Be Polite! Learn the Politest Phrases in 9 Foreign Languages

Be Polite! Learn the Politest Phrases in 9 Foreign Languages Be Polite! Learn the Politest Phrases in 9 Foreign Languages Its a bird, its a plane, itsPolite vocabulary!This hero is ready to swoop in and save you from dreaded language confusion  and awkwardness.Polite vocabulary can help you overcome a language barrier and clarify that you have good intentions.Sure, if you need a few more words, a  translation app can help  fill in gaps in your knowledge. You may also want to practice with a  language exchange app  to prepare for any planned interactions.But if you only have a limited amount of time to learn a language, or if you want to be prepared for chance encounters with languages you dont speak fluently,  your best bet is to learn polite vocabulary first since its the most essential.Below are some of the most polite words and phrases in popular world languages to prepare you for pleasant interactions! Why Learn These Polite Phrases?First of all, learning polite phrases in the language of a country youre visiting simply  shows respect. Everyone knows that its impossible for one person to speak all the worlds languages, but if you show youre making an effort to learn someones language by using some polite vocabulary, it will show that you respect the language, which in turn shows respect for the people who speak it.Secondly, learning polite phrases will help you avoid being offensive, or coming across that way. Assuming that everyone everywhere speaks English is rude and ethnocentric, so you dont want to come across like youre making that assumption. If youre traveling, most people will cut you some slack and understand you might not be fluent, but using some polite vocabulary will allow you to avoid conveying the idea that everyone should speak your native tongue.Additionally, learning polite phrases will help you communicate clearly. After all, even if someone speaks English, you cant count on them understanding everything you say. Learning polite words and phrases that theyll understand will help ensure that your communication is clear and that you avoid any awkward misund erstandings.Finally, learning polite phrases will help you build bonds with people. When you speak at least some of someones language, it builds more of a bond than if that person must consistently speak your language. This will help you connect more easily with more people. This holds true no matter where you are, so even if youre not planning on traveling to a foreign country, you may want to learn polite phrases in any languages you might be likely to encounter in your own countryâ€"or just learn all the phrases for the common languages below!Be Polite! Learn the Politest Phrases in 9 Foreign LanguagesChineseCombined with other basic Chinese phrases, these words and phrases will prepare you for simple interactions.For the purposes of this list, weve used simplified Chinese characters, which are used in mainland China and Singapore. Traditional Chinese characters have a different appearance and are used in Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan and Malaysia.??  (ni hao) â€" HelloAn important ca veat: While this phrase is considered polite, it may not actually be used as often as you think it is. This post goes into more detail about different ways to say hello in Chinese  and will help you understand the context surrounding Chinese greetings more.Speaking of context, FluentU can help you learn a much more context-based, nuanced version of most of the languages on this list. FluentU takes real-world videosâ€"like movie trailers, music videos, news and inspiring talksâ€"and turns them into personalized language lessons.??????  (hen gao xing jiàn dào ni) â€" Nice to meet you?????  (wo de míng zì shì . . . ) â€" My name is?  (qing) â€" Please??  (xiè xiè) â€" Thank you???  (bié kè qì) â€" Youre welcome??  (bào qiàn) â€" Sorry????  (da rao yi xià) â€" Excuse me???????  (ni huì shuo ying yu má?) â€" Do you speak English?SpanishIf youre looking to communicate in Spanish, these polite words and phrases are a good jumping-off point. Follow up by studying basic Spanis h phrases, and youre on the road to success!Hola  â€" HelloEncantado/Encantada â€" Nice to meet youEncantado  and  encantada  actually mean enchanted. Theyre used like nice to meet you. If youre male, you would say  encantado. If youre female, youll say  encantada. Remember: The ending reflects your gender, not the gender of the person to whom youre speaking.Mucho gusto  â€" Nice to meet youLike  encantado,  mucho gusto  doesnt literally mean nice to meet you. Instead, it means much pleasure. However, its used just like the English phrase nice to meet you.Youll hear both  encantado/encantada  and  mucho gusto.Me llamo â€" My name isThis translation also isnt literal.  Me llamo actually means I call myself If you want a more literal translation, you can also say Mi nombre es  However, this is less common.Por favor â€" PleaseGracias â€" Thank youDe nada â€" Youre welcomeLo siento â€" SorryDisculpe â€" Excuse meDisculpe  comes from the verb  disculpar, which means to excuse, so this is a fairly literal translation.Perdón â€" Excuse mePerdón,  on the other hand, means pardon. Either can be used to mean excuse me. ¿Habla usted Inglés?  â€" Do you speak English?FrenchContinue on with basic French phrases to prepare yourself for better communication.Bonjour  â€" HelloTrès heureux/Très heureuse â€" Nice to meet youWhile this is used like nice to meet you, it literally means very happy. If youre male, youll say très heureux.  If youre female, you would say très heureuse.  Je mappelle â€" My name isSil vous plaît â€" PleaseMerci â€" Thank youJe vous en prie â€" Youre welcomeJe suis désolé â€" SorryPardon â€" PardonJe suis désolé literally means I am sorry.  Pardon, on the other hand, means pardon. Either phrase can be used as an apology.Excusez-moi â€" Excuse meParlez-vous anglais ? â€" Do you speak English?GermanLearning these polite words will help you, but if you really want to interact with German speakers, you should also dig into  these basic German ph rases.Hallo â€" HelloEs freut mich, dich kennen zu lernen  â€" Nice to meet youIch heiße â€" My name isBitte â€"  PleaseDanke â€" Thank youBitte â€" Youre welcomeMaybe this word looks a little familiar to you. Thats because you saw it just a couple lines up. The German word for youre welcome is in fact the same as the word for please. Youll also notice this in the Russian language.Verzeihung â€" SorryEntschuldigung â€" Excuse meSprechen Sie Englisch?  â€" Do you speak English? (formal)Sprichst du Englisch?  â€" Do you speak English? (informal)JapanesePolite Japanese phrases are essential if youre traveling to Japan. You might also study basic Japanese survival phrases to prepare yourself.????? â€" Hello????? (??????) â€" Nice to meet you??????? (???? ????…??) â€" My name is?????? (???????) â€" Please?????????? â€" Thank you???????? â€" Youre welcome?????? â€" Sorry????? â€" Excuse meThis phrase is particularly useful and expressive since it can convey regret, confusion and even g ratitude. Its like the Swiss Army knife of Japanese vocabulary.?????????(???????????) â€" Do you speak English?ItalianItalian sounds good no matter how you use it, but its still better to be polite. Once you have that down, you might want to learn some more  useful Italian phrases.Ciao â€" HelloWhile  ciao  is better known across the world, in formal situations,  salve  is more fitting.Piacere di conoscerti â€" Nice to meet youMi chiamo â€" My name isPer favore â€" PleaseGrazie â€" Thank youPrego â€" Youre welcomeMi dispiace â€" SorryIf mi dispiace  is too much of a mouthful, you can shorten it to  mi spiace.  Scusi â€" Excuse meLei parli inglese? â€" Do you speak English?RussianIf youre going to Russia, these polite phrases are essential, but theyre just the tip of the iceberg. Delve deeper with Russian travel phrases to prepare yourself more fully.???????????? â€" Hello??????? ?????????????  â€" Nice to meet you???? ????? â€" My name is?????????? â€" Please??????? â€" Thank you??? ??????? â€" Youre welcome???????? â€" Sorry???????? â€" Excuse me?? ???????? ??-??????????  â€" Do you speak English?KoreanVisiting Korea? Youll definitely need these polite phrases. Tack on some Korean travel phrases, and youll be set for a much easier trip.????? â€" Hello??? ?????  â€" Nice to meet you? ???  â€" My name is?? â€" Please????? â€" Thank you???? â€" Youre welcome????? â€" Sorry????? â€" Excuse me??? ??? ????? â€" Do you speak English?PortugueseYou can use these phrases if youre traveling to a Portuguese-speaking country or to start teaching yourself Portuguese.Olá â€" HelloPrazer em conhecê-lo â€" Nice to meet youMeu nome é â€" My name isPor favor â€" PleaseObrigado â€" Thank youSeja bem-vindo â€" Youre welcomeDesculpa â€" SorryCom licença â€" Excuse meVocê fala inglês? â€" Do you speak English?Lets face facts: Invisibility and super speed are overrated.With these words and phrases, politeness can be your superpower that will allow you to have enjoyable interact ions with people from around the world!