In 1915, California farmers banded together to rename the ahuacate, a pear-shaped fruit with pebbly skin and an oversized pit inside. They knew this Aztec word was hard for Americans to pronounce, and the Spanish version of the name, aguacate, was just as difficult for them. The new made-up name they agreed upon, avocado, sounds vaguely Latin American but does not present pronunciation problems for English speakers.

Those California farmers wisely recognized that an unfamiliar product with an unfamiliar name is hard enough to market, and when it also has a name whose sound patterns are unfamiliar to the ears of the public, that's one success barrier too many.

Foreign names for companies or products sometimes do very well in the American market. We also see plenty of pseudo-foreign names - created by misapplying spelling patterns found in foreign languages. For example, "soleil" is the French word for sun. When a suntan lotion placed a circumflex mark over the "o" in "soleil," it created fake French. Such names can appeal to those who have a slight knowledge of the foreign language - enough to recognize foreign implication but not enough to identify its implementation as wrong.

Use the following four-point checklist to make sure you're branding well by giving your name a foreign flavor rather than burdening your creation with a seriously disadvantageous name.

1. Does the spelling create uncertainty? A Chinese appliance company uses the brand name Haier for its Germanic implication of technical quality. However, with that spelling, an English speaker might pronounce it either HIGHer or HAYer.

Likewise, imagine someone confronting the brand name Pricci for the first time. It might be meant as an Italian surname, but that still leaves open whether it should sound like "preachy" or like PREEsee - or even like a cheeky spelling of "pricey." Hesitation over pronunciation hurts word of mouth publicity.

2. Are there diacritical marks? These include accent marks, the umlaut (two dots over a vowel, common in German), the o-slash (ø) in Danish and Norwegian, the tilde (that little squiggle over the "n" in Spanish words like señor) and many others. Sometimes these are added because they are needed to be correct in the foreign language that is the source of the name, and sometimes, as with the suntan lotion with the extra circumflex, these are added solely for effect. Either way, the marks signal foreignness and make a reader slow down and consider how to say the word.

Note that many people don't know how to type special characters. And on the web, some browsers and email readers don't interpret those special characters correctly. Consequently, brand names with accents, circumflexes, umlauts, tildes and o-slashes often get butchered in writing. (I've mostly avoided using them in this article for that reason.) If your media coverage and bloggers leave them out, then your branding becomes inconsistent.

3. Does the written name seem totally forbidding to your target audience? It's not surprising that no one, as of this writing, has yet snagged the domain XuStore.com even though it would be pronounced "Shoe Store," because the name Xu (also written Hsu in another transliteration system) flummoxes Westerners who do not speak Chinese. I understand that the common Vietnamese name Nguyen is pronounced nWEN, but that's another one that many Westerners encountering it for the first time would not even dare to try.

A foreign company name might also seem forbidding mainly because it's long and contains syllables that have to be painstakingly sounded out. For example, both Kamehameha Kites, named after a Hawaiian king, and Vneshtorgbank (a large Russian enterprise which is now called Bank VTB), would give many Americans pause.

4. Is your target market clueless when it comes to foreign languages? A customer base that has traveled widely and knows one or two non-English languages generally takes a hard-to-say foreign name in stride better than a stay-at-home population of English-only folks.

My advice is that a "yes" to more than one of the above four questions indicates too high a risk for your naming. Just one "yes," however, could make for a cool invention. Remember Häagen-Dazs? That premium ice cream brand got a massive boost from its fake-Swedish name. Despite its umlaut and weird alphabetical sequences, it has only one probable pronunciation - and sophisticated, well-heeled consumers took to it like, well, a scrumptious treat.

Spanish is a beautiful language to both speak and listen to and is considered by many to be one of the easier languages to learn. If you are considering learning this wonderful language then these four methods, which are the most commonly used methods for doing so, are worth considering.

Immersion Courses

Probably the method that offers the quickest results, immersion courses are becoming increasingly popular with many people who want to learn Spanish. They are successful because they completely immerse the student into Spanish, language and culture, on a daily basis, often not permitting the use of English at all! Unfortunately, immersion courses come at a price...time away and cost.

It is generally the case that theses types of courses are located in Spanish speaking countries (although not always the case) and will take a few weeks to complete they are also very expensive as you not only pay for the course but for food and accommodation  in many cases.

Benefits:
Learn Spanish Quickly
Learn about Spanish culture and interact with the local Spanish community.

Negatives:
Requires time away from home
Very Expensive for most people

Traditional Classroom courses

The second method that many people use to learn to speak Spanish has been used for a long time and was a favorite of many and that is the traditional classroom course, taken at a local University or Community College. Pretty much all colleges provide Spanish classes so you shouldn't need to travel too far. Whilst learning in a classroom environment may provide great interaction and are a great way to learn Spanish for some people, there are definitly a few drawbacks with using this method.

The main issue with this traditional method of study is that the courses are very rigid, well at least the timetables are! There is no flexibility at all, if a clas is scheduled for a Friday night at 7pm and you can't make it till 8pm...tough you miss the lesson, not to mention the money you will have already paid for the course. Oh..and a classroom class is not particularly cheap either and is often beyond that which many can afford to pay.

Also...if you want, or need, to learn Spanish quickly a classroom course is probably the slowest method of learning because most courses will run alongside school semesters, providing one, maybe two, lessons a week, it will probably take you a while before you start to see any worthwhile results

Benefits:
Generally local to where you live
Good social interactivity

Negatives:
Takes a long time to see results
Expensive for most people
No flexibility

Self Study Books

There are a massive number of self study books available to help teach the Spanish language student learn to speak Spanish. These books are a flexible, affordable way to learn Spanish. With a self study book you are able to take it with you and study wherever you want, but there are some problems with this method of learning Spanish also.

As the self teach book is only a book it is impossible for the student to understand and learn how words in Spanish are pronounced and also there is a motivational issue; languages are generally more interesting when you can hear them being spoken rather than just reading the language.

Benefits:
Very Affordable
Flexible Method of Learning Spanish

Negatives:
No Interaction
No Motivation to Complete course due to...
No Audio Reference for Learning Pronunciation and Gaining Conversational Skills

Online Spanish Courses

That brings us to our final method of learning Spanish the learn Spanish software program or, online course. This method of learning Spanish has increased in popularity immensely recently, simply because it ticks so many of the boxes. Flexibility is, for many people, the number one priority when choosing how to learn Spanish and learning with the use of an online course allows individuals to study when they want no matter what time of day or night. The only downside of this versatility is that it isn't always possible to have your home computer and internet connection with you.

When compared to a self study book, online courses are normally a little more expensive but they do provide the interaction and audio that books do not, which does counter the extra cost. There are varying degrees of cost and quality available but some of the most popular courses are very affordable and offer exceptional quality comparable to courses that cost a great deal more.

Due to the flexibility of these courses and the fact that more focus is placed upon learning conversational Spanish they make it possible to learn Spanish very quickly if you choose or at a slower pace if you are in no rush. In other words, you control how quickly you learn.

Support is another key element offered by many of these courses and is possible because of the freedom an online interface provides; if you have a specific problem you are able to speak to other users on course forums or similar portals and very quickly receive answers or a resolution.

Benefits:
Affordable for the vast majority of people
Extremely Flexible
Learn Spanish Quickly or Slowly, you set the pace.
Interactive learning, often including online games and quizes
Support network
Quality learning material
Much more enjoyable than traditional methods of self study

Negatives:
Not as portable or (generally) as cheap as a self study book

The financial crash of 2001 in Argentina resulted in a devaluation of the peso, which caused a significant foreign tourism boom. A result of this has been the emergence of a number of high quality Spanish schools that offer you the chance to study Spanish on a budget. In addition to cost though, there are further grounds for opting to learn to speak Spanish there.

(1) Few Argentines speak English. In contrast to countries in the northern hemisphere, which have greater contact with native English speaking tourists, businesses, and pop culture, Argentina has had relatively little contact with the English-speaking world. Until recently, Argentines considered French to be of a higher standing than English and the people who had the means and interest to learn a second language tended to learn that language instead.

Even though attitudes are fast changing there now (English instruction now being an obligatory element of public school education), English is still seldom spoken fluently by Argentines. This represents an ideal situation for those wanting to learn Spanish as they will be forced to use the local language in order to get by.

(2) Argentines are easy to understand. Argentines do not talk too fast, nor do they mumble or swallow consonants, which can be common for Caribbean or Central American speakers. Many beginner students have difficulty differentiating between words with spoken Spanish due to them not being able to hear the stopping of one word and the beginning of the next and learning Spanish in Argentina reduces this issue.

You will of course acquire an Argentine accent when you speak Spanish, but this is no great problem, and you will still easily be able to be understood by Spanish speakers in other countries. In fact, having a slight variation on standard European Spanish can be a good thing, as when you speak in Spanish to natives of other Spanish speaking countries, they will be intrigued as to how you acquired your accent, making it a good ice breaker.

(3) Talking a lot is common in Argentina. You will find no problem in finding others to practice with because Argentina has a talkative culture and it is easy to start a conversation with perfect strangers. No-one will think you strange or crazy if you walk up to them and ask them how they are doing and what their plans are for the day.

When Argentines find out that you have gone there specifically to study Spanish and to learn about their culture, they will be particularly welcoming, and you can expect to be asked to have dinner at their houses, and to be taken sightseeing. Confident learners will undoubtedly benefit from such an open environment.

If this sounds like an interesting opportunity to you, you just need to do a little research on the internet. Whether you prefer a relatively short month long study holiday, a half year home stay arrangement, or something between the two, you will be sure to find something in Argentina for you.

Hola. Adios.

These may be very familiar words to anyone in the world. Yes, it is Spanish and everyone knows a little of this language. Like any other language, Spanish has a very rich history.

Let's Talk About Spanish

Spanish is one of the major languages of the world. It is spoken by millions of people not only in Spain but in the rest of the world. If people will ask you about the Castilian language, will you know the difference? Castilian is actually the official tongue of the Spanish language. A deeper probe of Spanish will reveal its intricacies and variations depending on the region where it is being used.

Other frequently used Spanish languages are the Basque, Catalan, and the Galician. It will be a misconception to call these as dialects. They are recognized languages under the umbrella of Spanish but reflect distinction and division of the Spanish culture.

When we talk of the Spanish language, we are talking of one of the most romantic languages in the world. You might be thinking of galleons, conquistadores, and the beautiful people. The Spanish language is a language which traces its roots in Latin and shares similarities in terms of structure with other European languages.

The Evolution of the Spanish Language

Aside from traces of Latin, the Spanish language is also said to have developed during the rule of the Roman Empire. Spanish had its beginnings around 2000 years ago and had its early formation in the Iberian Peninsula. Today, it is estimated that 300 million people around the world use Spanish as their native language. It has evolved primarily due to the conquests made by Spain in a lot of countries and somehow, their language was influenced by the words of those they conquered.

The variations of the Spanish language are therefore seen not only in the boundaries of Spain. It is evident in countries like Mexico, Argentina, Puerto Rico, Nicaragua, Honduras, and many more.

English also invaded Spanish like other languages. Now it is common to see words like bus stop, click, or marketing in Spanish speaking countries. This is fondly called Spanglish.

There are campaigns to protect the language and retain its purity. The truth is that Spanish like any other language is a mix of different influences. This fusion of different roots and evolution is inevitable with the available technologies which make communication a lot easier.

Learning Spanish

If you want to learn Spanish beyond the fiesta, tapa, siesta, burrito, or tequila, there are a lot of ways to do so. You can browse the internet and learn from websites the offer foreign languages. Some of these sites offer these courses for free and some charges minimal fees. They have a lot of available media which can make learning fun and easier.

You can start to immerse yourself in Spanish by listening to audio CD's or watch films, television and read books in Spanish. You can also try to incorporate some Spanish phrases in your day to day living.

Ultimately, you can visit Spain and experience first hand how the language really sounds. Explore their culture, arts, history, and their day to day living. Through this experience you will have a deeper perspective and understanding of the Spanish language.

Without a doubt, total immersion in any culture is the ideal way to learn a language quickly and fluently. The advantages include enveloping a suitable accent, learning the common use of the language (how it is spoken locally) and providing a clearer understanding of the semantic and grammatical nuances of it. For a widely spoken language like Spanish, there's no faster way to learn it!

This approach to your linguistic studies begins by traveling to, and living in an area where Spanish is the official and (hopefully) primary language. You're not just going to pick it up by living there though, so make arrangements for regular classes or private instruction by someone qualified to teach non-native speakers. This part of learning Spanish is simply to understand the basic constructs of the language and develop simple grammar skills.

By living within the culture itself, you'll have access to practice speaking to a wide and diverse group of people. It's often helpful to concentrate on speaking with children and older residents, who will enjoy "teaching" you and can provide a level of conversational Spanish that will provide you with a richer vocabulary.

Oftentimes, being immersed in a culture reveals special insight insofar as the subtle nuances of Spanish. You'll gain a "feel" for the use of idioms and other expressions that just can't be translated into a dictionary. Literally within days you'll be speaking Spanish in simple sentences, but communicating effectively with the locals, who will be quick to correct your mispronunciations!

While your main goal may only be to speak Spanish fluently, immersion also provides an opportunity to learn to both read and write effectively as well. Private tutoring generally works best for this, especially if you have a friend who is a native speaker and can help you. Re-reading your favorite books (the Spanish edition) will help you polish your reading skills as well as improve vocabulary rapidly.

Remember too that during immersion, you really need to avoid the use of English (or your own native language) so that you may force yourself to think in Spanish. It's very difficult to learn a language if you're constantly translating back and forth in your mind, so press yourself to use it instinctively.

If you are on the fast-track using this methodology, say for career reasons, you should also supplement what you're learning with audio tapes or CD's and even through the Internet. By combining immersion with the typical home-study process, you'll not only learn Spanish fast, but you'll enjoy a far greater appreciation of the culture as well.

All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Reprint Rights: This article may be freely reprinted or distributed in its entirety in any ezine, newsletter, blog or website as long as the author's name and all website links remain intact and be included with every reproduction.

You may be surprised to learn how many business deals have gone awry, or just never got off the ground due to misunderstandings during negotiations. Deals are reached when each party can clearly understand what the other wants and expects, and they are able to establish a meeting of the minds. This can be very complicated if there is a language barrier.

Would you trust your entire deal to your translator? Sometimes translators are not able to convey a message in the way that was intended because there is simply no direct translation between languages. Learning English can help you to better understand the expectations and desires on the other side of the table in a business meeting, and also to convey your own needs and positions.

Learning English will help reduce unnecessary time between contract re-writes and re-negotiations due to misunderstandings that can take place in a meeting. You might be surprised at how often this happens during international business dealings. Learning English will help you to reduce or even eliminate these awkward situations, and will also enable you to improve your business practices in general.

You should also be aware that once you have mastered English, you will be able open up your business to entirely new, untapped markets; markets that you would have never been able to reach had you not learned the language. There is a great deal of money to be made in many English-speaking countries, no matter what the industry.

Learning English using software may be the best way to jump headfirst into the language. Using software gives you the opportunity to learn the language from the most qualified experts and professionals in the industry, and also allows you to learn at home at your own pace.

While there are hundreds of languages in the world, there's no doubt that English continues to be the most common medium for international communication. If you want to get a great piece of written work to as many people as possible, chances are you'll have to translate it into English to reach the widest possible audience.

When translating into English for an international crowd, it pays to bear in mind that your piece will be read by non-native speakers, many of whom may not understand the nuances that someone well-versed in it may take for granted. Whether you use a language translation software to generate a first draft or write it out manually, keeping a few simple things in mind can help make your version the valuable piece of work it deserves to be.

Write Clearly

More than having spotless grammar and a vocabulary that will make your high school English teacher blush, your writing needs to be clear. Drill down words, phrases and ideas to the their simplest form to allow everyone to get a good grasp of the text. Use basic constructions to avoid confusing readers. Always ask yourself if there is a way to make each sentence clearer. If the answer is "yes," don't hesitate to change it.

Cultural Differences

If you're hoping that your piece will be read by a large number of people, it pays to take into account that many of them will have widely different beliefs, behaviors and practices compared to you. As such, avoid generalizations - nothing can turn a readers faster than writers who make assumptions about a culture they clearly know little about.

Spanish phrases:

You can download material to listen to on Your CD or MP3 player. The simple content is easier to understand but it is boring because it is not real.

The natural language content like literature, genuine stories, TV interviews, Radio, etc. is interesting, but, you miss a lot.

Some parts you do not understand, do not worry, you need to read the transcripts to understand everything. If you read something, you will understand more about the story.

You ameliorate your pronunciation by doing a lot of listening.

But that is not enough. You need to read the transcript.

What is the best way to learn Spanish?:

Reading lists of "words" is not efficient.

Learning grammar is not the best way to learn Spanish.

Memorizing text is not efficient.

You should bea€¦.:

Learning words and phrases in their natural way is efficient.

Each situation where you need Spanish is unique.

Most sentences you will use will be unequaled and will depend on the needs of a specific situation.

You need to learn words for every situation, not only one situation.

You also need to learn how those words come together to make sense in Spanish.

That is why, you need to learn phrases.

Phrases mean a€œa sequence of words intended to have meaninga€. Typically these phrases are 2-6 words long.

These phrases are based on how the native speakers put words together.

Please, learn phrases, only phases.

It is when you get the phrases right that your Spanish will be fluent, not when you have learned all the rules of grammar.

You should always learn phrases from real content.

If you regularly review your phrases you will start to notice them in all your reading and listening. You will understand Spanish better.

Soon you will be able to use those phrases.

You will make mistakes, but soon your use of vocabulary will become natural.

Best Regards,

Bye

John G.

Teacher Spanish School.

8 Years of experience.

About 63 million people have Italian or Italiano as their native tongue. It is primarily spoken in Italy but other places that have Italian language spoken among other languages are Switzerland, Marino, and the Vatican City. Minorities speak Italian from nations like Croatia, France, Romania, and Slovenia.

Former colonies such as Ethiopia, Somalia, Libya and Eritrea also speak the language. Most important of all, immigrants who have gone to places like Venezuela, the US, Australia, Argentina, Germany, France, Uruguay and Canada also help in spreading the language.

What Makes the Italian Alphabet Unique

Most Romance languages have long given up the contrast on long and short consonants in Latin. But just like most Romance languages, Italian also has a distinct stress. Italian is considered to be the closest language that would resemble the dead language-Latin. Its lexical similarity to French is at 89%; 87% for Catalan; Sardinian is at 85%; Spanish is at 82%; 77% with the Romanian language and 52% with Maltese.

Referred to as il parlar gentile or the gentle language by its speakers, Italian continues to make use of the Latin alphabet on majority of its words. The standard Italian alphabet does not have the letters J, K, W, X and Y. But nowadays, X is quite common in some words, so do words that have the extra letter- J. J is often read as I in most Italian words and is evident on the names of places like Bojano (pronounced Bo-ya-no), Joppolo (Iopolo) or Jesi (Iesi).

J is now discouraged in modern Italian and is no longer a part of the contemporary Italian alphabet. The current alphabet now has 21 letters with each of these letters having an Italian equivalent such as in the case of gi for j; c or ch for k; s, ss, or cs for x; u or v for w; and i for y.

Accents are very important with the Italian language. It is evident on the acute accent that is being used on the letter E (for example: perché). The grave accent is used in words like (té for tea). This same accent is used on the letters A, I, O, and U to make the stress fall on the final vowel of a certain word (such as in gioventú meaning youth).

H is often silent when used in most words like ho, hai, hanno, or ha; Z is read with a dz or ts sound (/dz/ or /ts/). Thus, the word Zanzara is read as dzan'dzara (meaning mosquito) and the word nazione is read as na-tssjone.

These are only a few unique rules of the Italian language.

Conversational Italian Words

1. Sí-means yes.

2. Certo-means Of course.

3. Ciao!-means Hello.

4. Arrivederci-means Goodbye.

5. Buon Giorno-means Good day.

6. Buona Sera-means Good evening.

7. Come sta-means How are you?

8. Mi dispiace-means Sorry.

9. Di nuovo-means Again.

10. Scusi-means Excuse me.

11. Grazie-means Thank you.

12. Buon appetite-means Bon appetite.

Seven Days of the Week

• Monday-Lunedi

• Tuesday-Martedi

• Wednesday-Mercoledi

• Thursday-Giovedi

• Friday-Venerdi

• Saturday-Sabato

• Sunday-Domenica

Counting Up to Twenty

1. Uno

2. Due

3. Tre

4. Quattro

5. Cinque

6. Sei

7. Sette

8. Otto

9. Nove

10. Dieci

11. Undici

12. Dodici

13. Tredici

14. Quattrodici

15. Quindici

16. Sedici

17. Diciassette

18. Diciotto

19. Diciannove

20. Venti

I think the first three phrases you should learn in any language are: "thank you" "I love you" and "where is the toilet?" !

In our other articles we've addressed the first two translations, now let's look at how to say "where's the john" across the globe!

Afrikaans Waar is die toilet? / Waa issie toilet?

Albanian Ku A«shtA« banjoja?

Arabic (Modern Standard) (ain al-?ammaam?)

Arabic (Egyptian) (fayn il tawaleet?) ?

Arabic (Kuwaiti) (wA¤A¤n il-hhammA¡m?)

where is the place of relaxing? = (wA¤A¤n bA¤A¤t ir-rA¡hha?)

Arabic (Moroccan) (f?n kein lb?t lma?) ?

Albanian Ku A«shtA« banjoja?

Alsatian Wo isch 's Kabinee?

Asturian Aœl baA±u?

Azerbaijani Ayaq yolu haradad? Tualet haradad?r?

Basque Non dago komuna?

Belarusian ? (Dze tualet?)

(Padkazhyce, kali laska, dze tut prybiralnia?)

Breton Pelec'h emaA± ar privezioA¹?

Bulgarian ? (Kade e toaletnata?)

Catalan On A©s la cambra de bany?

Chinese (Cantonese) ? chisA³ hai b?ndouh a?

sA¡isA¡ug?an hai bndouh a?

Chinese (Mandarin) ? cA¨su? zA i

x?sh?uji?n zA i n?li?

Chinese (Shanghainese) ? (daseucae lA©lA¡ ghalitA¡?)

Cornish Ple'ma an bysva?

Croatian Gdje je zahod?

Czech Kde je prosA­m zA¡chod?

Dalecarlian Hvar ir skalhAºsaA°?

Danish Hvor er toilettet?

Dutch Waar is de WC? Waar is het toilet?

English Where's the toilet / lavatory / bathroom / restroom /

powder room / gents/ladies?

Where's the loo / bog / dunny / little boys'/girls' room? (informal/slangy)

Old English HwA¦?r is A¾A¦t gangsetl? (HwA¦r is A¾A¦t gangsetl?)

Esperanto Kie estas la necesejo / la banejo?

Estonian Kus on tualett?

Flemish Waor is 't gemak?

Fijian E vei na vale-lailai?

Finnish MissA¤ on vessa?

French OA¹ sont les toilettes ?

Frisian (North) Weer as et hA¼A¼schen?

Frisian (North - Amrum dialect) Huar as at sekreet?

Frisian (West) WAªr is it hAºske?

Friulian DulA  isal il bagn?

Gaelic (Irish) CA¡ bfhuil an leithreas?

Gaelic (Manx) C'raad ta'n thie-veg / premmee-deiney/mraane / shamyr-oonlee?

Gaelic (Scottish) CA ite bheil an taigh beag?

Galician ¿Onde estA¡ o baA±o?

German Wo ist die Toilette?

German (Swiss) Wo isch d'TualettA¤?

Greek (PoAº A­ne i toualA©tes?)

Haitian Creole Kote twalA¨t la?

Hausa I na makewayi ya ke?

Hawai'ian Aia i hea ka lua?

Hebrew (Eifo ha'sheirutim?) ? ?

Hindi ? (T?yalet kahan hai?)

Hungarian Hol van a mosdA³?

Icelandic Hvar er klA³settiA°?

Ilocano Ayanna ti banio?

Indonesian Di manakah kamar kecil?

Italian Dov'A¨ la toilette? Dov'A¨ il bagno?

Italian (Romanesco) 'Ndo sta er cacatA³re?

JA¨rriais OA¹'est qu'est la p'tite maA®son A¨s hoummes (m) /

fenmes (f)?

OA¹'est qu'est la p'tite maA®son / la tchiAªrAªsse / la chiotte

Japanese ? (benjo wa doko desu ka)

? (toire wa doko desu ka)

Jutish (West) Hvor er A¦ toilett?

Jutish (North) Hwo er A¦ toilett?

Kazakh ? (A,jetxana qayda?)

? (DA¤retxana qayda?)

Khmer ? (ter bantub tek nov ti na?)

Korean ?? (hwajangsiri eodiyeyo)

Klingon nuqDaq 'oH puchpa''e'?

Kurdish Awdes le kwAªye?

Latin Ubi sunt latrinae? Ubi sunt loca secreta?

Ubi est conclave necessarium?

Latvian Kur ir tualete?

Limburgish Woe is 't prevaathoes / 't twalA¨t?

Lithuanian Kur yra tualetas?

Luxembourgish Wou as Toilette?

Low Saxon Woneem is de Toilett?

Macedonian ?? (Kade e toaletot?)

Malay Di mana tandas?

Malayalam (Kulimuri evitey nu?)

Maltese Fejn it-tojlit?

Marshallese Ewi em jirikrik in?

Mongolian

(Biye zasakh gazar khaana baidag ve?)

Ndebele Iphi indlwana yokuzithuma?

Norwegian Hvor er toalettet? (BokmA¥l) Kvar er toalettet? (Nynorsk)

Occitan Ont son los comuns?

Persian (tualet kojast?) ??

Plautdietsch Wua es dee Sse'kjreet?

Polish Gdzie jest toaleta?

Portuguese Onde A© a casa de banho (Portugal) / o banheiro?

Onde sA£o as casas de banho? (Portugal)

Onde fica o banheiro?

Onde hA¡ um banheiro (por aqui)?

Onde eu encontro/acho um banheiro (por aqui)?

Quechua Maipi kaskai tuyuna?

Romanian Unde este toaleta?

Russian ?? (Gde tualet?)

Scots Whaur's the toilet / lavvy / cludgie?

Serbian ??

(Gde je toalet / kupatilo / zahod?)

Sesotho Batekamore e kae?

Slovak Kde je zA¡chod?

Slovenian Kje imate straniA¡?e?

Spanish ¿DA³nde estA¡n los aseos

¿DA³nde estA¡n los sanitarios?

¿DA³nde estA¡ el baA±o?

¿DA³nde estA¡ el cuarto de baA±o?

Stellingwarfs Waor is't huusien?

Swahili Choo kiko wapi?

Swati Iphi indlu lencane?

Swedish Var A¤r toaletten?

Tagalog Nasaan ang kasilyas / banyo / CR? (comfort room)

Tamil ??

Thai (hA'rng nA¡hm yA²o tAªe n?i?)

Tok Pisin Smolhaus i stap we?

Tsez (?aA¾atxan ri??ix?)

Tswana Ntlwana ya boitiketso e kae?

Turkish Tuvalet nerede?

Ukrainian (De tualyet?)

Urdu (bayt-ul-khala khana kahan hay?) ?

Uzbek Hojathona qay yerda?

Vietnamese C?u tiAªu ? ?A¢u?

VolapA¼k KiA¶po binom tvalet?

VAµro Kon om peldik?

Welsh Ble mae'r toiled / lle chwech (place six) / t? bach (small house)?

Xhosa Liphi igumbi langasese?

Xitsonga Xana xi kumeka kwihi xihambukelo?

Yiddish (Vu iz der tualett?) ?

Zulu Likuphi itholethe?

Are you interested in learning basic French phrases? If so, then there are a couple of important things to note before you get too far down the learning path.

If you really like the French language, you will be ahead of the game and will progress quickly. Without enthusiasm for the language then you will always be facing an uphill struggle. So, if you don't really care for learning French, then maybe you would be better off spending your time doing something else.

As learning French is a challenge, lets refresh you of some reasons why you should learn basic French phrases:

1) You'll be able to communicate with millions and millions of people that you otherwise wouldn't be able to, as French is one of the most popular languages on the planet.

2) A whole new culture will be opened up to you. There are so many books and movies, and a lot of music, in French that you will be able to understand and appreciate.

3) Your travel options will multiply. Though you can travel to French speaking countries without speaking the language, when you do so you never really get a good feel for the country - something which you'll certainly get when you can speak the language.

Along with the Arabic language, French is one of the most difficult languages to learn. However, if you just need to learn the most common sentences to convey your idea an be able to communicate on a daily basis, you can learn relatively fast. For the basics, it's just a matter of memorizing sentences and the general speech pattern.

Though it is possible to learn French without the assistance of a teacher, having one will significantly increase the rate of your progress. Should you not have the time or finances to get a teacher's help, then a good alternative is to find yourself a French friend through a language exchange website.

Also, do you know that your computer can act as a friend in order to help you learn basic French phrases? Today, you have access to CDs and software that can help you to acquire the French accent and speech patterns. Downloading French lessons on to your mp3 player is something else to consider, as you can then learn French wherever you happen to be and at any time of the day or night.