The Cycle tourers 'useful phrases in Foreign' thread

[Bigtallfatbloke]

Germany was an option...I speak enough to survive . But I've been going to Germany for 28 years now, I know it better than I do the UK I feel. I want something different.

 

[ufkacbln]

What very odd grammar and spelling....

I was not convinced that it wasn't the locals having a laugh at the visitor's expense

 

[vernon]

make sur eyou learn "je voudrais une tube d'inneur" - "I need a new inner tube
and also learn numbers. "vingt-trois a six-cent-vingt-deux" - 23-622
that's all you'll need. don't waste time learning stuff more complex, if your bike breaks just take it into a friendly looking shop and point at the offending part, it won't be long before the guy wanders off into the back while babbling something unintelligible in french at light speed, a clattering will be heard, and then a minute later he'll come out brandishing the part you need.
Remember the french are very cyclist-friendly , more so than english.

Oh Bonj, full of bull as always....


Je voudrais - I want
J'ai besoin - I need

une tube d'inneur - no direct translation - not even a hint when searched for in Google

une chambre à air - inner tube

so I need an inner tube in French is:

J'ai besoin une chambre à air.

There is no need to learn the cycling specific numbers. The Fench can read them directly from the tyre

Pointing aimlessly can and does work but it's much more rewarding to be able to have a conversation with the mechanic/shop owner.

 

[freakhatz]

Never neard of a 'une tube d'inneur' either but otherwise Bonj's experience's pretty much matches my own when touring in France. Very often I have asked for a part and ended up with a better alternative.

'Je voudrais..' is fine as it is commonly used in shops as 'I would like..'

Recently a friend with no French at all got a bike shop to leave off fettling an entire set of race bikes for the next day, to do a vital repair to his tourer. Mind you, he is built large and slightly wild-looking.

 

[rich p]

I like languages and get by in 3, French, German and Italian but I always make an effort to learn a few words wherever I go. Numbers 1-10, Please, Thank you and Beer for a start.

 

[Cathryn]

I speak French and Italian and basic German but I always try to learn the basics too...it was incredible in India to see the impact of learning a few words.

And this week's experience in a french hospital has made me very aware of the benefits of speaking a language!!

 

[User169]

Oh Bonj, full of bull as always....


Je voudrais - I want

Well Vernon, if you're going down that route, you should make sure that you're right.

Formally, "Je voudrais" translates as "I would like". "I want" would be "Je veux".

 

[longers]

I got told that the Italian phrase "Non mi tocare cedele!" translates as - Stop touching my buttocks!

 

[vernon]

I like languages and get by in 3, French, German and Italian but I always make an effort to learn a few words wherever I go. Numbers 1-10, Please, Thank you and Beer for a start.

Don't ask for a dry Martini in Germany - you'll end up with three of them...


I'll get me coat......

 

[rich p]

Don't ask for a dry Martini in Germany - you'll end up with three of them...


I'll get me coat......

 

[Tony]

And Vernon...J'ai besoin d'une.....etc

Of course, in Welsh, there is the essential phrase "Mae fy nhethau i'n frwydro gyda mwynhad"

 

[vernon]

And Vernon...J'ai besoin d'une.....etc

Of course, in Welsh, there is the essential phrase "Mae fy nhethau i'n frwydro gyda mwynhad"

No, not that chapel, that chapel?

C'mon translation please with a side helping of vowels

 

[John the Monkey]

Numbers 1-10, Please, Thank you and Beer for a start.

I take it you're normally asked to leave after the 10th beer then ... ?

"Il/Elle ne marche pas" (It doesn't work) might be a useful French one.

 

[TheDoctor]

'Est que c'est possible de reparer ce chose la? Je ne connais pas le mot francais'
has got me out of trouble a few times. I suspect it's somewhat poor French but seems to work.

By this technique I discovered that a spoke is 'Rayon' in French. And replacing it takes about a beer or so.

 

[Tony]

It's easy for me--I'm a qualified French interpreter. A lot of what you'd say would be pretty rough and ready anyway, with all the ususal "Waddaya think?" equivalents. Get a list of French nouns, like rayon, frein, vitesses and add "ne marche(nt) pas", "est casse(e)", "Pouvez-vous?", "Qu'est-ce que vous pensez?", "C'est possible que vous le pourriez faire?", "Mon aeroglisseur est plein d'anguilles" and so on.

And the Welsh is from the English-Hungarian dictionary of a Mr Python.