It’s time once again for the TOP TEN THURSDAY CHALLENGE, Hosted by Tamara Gerber-Stutz, of Part-time Working Hockey Mom, Since I missed last week’s event, I’m combining it with this week’s. Cool?
Okay, here we go!
SUBJECT 1:
Top Ten Words or Phrases You Know in Foreign Languages
(and how/why you know them)
Actually, some of my top ten aren’t suitable for general audiences. This is the PG version. 😉
I was born in Germany to a German mother and a Canadian army officer father of German descent, which gave me the benefit of dual citizenship and bilingual proficiency in both English and German.
I learned French in school (much of it now forgotten) and picked up a lot of Italian from my husband, who hails from the Bari region of Italy. Along the way, I met a few Spanish-speaking people and learned some key words and phrases from them.
Greek is a language I tried to study in preparation for our 2013 trip there, but it was too difficult for this old brain.
1. Good day, friends
For the 2015 April A to Z Challenge, my entire theme was built around language.
I made this little recording:
French/Français: Bonjour mes amis German/Deutsch: Guten Tag Freunde
Italian/Italiano: Buon giorno amici Spanish/Español: Buenos dias amigos
Greek/Elliniká [ελληνικά]: Kali̱méra fíloi [Καλημέρα φίλοι]
2. Schatz
This is German for treasure and it’s the nickname I gave my husband many years ago.
(He does answer to it!)
Variations: Schatzi, Schätzchen (diminutive)
3. Mannagia la miseria!
Damn it/Good grief/For crying out loud, etc. in Italian. One guess who I picked that up from.
4. Sciamaninn
Translation: Let’s go. Any guesses what language this might be?
It’s my husband’s crazy Barese (Pugliese) dialect. In Italian, you would say andiamo.
Check out this tongue twister: 😀
Ce n’ge na ma sci, sciamaninn. Ce non ge na ma sci, non ge ne sim scenn.
(If we are going to go, let’s go. If we are not going to go, then let’s not go.)
5. Scheiße!
This is German for shit, one of my favourite and most frequently used words in any language.
The ß symbol signifies a double S.
6. Tabarnak!
An all-purpose expletive in Québécois. (French-Canadian dialect.)
Literal translation is tabernacle, but that’s not how it’s used.
See # 3 and # 5, above.
7. Te Quiero
Means I love you in Spanish. It’s more casual than Te Amo.
First heard in 1968, on this Spanish record owned by one of my boarding school housemates.
It’s a cover of an English song.
8. καλημέρα (Kalimera)
Good morning/day in Greek. This, and a few other words stuck with me.
The Greek alphabet is a whole other challenge!
9: Sláinte!
Cheers! in Irish Gaelic. Literally, it means health.
I learned this from internet friends who live in Northern Ireland.
10. Grüezi!
Hello! (or Greetings!) in Swiss-German,
which is not the same as standard German (my version of the language).
I picked up a few words while attending boarding school there, but found it difficult.
Variation: Grüezi mittenand (when addressing a group)
To visit the other participants and join the blogfest (open until June 8)
Click HERE
SUBJECT 2:
Top Ten Photos
(either random or themed)
I’ve chosen to go with the theme, SUNSETS.
Click on the images to enlarge them:
To visit the other participants and join the blogfest (open until June 15)
Click HERE
CLICK ON LINKS FOR MORE PHOTOS:
PHOTOGRAPHY CATEGORY INSTAGRAM 500PX GURU SHOTS
While you’re here, check out these other happenings:
(click on images for details)
Do you know any foreign words or phrases? Do tell!
What’s your favourite subject for photography?
Was combining two topics a good idea, or did it make the post too long?
Looking forward to your comments!
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Dog Mom and (retired) Canine Innkeeper in suburban Toronto, Canada, known as The Doglady. Former corporate workaholic. Writer, photographer, digital creator. Animal lover, music fanatic, inveterate traveller. Eternal hippie/rockchick. History, literature and cinema buff. Hockey and soccer fan. Dedicated night owl. German/Canadian binational, multilingual. Let me entertain you!
12 thoughts on “WORDS AND IMAGES | A DOUBLE #TopTenThursday #Blogfest”
That comedian is funny! It is true with the dialects since my mom would have a rough time in some parts of Germany and Austria understanding what they were saying and she was born and raised I. Germany. I know that French-Canadian word very well:) I like using Aufschnitt just for the different meat I pick up for sandwiches. It’s easier to say that than deli meat…at least for me.
That was a fun post to read Debbie. Always so nice to pick up and use a few phrases- very popular among the locals I think. Know a few of theses – spanish and italian are so gorgeous languages.
This was so interesting. Especially listening to you pronounce the words/phrases.
The post isn’t too long. I enjoyed all your sunsets. I would rather photograph my dogs than anything else, but Penelope senses I have a camera even if I hide it behind my back, and she runs. I know enough Spanish to carry on a simple conversation, and I know a little French. In German and Italian, I know some simple phrases. Te quiero, Debbie!
Love,
Janie
Howdy… How Y’all doing up there in True North? 😉
G’day Debbie (thought I’d add some Aussie for you) – love your words and only knew two of them so I’m going to try and remember a couple of the others. We had our honeymoon in Greece so Kalimera was one word I made an effort to know before we went. Love all your sunsets – really beautiful.
Seriously impressed with your linguistic abilities!
I know the Greek alphabet because of maths symbols 🙂 but can’t speak a word. I know the Arabic alphabet too because a childhood friend taught me the Urdu alphabet (share the same script) and then I re-learnt it with my child. Good morning in Arabic is ‘Sabah al Khair’ and I think I shall keep my lips zipped re length of posts 🙂 the sunset pics are utterly gorgeous!
I enjoyed the music – Spanish music always sounds pleasant to me even though I can’t follow a single lyric.
‘ tamanna naharan as-saeed! ( wish you a happy day)
I don ‘t feel all that competent in languages though I seem to hold my own in simple Spanish and I can fake my way through some French. But fluent in anything? No. Maybe not even spoken English.
Arlee Bird
Tossing It Out
I couldn’t pronounce most of the languages as I kind of suck at pronunciations even in english.
the greek is all greek to me, seriously, I doubt I would ever learn it.
thanks for the language lessons, though I’ll probably forget about it tomorrow.
those sunset shots are so beautiful, I like the canada ones.
have a lovely day.
Neat post! So I’mpressed with your mastery of so many languages. I know a little Spanish from 3 years in high school, and I retained way too little French from one semester in college.
Probably my favorite phrase in Spanish is Besa mi culo. ? I tend to say that a lot these days…
Great sunset pics. Love both the Greece and Ontario ones but am drawn more to the Ontario sunsets. Maybe because it reminds me of home??
Michele at Angels Bark
First off, thank you for letting me in on what that darn paper-clip B means! Second, I know a fair amount of “gutter” Spanish, as well as at least one word from southern Mexico that puzzled most of the northerners that heard it! Again, not the PG version. But I can get a beer, and the bathroom after, so I guess I’d do okay. Along with a couple other things that would only get me slapped…
A lot of people must wonder what the ß stands for. Personally, I think it looks cool. 🙂 Beer and bathroom are both important, so it sounds like you have the basics covered, along with a few other things. 😉 Gracias por venir!