Easy Hebrew: Four question words in Hebrew and One in Chinese

 

An advertisement for a Hebrew course offered to teach four words in Hebrew. It worked very well.

I learned two of the four words. The first word I noticed was ma? That means what. 

The Chinese question word, MA, goes on the end of a sentence and turns a statement into a question. Ma in Chinese could be translated into Eglish as really, or is that so.

The Hebrew wrod matai sound like what time, ma - tie. Matai in Hebrew is when.

The two words I had more trouble with were the words for why, lama, and how, eich. 

Useful Websites

duolingo.com

https://lp.rosenhebrewschool.com/lp-rosen-modern-hebrew-ask-in-hebrew-22-en.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_English_words_of_Hebrew_origin

Quick Ways To Learn Chinese Words And Symbols

I can speak to ladies in the swimming pool or the ladies only sauna at a club. I can speak to taxi drivers. I ask them how do I say hello and goodbye.

Hello is the easy one. I learned this at a bilingual Toastmasters club in Singapore. I kept hearing the word which sounded like HOW? It means good. 

The word which sounds like knee is you. The greeting knee how which sounds like how are your knees is like how are you or hello.

The reply is how or good. This is written in the 'English' alphabet or Roman alphabet with accents, called pinyin, as hao with a dipped or u shape accent over the 'a' to show that your voice tone goes down and then up - a bit like saying the word 'really?'

So now you know three words, you, good, and hello.

So I can get into a taxi and greet the driver with knee how which is hello. I can smile at neighbours or strangers in the lift (Americans say elevator for lift). I can greet the ladies or the swimming instructor in the pool. I can nod to strangers on the bus.

Chinese Challenge - Pictograms

But what about those challenging Chinese signs which Duolingo is forcing me to learn?
The knee sound is drawn like a lower leg with a slanting knee cap.

The good sign (how) looks like two stick figure people having a good chat. I don't yet know the sign well enough to draw or write it.

(Like English letters you draw in a logical direction. In English you start the letter S at the top which eventually becomes automatic and seems logical and faster when doing joined up writing. However, when trying to write neatly on a board I sometimes draw a letter s in two halves.)

Duolingo Pictures

If you learn Chinese through Duolingo they force you to learn the picture signs. I have started this, left it and gone away, then come back to it.

Take A Break

When you come back to it, the lesson seems easier.
Useful websites and resources for travellers and linguists and aspiring polyglots (speakers of several languages):

Free Lessons

Free online language lessons to begin Chinese, European languages and English for foreigners

Memrize.com - online system where you can record your memory aid and keep it private (eg if it contains rude words or personal information) or share your memory aid words or picture
S or drawings and see other people's and choose which one is first on the list and visible on your screen as a reminder without scrolling.

Amazon - for new and old books and cassettes and discs

Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

ebay.com
Duolingo.com

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, teacher of English and other languages, workshops for education and businesses, after dinner and keynote speeches.

German Pronunciation Simplified

Problem
How do you pronounce German words?

Answers

AU is OW as HOW NOW BROWN COW
I had a friend whose surname was Blau (rhyming with now) meaning blue.
frau - woman - think of a frowning woman with brows in a brown dress , pronounced f r o w,

IE
i e pronounce the second letter W i e n e r - p r o n u n c e d v e e n e r

V and W
W is v as in the German word for sausage: w u r s h t (pronounced v e r sh t).
So now you can recognize it when a German speaker talks about a sausage from Vienna.
You can also recognize what sounds like v e e n e r schnitzel.

Frequent use of W pronounced as V
was - (vas or vuss) what
wie - what
German wir - we pronounced veer

German - English
was - what (vuss as in fuss)
wir - we (veer)
wie - how (vee)
wieviel - how many (vee feel)
w i e v i e l u h r ist es (what time is it - v e e like the letter vee, feel, i s t e s s as in yes)

German J is Y
jung - young pronounced y o o n g , the vowel as in cook


English - German
we - wir (pronounced veer)
where

Finally, when writing, go back and check you have capital letters for all the words describing things. In English we save a capital lesson for a specific name of a person, Mr Blue, but in German the word man it would be Mann.

Tips
I suggest you get a notebook or diary and write down a key to the ones which puzzle you on one page with a key word in English for the pronunciation.
Left column for the sound as it is written in German, second column for the word in English.
I shall do this and take a photo and add it later.

Websites
Wikipedia give a complete guide, letter by letter, including variations for Switzerland.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_Standard_German
It is so long and complicated that it's hard to find the sounds you need and remember them.

For more tips on pronunciation:
http://www.fluentu.com/german/blog/how-to-pronounce-german-words/
Long and chatty. The opposite of Wikipedia.

duolingo.com
The first page of any of their dozen or so languages gives you a guide to grammar and pronunciation of the language you have chosen to learn. Even if you are not learning, or have finished the course and want a reminder, it's worthwhile going to their page one. Notes are at the bottom of the screen and easily missed so if you are on a small screen scroll down for them.

You might like to look at my other posts on German, French, Romanian, Italian and other languages. I also have travel articles in this blog on my trips to Italy (a press trip, covering Umbria and Francis of Assisi) and Cambodia (Ankor Wat temple). I also have several posts on Singapore and restaurants in London, Central London and Hatch End and Harrow. Other blogs cover etiquette, humorous poetry and my books. I am also you YouTube, linkedIn, Facebook, Lulu.com books and Amazon. If you meet me at a meeting of Toastmasters International clubs (UK, USA and Singapore) I am a chatty person. I am always delighted to talk about travel and culture and please to meet a fan and if you want to buy a coy of one of my books I'll sign it and write you a personalised message, motivation quote or a couplet based on your name. Happy reading.
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and phgotarpheer, author and speaker. Please share posts.Enable GingerCannot connect to Ginger Check your internet connection
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