How to Say Hello ,Thank You, Yes and No in 9 Foreign Languages While Traveling in Western Europe

If you're traveling in Western Europe, most people are multilingual and many people speak English. However, it's a great courtesy to address people in their native language and it's really helpful to know a few basics in a foreign language.

The nine foreign languages most commonly spoken in Western Europe include Dutch, French, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, and Swedish. Learning to say a few words -- hello, thank you and yes -- in each language will give you a way to show your appreciation for your hosts' cultures.

Instructions

1. In Dutch, say:

   Hello: Hallo (pronounced: HAH-low)
   Thank you: Dank (pronounced: DAHNK uu)
   Yes: Ja (pronounced: YAH)
   No: Nee (pronounced: NAY)

2. In Finnish, say:

   Good day: Hyvää päivää (pronounced: HUU-vaa PIGH-vaa)
   Thank you: Kiitos (pronounced: KEE-tohss)
   Yes: Joo (pronounced: YOH)
   No: Ei (pronounced: AY)

3. In French, say:

   Hello: Bonjour (pronounced: BOHN-zhoor)
   Thank you: Merci (pronounced: mair-SEE)
   Yes: Oui (pronounced: WEE)
   No: Non (pronounced: NOH)

4. In German, say:

   Hello: Hallo (pronounced: HAH-low)
   Thank you: Danke sehr (pronounced: DAN-keh zayr)
   Yes: Ja (pronounced: YAH)
   No: Nein (pronounced: NINE)

5. In Italian, say:

   Hello: Buon giorno (pronounced: bwohn JOHR-noh)
   Thank you: Grazie (pronounced: GRAHT-tsyeh)
   Yes: Si (pronounced: SEE)
   No: No (pronounced: NOH)

6. In Norwegian, say:

   Hi: Hei (pronounced: HEY)
   Thank you: Takk (pronounced: TAK)
   Yes: Ja (pronounced: YAH)
   No: Nei (pronounced: Nai)

7. In Portuguese, say:

   Hello: Olá (pronounced: O-la)
   Thank you: Obrigado (pronounced: Ob-ree-GAH-doo)
   If you are a woman, say: Obrigada
   Yes: Sim (pronounced: SEE)
   No: Não (pronounced: NOW)

8. In Spanish, say:

   Hello: Hola (pronounced: OH-lah)
   Thank you: Gracias (pronounced: GRAH-syahs)
   Yes: Si (pronounced: SEE)
   No: No (pronounced: NOH)

9. In Swedish, say:

   Hello: God dag (pronounced: Good dahg)
   Thank you: Tack (pronounced: TACK)
   Yes: Ja (pronounced: YAH)
   No: Nej (pronounced: NAY)

Resources

• Dutch Pronunciation and Spelling
• Transparent Language: Hear Finnish Survival Phrases
• Transparent Language: Hear Conversational Swedish Phrases
• Transparent Language: Hear German Survival Phrases
• Transparent Language: Hear Italian Survival Phrases
• Transparent Language: Hear Norwegian Survival Phrases
• Transparent Language: Hear Portuguese Survival Phrases
• Spanish Phrases and Words