How To Say Thank you in 15 Languages

In my opinion, the phrase, "thank you", to me is very important and often rings music to my ears. I remember growing up and my big brother would often tell me," Thank you Sabrina!", just for washing the dishes. I remeber it made me feel so special and appreciated, just over a small task. But, my brother was smart because it also reinforced my chances of doing the dishes again (lol). Not only that those small things in my childhood reminded how important it is to not forget your manners, even in the most smallest of moments. Those details of one's childhood often find their way into the fabric of your adult life. How often do we forget to say, "thank you" and the small acts of kindess towards our well being. Or how often do we stop and slow down so it comes from the heart. Good manners is not some thing to be done like automaton behavior ( we aren't robots), but should be expressed from our natural instincts when something happens that we are grateful for. Perhaps, when we want to show appreciation and joy to someone when they do something for us for our well being and happiness.

My new Pakistani friend, Salma ( like Salma Hayek),that works at the Palymyra News ( The 24 hour Magazine and Off license shop),how to say," Thank you!" in her native language Urdu, which is "Shukria".There are so many different cultures in Bayswater, the area I live in that I figuree I should at least learn how to say in a different language,"Thank You!" Since then, I have learned how to say "Thank you" in 15 languages.

How To Say Thank you in Ten Langauges:

1. Shukria(Urdu)
2. Shukran ( Arabic)
3. Shukriya( Hindi)
4. Shukur (Kurdi spoken Iraq, Iran)
5. Gum xia Hokkien (Chinese)
6. Merci(Iran,Afghanistan)
7. Toda raba (Hebrew)
8. Spasibo (Russia)
9. Nandri(India, Southeast Asia)
10. Tesekkür ederim (Turkey, Northern Cyprus)
11. Tashakkur (Uzbekistan)
12. A dupe (Nigeria)
13. Asante(Southeast Africa)
14. khob-kun-Ka;If you are a woman; khob-kun-Krub,if you are a man(Thai),
15. Arigato ( Japanese).

Take a note that in Farsi, they say " Merci" like
the French, say "Merci Beaucoup!". It's probably the only French
influence on the Iranian language. Also, the prefix for "THANK YOU !" is the same in Urdu (Shukria),Arabic (Shoukran), Hindi ( Shukriya),Shukur (Kurdi).
Nonetheless,it's very easy to get confused and so I often tell the Hindi person person Shoukran and Arabic person Shukriya. It's interesting because Urdu has elements of the Arabic language. Urdu (اردوUrdū, IPA: [ˈʊrd̪uː] ( listen), historically spelled Ordu, Ordos dialect) is a Central Indo-Aryan language[1][2] of the Indo-Iranian branch, belonging to the Indo-European family of languages. It is a derivative of Hindustani, owes its roots to Sanskrit and is the national language and one of the two official languages (the other being English) of Pakistan. Spoken in five Indian states, it is also one of the 22 official languages of India. Its vocabulary developed under Sanskrit, Persian, Arabic and Turkic. In modern times Urdu vocabulary has been significantly influenced by Punjabi and even English.

Of course, my favorite "Thank You!" is in Hebrew, " Toda Raba", because "todo" means "all" ( Spanish), and "raba" sounds like roba, which comes from the infinitive robar means "to steal". I find it funny !!It doesn't make any sense, but it's interesting to find out how the different languages sound the same. It's even more interesting to discover how similar cultures share similar langauges roots. The best part is that it's even more fun to start talking in a certain language and connecting with people on a different level just because you speak their language.

Oh and "Thank you" for reading this blog.

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London Diaries: Some Language Differences I Find Funny

London Diaries: Some Language Differences I Find Funny

Grays Inn Park- London Autumn 2008

Gray's Inn Park is an example of one of the many gorgeous parks in London.It is just a really small simple park that's located in a residential and business area of London.I happened upon it on one of the many days when I first was in London and would get lost. It's only open from 12pm until 2 pm every day. Often, you will see many of the neighboring workers and business people from the area bringing their lunch here.When I found it I saw it as a place to chant,since at the time I was living with these two English blokes as a couch surfer with very little privacy.I would leave their house by 11 am every morning.I would wake up and draw the blinds and say " Good Morning London! what am I going to do today?!"

I would go to this park and just chant on this charming bench far off in a corner of the park. It was such a peaceful respite to be here among such beauty. I would bring my thermos of Earl Grey tea, have a chant smile at the beautiful cosmos flowers, plan my day, until the security gaurd kicked me out around 2 ish because I was so content I didn't want to leave. Gray's Inn park is an example of the many parks throughout London that offer a respite from the busy and rambunctious city life.Mysteriously, the photo on the top right was published in an online tour guide magazine.

Some Language Differences I Find Funny

When I first came on London I had to not only adjust to the
different accent, but also to the funny way the British speak.
Many times when I was at my hotel when I asked them where was the trash bin was,they would say," Pardon me?!!" They didn't know what I meant by that.
Immigrants are a bit slower than British in their awareness of American English. Often I would go to a off license store and ask the Pakistani clerk for batteries or to TOP UP ( TOP UP,is another phenomena in the UK which I will get into in my next blog) my cell phone, the clerk would reply with " Sorry!" I didn't know what they were sorry about, because they certainly had not offended me. But that was their way of saying could you repeat yourself Madam. BESIDES EVERYONE SAYS SORRY HERE IN THE UK even if they bump into you in the que.

That's another thing people are quite formal in the UK, and they often call me
Madame.Personally, I prefer Madamoiselle or Miss. Service people at groceries stores and boutiques ask, " how may I serve you?" or have you been served?".Americans say:"How may I help you? or Have you been helped?" To me, asking someone,"how can I serve you?",seems a bit subservient. I don't like the way it sounds. It supposedly has to do with the British sense of knowing your place in society. British are very status and class conscious even in the 21 st century. Interestingly enough,similar mores of status and decorum still apply in Mexico.For example, when they say,"Como puedo servirte?"( How can I serve you?)I don't like the way that sounds either.But,I am entitled to my opinion. And, as long as I get paid for my opinions I will keep giving them(LOL !).

Anyway, here are some of the language differnces that I find very funny
and wanted to share with you. Many are slang terms
that I find terribly charming and most enjoyable.

1. Goolies-
Noun:
1. Private parts
2. Family Jewels
"I kicked him in the goolies"
2. Rubbish- for trash.
It's quite frequently used. For example, I am rubbish
at tennis. Or, Paris Hilton acting is rubbish.
3. You are getting on my tits.= means you are annoying me.
4. You got your knickers caught in a twist= means you
are bambuzzled and frazzled.
5.Pissed- drunk, not angry or mad
6. wanker- jerk.
7. bullocks-that's a lie. As in that 's bullocks!
Bollocks 1660 up, 102 down
A highly flexible term commonly used by the English.

1. something rubbish
2. a falsehood or series of lies
3. something great
4. the best possible
5. testicles
6. exclamation on making a error.
1. That Mel Gibson movie was a load of bollocks.
2. That Tony Blair is talking bollocks.
3. That curry was the bollocks!
4. That your wife is the dog's bollocks when it comes to cooking!
5. Then she kicked him in the bollocks.
6. Bollocks!

Some funny phrases:
"You honestly expect me to believe you're going to tell John what I did with his wife? You haven't got the bollocks."
"Two Stellas, a Fosters, a Bacardi and Diet Coke and a Carling-top please. ...oh, make that half a Fosters - that's bollocksed you, hasn't it? Let's call it a tenner for cash, eh?"
8. fag-cigarette
In BrE the phrase "I could murder a fag" may refer to a compulsion to smoke a cigarette, while in AmE it indicates an intention to kill a homosexual.
9. take the mickey (out of someone) Vrb phrs. To tease, to ridicule. Also shortened to take the mick. An abbreviated form of the Cockney rhyming slang take the mickey bliss, meaning 'take the piss'. E.g."Stop taking the mickey out of Billy, he's very sensitive and you're upsetting him." Cf. 'take the Michael' and 'extract the Michael'. [1930s]
10. take the piss Vrb phrs. 1. To ridicule, to tease, to make fun off. Cf. 'extract the urine'. 2. To take advantage of, to exploit. E.g."Just because they like looking after their grand children, doesn't mean you can dump the kids on them every weekend whilst you go out clubbing. That's just taking the piss."
take the mickey (out of someone) Vrb phrs. To tease, to ridicule. Also shortened to take the mick. An abbreviated form of the Cockney rhyming slang take the mickey bliss, meaning 'take the piss'. E.g."Stop taking the mickey out of Billy, he's very sensitive and you're upsetting him." Cf. 'take the Michael' and 'extract the Michael'. [1930s] take the piss Vrb phrs. 1. To ridicule, to tease, to make fun off. Cf. 'extract the urine'.
11. airy-fairy. non substantial. They often think Californians are airy fairy with their New Age thinking.
12. bugger off-Verb. Get lost. Usually said in annoyance. " Bugger off you wanker!"
13. knackered- verb.to be tired. I just got done playing with my grandchildren and I am knackered.
14. tenner- a ten pound note. For example,I had fish and chips and a pint of beer, all for a tenner. ( I made this one up)

FOR BRITISH SLANG TERMS
or to understand the context and meaning of slang terms consult http://www.urbandictionary.com/


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