Carole

Hi, we leave in about 12 hours and would like to know a few phrases. Can any of you help me out? How would I say hello, good bye, please, thank you, excuse me, bathroom in French, Italian and Swiss? (pardon my ignorance, is that German?) Well, thanks to quite a few Fodorites who gave us such wonderful travel advice, we begin our journey tomorrow. Ciao, Au Revior and whatever! Now you see that I need this help. Happy Traveling!<BR><BR>

Chris

French:<BR><BR>Hello = bonjour<BR>Goodbye = au revoir<BR>Please = merci<BR>Bathroom = Toilette<BR><BR>Italian:<BR>Hello = bongiorno (or similar)<BR>Goodbye = arriverderci<BR><BR>Swiss: depends where in Switzerland you'll be! Could be German, French, Italian speakers!<BR><BR>German:<BR><BR>Hello = Guten Tag<BR>Goodbye = Auf Wiedersehen<BR>Please = bitte<BR>Bathroom = Toilette<BR><BR><BR>

Chris

French:<BR><BR>Hello = bonjour<BR>Goodbye = au revoir<BR>Please = s'il vous plait<BR>Thanks = merci<BR>Excuse me = excuse moi<BR>Bathroom = Toilette<BR><BR>Italian: (not my forte!)<BR>Hello = bongiorno (or similar)<BR>Goodbye = arriverderci<BR><BR>Swiss: depends where in Switzerland you'll be! Could be German, French, Italian speakers!<BR><BR>German:<BR><BR>Hello = Guten Tag<BR>Goodbye = Auf Wiedersehen<BR>Please = bitte<BR>Thanks = danke<BR>Excuse me = Entschuldigung (, bitte)<BR>Bathroom = Toilette<BR><BR><BR>

Rex

While I wish that you had thought of this before now, here ya go:<BR><BR>French:<BR><BR>Bonjour - - bow zhuur or bone zhuur<BR>Au revoir - - owe vwahr<BR>S'il vous plait - - see voo play<BR>Merci - - mehr-see<BR>Pardon - - pahr-doh or pahr-doan<BR>Ou est le WC - - oo ay luh vay-say<BR><BR>Italian<BR><BR>Buon giorno - - bwohn zhor-noh<BR>Arrivederci - - ah-ree-vuh-dehr-chee<BR>Per favore - - pehr fah-voh-ray<BR>Grazie - - grah-tsee-yeh<BR>Scusi - - skoo-see<BR>Dove il bagno - - doe-vay eel bah-nyoh<BR><BR>German<BR><BR>Guten tag - - goo-tin tog<BR>Auf wiedersehen - - owwf vee-dur-zane<BR>Bitte - - bit-tuh<BR>Danke - - don-kuh<BR>Bitte - - same as for please<BR>Wo ist der WC - - voe isst dur vay-say<BR><BR>Have a great trip.<BR><BR>Best wishes,<BR><BR>Rex<BR>

Barb

I would stick to toilette in France and Italy--it's really more universally understood. Il bagno in Italian means the bath and is not really a euphemism for toilet, as it is in the US.

Polly Glott

Re: "Swiss": http://www.fodors.com/forums/pgMessa...swiss+language

Al Godon

True you might ask in the foreign language. <BR>How do you understand the answer?<BR>

Joanne

Check out the following website for some phrases and quick language lessons.<BR>http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/languages/

Carole

Thank you all for your last minute language lessons. I printed it and will practice on the plane tomorrow. Al, I didn't think of that part. I will play it be ear.

Rex

Using these few words or phrases is about respect and effort, not about communicating. If she says please and thank you, hopefully the reply she will get is a smile. For which she should not require a translation.<BR>

Jan

Everyone has taken care of the FR, IT and German. If you are traveling in the German portion of Switzerland, here are a couple of Swiss German phrases!<BR>Gruezi! pronounced "gruit-see - hello<BR>Auf Wiederluege - good bye<BR>Ahday - phonetic spelling, Good bye!<BR><BR>Have fun!<BR>