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World languages — what's spoken and how to say thank you

Pick a language for the full pocket phrasebook — hello, thank you, how much — with pronunciation.

World languages — what's spoken and how to say thank you
📷 Pixabay / stevepb
Reviewed & updated by יהב עטיה · About the team

Most travellers don't learn a word. That's exactly why "hello" and "thank you" in the local language land as respect — and open doors.

Albanian

Hello — PërshëndetjeThank you — FaleminderitPlease — Ju lutem

Full Albanian phrasebook ›

Arabic

Hello — مرحبا (Marhaba)Thank you — شكرا (Shukran)Please — من فضلك (Min fadlak)

Full Arabic phrasebook ›

Portuguese

Hello — OláThank you — Obrigado / ObrigadaPlease — Por favor

Full Portuguese phrasebook ›

Spanish

Hello — HolaThank you — GraciasPlease — Por favor

Full Spanish phrasebook ›

German

Hello — Hallo / Guten TagThank you — DankePlease — Bitte

Full German phrasebook ›

Russian

Hello — Здравствуйте (Zdravstvuyte)Thank you — Спасибо (Spasibo)Please — Пожалуйста (Pozhaluysta)

Full Russian phrasebook ›

French

Hello — BonjourThank you — MerciPlease — S'il vous plaît

Full French phrasebook ›

Croatian

Hello — Bok / Dobar danThank you — HvalaPlease — Molim

Full Croatian phrasebook ›

Bulgarian

Hello — Здравейте (Zdraveyte)Thank you — Благодаря (Blagodarya)Please — Моля (Molya)

Full Bulgarian phrasebook ›

Mandarin Chinese

Hello — 你好 (Nǐ hǎo)Thank you — 谢谢 (Xièxie)Please — 请 (Qǐng)

Full Mandarin Chinese phrasebook ›

Greek

Hello — Γεια σας (Yia sas)Thank you — Ευχαριστώ (Efharistó)Please — Παρακαλώ (Parakaló)

Full Greek phrasebook ›

Czech

Hello — Dobrý denThank you — DěkujiPlease — Prosím

Full Czech phrasebook ›

Danish

Hello — Hej / GoddagThank you — TakPlease — Vær venlig

Full Danish phrasebook ›

Finnish

Hello — Hei / PäivääThank you — KiitosPlease — Ole hyvä

Full Finnish phrasebook ›

Georgian

Hello — გამარჯობა (Gamarjoba)Thank you — მადლობა (Madloba)Please — თუ შეიძლება (Tu sheidzleba)

Full Georgian phrasebook ›

Hungarian

Hello — Szia / Jó napotThank you — KöszönömPlease — Kérem

Full Hungarian phrasebook ›

Icelandic

Hello — Halló / Góðan dagThank you — TakkPlease — Gjörðu svo vel

Full Icelandic phrasebook ›

Hindi

Hello — नमस्ते (Namaste)Thank you — धन्यवाद (Dhanyavaad)Please — कृपया (Kripya)

Full Hindi phrasebook ›

Indonesian

Hello — Halo / Selamat siangThank you — Terima kasihPlease — Tolong

Full Indonesian phrasebook ›

Hebrew

Hello — שלוםThank you — תודהPlease — בבקשה

Italian

Hello — Ciao / SalveThank you — GraziePlease — Per favore

Full Italian phrasebook ›

Japanese

Hello — こんにちは (Konnichiwa)Thank you — ありがとう (Arigatō)Please — お願いします (Onegai shimasu)

Full Japanese phrasebook ›

Romanian

Hello — Bună ziuaThank you — MulțumescPlease — Vă rog

Full Romanian phrasebook ›

Dutch

Hello — HalloThank you — Dank jePlease — Alsjeblieft

Full Dutch phrasebook ›

Norwegian

Hello — Hei / God dagThank you — TakkPlease — Vær så snill

Full Norwegian phrasebook ›

Polish

Hello — Dzień dobryThank you — DziękujęPlease — Proszę

Full Polish phrasebook ›

Slovak

Hello — Dobrý deňThank you — ĎakujemPlease — Prosím

Full Slovak phrasebook ›

Korean

Hello — 안녕하세요 (Annyeonghaseyo)Thank you — 감사합니다 (Gamsahamnida)Please — 부탁합니다 (Butakhamnida)

Full Korean phrasebook ›

Swedish

Hello — HejThank you — TackPlease — Snälla

Full Swedish phrasebook ›

Thai

Hello — สวัสดี (Sawatdee)Thank you — ขอบคุณ (Khob khun)Please — กรุณา (Karuna)

Full Thai phrasebook ›

Turkish

Hello — MerhabaThank you — TeşekkürlerPlease — Lütfen

Full Turkish phrasebook ›

Ukrainian

Hello — Добрий день (Dobryi den)Thank you — Дякую (Diakuiu)Please — Будь ласка (Bud laska)

Full Ukrainian phrasebook ›

Vietnamese

Hello — Xin chàoThank you — Cảm ơnPlease — Làm ơn

Full Vietnamese phrasebook ›

A few words go a long way

Most travellers arrive without a single word of the local language. That's exactly why "hello" and "thank you" in the local tongue land as respect, and open doors: a smile instead of a blank look, sometimes a better price at the market. You don't need to learn the language. You need six words, and the transliteration to say them right.

Can you get by in English?

In city centres and tourist areas, usually yes — especially with younger people and at hotels. Outside them the picture changes fast. A camera-translation app solves almost anything — a menu, a sign, a chat at the market — but it needs a connection, so an eSIM ready before you fly is worth it.

Sources: Phrasebook: basic transliterated vocabulary, checked with native speakers — updated: August 2026

Questions & answers

Common questions

Do I need to learn a language before travelling?
No. Six basic words and a transliteration are enough to get by and be received well. A translation app handles the rest.
Which translation app is best for travel?
The major options work similarly. What matters: download the language for offline use before you fly, and use camera mode for menus and signs.
Can you get by in English in most of the world?
In Europe, Scandinavia and tourist hubs — yes. In East Asia, Latin America and villages — less so. Each country page has a specific read.
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