Rajasthani (राजस्थानी Rājasthānī) is the everyday tongue of Rajasthan with over 50 million speakers. Although Hindi is commonly used in markets, hotels and transport hubs, people in rural areas may speak mostly in Rajasthani.
Rajasthani is actually not a single language but a group of related dialects, with Marwari being the most common. This phrasebook focuses on Standard Rajasthani, which is based on literary Marwari.
Pronunciation guides
[edit | edit source]Rajasthani is more challenging than Hindi due to the presence of implosives, which is rather uncommon in South Asian languages except Sindhi.
Vowels
[edit | edit source]| Devanagari | Pseudo-phoneticisation | Equivalent/Comments |
|---|---|---|
| अ | uh | as in about |
| आ | ah | as in father |
| इ | ih | as in sit |
| ई | ee | as in elite |
| उ | oo | as in put |
| ऊ | oo | as in moon |
| ऋ | rih | as in trip |
| ए | eh | long e. It is not a diphthong; the tone does not fall. |
| ऐ | ay | as in fair, sometimes a longer ए |
| ओ | oh | not a diphthong; tone does not fall. |
| औ | aw | as in caught |
| ऑ | o | as in not |
Consonants
[edit | edit source]| Devanagari | Pseudo-phoneticisation | Equivalent/Comments |
|---|---|---|
| क | k (beginning of syllable) ck (end of syllable) | as in skip. |
| ख | kh | as in sinkhole. |
| ग | g | as in go. |
| घ | gh | as in doghouse. |
| ङ | ng | as in sing. Used only in Sanskrit loanwords, does not occur independently. |
| च | ch | as in church. |
| छ | chh | as in pinchhit. |
| ज | j | as in jump. |
| झ | jh | as in dodge her. |
| ञ | n | as in canyon. Used only in Sanskrit loan words, does not occur independently. |
| ट | t | as in tick. Retroflex, but still a "hard" t sound similar to English. |
| ठ | th | as in lighthouse. Retroflex |
| ड | d | as in doom. Retroflex |
| ढ | dh | as in mudhut. Retroflex |
| ण | n | retroflex n. |
| ण़ | nh | retroflex nh. |
| त | t | does not exist in English. more dental t, with a bit of a th sound. Softer than an English t. |
| थ | th | aspirated version of the previous letter, not as in thanks or the. |
| द | d | dental d. |
| ध | dh | aspirated version of the above. |
| न | n | dental n, as in no. |
| ऩ | nh | dental nh, as in pinhole. |
| प | p | as in spin. |
| फ | ph | as in uphill. |
| ब | b | as in be. |
| भ | bh | as in abhor. |
| म | m | as in mere. |
| म़ | mh | as in farmhouse. |
| य | y | as in yet. |
| र | r | as in Spanish pero, a tongue trip. Don't roll as in Spanish rr, German or Scottish English. |
| ल | l | as in lean. |
| ल़ | lh | as in coalhouse. |
| ळ | ly | as in Norwegian farlig. Retroflex lateral approximent |
| व | v/w | as in Spanish vaca, between English v and w, but without the lip rounding of an English w. (IPA: ʋ). |
| श | sh | as in shoot. |
| ष | sh | almost indistinguishable retroflex of the above. Used only in Sanskrit loanwords. |
| स | s (beginning of syllable) ss (end of syllable) | as in see. |
| ह | h | as in him. |
Implosives
[edit | edit source]Implosives are pronounced by inhaling instead of exhaling.
| Devanagari | Pseudo-phoneticisation | Equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| ॾ | d | as in doom. |
| ॾ़ | dh | as in mudhut. |
| ॿ | b | as in be. |
| ॿ़ | bh | as in abhor. |
Phrase list
[edit | edit source]Basics
[edit | edit source]| Common signs
|
- Hello.
- . ( )
- Hello. (informal)
- . ( )
- How are you?
- ? ( ?)
- Fine, thank you.
- . ( )
- What is your name?
- ? ( ?)
- My name is ______ .
- ______ . ( _____ .)
- Nice to meet you.
- . ( )
- Please.
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- Thank you.
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- You're welcome.
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- Yes.
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- No.
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- Excuse me. (getting attention)
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- Excuse me. (begging pardon)
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- I'm sorry.
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- Goodbye
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- Goodbye (informal)
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- I can't speak name of language [well].
- [ ]. ( [ ])
- Do you speak English?
- ? ( ?)
- Is there someone here who speaks English?
- ? ( ?)
- Help!
- ! ( !)
- Look out!
- ! ( !)
- Good morning.
- . ( )
- Good evening.
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- Good night.
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- Good night (to sleep)
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- I don't understand.
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- Where is the toilet?
- ? ( ?)
Problems
[edit | edit source]- Leave me alone.
- . ( .)
- Don't touch me!
- ! ( !)
- I'll call the police.
- . ( .)
- Police!
- ! ( !)
- Stop! Thief!
- ! ! ( ! !)
- I need your help.
- . ( .)
- It's an emergency.
- . ( .)
- I'm lost.
- . ( .)
- I lost my bag.
- . ( .)
- I lost my wallet.
- . ( .)
- I'm sick.
- . ( .)
- I've been injured.
- . ( .)
- I need a doctor.
- . ( .)
- Can I use your phone?
- ? ( ?)
Numbers
[edit | edit source]- 0
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- 1
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- 2
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- 3
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- 4
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- 5
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- 6
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- 7
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- 8
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- 9
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- 10
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- 11
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- 12
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- 13
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- 14
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- 15
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- 16
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- 17
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- 18
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- 19
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- 20
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- 21
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- 22
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- 23
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- 30
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- 40
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- 50
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- 60
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- 70
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- 80
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- 90
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- 100
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- 200
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- 300
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- 1,000
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- 2,000
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- 1,000,000
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- 1,000,000,000
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- 1,000,000,000,000
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- number _____ (train, bus, etc.)
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- half
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- less
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- more
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Time
[edit | edit source]- now
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- later
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- before
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- morning
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- afternoon
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- evening
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- night
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Clock time
[edit | edit source]- one o'clock AM
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- two o'clock AM
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- noon
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- one o'clock PM
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- two o'clock PM
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- midnight
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Duration
[edit | edit source]- _____ minute(s)
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- _____ hour(s)
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- _____ day(s)
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- _____ week(s)
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- _____ month(s)
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- _____ year(s)
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Days
[edit | edit source]- today
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- yesterday
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- tomorrow
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- this week
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- last week
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- next week
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- Sunday
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- Monday
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- Tuesday
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- Wednesday
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- Thursday
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- Friday
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- Saturday
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Months
[edit | edit source]- January
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- February
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- March
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- April
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- May
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- June
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- July
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- August
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- September
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- October
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- November
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- December
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Writing time and date
[edit | edit source]Colors
[edit | edit source]- black
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- white
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- grey/gray
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- red
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- blue
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- yellow
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- green
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- orange
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- purple
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- brown
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Transportation
[edit | edit source]Bus and train
[edit | edit source]- How much is a ticket to _____?
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- One ticket to _____, please.
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- Where does this train/bus go?
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- Where is the train/bus to _____?
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- Does this train/bus stop in _____?
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- When does the train/bus for _____ leave?
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- When will this train/bus arrive in _____?
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Directions
[edit | edit source]- How do I get to _____ ?
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- ...the train station?
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- ...the bus station?
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- ...the airport?
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- ...downtown?
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- ...the youth hostel?
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- ...the _____ hotel?
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- ...the American/Canadian/Australian/British consulate?
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- Where are there a lot of...
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- ...hotels?
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- ...restaurants?
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- ...bars?
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- ...sites to see?
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- Can you show me on the map?
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- street
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- Turn left.
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- Turn right.
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- left
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- right
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- straight ahead
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- towards the _____
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- past the _____
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- before the _____
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- Watch for the _____.
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- intersection
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- north
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- south
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- east
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- west
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- uphill
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- downhill
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Taxi
[edit | edit source]- Taxi!
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- Take me to _____, please.
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- How much does it cost to get to _____?
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- Take me there, please.
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Lodging
[edit | edit source]- Do you have any rooms available?
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- How much is a room for one person/two people?
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- Does the room come with...
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- ...bedsheets?
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- ...a bathroom?
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- ...a telephone?
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- ...a TV?
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- May I see the room first?
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- Do you have anything quieter?
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- ...bigger?
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- ...cleaner?
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- ...cheaper?
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- OK, I'll take it.
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- I will stay for _____ night(s).
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- Can you suggest another hotel?
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- Do you have a safe?
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- ...lockers?
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- Is breakfast/supper included?
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- What time is breakfast/supper?
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- Please clean my room.
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- Can you wake me at _____?
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- I want to check out.
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Money
[edit | edit source]- Do you accept American/Australian/Canadian dollars?
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- Do you accept British pounds?
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- Do you accept euros?
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- Do you accept credit cards?
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- Can you change money for me?
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- Where can I get money changed?
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- Can you change a traveler's check for me?
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- Where can I get a traveler's check changed?
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- What is the exchange rate?
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- Where is an automatic teller machine (ATM)?
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Eating
[edit | edit source]- A table for one person/two people, please.
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- Can I look at the menu, please?
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- Can I look in the kitchen?
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- Is there a house specialty?
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- Is there a local specialty?
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- I'm a vegetarian.
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- I don't eat pork.
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- I don't eat beef.
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- I only eat kosher food.
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- Can you make it "lite", please? (less oil/butter/lard)
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- fixed-price meal
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- a la carte
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- breakfast
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- lunch
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- tea (meal)
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- supper
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- I want _____.
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- I want a dish containing _____.
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- chicken
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- beef
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- fish
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- ham
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- sausage
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- cheese
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- eggs
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- salad
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- (fresh) vegetables
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- (fresh) fruit
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- bread
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- toast
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- noodles
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- rice
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- beans
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- May I have a glass of _____?
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- May I have a cup of _____?
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- May I have a bottle of _____?
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- coffee
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- tea (drink)
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- juice
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- (bubbly) water
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- (still) water
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- beer
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- red/white wine
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- May I have some _____?
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- salt
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- black pepper
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- butter
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- Excuse me, waiter? (getting attention of server)
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- I'm finished.
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- It was delicious.
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- Please clear the plates.
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- The check, please.
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Bars
[edit | edit source]- Do you serve alcohol?
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- Is there table service?
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- A beer/two beers, please.
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- A glass of red/white wine, please.
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- A pint, please.
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- A bottle, please.
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- _____ (hard liquor) and _____ (mixer), please.
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- whiskey
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- vodka
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- rum
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- water
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- club soda
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- tonic water
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- orange juice
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- Coke (soda)
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- Do you have any bar snacks?
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- One more, please.
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- Another round, please.
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- When is closing time?
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- Cheers!
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Shopping
[edit | edit source]- Do you have this in my size?
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- How much is this?
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- That's too expensive.
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- Would you take _____?
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- expensive
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- cheap
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- I can't afford it.
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- I don't want it.
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- You're cheating me.
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- I'm not interested.
- (..)
- OK, I'll take it.
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- Can I have a bag?
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- Do you ship (overseas)?
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- I need...
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- ...toothpaste.
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- ...a toothbrush.
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- ...tampons.
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- ...soap.
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- ...shampoo.
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- ...pain reliever. (e.g., aspirin or ibuprofen)
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- ...cold medicine.
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- ...stomach medicine.
- ... ( )
- ...a razor.
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- ...an umbrella.
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- ...sunblock lotion.
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- ...a postcard.
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- ...postage stamps.
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- ...batteries.
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- ...writing paper.
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- ...a pen.
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- ...English-language books.
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- ...English-language magazines.
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- ...an English-language newspaper.
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- ...an English-English dictionary.
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Driving
[edit | edit source]- I want to rent a car.
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- Can I get insurance?
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- stop (on a street sign)
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- one way
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- yield
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- no parking
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- speed limit
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- gas (petrol) station
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- petrol
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- diesel
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Authority
[edit | edit source]- I haven't done anything wrong.
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- It was a misunderstanding.
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- Where are you taking me?
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- Am I under arrest?
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- I am an American/Australian/British/Canadian citizen.
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- I want to talk to the American/Australian/British/Canadian embassy/consulate.
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- I want to talk to a lawyer.
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- Can I just pay a fine now?
- ( )

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