasal vowel.
Bonus: 3 More Online TV Channels in French
There are three more online channels that I want to give you in this post. The first two aren’t YouTube channels per se but mini TV shows that aired on French television. You can now watch all the videos on their YouTube channels. And the last channel isn’t native content, because the videos aren’t made by French native speakers.
Bonus 1: Serge le Mytho
The first one is Serge le Mytho, where the main character can’t stop lying about his life. Mytho is slang for liar. It’s the short version of mythomane, which designates someone who has a pathology and can’t stop making stories and telling lies.
These videos are really challenging, and I recommend them only if you already have an advanced level of French. Or if you want to learn some verlan .
Bonus 2: Bloqués
The second bonus is Bloqués where two friends who don’t know what to do spend most of their time on their couch talking. They speak slower than most YouTubers, but they use a fair amount of slang. The actors are two French rappers from Normandy.
Bonus 3: DamonAndJo
And finally, the last channel of this post: Damon and Jo. They are two travel YouTubers born in the 90s. Not only do they have a great presence in front of the camera, but they also speak several languages. They share with us their struggles when learning foreign languages. They have many videos in French (which they are very good at!), and they have tutorial videos where they show us how to learn French. It’s an excellent opportunity to see what other French learners are struggling with, and to learn from their past mistakes.
Over to You
Now you have no excuse to not hone your French skills while binge-watching YouTube videos!
What are your favourite YouTube channels in French? Let me know in the comments.
The post French YouTube Channels: 10 Youtube Channels to Take Your French to the Next Level appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.
April 16, 2018
Beautiful Spanish: 15 Romantic Words for “Beautiful” in Spanish
Yet if you want to tell your Spanish-speaking valentine how attractive they are, you may be unsure exactly how to say it it. There are many ways in Spanish to say "beautiful", just like there are many ways to say it in English: "attractive", "handsome", "good-looking", "pretty", "cute", "hot", "fit", "sexy", and so on.
It seems that beauty is a concept for which humans just can’t stop inventing new words. This article will show you some of the most common Spanish adjectives for “beautiful”, and explain the finer points of their usage.
Read this article and you'll never be short of a way to tell a beautiful Spanish speaker that you like how they look.
1. Bello / Bella - “Beautiful”
Bello/bella is a safe, all-purpose word that you can use to mean "beautiful" or "lovely". It's a bit formal, especially in Spain, but it can describe anything: beautiful people, beautiful clothes, a beautiful view, a beautiful mind.
There’s also a closely-related noun belleza, which means "beauty".
2. Bonito / Bonita - “Pretty” or “Nice”
Bonito / bonita also means "beautiful", but it's not quite as strong as bello. It’s closer to "pretty" or "nice".
This adjective is more common than bello and, like bello, can describe anything - not just a person.
Just be careful if you see bonito on a menu. When used as a noun, the word refers to a type of fish that's similar to tuna (and has the same name in English).
3. Guapo / Guapa - “Handsome”
Guapo/guapa is a word with some regional variations. Most commonly, it describes an attractive person, especially male, and isn't really used for beautiful objects or places.
In some regions of Spain, however, guapo is used more liberally. As well as meaning "attractive" when describing a person, more generally it can mean something like "cool" or "awesome".
In other places, guapo can mean "brave" or "bold". In some parts of Latin America it can even mean a "bully" or "braggart". One Puerto Rican commenter says that where he's from, calling a man guapo "could definitely cause a fight."
You know how the word “handsome” in English is only really used for men, not women? Guapo is a bit like that, but not quite as strong. You do hear women being called guapa, but it’s more common to hear them being called bonita. Men, on the other hand, are more likely to be called guapo than bonito.
4. Lindo / Linda - “Lovely”
Lindo/linda is more common in Latin America than Spain (and is also very common in Brazilian Portuguese). It's similar in meaning to bonito/bonita: it can mean "beautiful", "pretty", "lovely", or "nice".
In Latin America you can also use lindo as an adverb. For example, ella canta lindo means "she sings beautifully."
5. Bueno/Buena - “Good Looking”
You’ve surely encountered bueno/buena before, as it’s one of the most common adjectives - in fact one of the most common words - in the Spanish language.
Bueno usually means “good”, but it has some hidden tricks. If I told you about a girl I know who is buena, what do you think it means?
To quote Bill Clinton, it depends on what the meaning of the word "is" is. Remember that "is" in Spanish can be está (from estar) or es (from ser).
Ella es buena, means she’s "good" in the sense that she’s a good person. She’s moral, virtuous, and does the right thing. (Similarly, ella es malo means "she's (a) bad (person)".)
On the other hand, if I said ella está buena, I’m saying that she’s good-looking. If I want to hammer the point home, I could even say ella está bueníssima - she’s very attractive.
6. Hermoso/Hermosa - “Gorgeous”
Another common word, hermoso/hermosa is used for beautiful people, places, and things. It's a bit more wide-ranging than bello - translations include "beautiful", "gorgeous", "nice", or even (in Latin America) "noble".
Remember that bello had a noun cousin called belleza? Hermoso has a similar relationship with hermosura, which means "beauty". You can also say una hermosura to mean "a beautiful woman".
7. Atractivo/Atractiva - “Attractive”
You guessed it - atractivo/atractiva means "attractive". You can use it in pretty much the same way as in English, for people, places, or things.
El atractivo is also a masculine noun meaning "attraction", "appeal", or "charm".
8. Radiante - “Radiant”
Another word that's similar to the English - radiante means "radiant" or "beaming". It’s not just limited to describing people: for example, una mañana radiante means "a radiant/beautiful morning"
9. Precioso/Preciosa - “Gorgeous” or “Lovely”
You can call a person, place or thing precioso/preciosa. It means they're "gorgeous" or "lovely". The English cognate "precious" can make sense too: for example, a diamante (diamond) is a piedra preciosa (precious stone).
10. Rico/Rica - “Cute”
Rico/rica usually means "rich", or “wealthy”. When describing food, it also means "tasty" or "delicious".
However, rico/rica can also be used with people, places, and things to mean "lovely" or "cute". If you use estar to say that a person is rich - e.g. él está rico, it can also be understood to mean "sexy".
11. Mono/Mona - “Pretty”
Mono/mona is a word with many meanings. As a noun, mono means monkey - but it's not (necessarily) offensive to call a person mono or mona. When used as an adjective, it can mean "pretty" or "cute."
The noun mono can also mean "overalls" or "jumpsuit", or it can be a slang term for "craving" or "withdrawal symptoms." Just don't confuse it with moño, which means "bun" (as in the hairstyle) or, in Latin America, a ribbon or bow.
12. Macizo/Maciza - “Hot”
Most literally, macizo/maciza means "solid" - as in madera maciza ("solid wood"). However, it's also a colloquial term in Spain for "attractive". Saying that someone está macizo/a is like saying they're "hot", "hunky", or a "babe".
13. Bombón - Sweet Like Chocolate
A bombón is a type of small chocolate or candy - the exact type depends on your dialect. But it can also mean "an attractive person" - a "beauty" or "stunner". So call your lover a bombón if you want them to know that you find them sweet.
14. Sexy/Sexi - “Sexy”
No prizes for guessing what sexy means - it's a recent import from English. Like many such anglicismos, the spelling isn't consistent. Sometimes it's written in the original English way (“sexy”), but sometimes it's written as sexi to better match Spanish spelling rules.
15. Estar Como un Queso - “Like a Cheese”
Finally, an amusing slang term from Spain. If someone tells you that you're como un queso ("like a cheese"), how should you react? Are they saying you need to take a shower?
Believe it or not, you’re receiving a compliment. Estar como un queso means "to be attractive/tasty/dreamy/hot". Perhaps a strange way to put it, but don’t get offended if someone says it to you. They’re being nice! Or maybe your feet just stink - who knows?
A Warning about “Hot” in Spanish
Before we finish, a word of warning. If you want to call someone very beautiful in Spanish, you might think of the English slang term “hot” - but think twice before calling a Spanish speaker caliente.
While this adjective does literally mean "hot", someone who's caliente is in fact aroused - and if you’re not careful, telling someone they’re caliente could earn you a slap. You have been warned.
Spanish Words For Beautiful - Your Call
Are there are any beautiful, sexy, cute, radiant, splendid, or lovely words that I've missed? What are your favourite ways to compliment a sexy Latino/Latina/Spaniard? Let us know in the comments.
The post Beautiful Spanish: 15 Romantic Words for “Beautiful” in Spanish appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.
April 13, 2018
French Accent Marks: The Ultimate Guide
French has several different accent marks, also known as "diacritics". They serve several different purposes in the language. Sometimes they affect pronunciation, sometimes they don't. Sometimes they can completely change the meaning of a word.
Getting your accents right is the difference between being a pêcheur (fisherman) and a pécheur (sinner). Which one would you rather have on your résumé?
So let's look at the different types of French accent and how they're used. We'll cover all the different types of accent, how they're pronounced (if they're pronounced at all), and the effect they have on a word's grammar and/or meaning. We'll also look at plenty of examples of French words with accents which should help make things clear.
French Accents List: The 5 French Accent Marks
French uses five different types of diacritic. In no particular order, they are:
ç - the cedilla (la cédille)
é - the acute accent (l'accent aigu)
â/ê/î/ô/û - the circumflex (l'accent circonflexe)
à/è/ì/ò/ù - the grave accent (l'accent grave)
ë/ï/ü - the trema (l'accent tréma)
So how do you read, write, or pronounce these letters? What do the accent marks mean?
French Accent Pronunciation Guide
Let’s take a look at how to pronounce each of the five French accent marks. I’ll also explain the purpose of each of the accents.
1. The Cedilla (La Cédille) in French
The cedilla in French looks like a little squiggle beneath the letter "c": "ç". This accent mark only goes with the letter “c” -- it's not found under any other letter.
It's a simple symbol to understand: a ç (c with a cedilla) is pronounced like an "s".
You'll only ever see a "ç" before an "a", "o", or "u". (Remember that "c" before an "e" or "i" is pronounced like an "s" anyway, so adding a cedilla wouldn't change anything.)
Two common words that contain cedillas are garçon ("boy", or "waiter" in a restaurant) and français (French!). You can also occasionally see it in English in loanwords like façade.
2. The Acute Accent (L'Accent Aigu) in French
The acute accent is only ever found above an "e", as in "é". Its role is to change the pronunciation of the vowel.
An unaccented "e" can be pronounced several different ways, but when you see "é", there's no ambiguity. An é (e with an acute accent) is always pronounced the same way.
So what way is that? Many books and websites will tell you that "é" is pronounced like the English "ay", as in "say" or "way".
There's just one problem with this piece of advice: it's wrong. Sure, the "ay" sound is close to the French "é" sound, but it's not quite the same. If you pronounce "é" like an "ay", it will be a dead giveaway that your native language is English.
To understand how "é" is pronounced, let's examine the English "ay" sound a little closer.
Try saying "say" or "way" very slowly, drawing out the vowel at the end. Notice that as you say "aaaaaay", your tongue moves.This is because "ay" is secretly not one but two vowels said in quick succession. (Linguists call such double vowels "diphthongs".)
The French "é" is the first of the two vowel sounds that make up the English "ay" diphthong. To pronounce "é" accurately, position your tongue like you're about to say "ay", but once you start making noise, don't move your tongue or lips. Keep them steady for the entire duration of the sound.
As native English speakers, we often find it hard to shake the habit of "doubling up" this sound and pronouncing it like an "ay" - but with practice, you should remember.
(If you're familiar with the International Phonetic Alphabet, note that the IPA for the "é" sound is /e/. Also note that the French "é" sound is the same as the Spanish "e" sound, which I explained in detail in point #2 of this article. Even if you don't speak Spanish, you may find that explanation helpful for your French).
3. The Grave Accent (L'Accent Grave) in French
The grave accent can be found above an "a", an "e", or a "u" (à/è/ù). It does a few different things.
Firstly, it's used above an "a" or "u" to distinguish words which have the same pronunciation but different meanings:
a vs à:
a is the third-person singular form of avoir ("to have")
à is a preposition that can mean "at", "to", or "in"
ça vs çà
ça is a pronoun meaning "it" or "that"
çà is an interjection that's hard to translate. It can express worry or surprise (like saying "uh-oh!") or it can be mere verbal filler, like saying "hey" or "well".
la vs là
la is the feminine form of the word "the" - or it other contexts it can mean "her".
là means "there" or "that
ou vs où:
ou means "or"
où means "where". Note that this is the only word in the entire French language where you'll find a circumflex above the letter "u"!
You can also find a grave accent in déjà ("already") and deçà ("closer than"), although "déja" and "deça" without the accent aren't words.
Above an "a" or a "u", a grave accent doesn't change the pronunciation. Above an "e", however, it tells you that the vowel is pronounced "eh", like the "e" in "get" (IPA /ɛ/).
There are many ways to pronounce an unaccented "e" in French. The grave accent makes it clear that you must say /ɛ/, when otherwise the "e" might be a different sound, or silent.
4. The Circumflex (L'Accent Circonflexe) in French
The circumflex, which looks like a little pointy hat, can be found above all five vowels in French: â, ê, î, ô, or û. Its usage is somewhat complicated.
First, it tells you how to pronounce "a", "e", and "o":
"â" is pronounced roughly like an English "ah" as in an American "hot" or British "bath".
"ê" is pronounced like an English "eh" as in "get" - the same as if it was "è" with a grave accent.
"ô" is pronounced roughly like an English "oh" as in "boat" or "close". It's the same sound found in the French word au.
When placed over an "i" or "u", a circumflex doesn't change the pronunciation, except in the combination "eû". Jeûne ("fast" as in a dietary fast) is pronounced differently from jeune ("young").
So why bother writing a circumflex when it doesn't affect pronunciation? The answer takes us back hundreds of years.
Take the word forêt, which means "forest". As you might guess, the English and French words share a common root. As time went on, French people stopped pronouncing the "s", but they continued to write it - it was a silent letter, of which English has many.
Eventually, it was decided to change the spelling of the word to remove the superfluous "s". But for whatever reason, the French intelligentsia didn't want to erase all trace that this "s" had ever existed - so it was decided to add a circumflex to the "e" in its place. The circumflex is an etymological tombstone - it tells you "hey, there used to be an extra letter here!"
Compare these French words to their English cognates:
ancêtre - "ancestor"
août - "August"
côte - "coast"
forêt - "forest"
hôtel - "hostel"
hôpital - "hospital"
pâté - "paste"
rôtir - "to roast"
Most commonly, a circumflex denotes a missing "s", but it's sometimes used for other letters. For example, âge (age) and bâiller (to yawn) were once spelt aage and baailler.
The circumflex is also handy for distinguishing certain pairs of identically-pronounced words:
sur vs. sûr:
- sur is a preposition meaning "on", or an adjective meaning "sour".
- sûr means "sure" or "certain”. Note that the circumflex is still present in inflected forms like the feminine sûre, or in derived words like sûreté (security).
du vs. dû:
- du means "of the" - it's a contraction of de (of) and le (masculine form of "the").
- dû is the past participle of devoir - "to have to". Unlike sûr, the circumflex is not kept in the inflected forms: so it's dû in the masculine singular but due, dus, and dues in the other three forms.
mur vs. mûr:
- un mur is "a wall".
- mûr means "ripe" or "mature", as well as being a slang term for "drunk". The circumflex is preserved in the inflected forms (mûre, mûrs, mûres), and in related words like mûrir (to ripen.)
5. The Trema (L'Accent Tréma) in French
Finally, we have the trema: two little dots above a letter. It can be found above an "e", "i", or "u": ë, ï, ü.
The trema is also sometimes called a "diaeresis" or "umlaut", although technically it's not an umlaut. The umlaut and diaeresis are unrelated things that evolved in different places and only look the same by coincidence - but that doesn’t matter here.
You may recognise the trema from the names Zoë and Chloë. Here, the trema tells you that the "o" and "e" are pronounced separately - so they rhyme with "snowy", not "toe".
(If only David Jones had taken the stage name "Boë" instead of "Bowie", all the confusion about its pronunciation could have been avoided).
Some English style guides suggest you use the trema (also known as a "diaeresis", pronounced "die-heiresses") for a host of other words, like reëlect or coöperate. However, in practice almost no-one does this.
In French, the trema works the same way, and it's much more common than in English. It's written over the second of two vowels to tell you that they must be pronounced separately, whereas without the accent they might combine into a completely different sound:
coïncidence (coincidence)
Jamaïque (Jamaica)
Noël (Christmas)
This is by far the most common use of the trema.
There a confusing exception when you consider adjectives which end in a "gu" - like our friend aigu (acute), as in l'accent aigu.
What it we want to use aigu with a feminine noun, like douleur (pain)? Normally we'd add a silent "e". The problem is that "gue" in French is pronounced as "g", with a silent "e" *and *"u" (You can see the same rule in English words like "fugue" or "vague").
To get around this problem, French uses a trema: the feminine form of aigu is aigüe, as in douleur aigüe. Since the French Spelling Reform of 1990, the trema is officially supposed to go on the "u", although you'll often still see people writing aiguë.
How to Type French Accents
French computers generally use the AZERTY keyboard layout, which has some major differences from our familiar QWERTY - including some special keys for typing accents.
Learn to type in a new layout if you’re feeling hardcore. For everyone else, there are fairly convenient ways to type accents in French (or any other language) on QWERTY. Here's how you can do it on Windows or a Mac:
How to Type French Accents On a PC
The following shortcuts should work in newer versions of Windows:
To type "ç" or "Ç", press Ctrl + ,, then "c" or "C".
To type "é" or "E", press Ctrl + ', then "e" or "E".
To type a vowel with a circumflex press Ctrl + Shift + ^, then the vowel.
To type a vowel with a grave accent press Ctrl + `, then the vowel.
To type a vowel with a trema press Ctrl + `, then the vowel.
If that doesn't work, you can try inputting the character code directly.
Each accented character can be entered with a four-digit code. Simply press the "alt" key, then enter the French accent codes below. (Note: you'll need to enter them with the number pad on the right-hand side of your keyboard, not the number keys above the letters.)
Character
Code Lowercase
Code Uppercase
ç
Alt + 0199
Alt + 0231
é
Alt + 0233
Alt + 0201
â
Alt + 0226
Alt + 0194
ê
Alt + 0234
Alt + 0202
î
Alt + 0238
Alt + 0206
ô
Alt + 0244
Alt + 0212
û
Alt + 0251
Alt + 0219
à
Alt + 0224
Alt + 0192
è
Alt + 0232
Alt + 0200
ì
Alt + 0236
Alt + 0204
ò
Alt + 0242
Alt + 0210
ù
Alt + 0249
Alt + 0217
ë
Alt + 0235
Alt + 0203
ï
Alt + 0239
Alt + 0207
ü
Alt + 0252
Alt + 0220
How to Type French Accents On a Mac
Generally, you can type "special characters" on a Mac by using the Option/Alt key. That's the one labelled "⌥", between "ctrl" and "cmd". Here's what you need to know for French:
Character
Keys
cedilla
Alt + c
acute accent
Alt + e
circumflex
Alt + n
grave accent
Alt + `
trema
Alt + u
To add a letter with a diacritic, press the appropriate key combination, then press the key for the letter you want the diacritic to belong to. For example, to type "ì", press "alt" + "`" together, then release them and press "i".
The exception is the cedilla - pressing "alt" + "c" inputs a "ç" directly, without the need to press "c" again afterwards.
Depending on your keyboard and system settings, you may also be able to type special characters by holding down a regular letter key. For example, when I hold down "e" on my Mac for a second or so:
Now to get the accented "é", I just press "2".
French Accent Marks -- Have Your Say
That covers it! As you can see, the accent rules are a bit complicated, but they're not impossible. Remember that they don't always affect pronunciation: so if your focus is speaking, not every accent rule needs to be studied in great detail just yet.
Do you have any tricks or tips for remembering the French accent rules? Let us know in the comments.
The post French Accent Marks: The Ultimate Guide appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.
April 9, 2018
Why You Should Attend a Language Conference
About a year and a half before I began taking French in school, the first Polyglot Conference had already been held in Budapest. Soon after, there were talks of a new meeting of polyglots to be held. Its name: the Polyglot Gathering.
By the time I had begun my Italian journey in early 2015, I had a plethora of resources to help me learn my first foreign language independently. I soon fell in love with lectures from great polyglots, like Luca Lampariello, Olly Richards, and Benny Lewis ;).
As much as I loved these resources, the idea of a conference, with dozens of tongues being spoken, excited me to the core. However, there were several obstacles working against me. For one, I was (and still am) a student. Unlike these polyglots I idolized, I couldn’t pack up and travel in a moment’s notice around the world.
On top of this, I didn’t consider myself "good" enough in French and Italian to go to one of these conferences. Being a pre-teen isn’t the most comfortable stage in life; trying to speak a foreign language that you’ve just started doesn’t make it any easier!
I Thought I Had Missed My Opportunity...
About a year and a half later, I felt much more relaxed. I discovered that languages were my true passion, and I had raised my Italian to a C1 level as a 13 year old. Although I enjoyed my French class, the pace of the class slowed to a near crawl. To supplement this, I began to study French at home.
Although I still enjoyed watching videos from the numerous Polyglot Conferences and Gatherings, I had also moved to reading every language blog out there, including I Will Teach You A Language , italki’s blog, and Fluent in 3 Months. I read insatiably, soaking up every and any language learning method.
Sadly, the possibility of attending a language conference dimmed in my mind. The closest one to me was the North American Polyglot Symposium (now called LangFest), and even that was a 4 hour drive! Not to mention that the event had already passed, to my disappointment.
“Do You Want to Go to NYSAFLT?”
One day, as I was toiling away at the French concept of the passé composé, my aunt came over. She had learned Spanish to proficiency, and was a teacher of Spanish at a middle school. As we talked about languages, and our shared love of Fluent in 3 Months and other blogs, she told me that she had a gift for me.
As I opened my eyes, I saw that it was a program to a language conference! Not to any old conference, but the New York State Association of Foreign Language Teachers’ Annual Conference (otherwise known as NYSAFLT).
Every year in late October, teachers from across New York converge upon a conference center to talk about new strategies, new research in the field of foreign languages, and new developments across the state. Over 75 presentations, and countless exhibitors, showing off what they could do for students’ proficiency! And it just so happened that all of this was going to be held 20 minutes away from my house!
Most language classes don’t get a good rap, and I can see where some classes can get their bad reputation (case in point: my snail-paced French class). However, my aunt and I thought that if we could change the conversation on actual communication in the classroom (pun intended), we could inspire proficiency in students all across New York!
Without hesitation, I immediately accepted her invitation, and before I knew it, I was at NYSAFLT!
Caption: My aunt and me at a Festival of Nations I organized in May, 2016
My First Day At a Language Conference
As soon as I arrived, I felt a little nervous. With all of these professionals walking around me, I couldn’t help but feel awe-inspired. As my aunt and I gathered our materials for the day, she introduced me to the coordinator of the event. He told me that I had been one of the first (if not the first) student to attend the conference. To his recollection, there hadn’t been one. I couldn’t believe it; I was making NYSAFLT history!
Throughout the weekend, as foreign languages fluttered about, I had a great time at the conference. My aunt and I learned a lot about languages (and those who teach them as well). I could go on and on about why you should attend a language conference, but I have narrowed it down to five reasons why you should attend.
1. Learn From The Best in the Field
I had learned all about independent language learning from Benny and Luca, but what about learning in a classroom? The teachers whom I listened to were seasoned, experienced, and extremely thoughtful in their presentations. These professionals cited their own research at times, because they had taken the initiative to survey their students and ask them what they had to say about learning a language.
Likewise, the polyglots at a language conference know what they are talking about. After all, they have learned at least 5 or 6 languages to a high proficiency. Countless times I’ve seen polyglots survey their own readers, whether it’s for the best language courses, or asking for their advice on other topics. Also, their experiences and their stories are extremely relatable to my own struggles and challenges, and anyone can use their strategies to overcome them.
Regardless, the similarities between these polyglots and the language teachers are numerous. Their expertise, research, challenges, and successes can all help anybody who’s willing to listen. I guarantee that you will be better informed on the given topic than anybody in your language learning circle if you attend a language conference.
2. Ask Questions Direct to the Pros
During these presentations, I would often hesitate to ask questions,
thinking about what everyone else would think of me if I asked a question. I shook off these fears and fired away. Let me tell you: it is totally worth it!
Asking a question directly to those who know the material most can only help you in your language endeavors. You get a clear, crystal-cut answer from the professional. I know that many people are naturally shy; however, if you wait too long, you’ll miss an opportunity to further your language strategy.
I believe that it is better to go into a conference and ask more questions than necessary than none at all and have regrets later. I always like to bring a piece of paper to every conference I go to, so I can record notes about what I liked about the presentation, and answers to my questions.
Another thing I like to do is ask the presenter if I can access their materials/presentation while at home. At NYSAFLT, the organizers put together an “NYSAFLT Annual Conference” Google Drive folder, where you could access some of the presentations’ handouts and other materials.
3. Network! Make New Friends and Contacts
At many conferences, there will be an opportunity to visit exhibitors and vendors. Typically, this room holds representatives for companies in the field of language learning, travel agencies, and other organizations pertaining to the field.
Here, I made several new friends and many new contacts. For example, a local chapter of French language teachers sponsored an exhibit. Asking what I could do to help out at the local level, they told me that I could write an article in their quarterly journal. After a busy summer of writing posts for other language blogs, my entry in Le Cocorico appeared at the beginning of March!
Another example of a contact I made was with the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese (or AATSP). With my aunt, we learned about the association, its advocacy work, and more. They also provided some resources for me to do some things pertaining to them, something I wouldn’t have ever discovered without them. They also provided me with confidence, something discussed in the following paragraphs.
4. Practice Your (Weaker) Languages
When I attended the NYSAFLT Annual Conference, my Spanish wasn’t great, to say the least. My only memorized phrases were “Hola”, “Cómo estás”, and “Mi español no es bueno”. It was a starting point; after all, the expert in anything was once a beginner, right?
After every session, we broke for a half hour to go to the exhibitors. When I visited the AATSP booth, I exchanged greetings with both teachers, in Spanish. Thinking that I was fluent, they began to talk to me about their mission and goals, entirely in Spanish!
I was caught up in a whirlwind, not knowing where to turn or what to say or think! But slowly I realized that I understood most of what was being said, thanks to my study of Italian and French. When they began asking me questions, I couldn’t believe it: I began to piece together sentences in Spanish, a language I had only begun passively studying a month before!
Don’t get me wrong, I still practiced my French and Italian, and I had wonderful conversations in the weekend that I spent at the conference. However, I suggest that you get out of your comfort zone and speak your weaker languages as well to strengthen them!
What better place is there to polish your wobbly language skills with patient, encouraging mentors? Not to mention you’ll impress polyglots whose blogs you read and work you admire. Nobody will judge you on your language skills (unlike the French), so why not practice your French with someone a little less harsh than un français or une française ;)?
After holding my own in my first Spanish conversation, I was pumped for more Spanish. I was hesitant about jumping back to square one, and feeling uneasy, nervous, and anxious again. I am extremely thankful for those two teachers, who convinced me (unknowingly) to continue learning Spanish. If it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t be anywhere near fluent in Spanish, and wouldn’t have the Hispanic friends or connections I have today.
5. Relight Your Fire for Languages
This is, by far, the biggest why for attending a conference. The many attendees you will meet will encourage and inspire your own learning. As a student, I received heaps of encouragement from teachers across the state, from the Adirondacks to New York City.
I was particularly motivated after a session that was conducted completely in Italian. The presentation dealt with Italian films and their effect on the culture in general. I was able to follow along, participate, and ask questions during the entire seminar! It was definitely a huge moment for me and my language learning. Seeing that I could participate and contribute to a session in a non-native language was something that definitely made my aunt very proud.
After the conference, I thought I could conquer the world; I felt great! Keeping the momentum going after the conference is a different story, but I was able to make so many great connections and I steamed ahead, not being able to wait for the next language conference I would be able to attend.
My Next Big Step: Becoming an NYSAFLT Presenter!
In the end, my first NYSAFLT conference enriched my life through new friends, new knowledge, and the connections and work I have done following the conference.
While searching the web at the beginning of 2017, I came across an advertisement for NYSAFLT 2017. It just so happened that it would be the 100th Annual Conference! Inside the advertisement was a call for proposals for workshops. Curious, I clicked on the link.
As I read up on the requirements to present at the conference, it appeared to me that I did not have to be a teacher, nor did I need to be an adult! Willing to test my luck, I filled out an application for a workshop of my own: Say Goodbye to Shy: A Student’s Perspective in the Classroom.
It was mid-May, a long time since I had even thought about my presentation, which was submitted in early January. Scrolling through my email, I was stunned. I received the following email from NYSAFLT:
I had been accepted to speak at the conference I had gained so much from! Now I would be able to give back to the language community by passing along my perspective and insights to language teachers across the state!
Piece by piece, I created my NYSAFLT presentation. I pored over every detail, slide, and even the activities! For the month leading up to the conference, I performed countless run-throughs, further refining my presentation and my information. Another project in itself was the handouts: what teachers would literally take away from the conference!
The day of the conference came. As teachers started pouring into the seminar, I began to think to myself: The moment has arrived! In the end, over 30 teachers attended the presentation!
That’s me at the front of the room, along with all the attendees participating in an activity I created! As the presentation continued, I became more and more comfortable. By the time the hour was up, I couldn’t believe how fast it had passed!
If it weren’t for my initial venture with my aunt to the NYSAFLT Conference, I would not have been able to do many things: begin seeing languages from an educator’s point of view, begin guest posting on the biggest blogs in language learning, and impact the statewide language community by presenting at the 100th Annual NYSAFLT Conference.
If you take anything away from this article, take away this: language conferences can only help your language learning, by boosting your motivation, helping you make new friends, and giving you access to expert advice about learning languages. So, what are you waiting for? Go to a language conference today, and I might see you there!
The post Why You Should Attend a Language Conference appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.
April 4, 2018
70 Terms of Endearment from Around the World (for Those You Love)
No, not the 1983 movie starring Jack Nicholson that you probably haven't seen (me neither). I'm referring to the affectionate words that people use to address their friends and loved ones, like "sweetheart", "baby", or "honey", "mate", "dude", or "buddy".
English has many terms of endearment. Other languages are full of them too. In this article we'll list some of the more common and interesting terms of endearment from different languages and dialects around the world -- these include terms of endearment for lovers, and for friends.
Let's start by having a closer look at the English-speaking world. After that, we’ll look at terms of endearment from other countries around the world, including translations into English.
English Terms of Endearment
1. Baby
This is a common way to address a romantic partner (male or female). It would be weird if you said it to someone you're not in a relationship with.
Sometimes this is shortened to "babe". However, "babe" is also a slang term for an attractive woman.
2. Sweetheart
A very affectionate term for a loved one or romantic partner. "Sweetie" is also common.
3. Sugar
Another term of endearment that plays on the theme of sweetness. As we'll see, this is a common theme in terms of endearment around the world.
4. Dude
"Dude" is an American word that's becoming more and more common in English speaking countries all around the world. You can use it to address your male friends. Some people also use it to address women, although this is less common.
Incidentally, I once had the following exchange with a German friend:
Me: "Dude" is more of an American word than a British one.
Her: But what about that Beatles song "Hey Dude"?
American Terms of Endearment
5. Buddy
“Buddy” is an all-purpose American term of endearment, usually for a male friend.
6. Honey
Yet another sweet term of endearment, “honey” often abbreviated to "hun".
7. Son
“Son” is common in the American south, especially when said to a younger male.
8. Bae
“Bae” is a recent abbreviation for "babe", popularised by hip-hop and R&B lyrics.
Fun fact: "bae" is also a Danish word for "poop".
British Terms of Endearment
9. Love
This is sometimes written "luv". You don't have to be in love with someone to use this word - it's a more general term of affection, usually said to a member of the opposite sex.
In some parts of the UK people might also call you "my love" or "my lover" - even if they're not literally your lover. Needless to say, this sounds strange to American ears.
10. Pet
Some find find it weird or even offensive to be called "pet", but in the northeast of England this is a common term of affection, especially among the older generation.
11. Duck
“Duck” or “my duck” is a term of endearment used in some regions of England, and especially said by older people. It’s thought to be a mutation of the word “duke”, rather than referring to the quacking bird.
Australian Terms of Endearment
12. Mate
I could have included this one under "British terms of Endearment", because it's very common in the UK as well. But for some reason the word "mate" is stereotypically associated with Australians, as in the classic Australian greeting "g'day mate".
13. Possum
A possum is a smallish marsupial mammal that's native to Australia. The word "possum" is also, strange though it may seem, a term of endearment that's native to Australia.
14. Cobber
Not to be confused with "copper" (police officer), "cobber" is a generic Australian term of endearment that's similar in meaning to "mate".
Old-Fashioned Terms of Endearment
Terms of endearment are apparently as old as language itself. For some reason, humans have never had a big thing for calling each other by their real names.
With that in mind, let's take a quick look at some (English) terms of endearment that aren't so common anymore.
15. Bully
That's right: "bully" used to mean something quite different to what it means today.
According to Oxford Dictionaries, in the sixteenth century "bully" was a compliment. To call someone a "bully" was somewhat like calling them "darling".
Nowadays, a "bully" is someone who intimidates or exploits the weak and vulnerable. That's a pretty major shift in meaning!
16. Cinnamon
Yet another food-related term of endearment.I've never heard anyone be called "cinnamon" in real life, but it may have been common in the 14th century.
That's when Chaucer published The Canterbury Tales, which includes the following snippet of dialogue:
"What do ye, honeycomb, sweet Alisoun?
My faire bird, my sweet cinamome"
17. Chuck
Nowadays "chuck" is a verb meaning "throw", an abbreviation for "woodchuck", or a male first name that originated as a nickname for "Charles".
However, in times gone by, "chuck" was also a familiar term for a romantic partner, child, or anyone close to you. It's one of many examples of a term of endearment that has fallen out of use. Although, as this article is hopefully showing you, new terms of endearment are invented as fast as they're forgotten.
(Linguistic trivia: among U.S. Marines in the Vietnam War, "chuck" was a non-derogatory slang term for a white marine. The equivalent term for an African-American marine was a "splib".)
Spanish Terms of Endearment
18. Tío/Tía - “Uncle/Aunt”
Time to move on to another language. In Spain (but not in Latin America), it's extremely common to address your friends as "tío" or "tía".
These words mean "uncle" and "aunt" respectively, but they're not exclusively for relatives. It's like calling someone "dude" or "mate" in English.
19. -ito/ita
When I speak my native English, I sorely miss a few features that are common in other European languages. One such feature is the "diminutive" suffix.
You know how "kitty" is a cute and affectionate way of saying "cat"? In Spanish, you can make the same change to practically any noun by adding -ito (for masculine nouns) or -ita (for feminine nouns) to the end.
It's hard to give an exact translation for these suffixes. Most literally, they mean "small" - so casa means "house" while and casita means "a small house". But they also imply familiarity and affection, and add some implied extra charm to the thing you're describing.
So a playful way to address your esposa (wife) would be esposita. Better yet, you can add the same suffixes to someone's name - so Jorge becomes Jorgito. It's cute, endearing, and common.
19. Cariño - “Darling”
Cariño is very a common word that you'd use for a romantic partner. It translates roughly as "dear" or "darling".
You can use cariño to address a man or a woman.
20. Bebé - “Baby”
Remember we covered the English word "baby" earlier? In Spanish, bebé is used in the same way. As in English, it literally means "infant" - but you can use it to address a loved one.
21. Cielo - “Sky”
Cielo literally means "sky", but you can call someone cielo - or mi cielo ("my sky") to express your affection.
To make it cuter, you can say mi cielito - an example of the diminutives that we already discussed.
22. Dulzura - “Sweetheart”
Perhaps it should be unsurprising that terms of endearment in different languages tend to play on the same few themes. Dulzura is the Spanish word for "sweetness", and if you call someone dulzura it's like calling them "sweetheart" in English.
As far as I'm aware, there's no language in which lovers call each other "savoury".
23. Amor - “Love”
Amor means "love", and like in English, you can call a Spanish speaker mi amor - "my love".
24. Corazón - “Heart”
Here's a lyric from the Manu Chao song me gustas tú ("I like you"):
¿Qué hora son, mi corazón? - "What time is it, my heart?"
Chao isn't singing to his cardiac muscles: mi corazón, "my heart", is another way to address a loved one.
Mexican Terms of Endearment
25. Vato - “Guy”
Vato is a Mexican slang term for "guy", similar to tío in European Spanish.
26. Mijo/mija - “My Son/My Daughter”
Mijo and mija are contractions of mi hijo/mi hija ("my son/daughter") They're both endearing terms for a loved one that you'll hear all throughout Central and South America.
They're sometimes written as m'hijo and m'hija. Coincidentally, the noun mijo also means "millet" (a type of cereal.)
French Terms of Endearment
27. Mon cœur - “My heart”
Remember mi corazón in Spanish? Mon cœur in French means the same thing: "my heart". You can say it to someone you're in a loving relationship with (male or female).
It's also common for French parents to say mon cœur to their children.
28. Mon amour - “My love”
Unsurprisingly, the word amour ("love") also appears as a term of endearment. Use mon amour ("my love") in the same way you'd used mon cœur.
29. Mon bébé - “My baby”
Another term of endearment that can be translated directly from English (and Spanish). Mon bébé means "my baby".
Remember that bébé, amour and cœur are all masculine nouns. That means you must always say mon amour/cœur, even if you're talking to a woman.
The feminine form of mon is ma, but this word must have the same gender as the noun being described, not the person being referred to.
30. -et / -ette
We've also seen the Spanish diminutive suffixes -ito and -ita. French has the same concept - they call it le diminutif - except this time around the suffixes are -et (masculine) and -ette (feminine).
Note that the "t" in the masculine version is silent, but the "tt" in the feminine suffix is pronounced. For an example of le diminutif in action, see the next point:
31. Mon chou - “My cabbage”
Another food-related word. But for once, this doesn't refer to a sugary treat. Mon chou literally means... "my cabbage". Yes, French people really say this to each other.
So, about that diminutif. You can say mon chou to a guy or a girl, but if you want to make it cuter, change it to ma choupette. (This version can only be said to a girl.)
Other variations include mon choupinou (said to men) and ma choupinette (said to women). You can also say mon petit chou ("my little cabbage") to a man or young boy.
32. Mon trésor - “My treasure”
In France, you don't have to be a pirate to care about treasure. Mon trésor means "my treasure", and can be said to a man or a woman. Think of it as like calling someone "precious".
33. Ma moitié - “My half”
In English, you can refer to your spouse/girlfriend/boyfriend as your "other half" or "better half". In French, you can simply say ma moitié - "my half".
34. Mon chéri / ma chérie - “My dear”
Can you think of a French speaker whom you cherish? If so, maybe you should call them mon chéri (if they're male) or ma chérie (if they're female). It roughly translates as "darling" or "dear".
Note that, despite the difference in spelling, chéri and chérie are pronounced identically.
Italian Terms of Endearment
35. Dolcezza - “Sweetness”
I hope you have a sweet tooth, because we're far from done with the sugar-related terms of endearment. In Italy you can address your lover as dolcezza - "sweetness" - just like the Spanish word dulzura.
36. Innamorato - “Lover”
Innamorato roughly means "sweetheart" or "lover", although it's rather formal.
37. -ino / -ina
It's time to introduce the Italian diminutive suffixes. Like -ito and -ita in Spanish, diminutives in Italian can be formed with -ino (masculine) and -ina (feminine.)
Like in other languages, you can add these suffixes to someone's name - or you can use them to make a regular "sweet" word sound more endearing, as in some of the following examples:
38. Fragolina - “Little strawberry”
"Honey", "sugar", "sweetheart", and now another sugary word: in Italy the word fragolina ("little strawberry") is used as a term of endearment. It's the diminutive form of fragola.
39. Stella/stellina - “Star”
Stella is more than just a brand of beer - it's the Italian word for "star", and a term of endearment you can call your Italian lover.
40-42. Tesoro/Cuore Mio/Amore Mio - “Treasure/My Heart/My Love”
We’ve seen these before in other languages:
Tesoro - "treasure"
Cuore mio - "my heart"
Amore mio - "my love"
Use them like you would in the languages already mentioned above.
43. Microbino mio - “My little microbe”
Now this is one we definitely haven't seen before! In Italian you can affectionately call someone microbino mio - "my little microbe".
Strange though it may seem, this is a real term of endearment in Italian.
German Terms of Endearment
44. Schatz - “Treasure”
By far the most common term of endearment in German is Schatz, which literally means... "treasure", yet again.
Remember that nouns in German are always capitalised, so Schatz is written with a capital "S" even when it's not at the beginning of a sentence.
45. -chen / -lein
Once again, German has diminutive suffixes that can be added to any noun or someone's name.
In Spanish, you had to pick the right diminutive ending to match the noun's gender. German doesn't quite work like that.
Recall that German has three genders: masculine, feminine, and neuter. Regardless of a noun's gender, you can add -chen or -lein to the end.
There's no real difference in meaning, but -chen is more common. This now changes the word's gender to neuter, if it wasn't already.
You usually need to stick an umlaut onto the new word too - so der Hund (the dog) becomes das Hündchen (the little dog, the doggy.) Note that we now use das instead of der because the gender has changed from masculine to neuter.
Alles klar? Once again, you can use the diminutive form of someone's name to sound more endearing. For example, someone called "Fritz" could be referred to as "Fritzchen".
(Incidentally, you know the character "Little Johnny" who appears in many jokes in English? In German the same type of jokes are told about a boy called Klein Fritzchen - "Little Fritzie".)
46. Liebling - “Favourite”
The most literal translation of Liebling is "favourite", but if you address someone as Liebling, it can also mean something like "darling" or "dear".
The clue is in the first syllable - Liebe means "love".
48. Süsser/Süsse - “Sweet”
Here we go again. Süss in German is an adjective meaning "sweet". Would you be surprised if I told you it can also be used as a term of endearment?
The catch is that to use süss in this way, you have to turn it into a noun. Say Süsse to a woman and Süsser to a man.
48. Maus - “Mouse”
The German word Maus is pronounced very similarly to its English translation: "mouse". But it doesn't just refer to rodents and/or computer apparel - Maus is a common term of endearment that a man might say to his wife or girlfriend.
You can also say Maus to a small child - although in this case it's more common to use the diminutive, Mäuschen.
49. Perle - “Pearl”
You may have noticed that most of these terms of endearment fall into the same few categories. Behind "sugary food" and "cute animals", the third most popular trope is "valuable objects".
In the latter category, we've already seen Schatz. A similar German term of endearment is Perle, meaning "pearl". Call someone your "pearl" or your "treasure" - it's definitely a compliment.
While Schatz is common all over Germany, Perle is a particular favourite in the Ruhr Valley.
50. Hase - “Bunny”
Back to the cute animals. Hase means "bunny", and in Germany you don't have to be a Playboy to call your sweetheart by this name.
Hase is more commonly used for women than for men. The diminutive, Häschen, also works well.
51-54. Extra Long (Compound) Terms of Endearment in German
Of course, we can't talk about German without looking at some compound nouns.
German is famous for its long words, formed by mashing nouns and adjectives together where in English we'd separate them with a space.
Here are a few such compound nouns that you might hear used to address a loved one:
Knuddelbärchen - "cuddle bear"
Mausebär - "mouse bear"
Mausezähnchen - "little mouse tooth"
Honigkuchenpferd - "honey-cake horse"
Yes, all of these words really exist - that's German for you.
Russian Terms of Endearment
55. Милая моя / милый мой - “Sweetie”
Another sugary term of endearment. Милая моя and милый мой mean "sweetie"; say the former to a woman and the latter to a man.
You can also say любимая моя (f.) and любимый мой (m.) to mean "sweetheart."
56. солнышко моё - “My little sun”
If your lover burns brightly in the sky above you, call them солнышко моё - "my little sun".
Other gender-neutral terms of endearment in Russian include радость моя ("my joy"), ангел мой ("my angel"), жизнь моя ("my life") and душа моя ("my soul").
57. котёнок - “Kitten”
This word means "kitten", and can be used as a term of endearment to a man or a woman. You could also call them котик, which is the diminutive form of "cat".
Irish Terms of Endearment
58. Mo Chuisle - “My Pulse”
You may recognise this term of endearment from the movie Million Dollar Baby. It means "my pulse", and it's a shortened form of a chuisle mo chroí (“pulse of my heart”)."
You can also call someone mo chroí ("my heart")
59. A Leanbh - “My Child”
This one literally means “my child.” In Irish songs, it often gets transcribed as “alanna”.
60. Mo Stoirín - “My Little Darling”
This means "my little darling". "Stór" is the Irish word for "darling", and changing it to "stoirín" makes it diminutive, and thus more affectionate.
Mo mhuirnín is also similar in meaning to mo stoirín, and can be used to mean “my darling” or “my sweetheart”
Another version is mo mhuirnín dílis, which means something like “my own true love” or “my faithful darling”.
61. Wee
This one isn't from Irish, but from Irish English, AKA Hiberno English, the dialect of English that's spoken in Ireland.
We've already looked at diminutives in many other languages. As we seen, they can be a cute and fun way to modify words. Sadly, English doesn't have diminutives - at least not in most of its dialects.
In Ireland, however, there is a kind of diminutive - the word "wee". You can stick "wee" in front a noun - e.g. "the wee baby" or "the wee girl" - and it functions roughly like e.g. the "-ito/-ita" suffix that we've already seen in Spanish.
"Wee" is also commonly used this way in Scotland.
Korean Terms of Endearment
62. 애인 (ae-in) - “Sweetheart”
애인 is a common gender-neutral term of endearment in Korean that roughly translates as "sweetheart".
63. 여보 (yeo-bo) - “Darling”
If you're married, you can say 여보 to your husband or wife. It means "darling" or "honey".
Some other terms of endearment you could use for a female lover (whether or not you're married) are 공주님 (gong-ju-nim, "princess") or 우 리강아지 (u-ri gang-a-ji, "my puppy")
A word you could use for your boyfriend or husband is 왕자님 (wang-ja-nim), which means "prince".
64. 오빠 (o-ppa)
Traditionally, 오빠 is a polite word that a woman might say to her older male friends or to an older brother. Increasingly, however, it's used as a romantic term of endearment from a woman to her husband or boyfriend.
Japanese Terms of Endearment
Are terms of endearment really used in Japan? Not in the sense you might be used to from the rest of this article.
If you look up words like "darling" or "sweetheart" in an English-Japanese dictionary, you'll find entries like ダーリン (darling) and スイートハート (sweetheart).
But these aren't real translations - they're just the original English words transliterated into Katakana. You'd get funny looks if you used them in Japan in the same way they're used in English.
So how can you express affection or at least familiarity in Japanese? One way is to use the right "honorific". These are suffixes like "-san" or "-kun" that get added to the end of someone's name.
In English you might address someone as "Mr. Smith"; in Japanese you would call him "Smith-san".
"-San" is used in formal and polite situations, so it's hardly a term of endearment. Two common informal honorifics, on the other hand, are "-chan" (used for women) and "-kun" (used for men). You can use these with your friends and relatives.
If you really want to express affection, however, a more common approach in Japanese is to give someone a nickname, as explained :
Say the name of this other person is Natsuko Yamamoto. When I first meet her, I might call her Yamamoto-san. The use of the last name and the suffix would show that I maintain a proper distance (and respect) for her. If I'm a school friend with her, I would start calling her Yama-chan (more informal suffix) or Natsuko-san (first name is for more closer relationship.) If I'm a really good friend with her, this might further change to, say, Nacchi.
And for the kind of relationship where one could say "my love", I'd come up with another name altogether. Often it still has some sound of original name left, like maybe Naah or Kocco, but it could also be completely unrelated phonetically and come from some shared experience only she and I would know. One usually keep this class of names secret from other people, and to do so, they are not used in front of other people.
As you can see, Japanese does things differently from the other languages on this list!
Portuguese Terms of Endearment
66. -inho/inha
Once again, Portuguese has a system of diminutives. Where Spanish uses -ito and -ita, Portuguese uses -inho and -inha for masculine and feminine nouns (or names) respectively.
So if someone is called Amanda, you could affectionately address them as "Amandinha". Or "Felipe" could become "Felipinho".
If the word ends in a stressed vowel, put a "z" before the suffix - so for example "João" would become "Joãozinho".
67. Amigão - “Big Friend”
So far we've seen many diminutives in many different languages. A cool feature of Portuguese is that it also has the opposite of diminutives, called augmentatives.
Where the diminutive version of a noun implies smallness, the augmentative version implies bigness. So for example, while livro means "book", livrão means "big book".
The augmentative suffix for masculine nouns or names is "-ão". Feminine words use "-ona".
And like diminutives, augmentatives can be used to make a word sound more affectionate.
So while amigo means friend, and you can certainly address someone as amigo, you could also call them amigão. It means "big friend", but don't think about too hard - the person doesn't have to literally be big. It's just a friendly, endearing way to call someone your amigo.
68.-70. Alemão/Polaco/Negão
Finally, some words that are commonly used in Brazil, strange though they may seem to a native English speaker.
If you're a pale-skinned gringo like me, travel to Brazil and you might hear people calling you Alemão ("German") or Polaco ("Pole"). No-one is making an assumption about your nationality - these are just common, friendly ways in Brazil to address someone with light skin.
(Note that the "-ão" in "Alemão" isn't an augmentative; it's just part of the normal, unaltered word. The augmentative version would be "Alemãozão")
In a similar vein, a friendly way to address a black male in Brazil is "negão", which roughly translates as "big black guy".
Despite the English word which it sounds like, negão is generally considered to be inoffensive (although of course you might offend someone if you said it in an obviously hostile tone.) You can hear the characters address each other as negão, for example, in the classic Brazilian movie Cidade de Deus (City of God).
What terms of endearment do you like to use in the languages that you speak? Are there any that I've missed? What are the most interesting or amusing terms of endearment you've heard? Let us know in the comments.
The post 70 Terms of Endearment from Around the World (for Those You Love) appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.
April 2, 2018
20 Everyday German Slang Words (So You Sound Like A Native)
One of the best ways to build new vocabulary, and sound more like a native, is to learn the German slang words people use every day.
By sprinkling words from the German umgangsprache into your daily conversations, you can bring your sentences to life and display emotions you won’t find in German textbooks.
Today I want to show you 20 common German slang words, and how to use use them, so you can begin to sound more like a native today!
1. Alter!
This is one of my favourite German expressions. It can used to express surprise, informally greet someone or as an interjection.
It’s a shortened version of the term, “Alter Schwede” which translates to old Swedish man in English. I’m not sure what old Swedish men did to deserve this term, but you can hear it all over Germany.
You might hear Germans using it as a way to say mate or man to greet you, in a sentence like “Alter, was geht ab?”, which is man, what’s going on?.
You can also use it to express surprise or disbelief in something. For example one of my friends at Rugby asked me my age, and I told him I was 25. He laughed and said, “Alter! Nein, wirklich, wie alt bist du?”, or Man! No, really, how old are you?, which did nothing for my ego as he thought I was 32.
You can use it at the start of a sentence to express disbelief, or to add effect to what you’re saying:
“Alter! Ist das euer Auto?” - Man! Is that your car?
“Alter Schwede! Was hast du gemacht?” - My God! What did you do?
“Alter! Mach doch!” - Man! Get on with it.
2. Moin
Moin is the shortening of the phrase, “Guten Morgen” or good morning in parts of northern Germany. But lots of people have adopted this as a way of saying “Hello!” in German slang, regardless of what time it is.
I even receive emails from friends using “Moin” as a greeting:
I find this term really helpful if you’re saying hello to a group of people - like if you’ve just walked into a party - and you’re not quite sure what to say.
3. Geil
Geil is a word used to describe anything you feel is cool, tasty or an interesting surprise. But it’s also an odd word because “geil” technically means, well…horny.
But Germans don’t think of it in that context when they use it. Kind of how people in English might use sick to describe something good, without thinking the word really means unwell or vomiting.
You’ll often hear geil in sentences like:
“Man, das Essen war so geil!”- Man, that food was amazing!
“Was hat sie gemacht? Geil!” - What did she do? Brilliant!
“Ich habe ein geiles Restaurant gefunden” - I found a really cool restaurant
4. Irre
Irre is used the same way in German as crazy! is used in English. It has both good, and bad, connotations depending on how you use it. But mostly it’s used to express bad situations, like:
“Der Typ is Irre!” - That guy is a lunatic!
“Ich fand es Irre, wie schlecht ihren Kundendienst war” - I found it crazy how bad their customer service was
“Es war total Irre, was sie gemacht hat” - It was crazy what she did
5. Krass
When the German language isn’t using five words to describe one thing, it’s using one word to try and describe everything. Krass is one of those words, because it can be used to portray both good and bad emotion in equal measure.
It’s often heard as a reply to something. For example, “Robert hat 500 Euro mit einem Rubbellos gewonnen” (Robert won 500 Euros on a scratchcard) could be met with, “Krass!” (Cool!).
But it could also be used as a response to something negative, such as, “Robert hat 500 Euro aus meiner Brieftasche geklaut” (Robert stole 500 euros from my wallet), “Krass! Der typ is Irre!”, (What!? That guy is a lunatic)
You can also use it to describe something; “Das Essen hier is krass! Ich liebe es”, (The food here is great! I love it), or “Das Restaurant is krass, ich finde es immer so dreckig”, (That restaurant is awful, it’s always so dirty).
The words around Krass will help to give it context about whether it’s good or bad.
6. Lecker
Lecker is a simple word you can use to say something is tasty. During a meal Germans will often ask you the question, “Schmeckt's?” which means, how is your food?.
You can simply reply by saying, “Ja! Lecker.”
7. Assi
Assi is short for asozial which means chav in British English. You can probably closely relate this to redneck or trailer trash in American English, although it doesn’t quite conjure the same image.
An Assi is someone who is uneducated, unemployed, from a low-income area, who wears fake designer clothes and spends their evenings drinking or doing drugs. This isn’t my opinion, however that’s what people are referring to when they say it.
Assi can also be used to describe something of poor quality or is undesirable. For example, “Ich wollte neue Jeans kaufen, aber alles was ich gesehen hab, war ein bisschen Assi”, (I wanted to buy new jeans, but everything I’ve seen was a little chavvy).
8. Hammer
Hammer is the tool you use to bang nails into wood. It’s the same word in German as in English. But the Germans also use it to describe that something is cool or outstanding.
It can be used simply as, “Hammer!” to respond to something cool you’ve heard or seen. But you can also expand a little bit.
Let’s say you’ve spent the afternoon at a soccer game and someone asked you if you saw the match-winning goal. You could say, “Alter, es war der Hammer!”, wich means Man, it was a doozy!
You can use that sentence on its own to describe lots of things you’ve seen or done.
9. Bescheuert
Bescheuert roughly translates to dumb or stupid in English. But it also comes with the connotation that someone is one sandwich short of a picnic, or their head is, well... up their arsch.
It’s not uncommon to hear Germans referring to particular politicians as “Total bescheuert!” when they disagree with their opinions or policy changes.
10. Quatsch
Quatsch is a fun word to say which comes with a few different meanings.
One of the most common ones is a light-hearted way of saying, Don’t be silly!. For example, “Ich wollte mich bei dir Bedanken, für das Geschenk” (I wanted to thank you for the present) could be met with “Quatsch! Ich wollte dir was schenken” (Don’t be silly! I wanted to give you a present).
Quatch can also be used when you think someone is saying something untruthful. “Was für Quatsch redest du?” (What are you talking about!?).
You can say it to release some frustration. Saying “Quatsch!” out loud when something bad happens is the same as shouting, Bollocks! in English.
Finally, you can turn it into the verb Quatschen to say that you’re just chatting away with someone. “Ich bin jetzt bei Ela. Wir quatchen nur. Ich komme bald nach Hause”, (I’m with Ela right now. We’re just chatting. I’ll come home soon.)
11. Jein
Jein is a mix of the words “Ja” for yes and “Nein” for no. Germans will often use this word to describe when when something isn’t clear cut, or they haven’t yet made a decision.
Let’s say you’re talking to a friend about their relationship status. They’ve been dating someone for a while and you want to know if they’re serious yet. You might ask, “Seid ihr jetzt in einer Beziehung?” Are you in a relationship now?, to which they could say, “Jein” (Yes and no. Maybe. Who knows!?).
12. Mensch!
Mensch means human in German, but it can also be a way of saying man! or oh man!. It’s often used to show dissatisfaction with someone or something. Or, in that moment where you’re two streets away from your house and you realise you left your mobile phone at home.
If you’ve got a friend who does something you’re not particularly fond of you can say, “Mensch!” followed by their name to express your dissatisfaction. “Mensch, Marie!” can be a good way of getting your point across.
And if you’re two streets from home and realise you’ve forgotten your mobile phone, you can exclaim “Mensch!” before turning around and going back.
13. Mist!
Mist is used in the same way as crap or bugger might be used in English. It’s relatively inoffensive and can be used to express mild negative emotions. You know, when something isn’t enough to ruin your day, but you wish it hadn’t happened.
You can slot “Mist!” or “Ach, mist!” in wherever you would say crap or oh crap in your normal everyday conversations.
14. Verarschen
Verarschen is a great word to express when someone is messing you around, pulling your leg or taking the piss.
This can be used in a light-hearted way like, “Ich verarsche dich nur” can be said like I’m just joking around with you. Or if you were to say, “Verarschen kann ich mich selber!” you’d be sarcastically saying, My eye!.
Or if you want to take a more serious standpoint you could say, “Willst du mich verarschen?” (Are you trying to take the piss?), when you feel that someone is doing something to wrong you.
15. Kater
Kater is the German word for hangover.
If you’ve had a heavy night drinking German beer or schnapps, you might wake up the next day and want to say, “Ich habe einen Kater”, meaning I have a hangover.
16. Prima!
Prima is a way of saying something or someone is great. When I hear Prima, it always sounds happy, like an early 19th century English gentleman saying, “Tip top ol’ chap”
Here are some examples of prima in action:
“Das ist prima” - That’s excellent
“Er ist ein prima Kerl!” - He’s a top bloke
“Sie macht das Prima” - She does that so well
17. Besserwisser
Besserwissers are people who think they know everything, refuse to listen to advice, and can never be wrong, You’ll know this term in English as someone who is a Know-it-all, and it works as a direct translation.
18. Ausflippen
Can you use your powers of cognate-deduction to figure out what this word means? It’s close to its English relative.
Ausflippen means to flip out at someone, or about something. You know that moment when someone completely loses control and starts screaming and shouting in a moment of pure anger.
19. Verdammt
Verdammt is another close cognate to an English word. It can be used in the same way as the word damn.
Here are some sentences to give you an idea:
“Verdammt, ich hab mein Handy zuHause vergessen” - Damn, I left my phone at home
“Der verdammten Verkehr geht mir auf den Keks” - The damn traffic is getting on my nerves
“Verdammt, FC Köln haben schon wieder verloren” - Damn, FC Köln lost again
20. Sau-
Sau is a versatile prefix you can add to lots of adjectives to emphasise how extreme something is. A Sau is a female pig, but for some reason it’s also used as a slang.
The first time I heard this word it was the middle of summer at a wine festival in western Germany. It was boiling hot and the people around me would say that it was, “Sauwarm” which means it’s absolutely sweltering.
You can combine some basic vocabulary, and words you’ve learned on this list, to create some native sounding variations:
Saulekker - Incredibly tasty
Saugeil - Insanely cool
Sauteuer - Really expensive
The Word On The Strasse…
By using these German slang words you’ll sound more native and add more colour to your conversations in almost no time at all.
But I want to know, is there any German slang that I’ve missed, or that you’d like to have seen on the list? Let me know in the comments!
The post 20 Everyday German Slang Words (So You Sound Like A Native) appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.
March 30, 2018
How to Learn Finnish: Why Finnish is Easier than You Think
I want you to know, you don’t need to be daunted by your goal of speaking Finnish, no matter what others say.
If you search for most difficult languages to learn, you will find Finnish in the top 10, or even top five. Yet it’s up to you to judge whether Finnish (or any language, for that matter) is difficult to learn or not. It all starts in your mind. If you want it, then go get it!
It doesn’t matter if Finnish is difficult, or easy. What matters is your mentality.
You may already know this quote from Henry Ford:
Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t, you’re right.
Translating this to apply to Finnish:
Whether you think you can learn Finnish, or you think you can’t, you’re right.
So if you ask me, you might as well think you can learn Finnish!
In this article, I’m going to show you what makes Finnish easy. I’m not promising you any magic pill to make you learn Finnish overnight. I’ll simply give you an overview of what you need to know to get started with Finnish, so you can learn Finnish faster and smarter.
Let’s get started!
Finnish Words aren’t Gendered
If you’ve ever learned French, you’ll likely remember when you discovered that French objects have a gender. And headaches followed to figure out if it was le table or la table, la voiture or le voiture. Then perhaps you decided to switch to Spanish and…horror! Spanish objects have a gender too! And the worst had yet to come: Spanish word genders didn’t always match with the French! For example: “The car” is la voiture (French, feminine) and el coche (Spanish, masculine).
But the Finnish language is here to save you. Even though its grammar is a magnificent beast, its nouns and other objects will leave you alone at night. You can sleep tight because there is no gender in Finnish. No feminine, no masculine. Nada. And this doesn’t only apply to objects. Humans have no gender either. For example, “he” and “she” have the same translation. It’s hän in the formal/written form of Finnish.
It gets even better when you start speaking Finnish. In spoken Finnish, “he” and “she” are usually translated by se, which is Finnish for “it”. So you only have one word to learn and remember (se=he/she/it).
Finnish Grammar : Finnish has No Future Tense
Finnish has no future tense. You only need to know and use the present tense.
You might be thinking: “Ok, cool, but how will I know whether we’re talking about today or tomorrow?”
Simple: Context is key. Let’s see an example in English: “Let’s eat here.” You understand that you’re going to eat here, probably now, or in a near future. Now if she had said: “Let’s eat here tomorrow,” in that case you’d understand that she’s not talking about now, or today, but tomorrow. And it’s obvious. The same thing happens in Finnish. You will have clues in the conversation. Here are a few useful words to help you:
today - tänään
tomorrow - huomenna
now - nyt
here - tässä, täällä, tänne
Finnish Pronunciation: Finnish is a Phonetic Language -- So You Can Say What You See!
A phonetic language is a language whose pronunciation follows its written form. So there are no pronunciation traps. What you read is what you say. For me, this is the ultimate feature in a language.
The thing is, I’m French. And to be honest, French is a messed-up language! If you’re learning French, there’s a 99% probability that you will mispronounce a word you’re seeing (without hearing it) for the first time. But none of that happens with Finnish.
I’m not going to give you an exhaustive explanation of Finnish pronunciation. Instead I’m just going to focus on the elements you’re not familiar with. There are only two vowels and two consonants that you need to focus on. The rest is very similar to the English pronunciation.
Let’s start with the vowels. These two new sounds are rounded versions of English vowels. Rounding your lips means that you make them go from flat (or straight, or stretched) to rounded. Make them come closer to the centre of your mouth. Make them form a small circle.
Start by saying “ee”, as in “tee”. While you maintain this sound, round your lips. And you obtain the letter y in Finnish (similar to the French “u”). Now start with “e”, as in “help”. Round your lips, and you obtain the letter ö in Finnish. Et voila! You just learned the two vowels you didn’t know before.
Now for the consonants. The first tricky one is the trilled r. This one needs some practice. This sound is made with the tip of the tongue vibrating by pushing air out of your mouth. My advice is to practice for 5-10 minutes a day until you get it right. Really exaggerate at the beginning to start making it. Practice the sound alone. And then practice it in words and sentences. You will get there little by little. Be patient and keep practicing a little everyday.
The second consonant you need to pay attention to is the Finnish v. It’s a forced version of the English “v”. Something between the English “v” and “w”. Notice the difference between the English “v” and the English “w”? A “w” is a “v” with rounded lips. And the Finnish v is actually like an English “w” but with straight lips (like an English “v”). Or like an English “v” where the lips have the same position but are squeezed! Your upper teeth are touching your lower lip when you pronounce the Finnish v.
If you want to go further into this, take a look at the Wikipedia page for Finnish phonology.
Bonus: The two vowels you just learned also exist in French. So if one day you decide to go back to fight those ugly French articles, then your Finnish pronunciation training will come in handy.
Finnish Intonation: A Simple Stress Pattern
One of the things you need to master in order to reach near-native fluency is intonation.
Every language has its own pronunciation. Its vowels, its consonants, its own weird unique sounds. It can become overwhelming when you add intonation to this mix.
But wait! Don’t run away yet! As we saw before, Finnish pronunciation is simple. And Finnish intonation is actually easy too. All you have to remember is to stress the first syllable. That’s it. The primary stress is on the first syllable. And if you really want to dig deeper, all you need to know is that there’s usually a secondary stress (for words with at least 3 syllables) on the third syllable.
Finnish Cultural Influences and Loanwords
One major difficulty for beginners is vocabulary. Finnish is a Uralic language, and many of its words are completely different from anything you’ve ever seen (unless you already speak Hungarian or Estonian).
You need not worry though. There are a lot of Finnish words that you already know, or will easily recognize. One of Benny’s favorite hacks to start speaking from day one is to use loanwords. And the good news is that there are more and more English loanwords appearing in Finnish conversations every year.
Let’s start with pure loan words (these words the Finns have kept intact). They come mostly from Germanic and Latin languages. They include: idea, smoothie, radio, piano, video, and metro. You can meet some Asian words as well, such as manga and tsunami.
The Finns have also adopted English words from the Internet and new technologies. For example, the verbs spammata and googlata (or googlettaa) mean “to spam” and “to google”.
Some English or French words have been finnishized simply by adding a vowel at the end of the word (most often a i). For example:
banaani - banana
baari - bar
oliivi - olive
As you can see, sometimes vowels get doubled in Finnish. And the last consonant can also be doubled, as in bussi for “bus”. But not always, like filmi for “film”.
Other loanwords undergo several operations to be easier to pronounce for the Finns. The letters b, c, d, f, and g rarely appear in Finnish. Many loanwords use Finnish equivalents instead:
b —> p
c —> k, or s
d —> t
f —> v
g —> k
When you see kahvi, musiikki, and pankki, can you guess which English words have been transformed?
Spoiler alert! The answers are coffee, music, and bank.
Also, the letters “w” and “x” appear only in archaic forms or some loan words. V and ks usually replace “w” and “x” in loan words.
How to finnishize a word in 3 easy steps:
Replace b, c, d, f and g by p, k or s, t, v and k, respectively.
Double the last consonant.
Add a vowel (most often i) at the end of the word.
Can you guess the meaning of these words: pallo, taksi, tomaatti, and kitara?
The answers are: ball, taxi, tomato and guitare.
More Finnish Words You Already Know
As you’re reading this, I’m guessing you speak English. And as an English speaker, you already know more Finnish than you think. Sauna is a Finnish word, for example.
And have you ever heard of Finnish bravery? It’s called sisu. The Finns use it to show they have guts. It represents their tenacity and strong character. It was first introduced in the English language during WWII to describe Finland’s resistance against the Soviets. More recently, the CEO of Nokia used the word “sisu” to describe the company’s endurance and determination to overcome all obstacles.
The word tundra comes from Finnish too. A tundra is a treeless area in a cold region.
You may have also heard about salmiakki. If you ever visit Finland, you will have to try it. It’s a salty liquorice, and a very popular candy in Finland. Nightclubs in Helsinki even have salmiakki-vodka shots.
Last but not least, Finland named the Molotov cocktail (Molotovin koktaili in Finnish). Finnish soldiers used this weapon to push back the Soviets during WWII.
Finnish Articles? They Don’t Exist! There’s No “a” or “the” in Finnish
Finnish is full of cases (up to 15!), which I’ll talk about in a moment. But, unlike German, you don’t need to worry about articles (words for “a” and “the”) when you change the case of a noun. Why? Simply because there are no articles in Finnish, neither definite nor indefinite. No Finnish a. No Finnish the. Pure freedom! Well, almost. Since you still have to deal with 15 cases!
The next section will help you understand cases more clearly.
How to Learn Finnish Cases: Forget the Rules
There are 15 Finnish cases, and that’s still 14 too many. And there are no hacks to learn them. But instead of focusing on cases, forget them!
Cases mustn’t terrify you. A case is just another way to use words like at, on, for, in, …
So forget about them. Don’t learn them. Burn your textbook. Instead, start using Finnish. Speak Finnish. Sing Finnish. Live the language! You will learn Finnish grammar naturally, without noticing it, when you spend time just living the language, instead of cramming it into your brain.
Forget the rules. And absorb Finnish naturally.
The post How to Learn Finnish: Why Finnish is Easier than You Think appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.
