Is Turkish food the main reason why you want to visit Turkey? I can understand! Each corner of the country is full of different flavors, tastes, and spices, with the light, olive-oil-based dishes of the Aegean Coast, delicious kebabs of southeastern cities, and the cosmopolitan nature of Istanbul. In this article, we’ll try to do…
Luck plays a huge role in Chinese culture, so there are so many ways to say “good luck” in Chinese! Of course, there’s the basic way to say it (I’ll introduce that first), but if you want to sound like a native, that’s not all you need to know! Chinese culture is so rich in…
Merhaba is the most common way to say “hello” in Turkish. But it’s far from being the only one. Depending on the context, you’ll also hear the more casual selam, the welcoming hoş geldiniz, or the morning-specific günaydın.As a native speaker, I’ve rounded up different ways to say hello, how to respond to hello in Turkish, and other common greeting words.…
“Thank you” in Greek is ευχαριστώ (efcharistó). It’s one of THE most important words you should know, no matter what your language goals are. Similar to English, Greek also has other phrases for “thank you,” such as “thanks a lot,” and “thank you very much.” I’m a long-time learner of Greek and am familiar with the…
“Flower” in Japanese is 花 (hana), and boy, does Japan have a lot of culturally significant flowers! You can see this in especially 生け花 (ikebana), or the Japanese art of flower arranging. In this article, I’ll introduce you to some interesting linguistic and cultural aspects of flowers in Japan and where to see them. I…
You may have heard of Japan’s so-called “penis” festivals (yes, plural) – the most famous being the Kanamara Matsuri, visitable easily from Tokyo. But what are these actually about? Attending festivals (祭り, matsuri) is a great way to use your Japanese language skills and participate in the culture. I visited two during my years living in Japan: the…
“Water” in French is Eau (pronounced /o/). Eau often goes with a definite or an indefinite article, so you’ll mostly see it as de l’eau, d’eau, or l’eau. It’s a useful word in many situations — whether you’re traveling in France, eating at a French restaurant, or renting a house from a French-speaking person! As a French graduate, here is my handy vocabulary…
Bastille Day, or la fête nationale (“the National Day”) as it’s known in France, takes place on July 14th. It marks the storming of the Bastille prison in 1789, a key moment in the French Revolution. National days like this are packed with history, culture, and useful vocabulary — which are always interesting for learners.As a French…
The Greek language is not short of cool names. You’ve probably heard of Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty; or Zeus, the god of the sky. These names only scratch the surface — since Greek is one of the oldest languages in the world, its ancient mythology, epic tales, and modern history are full…
The most common word for “friend” in French is ami. As with every other French noun, ami also has masculine and feminine forms — un ami is a male friend and une amie is a female friend. Similar to how “buddy,” “pal,” or “mate” also mean friend in English, French also has other words for friend. For example, for your male friends, you…
