Speaking of…

Who didn’t have an old aunt or a grandmother who used to carry around one of those big bags filled with everything the world could contain? Or at least so we thought when we were kids. One of those Mary Poppins’ purses that could materialize anything from a handkerchief to a box of chocolate pralines. Well, the Italian word “prego” is very similar to one of those fabled bags. It might be a small word, but it contains multitudes. Of course, this makes for a very tricky word to learn to use and also for a very important one to get right from the get-go.

If you have any Arab friends on social media, you may have noticed that when writing in Arabic they often mix numbers in the middle of their words.

If you hang out with Arabic-speakers, you’ve definitely heard the word Wallah before. It’s very common, and once you know it you’ll find plenty of ways to use it! So what is the meaning of Wallah? One of my absolute favorite parts about learning a language is finding those catchy words that you just can’t wait to use in conversation.

If you’ve traveled to an Arabic speaking country, I’m sure you’ve heard the word khalas at least a few times. Same goes for akeed. Most learners rush to tackle the most formal aspects of the language—paying little to no attention to Arabic slang. While becoming familiar with formal Arabic words is incredibly important, slang words are crucial when it comes to really becoming conversational.

German is known for being a very precise language—great for philosophy and engineering—but don’t be fooled; it can also be colorfully idiomatic. As we’ve seen in other German videos, the Germans love their sausage, and many of their meat delicacies are made from pork.

In Italian slang, there are many vegetables that play a dramatic role in everyday conversation. But only one is the undisputed prima donna when it comes to kind of swearing in Italian: the cabbage – il cavolo.

When I first moved to an English-speaking country one thing that drove me crazy as a Polish expat was my colleagues asking me how I was in passing, oftentimes not even waiting for an answer. For me, as a Polish speaker, this question was an invitation to a conversation and I was ready and willing to give them a full report on my well-being.

Like in other languages, in Polish slang, particular phrases arise spontaneously and accidentally due to hilarious social and political situations. Some of them are popularized by the media or formed on the internet. For the most part—young people create slang language by assigning new meanings to familiar words.

“How to say ‘hello’ in your language?” is a common question among the polyglot community. People usually breeze happily through Spanish hola, French salut, or Italian ciao. But when the time comes for Polish cześć, their eyes widen and discomfort appears on their faces.

Meeting new people and being able to have an engaging conversation are probably some of the main reasons for learning a new language. But knowing your verb conjugations or having extensive vocabulary might not be enough to prevent you from committing a social faux pas.

Memorizing new words is probably one of the most tedious processes in learning a language. This is why seeing a familiar looking word can spark a sigh of relief.

When you’re learning a new language, hitting the books and studying (memorizing) hard is the standard approach. But what about when you find yourself in a casual conversation with an acquaintance or friend?