Essential English travel phrases
English will get you understood almost anywhere, but being understood and sounding polite are two different things. These are the phrases worth having ready, and the small courtesies that go with them.
The ten that do most of the work
| English | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Hello | Hello |
| Please | Please |
| Thank you | Thank you |
| Excuse me | Excuse me |
| How much is it? | How much is it? |
| Where is...? | Where is...? |
| I don't understand | I don't understand |
In Britain sorry does an extraordinary amount of work - people say it when someone else bumps into them. Excuse me opens a request; sorry apologises, and mixing the two up is the commonest tell.
Eating and paying
| English | Meaning |
|---|---|
| A table for two, please | A table for two, please |
| Could I have... | I'd like... |
| Can I have the bill, please? | The bill, please |
| Do you have anything without meat? | Anything without meat? |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card? |
Could I have... sounds markedly better than I want. Ask for the bill in Britain and the check in America: a service charge is often already on a British bill, while in the United States a tip of around twenty per cent is expected rather than optional.
Getting around
| English | Meaning |
|---|---|
| A single to..., please | A ticket to..., please |
| What time does it leave? | What time does it leave? |
| Is it far? | Is it far? |
| Left / right / straight on | Left / right / straight on |
| Where is the toilet? | Where is the toilet? |
A single and a return are British; Americans say one-way and round-trip for exactly the same tickets, and either will be understood in the other country.
When it goes wrong
| English | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Could you say that again? | Could you repeat that? |
| Could you speak more slowly? | Could you speak more slowly? |
| How do you say...? | How do you say...? |
| Do you speak English? | Do you speak English? |
| I'm learning English | I'm learning the language |
Sorry, my English isn't very good buys patience almost every time - people slow down and start choosing simpler words without being asked twice.