Learning Languages Articles

Cheat Sheet / Updated 08-12-2022

If you want to speak with your Brazilian neighbor, friend, or business associate, knowing the basics of Portuguese can help. Find out how to recite the Portuguese alphabet, how to ask simple questions and carry on a conversation, and how to show enthusiasm for what you're experiencing. The following helps with speaking formally, conjugating verbs, and pronouncing some of the trickier words in the Portuguese language.

Article / Updated 07-25-2022

To greet one person with whom you're on informal ty (tih) terms, use the word Zdravstvuj (zdrah-stvooy; hello). To greet a person with whom you're on formal vy (vih) terms, use the longer word, Zdravstvujtye (zdrah-stvooy-tee; hello). Note that the first letter "v" in Zdravstvujtye is silent. Otherwise it would be hard even for Russians to pronounce! Zdravstvujtye is also used to address more than one person. Use it when addressing two or more people even if they're children, members of your family, or close friends. The informal way of saying "hello" in Russian is privyet! (pree-vyet) It's similar to the English "hi," and you should be on pretty familiar terms with a person before you use this greeting. Greeting folks at any time of day You have ways to greet people in Russian, other than the bulky Zdravstvuj or Zdravstvujtye, but how you use these greetings depends on what time of day it is. The most commonly used greetings are as follows dobroye utro! (dohb-ruh-ee oo-truh): Good morning! (This is the greeting you use in the morning — until noon.) dobryj dyen'! (dohb-rihy dyen'): Good afternoon! (This is the greeting you can use most of the day, except for early in the morning or late at night.) dobryj vyechyer! dohb–rihy vye-cheer: Good evening! (This is the greeting you would most likely use in the evening.) Note that Russians use these expressions only as greetings but not at leave-taking. You can also use these expressions without giving any thought to whether the person you greet should be addressed with ty or vy. No matter whom you greet, you can safely use any of these phrases. Handling "How are you?" The easiest and most popular way to ask "How are you?" is Kak dyela? (kahk dee-lah) You use this phrase in rather informal settings, like at parties, meeting a friend on the street, or talking on the phone. A more formal way to ask "How are you?" is Kak vy pozhivayetye? (kahk vih puh-zhih-vah-ee-tee) You use this phrase when speaking with your boss, your professor, or somebody you've just met. You won't offend anyone in a formal setting if you say Kak dyela?, but you're better off sticking to Kak vy pozhivayete? Russians tend to err on the side of more formality rather than less. A word of caution: In the English-speaking world, "How are you?" is just a standard phrase often used in place of a greeting. The person asking this formulaic question doesn't expect to get the full account of how you're actually doing. But in Russia it's different. They want to know everything! When they ask you how you're doing, they are in fact genuinely interested in how you're doing and expect you to give them a more or less accurate account of the most recent events in your life. How should you reply to Kak dyela? Although optimistic Americans don't hesitate to say "terrific" or "wonderful," Russians usually respond with a more reserved Khorosho (khuh-rah-shoh; good) or Normal'no (nahr-mahl'-nuh; normal or okay), or even a very neutral Nichyego (nee-chee-voh; so-so, Literally: nothing) or Nyeplokho (nee-ploh-khuh; not bad). If you're truly feeling great, go ahead and answer pryekrasno! (pree-krahs-nuh; wonderful), or vyelikolyepno! (vee-lee-kah-lyep-nuh; terrific). But beware that by saying "terrific" or "wonderful," you're putting your Russian friend on guard: Russians know all too well that life is not a picnic. To a Russian, wonderful and terrific events are the exception, not the rule. To be on the safe side, just say either Nichyego or Nyeplokho. And don't stop there! Be sure to ask the person how she's doing. You simply say A u vas? (ah oo vahs; and you?; formal) If you want to be less formal, you say A u tyebya? (ah oo tee-bya; and you?) Taking your leave The usual way to say goodbye in almost any situation is Do svidaniya! (duh svee-dah-nee-ye), which literally means "Till (the next) meeting." If you're on informal terms with somebody, you may also say Poka (pah-kah; 'bye or see you later). The phrase you use while leave-taking in the evening or just before bed is Spokojnoj Nochi (spah-kohy-nuhy noh-chee; Good night). The phrase works both for formal and informal situations. See also: The Essentials of Russian Words and Phrases for Traveling Useful Questions in Russian Sounding Like a Real Russian with Proper Pronunciation

Cheat Sheet / Updated 05-27-2022

You can travel more comfortably in Russia when you know a bit of the language, such as how to greet locals, use common expressions, and ask basic questions in Russian. Knowing about the use of cases is also essential for speaking Russian properly in any situation.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 05-09-2022

Si tienes planeado viajar a un país que habla inglés, de vacaciones o por negocio, vale la pena aprender algunos saludos, frases de cortesía y preguntas de carácter general.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 04-18-2022

If you’re ready to move beyond the basics in French and want to improve your skills at reading, writing, or speaking in French, start by reviewing the three types of French articles, the French contractions formed with à and de, and French personal pronouns. Learning the correct object pronoun word order and identifying verbs that use être as their auxiliary verb will boost your confidence when speaking French.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 04-18-2022

Teaching English as a foreign language is an exciting and challenging experience. Here, you will find words of wisdom on everything from choosing a course to lesson planning, and all the stages in between.

Article / Updated 03-31-2022

Learning Korean means asking a lot of questions, and if you want to ask those questions in Korean, you need to know the basic question words — who, what, where, and so on — as well as helpful questions themselves. The following table shows the basic question words: English Question Korean Translation Pronunciation Who? nugu? noo-goo? What? mueot? moo-uht? Where? eodi? uh-dee? How eotteoke? uh-ttuh-kae? When? eonje? uhn-jae? Why? wae? wae? When you want to ask a full-fledged question, use the phrases in the following table: English Question Korean Translation Pronunciation How’s it going? annyeonghaseyo? an-nyoung-ha-sae-yo? Do you speak English? yeongeo haljul aseyo? young-uh hal-jool a-sae-yo? Can you help me? jeo jom dowa jusillaeyo? juh jom do-wa-joo-shil-lae-yo? What is your name? seonghami eotteokke doeseyo? sung-ha-mee uh-ttuh-kae dwae-sae-yo? What time is it? myeotsieyo? myuht-shi-ae-yo? How much is this? ige eolmajyo? ee-gae ul-ma-jyo? Where is the bathroom? hwajangsiri eodiiseoyo? hwa-jang-shi-ree uh-dee-ee-ssuh-yo? Can you repeat that? dasi malsseum haejusillaeyo? da-shi mal-sseum hae-joo-shil-lae-yo? Can you slow down a bit? jom cheoncheoni malsseum haejusileyo? jom chun-chun-nee mal-sseum hae-joo-shil-lae-yo? Where is it? eodi itjiyo? uh-dee eet-jee-yo?

Cheat Sheet / Updated 03-25-2022

As someone who has surpassed the beginning level of Spanish, you consider yourself rather proficient in the language and want to discover more. So, here you are, eager to jump up to a higher level and perfect your skills. That’s fantastic! You can use the following set of articles as a reference to help you practice and become a more proficient Spanish speaker.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 03-24-2022

Use these helpful resources to help you speak English quickly and fluently. Build your confidence by saying the days of the week, months of the year and numbers, as well as practicing common greetings and questions.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 03-22-2022

Maybe you're familiar with some basics of German grammar, but you want to become more confident in both writing and speaking in German. This quick overview will reacquaint you with personal pronouns — try to memorize these and be sure you know all three cases — and help you brush up on present tense verb construction. With practice and time, you'll soon be off and having fun auf Deutsch (in German)!