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Language Club- How do you say...? Languages, Translations...What's the word, yo?!

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Old 02-13-2007, 07:37 PM   #1
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Default 500 words every traveler should know

Hi gang,

I have had an interest in languages for the past few years and it always seemed to me that with about 500 words you could say almost anything...as long as those 500 were well chosen. I started with a list of about 400, tell me what should be my extra 100? (I cheated with numbers)

hello
goodbye
welcome
good morning
good evening
good night
please
thank you
excuse me
introduce
name
nice to meet you
Do you speak English
I do not speak _____
no
yes

I
me
mine
you
your
we
us
our
they
their

Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December

sun
rain
snow
weather
moon
day
night
yesterday
tomorrow
previous
before
after
week
month
year
age
century
time
o'clock
late
early
hours
minutes
seconds

who
what
where
when
why
how

shirt
pants
size

to
from
by
for
with
without
because
then
except
instead
this
that
other
another
until

computer
television
radio
camera
photograph
batteries
music
video
movie
translate
subtitle
gift

north
east
south
west
left
right
front
back

find
search
like
call
want
visit
sleep
eat
drink
do
make
have
be
watch
listen
read
walk
run
speak
say
change
come
try
use
clean
go
travel
verify
understand
pay
enjoy
taste
buy
sell
look

beautiful
clean
dirty
pretty
cute
ugly
small
big
more
less
minimum
maximum

man
woman
child(children)
boy
girl
husband
wife
boyfriend
girlfriend
friend
people

recommendation
advice
beer
wine
soda
water
cheers!
food
restaurant
steak
fish
pork
vegetarian
vegetables
lettuce
onion
tomatoes
beans
rice
ketchup
mustard
potatoes
available
taken/reserved/occupied
table
chair
knife
fork
spoon
napkin
breakfast
lunch
dinner
authentic
orange fruit
apple
banana
bread
sandwich
hamburger
fruit
salad
soup
bill
tip

every
each
some
all
many
very
sick
best
worst
interesting
boring
good
bad
average
hot
cold
fast
slow
danger
nonpotable
safe
cheap
expensive
free
fun
delicious
far
near

rate
fee
tax
exchange
credit card
atm
open
closed
discount

calendar
book
newspaper
bus
station
airport
delay
sovenir
map
schedule
seat
oneway
return
hair
comb/brush
toothbrush
razor
shaving cream
clock
elevator
floor
door
entrance
exit
key
room
bed
light
hotel
hostel
accomodation
train
plane
car
taxi
subway
ticket
thief
pickpocket
passport
identification
holiday
vacation
tourist
backpack
pen
pencil
paper
notebook
journal
lost
found

live
home
house
area
city
town
province
state
local
specialty
region

tree
forest
sea
ocean
beach
mountain
indoors
outside
view

love
hug
kiss

government
police
emergency

art
exhibit
museum
monument
club/discotech
park
mall
department store
grocery store
street
avenue
bank
gym
exercise
hospital
pharmacy
post office
library
cyber café
cemetery
movie theater

weight
meters
kilograms
eyes
nose
mouth
feet
arms
hands
sore/hurts
doctor
nurse

red
orange
yellow
green
blue
purple
black
white
grey

international
mail
mobile
phone number
number
address
postcard
stamp
postage
box

dog
cat
animal
bird

dictionary
word
power
wait
cost
price
trash
1-100
1st
2nd
3rd
politics
religion

--------------------

--Joey
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Old 02-13-2007, 11:30 PM   #2
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Nice list

You might have listed some of these, but I didn't see them right off the bat.

send
church
socks
give
receive
hat
jacket
salt
pepper
sugar
maybe
perhaps
possible/impossible
think/thinking
thirsty
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Old 02-14-2007, 12:06 AM   #3
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cool list! I noticed you have where but no directions so I would put

left
right
straight ahead
past
the (as in where is the)
I am
hungry
food
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Old 02-14-2007, 04:46 AM   #4
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Good ones guys! How did I not put in "church/cathedral" and "hungry/thirsty" is beyond me.

Actually I should add "AND/OR"

--Joey
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Old 02-14-2007, 07:28 AM   #5
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Good work !

Have I missed them ? Toilet/washroom and wash.
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Old 02-14-2007, 10:09 AM   #6
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What about How much does it cost?
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Old 02-14-2007, 02:43 PM   #7
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I have one of those Point It books that has about 1200 pictures of random useful things in it, so you can communicate without speaking! :D

It's fun to have around, although actually knowing the words is great too. I only used it twice that I recall in China - once to order eggplant, and the other to ask where the subway stop was.
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Old 02-15-2007, 02:25 AM   #8
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What about milk and juice?

Also also Petrol/Service station and pay phone

Great list though
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Old 02-15-2007, 05:17 AM   #9
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That point it book looks like a great alternative!!
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Old 02-15-2007, 04:02 PM   #10
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I think 500 words is a bit extensive...luxurious even!

for my "need to know" words it's pretty much the basics:

excuse me
thank you
where is...?
train station
bus
airport
taxi
atm
doctor
hostel
and the basic numbers

for the rest I just point to my little map or whatever else I need...
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Old 10-21-2007, 06:54 AM   #11
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I would think if you knew 500, then you would be pretty damn near fluent cuase you could mix and match them into pffffttttt thousands of sentences, so....yeah
What im findin right now whats really important are the connecter words, like.....and, it, or, who, what, those little freakin words we take for granted but when you try to make a sentence wish you knew!
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Old 06-27-2008, 07:54 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TheWills View Post
I would think if you knew 500, then you would be pretty damn near fluent cuase you could mix and match them into pffffttttt thousands of sentences, so....yeah
What im findin right now whats really important are the connecter words, like.....and, it, or, who, what, those little freakin words we take for granted but when you try to make a sentence wish you knew!
This one's funny! Hahaha, true, true.
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Old 06-29-2008, 10:22 PM   #13
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I tend to really only use a couple:

Hello
Help
Bar
Food
Cheers
Piss off
Thank you

Those have gotten me around pretty well and since I am near incapable of other languages, it works for me.
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