Word for the Travel Wise (02/04/07)

by Adrienne Wilson on

I’m busy watching the Superbowl now, but decided to pop in just for all of you.

Today’s word is a French word used in France:

jeu – game

French is the third largest Romance language in the world in terms of native speakers according to the Wikipedia and is the official language of 29 countries. There are a number of places to learn French abroad which include Canada and Switzerland in addition to France. Amerispan offers immersion programs in all three of the countries and more info can be found by clicking here. Search other study abroad programs at some of these sites here: Coeur de France, Accord French Language School, and Transitions Abroad to name only a few. Swing over to My Language Exchange where you are sure to find someone willing to exchange their lingo skills for some of your own. Free online sources for learning French include France-Pub, French Assistant, and the BBC Languages.

Past French words: confiture, difficile, frottis, ma reum (mère), pensées, vélo, croire, neige, cafard, vacances

Word for the Travel Wise (02/03/07)

by Adrienne Wilson on

When temperatures start to climb too high and the ocean breeze off the island isn’t cutting it try asking for one of these to cool you down…

Today’s word is a Tahitian (Maohi) word used in Tahiti:

pia – beer

Tahitian is one of the two official languages of French Polynesia with the other being French. There are approximately 120,000 speakers through the Polynesian Islands. Head to Wikipedia for the background details as always. After you’ve gotten your history fix go to the tourism site for a small useful list of words to help get you by on the islands. Tahiti Explorer looks like it has the small list of words with a few more added on and a nifty pronunciation guide. The same thing goes for the list of words on the Tahiti Traveler without the pronunciation guide, so it’s really up to you to take your pick. Lonely Planet has a guide which probably has the same amount of words in the back of the glossary. Still – better to know a few than none at all.

Past Tahitian words: tamaaraa, pape, niuniu paraparau

Word for the Travel Wise (02/02/07)

by Adrienne Wilson on

If you’re going to head out to Vietnam during monsoon season you’ll need one of these, if not more…

Today’s word is a Vietnamese word used in Vietnam:

cái du – (gai zoo) umbrella

To continue learning Vietnamese online start with phrase list found at the NY Public Library. This Wanna Learn / Geocities page has some free words and phrases listed. It was one of few I could find online for free though you won’t get far. Rosetta Stone offers audio and web courses for a fee and there’s always the opportunity to take a Vietnamese language class in Hanoi, Vietnam with CIEE. For those flying through the country for just a few short days pick up the phrasebook.

Past Vietnamese words: Xe Ðap, xinh xinh, cam hut thuoc, tam biêt, bàn dô, phong giat (fom zuht), hành ly

Word for the Travel Wise (02/01/07)

by Adrienne Wilson on

Tonight I think it’s time to step our Romanian language game up a little by providing you with this simple and useful phrase to use during your stay.

Today’s phrase is a Romanian phrase used in Romania:

Cu placere. – You’re welcome.

If you’d like to know some real practical basics visit this Easy Romanian site. They offer proverbs, months, numbers, and days of the week. As usual Pimsluer offers great audio methods and Lonely Planet has a pocket sized phrasebook for Eastern European langs. BBC has the quick fix holiday downloads with the very, very, basics of the language worth looking into.

Past Romanian words: ciocan, no roc, multumesc, buna, ajutor, la reverdere

Word for the Travel Wise (01/31/07)

by Adrienne Wilson on

As much as I like to throw out some odds and ends type of words, this is a feature to help travelers speak the language while they’re on the road and therefore I must provide some I feel will undoubtedly assist the backpacker to find his or her way.

Today’s word is a Farsi (Persian) word used in Iran:

naghshe – map

Excellent sites for learning Persian online include a personal favorite called Easy Persian and Farhangsara. Both sites have an excellent beginner’s guide into the language and use images, sound and music to assist you in the process. Check out Lonely Planet’s Farsi (Persian) Phrasebook for a shorthand guide at the ancient lingo.

Past Farsi words: be salamati, toot farangee, kheyli golabi, tazeh, dovidan, khastam, safar kardan, khoda hafez