10 Useful Foreign Language Phrases To Know As A Location Independent Professional
Hopefully none of you will do what we did and rock up to a new country speaking zero words of the language.
In our defence, everything we’d read about Panama said it was English speaking but what they really meant was that educated professionals such as doctors, lawyers and all the people you hope not to see speak English, whereas the people you’d really like to speak English (in restaurants, bars, hotels, taxis) don’t!
Here are 10 of the most useful phrases you might need to know for your location independent life both before you arrive and when you’re at your first destination…
(Whether you can understand the responses is another matter entirely, but at least you’ll know you’re asking for the right things and when in doubt…point and smile!)
- Do you speak English?
- Is there high speed internet?
- Is there a long stay discount?
- How do I connect to the internet?
- Can you fix my laptop?
- Can you print this out?
- How does the washing machine / dishwasher / wireless router work?
- Where’s the nearest internet cafe / supermarket?
- Where can I buy a SIM card?
- Do you sell adaptors / chargers?
In German:
1. Sprechen Sie English?
Do you speak English?
2. Gibt es HighSpeed Internetzugang?
Is there high speed internet?
3. Fuer Monate-lang Buchungen bieten Sie Rabatte an?
Is there a long stay discount?
4. Wie bekomme ich einen Internetzugang?
How do I connect to the internet?
5. Koennen Sie mein Laptop reparieren?
Can you fix my laptop?
6. Koennen Sie dies ausdruecken?
Can you print this out?
7. Wie funktioniert die Washmachine/Spuelmachine/das Wireless Router?
How does the washing machine / dishwasher / wireless router work?
8. Gibt es eine Internet Cafe/Supermarkt in der Naehe?
Where’s the nearest internet cafe / supermarket?
9. Wo kann ich ein SIM Karte kaufen?
Where can I buy a SIM card?
10. Verkaufen Sie Adapter/Batterie Ladegeraete?
Do you sell adaptors / chargers?
In French:
1. Parlez-vous anglais?
Do you speak English?
2. Est-ce qu’il y a internet haute-vitesse?
Is there high speed internet?
3. Est-ce qu’il y a un rabais pour les longs séjours?
Is there a long stay discount?
4. Comment est-ce que je peux me connecter par internet?
How do I connect to the internet?
5. Pouvez-vous réparer mon ordinateur portatif?
Can you fix my laptop?
6. Pouvez-vous imprimer ceci s’il vous plaît?
Can you print this out?
7. Comment fonctionne la machine à laver / le lave-vaisselle / le routeur sans-fil?
How does the washing machine / dishwasher / wireless router work?
8. Où est le café internet / supermarché le plus proche?
Where’s the nearest internet cafe / supermarket?
9. À quel endroit puis-je acheter une carte SIM?
Where can I buy a SIM card?
10. Vendez-vous des adaptateurs / chargeurs ?
Do you sell adaptors / chargers?
In Spanish:
It’s important to note that in Spanish there are two forms: the polite/formal form and the informal. Where needed the informal form is included first - in most things related to internet, younger people will be involved with whom you use the informal form. This translation is Spanish for Spain; in most South American countries the informal form doesn’t exist, but this differs from country to country so check with a local when you arrive to pick up the colloquial usage.
1. ¿Hablas inglés? (informal) or ¿Habla inglés?
Do you speak English?
2. ¿Hay conexión de internet de alta velocidad?
Is there high speed internet?
3. ¿Hacen descuento por larga estancia?
Is there a long stay discount?
4. ¿Cómo puedo conectarme a internet?
How do I connect to the internet?
5. Por favor ¿Puedes arreglar mi portátil? (informal) or Por favor ¿Puede arreglar mi portátil?
Can you fix my laptop?
6. Por favor ¿Puedes impirmir esto? (informal) or Por favor ¿Puede imprimir esto?
Can you print this out?
7. ¿Cómo funciona la lavadora / el lavavajillas / el router?
How does the washing machine / dishwasher / wireless router work?
8. ¿Dónde está el internet café / supermercado más cercano?
Where’s the nearest internet cafe / supermarket?
9. ¿Dónde puedo comprar una tarjeta SIM?
Where can I buy a SIM card?
10. ¿Tiene adaptadores eléctricos / cargadores?
Do you sell adaptors / chargers?
AUDIO: Click here for a recording of how to say each phrase in spanish.
In Italian:
1. Parla inglese?
Do you speak English?
2. C’è la banda larga?
Is there high speed internet?
3. C’è uno sconto per un lungo affitto?
Is there a long stay discount?
4. Come si collega alla rete?
How do I connect to the internet?
5. Può riparare il mio portatile?
Can you fix my laptop?
6. Può (or more polite - potrebbe) stampare questo documento?
Can you print this out?
7. Come funziona la lavatrice/lavastoviglie/ wifi modem?
How does the washing machine / dishwasher / wireless router work?
8. C’è un internet cafe/supermercato qui vicino?
Where’s the nearest internet cafe / supermarket?
9. Dove posso comprare una scheda SIM per il mio telefonino?
Where can I buy a SIM card?
10. Ha un addattore/ caricabatterie?
Do you sell adaptors / chargers?
AUDIO: Click here for a recording of how to say each phrase in italian.
In Portuguese:
1. Voce fala Ingles?
Do you speak English?
2. Tem banda larga aqui?
Is there high speed internet?
3. Tem desconto para estadia longa?
Is there a long stay discount?
4. Pode me explicar como conectar na internet?
How do I connect to the internet?
5. Pode consertar meu Laptop?
Can you fix my laptop?
6. Pode imprimir um documento para mim?
Can you print this out?
7. Como funciona a maquina de lavar roupas/maquina de lavar louca/ wireless?
How does the washing machine / dishwasher / wireless router work?
8. Tem um internet cafe/supermercado mais proximo?
Where’s the nearest internet cafe / supermarket?
9. Onde posso comprar o SIM card?
Where can I buy a SIM card?
10. Voce vende Adaptadores/Carregadores?
Do you sell adaptors / chargers?
AUDIO: Click here for a recording of how to say each phrase in portuguese.
Credits: Big thanks to the following for the translations and audio recordings:
- Greg and his wife, Claudia for the Portuguese audio and German translations.
- Jerome from Quebec
- Chris and Ana from Slow Spain & Cataspanglish who created the excellent Spanish audio.
- My Dad for the Italian translations, excellent audio and additional tips.
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Comments
I’ve lived in Spain for 15 years and the one piece of advice I’d give is NOT to do what I did and pick up the language as I went along. If I was to move to another country I would immediately sign up for lessons and/or a language exchange.
There are also plenty of language podcasts (including mine for advanced Spanish learners) so there’s no excuse and knowing even a little of the local lingo will improve your LIP experience incredibly. If you plan your destinations well you could easily cover Spanish speaking countries then French speaking or Cantonese or whatever.
Hi Jan - thank you for the corrections…whereabouts in Germany are you from? (I spent a year working in Kassel once upon a time…)
Like spanish, there’s a polite form and a more formal form. However, on that kind of questions, 99% of the time the polite form is better.
1. Parlez-vous anglais?
Do you speak English?
2. Est-ce qu’il y a internet haute-vitesse?
Is there high speed internet?
3. Est-ce qu’il y a un rabais pour les longs séjours?
Is there a long stay discount?
4. Comment est-ce que je peux me connecter par internet?
How do I connect to the internet?
5. Pouvez-vous réparer mon ordinateur portatif?
Can you fix my laptop?
6. Pouvez-vous imprimer ceci s’il vous plaît?
Can you print this out?
7. Comment fonctionne la machine à laver / le lave-vaisselle / le routeur sans-fil?
How does the washing machine / dishwasher / wireless router work?
8. Où est le café internet / supermarché le plus proche?
Where’s the nearest internet cafe / supermarket?
9. À quel endroit puis-je acheter une carte SIM?
Where can I buy a SIM card?
10. Vendez-vous des adaptateurs / chargeurs ?
Do you sell adaptors / chargers?
Jerome from Quebec
(If you need help with something in french next time, contact me!)
Jerome - fantastic, thank you so much for doing the French versions…I will indeed contact you next time I need anything “French” 
Hi Lea!
Yeah, you’ve been to Germany, nice! I live 40 kilometres north of hamburg.
@ everyone who wants to learn a foreign language, check this collection of podcasts out. they cover more than 25 languages:
Sorry guys, there are only 5 phrases that every traveler should know in the native language:
1) Yes.
2) No.
3) I love you.
4) Two beers please.
and most importantly…
5) My friend will pay.
Keep things simple.
Hi!
I corrected some mistakes in the German phrases. (I’m from Germany).
In German:
1. Sprechen Sie English?
Do you speak English?
2. Gibt es hier einen HighSpeed Internetzugang?
Is there high speed internet?
3. Bieten Sie Rabatte fuer monatelange Buchungen an?
Is there a long stay discount?
4. Wie bekomme ich einen Internetzugang?
How do I connect to the internet?
5. Koennen Sie meinen Laptop reparieren?
Can you fix my laptop?
6. Koennen Sie dies ausdrucken?
Can you print this out?
7. Wie funktioniert die Washmachine/Spuelmachine/der Wireless Router?
How does the washing machine / dishwasher / wireless router work?
8. Gibt es ein/en Internet Cafe/Supermarkt in der Naehe?
Where’s the nearest internet cafe / supermarket?
9. Wo kann ich eine SIM Karte kaufen?
Where can I buy a SIM card?
10. Verkaufen Sie Adapter/Batterie Ladegeraete?
Do you sell adaptors / chargers?