Yorkshire Pudding Posted January 29, 2008 Share Posted January 29, 2008 Oh go on Clare.... the mods don't speak Arabic...or do they Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted January 29, 2008 Share Posted January 29, 2008 I couldn't begin to write them, but the tamest translates into 'buzz off and leave me alone' (that's the polite version) it came in very handy. After a while though I didn't get bothered by people so much - I have dark skin and was soon nearly the same colour as them and looked local! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazygal Posted January 29, 2008 Share Posted January 29, 2008 "comme un arbre dans la ville....je suis nee dans le beton" crudely translated as "like a tree in the city...I was born in concrete" My French teacher was obsessed with Edith Piaf and she actually got us to sing her songs along to a cassette recording- hence my remembering the lyrics!!! poetic maybe...everyday use in France- maybe not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ziggy Posted January 29, 2008 Share Posted January 29, 2008 I'm not so sure... going round france singing 'Je ne regrette rien.....' to the top of your voice, would definitely get you some attention... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted January 29, 2008 Share Posted January 29, 2008 Je suis un petit pois - I am a little pea! Thats all I rememebr from A level French, wasted years Crafty, Haben Sie ein Voegel im Kopf? is a brilliant saying! It means are you mad/crazy/deranged? I use it often on board Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
little chickadee Posted January 29, 2008 Author Share Posted January 29, 2008 that's impressive Christian! did you get a good grade using that phrase?! I ended up asking "please may I buy a battery for my tea towel?" In my G.C.S.E spoken French exam - We had a sheet of things we had to look for - I was supposed to ask for a battery for my torch and I think Torchon (or something like that) means teatowel The examiner managed to keep a straight face, I don't know how! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnnieP Posted January 30, 2008 Share Posted January 30, 2008 Eine Kleines stuck de shwartzerwaldkirsichetorte bitte. What other German phrase is necessary? "A small piece of black forest gateau please". I also liked "Wo sind die pengiuns?" Very useful in a zoo.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatsCube Posted January 30, 2008 Share Posted January 30, 2008 Well this thread is very usefull as Im about to book a mini break in Paris, so I will be sure to print this off to use as my phrase book From school the only things I remember from Franch and German was to ask if I could take my blazer off. I must wear a blazer now whenever in these countries just so I can ask random people. Oh and just to be useless I know one sentance in swahili which is 'si a hamba que ca ne ni quenkos' which means 'we are marching in the light of god'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ziggy Posted January 30, 2008 Share Posted January 30, 2008 I must wear a blazer now whenever in these countries just so I can ask random people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ana's flock Posted January 30, 2008 Share Posted January 30, 2008 "comme un arbre dans la ville....je suis nee dans le beton" crudely translated as "like a tree in the city...I was born in concrete" My French teacher was obsessed with Edith Piaf and she actually got us to sing her songs along to a cassette recording- hence my remembering the lyrics!!! poetic maybe...everyday use in France- maybe not. Yes, i remember that one! we had it too when I was at school (in Spain). Our teacher was in love with Maxime Leforestier (we had his version of the song)... My most useless French 'learnt by heart' sentence: J'ai perdu ma plume dans le jardin de mon oncle - I've lost my fountain pen in my uncle's garden. A few choice Arabic ones... not at all appropriate apart from something that sounded like 'bahebah habibi' that I was told it meant 'I love you darling' (haven't had the opportunity to use it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cate in NZ Posted January 31, 2008 Share Posted January 31, 2008 My postillion has been struck by lightning. Egluntine, how bizarre, did you happen to know that in German? Only because it was one of my Dad's favourite foreign phrases in German (other than that he couldn't speak a word of the language) and it always seemed such an odd phrase to know...............and now even odder that you know it too I don't speak German at all, but I can still remember him saying it at any time when conversation ran dry and there was a pause waiting to be filled (or ice to be broken) "Mein Vorriter est von blitzchenschlagen" or something like that. Apologies to Christian or any other German speakers out there. I can say the Lords Prayer in Welsh. Remnant of my (mercifully brief) attendance at a Welsh secondary school. Welsh lessons were compulsory, but I was very picked on as the English and unrepentant child in school, so I switched off during lessons and my knowledge of the language is abysmal considering I lived there, but chanting the Lords Prayer in Welsh was a compulsory part of morning assembly every day............and I must have got brainwashed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rachel19 Posted January 31, 2008 Share Posted January 31, 2008 I know the odd word of shangaan from staying in South Africa for a bit...........mfasi skankank means female cheetah if i remember correctly......ndlovu was elephant and ingala was lion........i used to know a lot more but not much call for any of this in the UK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
One Man Banned Posted January 31, 2008 Share Posted January 31, 2008 I can say the Lords Prayer in Welsh. Remnant of my (mercifully brief) attendance at a Welsh secondary school. Welsh lessons were compulsory, but I was very picked on as the English and unrepentant child in school, so I switched off during lessons and my knowledge of the language is abysmal considering I lived there, but chanting the Lords Prayer in Welsh was a compulsory part of morning assembly every day............and I must have got brainwashed Kate, you probably know more Welsh than I do! I joined a different secondary school halfway through Year 9 and was put in the Welsh Class with everybody else - who'd being doing Welsh for 2 and a half years We never had lessons in the first secondary I went to - 4 miles away from the other! At the most from school I can remember, is 1-5 in Welsh and a few other phrases A xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cate in NZ Posted January 31, 2008 Share Posted January 31, 2008 At the most from school I can remember, is 1-5 in Welsh and a few other phrases Aaaargh, I can remember more than I thought.............I can do 1-10 (even though I struggle to pronounce 8 ), and I can summon up a few swear words if pushed . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
