# 6 Word Language Challenge!



## He's a Superhero! (May 1, 2013)

The 6 Word Language Challenge: Memorize how to speak, write and understand the following 6 words in a chosen language that you don't know...

Hello
Goodbye
Yes
No
Please
Thank you

You may choose any language other than English or any other language you are already fluent/sufficient in, this can include a sign language, but I'll post a list of highly suggested International languages to choose from...

Mandarin Chinese
Spanish
French
Portuguese
Arabic
Japanese
German
Russian
Hindi
American Sign Language (ASL)

*If you can already speak sufficiently/fluently in any of these, then please vote in this poll: http://personalitycafe.com/education-career-talk/633930-languages-consider-learning.html

#If you already know a sign language, please vote in this poll: http://personalitycafe.com/education-career-talk/633089-sign-languages.html



- Once you have memorized them, share them with us in this thread!


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## He's a Superhero! (May 1, 2013)

I'll start...

*6 Word Challenge for Mandarin Chinese*

Hello - Ni hao
Goodbye - Zaijian
Yes - Shi
No - Bu shi
Please - Qing
Thank you - Xie xie ni


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## Cosmic Hobo (Feb 7, 2013)

*Swahili
*
Hello - Habari; hodi; hujambo; hamjambo
Goodbye - kwaheri
Yes - ndiyo
No - hakuna
Please - tafadhali
Thank you - asante


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## He's a Superhero! (May 1, 2013)

Cosmic Hobo said:


> *Swahili
> *
> Hello - Habari; hodi; hujambo; hamjambo
> Goodbye - kwaheri
> ...


Awesome language choice! Swahili is an important one, especially if you live/travel in Africa!


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## Hidden from Sight (Jan 3, 2014)

I'll do French.

Hello: Bonjour/Bonsoir/Salut
Goodbye: Au revoir
Yes: Oui
No: Non
Please: S'il te plaît/S'il vous plaît
Thank You: Merci


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## He's a Superhero! (May 1, 2013)

Hidden from Sight said:


> I'll do French.
> 
> Hello: Bonjour/Bonsoir/Salut
> Goodbye: Au revoir
> ...


French is a hugely important language, and I hear it will be getting even more important in the future...

Thanx for sharing! Merci!


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## Bergid (Aug 23, 2015)

Czech (since I am learning it and have it as a optional keyboard keyset)

Hello - Dobry den (formal) Ahoj (informal)
Goodbye - Shledanou or Sbohem (but not really used), instead 
Have a nice Day - Hezký den
Yes - Ano (formal) Jo (informal)
No - Ne
Please - Prosím
Thank you - Děkuji (formal) Díky or Děkuj (informal)


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## koalaroo (Nov 25, 2011)

Modern Standard Arabic


Hello - assalaam alaykum, marhaba (informal)
Goodbye - maa assalaamah, ilaa a3liqaa (both are sex neutral) (the a3 = the consonant ayn)
Yes - na'am
No - le
Please - miin faadliikaa
Thank you - shukran


Levantine Arabic


Hello - marhaba
Goodbye - ma3 el saleme (the a3 = ayn)
Yes - na'am
No - le
Please - min fadlik (f), min fadluk (m)
Thank you - chokran

(I forget Egyptian Arabic)

ayn / a3 (worst letter for English speakers):


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## He's a Superhero! (May 1, 2013)

Anybody else want to have a go at the 6 word challenge? It's worth a try!


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## He's a Superhero! (May 1, 2013)

For someone I know who wants to learn Japanese, they have succeeded past the 6 word challenge and are continuing to learn more...But these are the 6 Japanese words that they memorized:

Hello - Kon'nichiwa
Goodbye - Sayonara
Yes - Hai
No - iie (not recommended) 
Please - Onegaishi masu
Thank you - Arigatou


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## He's a Superhero! (May 1, 2013)

I know some Dutch, so I'll share the 6 words in Dutch too...

Hello - Hallo
Goodbye - Dag
Yes - Ja
No - Nee
Please - Alstublieft / Gelieve
Thank you - Dank u


***

Once you have mastered memorizing the 6 words of the language you have chosen, you may like to add another few words...

Sorry
What?
Help!


***

Dutch...

Sorry - Sorry
What? - Wat?
Help! - Help! / Helpen

(That was easy! )


Mandarin...

Sorry - Dui bu qi
What? - Shenma? / ...Ma?
Help! - Bang zhu! / Bang bangmang!


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## g_w (Apr 16, 2013)

This must not be an INTJ-thread, nobody has replied in Klingon yet...


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## He's a Superhero! (May 1, 2013)

g_w said:


> This must not be an INTJ-thread, nobody has replied in Klingon yet...


That would be cool to see, tho with this thread I'm hoping to encourage people to learn useful languages, especially important international languages or languages with very large populations. If someone wants to throw in some made up fantasy language as well tho I won't complain.


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## Dabbling (Nov 2, 2013)

Cosmic Hobo said:


> *Swahili
> *
> Hello - Habari; hodi; hujambo; hamjambo
> Goodbye - kwaheri
> ...


Except that you never use 'tafadhali' as it has connotations of 'I beg you' rather than 'please' as in English.

My favourite all-time word is a Swahili one, it is 'starehe' = (approximately) Relax and make yourself at home, which is used straight after 'karibu' = welcome. (For more than one person add -ni to the end of both of these.)

and in the markets 'Hapana' with a downwards hand gesture will remove unwanted eager sellers from your vicinity...*most* useful. Literally it means 'it (ie, the desire to buy that object) is not with me'
@He's a Superhero!


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## chanteuse (May 30, 2014)

I thought anyone can use Google Translate to find how to say these words in any language imaginable......


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## He's a Superhero! (May 1, 2013)

chanteuse said:


> I thought anyone can use Google Translate to find how to say these words on any language imaginable......


You could technically, provided you have access to the Internet and who you are conversing with is willing to wait for you to look up the most basic useful words in their language.

It's better to try to memorize off by heart at least a few words (which is really not a hard thing to do) - even a few words can go along way, and people are often happy to see someone trying to speak in their mother tongue. Plus, learning another language improves your memory, so it benefits you in more ways than one.


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## He's a Superhero! (May 1, 2013)

This is seriously a great way to motivate yourself to learn a different language! Hopefully more people take on this challenge...And if you have, why not ask friends and family members if they can do the 6 word challenge with a language of their choosing?


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## stiletto (Oct 26, 2013)

German

Hello - Hallo
Goodbye - Auf Wiedersehen (pronounced "auf vee-da-zeen")
Yes - Ja (pronounced "ya")
No - Nein
Please - Bitte (pronounced almost like "bitter" soft "r")
Thank you - Danke (pronounced like "den-ke")

Sorry - Es tut uns leid (Pronounced "es-toot-un-sleed" softly)
What? - Was? (pronounced "vas")
Help! - Hilfe! (pronounces "hil-fe")


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## stiletto (Oct 26, 2013)

Hindi

Hello - Namaste
Goodbye - Alivida (pronounced "al-vidar" soft "r")
Yes - Ham (pronounced "ha")
No - Nahim (pronounced "nay-heem" emphasis on beginning tone)
Please - Krpaya (pronounced almost like "kru-payar")
Thank you - Dhan'yavada (pronounced like "den-ya-vad" softly)

Sorry - Kheda (pronounced "keid")
What? - Kya?
Help! - Madada! (pronounced "madid" emphasis on first syllable)


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## FourLeafCloafer (Aug 5, 2014)

Russian (with phonetic interpretations by me! So, if you look them up, you can learn something about what a German-Dutch person considers phonetic writing...):

Hello здороваться 'Zdarovatza'
Goodbye До свидания 'Dosvidanya'
Yes Да 'Daa'
No Нет 'Njeat'
Please Пожалуйста 'Bhasjalsta'
Thank you спасибо 'Spaaicyba'


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