Eastern Europe phrasebook
This Eastern Europe phrasebook for hitchhikers is a work in progress.
Contents
Eastern Europe
Russian is probably the most important language to learn. Many older people speak or at least understand Russian, especially when their mother tongue is a Slavic language. The second most important language is probably Polish, since it is widely understood in Czech Republic, Slovakia, Lithuania and Ukraine.
Russian
- Hello = Здравствуйте (Привет) - Zdrastvuyte( more formal)/ Привет- Privet(more informal)
- Excuse me.. = Извините (Прошу прощения) - Izvinite / Proshoo(u:) proscheniya
- Do you possibly drive in the direction of ...? = Вы случайно не едете в сторону ...?- Vi edete v napravlenii …?
- Could I get a lift to...? = Вы можете меня подвезти к ...? - Vi ne mogli bi podvezti menya k …?
- - a gasstation / a service area / a parking place? / along the highway = заправке / сервисной зоне / парковке? - benzopravke/ rayonu(u:) obsluzhivaniya/ parkovke/ pau(o:) doroge
- Is the lift free? / I can't pay. = Это бесплатно? / У меня нет денег. - Yeto besplatno?/ U(u:) menya net deneg
- Do you speak ...? / any other languages / Could you speak slower, please? = Вы говорите на ...? / других языках? / Говорите, пожалуйста, помедленнее. - Vi govorite na…?/ drugih yazikah?Govorite, pozhal(oo(u:))ysta, medlennee.
- yes / no / maybe / no thanks / = Да / Нет / Может быть / Нет, спасибо - da/ net/ vozmozhno/ net, spasibo
- That’s great / perfect / bad / no problem = Хорошо / Отлично / Плохо / Нет проблем - Yeto velikolepno/ otlichno/ ploho/ net problem
- I don't understand. / I don't know. = Я не понимаю. / Я не знаю. - Ya ne ponimayu/ Ya ne znayu
- I'm going to ... / Where are you going to? = Мне нужно в ... (Я еду в ...) / Куда вы едете? - Mne nuzhno v … /( Ya edu(u:) v…)/ Ku(u:)da vi edete?
- My name is... / What's your name? / I’m from... / Where are you from? = Меня зовут ... / Как вас зовут? / Я из ... / Откуда вы? - Menya zovut …/ Kak vas zovut?/ Ya iz.../Otku(u:)da vi?
- I’m ... years old. / How old are you? = Мне ... лет. / Сколько вам лет?- Mne … let./ Skol’ko vam let?
- I study.... / My subjects are... / I’m in my ... year. / I will become a .... = Я изучаю ... / Я изучаю ... / Я на ... курсе. - Ya izuchayu… / Ya izuchayu…/ Yan a … kurse.
- I have a boy-friend/a girl-friend. / I'm married. = У меня есть парень/девушка. / Я [male]женат, [female]замужем.- U(u:) menya est’ paren’/devushka. Ya(male) zhenat, Ya(female) zamuzhem.
- I’m on holiday. / I visit friends in... / I'm hitchhiking around... = У меня каникулы / Я еду в гости к друзьям в ... / Я путешествую автостопом. - U(u:) menya kaniku(u:)/ Ya edu v gosti k druz’yam v …/ Ya pu(u:)teshestvuyu avtostopom.
- I will stay for... / I’m going back... = Я проведу там ... / Я возвращаюсь ...- Ya provedu tam …/ Ya vozvraschayus’…
- Don’t touch me! / Let me out! / Stop! / Help! = Не трогай меня! / Пусти! / Стой! (Останови!) / Помогите!-Ne troga(Λ)y menya!/ P(oo(u:))sti!/ Stoy!(Ostanovi)/Pomoghite!
- Can you drop me off here? = Вы можете меня здесь высадить? - Vi mozhete menya zdes’ vysadit’?
- Thank you! / Have a nice day/trip! = Спасибо! / Хорошей дороги! - Spasibo!/ Horoshey dorogi!
- Where can I find ...? = Как мне найти ...? (or just Где ...?) - Kak mne na(Λ)yti…? ( Gde?)
- - the city centre / a map = центр города / карту - tsentr goroda/ kartu(u:)
- - a toilet / a supermarket / a pharmacy / a campsite = туалет / супермаркет / аптека / место для палатки - tu(u:)a(Λ)let/supermarket/apteka/ mesto dlya palatki
- - an internetcafe / a cashmachine / a bank = интернет-кафе / банкомат / банк - internet-ka(Λ)fe/ ba(Λ)nkomat/ ba(Λ)nk
- - a metrostation / a busstation / a trainstation = станция метро / автостанция / вокзал - sta(Λ)ntsiya metro/ a(Λ)vtosta(Λ)ntsiya/ vokza(Λ)l
- - the highway to ... / a good hitchhikingspot = трасса в сторону ... / хорошее место для автостопа - tra(Λ)ssa v storonu(u:)…/ horoshee mesto dlya a(Λ)vtostopa
- water / (herbal) tea / hot chocolate / coffee = вода / (травяной) чай / горячий шоколад / кофе - voda(Λ)/ cha(Λ)y/ goryachiy shokola(Λ)d/kofe
- beer / (red, white) wine / juice = пиво / (красное, белое) вино / сок - pivo/(kra(Λ)snoe, beloe) vino/ sok
- vegetarian / diner / bread / a cheap restaurant = вегетарианец / столовая / хлеб / дешевый ресторан - vegetarianets/stolovaya/ hleb/ deshoviy restoran
- Cheers! / Enjoy your meal! = На здоровье! / Приятного аппетита! - Na zdorovie ! Priyatnogo appetita!
- I’m hungry / thirsty / fine / cold / hot / sick = Я голодный / Я хочу пить / Я в порядке / Мне холодно / Мне жарко / Мне плохо - Ya golodniy/ Ya hochu pit’ / Ya v poryadke/ Mne holodno/Mne zharko/ Mne ploho
- north / east / south / west = север / восток / юг / запад - sever/vostok/yug/zapad
- yesterday / today / tomorrow = вчера / сегодня / завтра - vchera/ segodnya/ zavtra
- zero / one / two / three / four / five / six / seven / eight / nine / ten = ноль / один / два / три / четыре / пять / шесть / семь / восемь / девять / десять - nol’/odin/dva/tri/chetire/pyat’/shest’/sem’/ vosem’/ devyat’/ desyat’/
- eleven / twelve / thirteen / fourteen / fifteen / sixteen / seventeen / eighteen / nineteen / twenty = одиннадцать / двенадцать / тринадцать / четырнадцать / пятнадцать / шестнадцать / семнадцать / восемнадцать / девятнадцать / двадцать - odinadtsat’/dvenadtsat’/trinadtsat’/chetirnadtsat’/ petnadtsat’/ shestnadtsat’/semnadtsat’/vosemnadtsat’/devetnadtsat’/ dvadtsat’
- twenty-one / thirty = двадцать один / тридцать - dvadtsat’ odin/ tridtsat’
- hour / day / week / month / kilometre = час / день / неделя / месяц / километр - chas/ den’/ nedelya/ mesyats/ kilometr
- left / right / straight on / before/ after = налево / направо / прямо / перед / после - nalevo/ napravo/ pryamo/ pered/ posle
- this / next / last / = этот / следующий / последний - Yetot/sledu(u:)yuschiy/ posledniy
- often / seldom / never / long / short = часто / редко / никогда / далеко / близко - chasto/redko/nikogda/ daleko/ blizko
- up / down / over / under = вверх / вниз / над / под - vverh/ vniz/ nad/ pod
- How far is it (on foot)? / Where are we? = Это далеко (пешком)? / Где мы? - Yeto daleko(peshkom)? / Gde mi?
- How much does it cost? / What time is it? = Сколько это стоит? / Который час? - Skol’ko yeto stoit/ Kotoriy chas?
- We are looking for a place to sleep. = Мы ищем где можно переночевать. - Mi ischem gde mozhno perenochevat’.
- Where can we buy a ticket? = Где купить билет? - Gde kupit’ bilet?
- Who? / What? / Where? / Why? / When? = Кто? / Что? / Где? / Почему? / Когда? - Kto?/ Chto?/ Gde?/ Pochemu(u:)?/ Kogda?
- How? / How much? / How long? / Which? = Как? / Сколько? / Как долго? / Какой? - Kak?/ Skol’ko?/ Kak dolgo?/ Kakoy?
Polish
Czech
Czech is an incredibly difficult language to learn, but learn these few phrases and you will get around the country a lot more easily, especially outside cities.
Even names of towns can be pronounced incorrectly very easily. Consider the name of the town Olomouc, which is pronounced ollo-moats.
I don't speak Czech - Nemluvím Český [naym-loo-veem ches-kee]
Do you speak English? - Mluvíte Anglicky? [mloo-vee-teh an-glits-kee]
Hello (formal) – Dobrý den [dob-ree den]
Hello (informal) – Ahoj! [a-hoy]
Help! – Pomoc! [poh-moats]
I understand - Rozumím [roz-oo-meem]
I don’t understand – Nerozumím [nay-roz-oo-meem]
It’s also worth remembering that in Czech the emphasis is nearly always on the first syllable of a word, and hardly ever on its second or third syllable.
Numbers
one - jeden / jedna / jedno
two - dva / dvě
three - tři
four - čtyři
five - pět
six - šest
seven - sedm - pronounced "sedum"
eight - osm - pronounced "osum"
nine - devět
ten - deset
eleven - jedenáct
twelve - dvanáct
thirteen - třináct
fourteen - čtrnáct
fifteen - patnáct
sixteen - šestnáct
seventeen - sedmnáct - pronounced "sedumnáct"
eighteen - osmnáct - pronounced "osumnáct"
nineteen - devatenáct
twenty - dvacet
twenty one - dvacet jedna
twenty two - dvacet dva
twenty three - dvacet tři
thirty - třicet
forty - čtyřicet
fifty - padesát
sixty - šedesát
seventy - sedmdesát - pronounced "sedumdesát"
eighty - osmdesát - pronounced "osumdesát"
ninety - devadesát
one hundred - sto
two hundred - dvě stě
three hundred - tři sta
four hundred - čtyři sta
five hundred - pět set
Slovak
Hungarian
Vocabulary
- Hitchhiking - stoppolás, stop [shtopolash, shtop]
- High-way - autópálya [autopaya]
- Petrol station - benzinkút [benzeenkut]
- Ring road - körgyűrű [koerdyuru]
- Map - térkép
- Bus stop - buszmegálló [bus-megh-allo]
Greetings
- Hello - hello, szia [seeya]
- Good day - jó napot [yo napot]
- Good morning - jó reggelt [yo reghelt]
- Good evening - jó estét [yo eshtet]
- Goodbye - viszlát [whislat]
- Bye - viszlát, hello
- Thank you - köszönöm [koesoenoem]
- Thanks - köszi [koesi]
Directions
- From - -ból, -ből [at the end of a word, like Londonból.]
- Towards - felé [eg. Budapest felé]
- Through - keresztül -on, -en, ön [eg. keresztül Pécsen, keresztül Győrön] or át -on, -en, -ön [eg. át Budapesten]
- (To the) left - bal(ra) [bal(ra)]
- (To the) right - jobb(ra) [yobb(ra)]
- Straignt on - egyenesen (edyeneshen)
- Where are you going to? - Merre mész? [Merre mes?]
- I'm travelling to ... - ... felé megyek. [... fele medyek]
- Please, stop here - Állj meg itt, légyszi
- A bit further - Kicsit előrébb [kitcheet eloerebb]
Slovenian
Serbian/Croatian/Bosnian
Bulgarian
Romanian
Romanian is one of the few non-Slavic East-European languages. It is related with French, Italian, Spanish etc. Speakers of one of these languages will find it easier to pronounce and understand Romanian.
Albanian
Greek
Turkish
Turkish is a bit hard in grammar and pronounciation but if you know some tips it's very easy.
Ş:sh Ç:ch
Merhaba - Hello(formal)
Selam - Hello(informal)
Afedersiniz - Excuse me
Evet - Yes Hayır - No Biraz - A little bit
Teşekkürler - Thanks Tamam - Okay
İngilizce konuşabilir misiniz? - Can you speak English?
Anlamıyorum - I don't understand
Bilmiyorum - I don't know
.........'a gidiyorum - I'm going to ........
Bu harika - That's great Çok iyi - Very good
Sorun yok - No problem Çok kötü - Very bad
Benim ismim ....,sizin isminiz ne? - My name is ....,what's your name?
.... yaşındayım - I'm ... years old
Nerelisiniz? - Where are you from?
........'dan geliyorum - I'm coming from .....
Bekarım - I'm single Evliyim - I'm married
Erkek(M)/kız(F) arkadaşım var - I have a boyfriend/girlfriend
Bana dokunma! - Don't touch me! İmdat! - Help!
Lütfen bana yardım edin! - Help me please!
Dur - Stop! İstemiyorum - I don't want
İnmek istiyorum - I want to get off
Burada inebilir miyim? - Can i drop off here?
Günaydın - Good morning İyi günler - Have a good day
İyi akşamlar - Good evening İyi geceler - Good night
Hoşçakal - Good bye Görüşürüz - See you
Water - Su Beer - Bira Wine - Şarap
Meyve suyu - Fruit juice
Ekmek - Bread Yemek - Meal
Açım / susadım / üşüdüm - I'm hungry / thirsty / cold
....... nerede? / Where is ......?
Uzak mı? - Is it far? Yakın mı? - Is it close?
Doğu - East West - Batı Kuzey - North Güney - South
Uyumak için bir yer arıyorum - I'm looking for a place to sleep
Ucuz - Cheap Pahalı - Expensive
Nasıl? - How? Why? - Neden? Who? - Kim?
Saat kaç? - What time is it?
Kaç para? - How much does it cost?
Numbers in Turkish
1-bir 2-iki 3-üç 4-dört 5-beş 6-altı 7-yedi 8-sekiz 9-dokuz 10-on