Know Before You Go! Bathroom Vocab in 9 Different Languages

Know Before You Go! Bathroom Vocab in 9 Different Languages Know Before You Go! Bathroom Vocab in 9 Different Languages Sometimes, emergencies happen.You just cant avoid them.While fires, medical issues and catastrophic events like Starbucks discontinuing your favorite drink might seem life-threatening, one emergency is more awkward and embarrassing than all the rest.Yes. Bathroom emergencies.And when you need to use a foreign language to find the promised land known for sweet relief, your predicament becomes that much more stressful, and the more pressing your need becomes, the more frantic you feel, which ironically exacerbates your growing need.If you lack the language confidence  to ask someone for help,  foreign language anxiety  combines with bathroom anxiety into a stress superstorm.Luckily, theres an easy way to prevent that superstorm: Be prepared.Okay, so you might not be able to map all the bathrooms in a city to avoid having to ever ask someone where the nearest one is, but you can ready yourself to ask for help, which makes the scenario that much less dire.Just memorize a few key phrases in the language or languages you anticipate needingâ€"or, to be extra careful, memorize them in the most common languagesâ€"and you can ensure your bathroom needs are met with a minimum of stress and embarrassment. Why Learn How to Ask Where the Bathroom Is in Different Languages?First and foremost, youll want to learn where to ask where the bathroom is in different languages because when you need to go, you usually dont want to fumble around with a translator or dictionary. If you dont speak the language youre trying to communicate in, ordinarily, a translator or dictionary would be an ideal solution. You can look up whatever word or phrase you need in just a few moments. However, when you need to use a bathroom, you dont always have unlimited time to find the right phrase and perfect your pronunciation. Memorizing words and phrases  is an ideal solution to ensure youre ready whenever the need strikes.Additionally, going to the bathroom is a delicate subject, so you would probabl y prefer to avoid asking awkwardly. If you havent prepared the right phrase, you may stumble on your words, misuse words or just seem nervous and weird. Ask wrong, and your face may flush as much as the toilet.  Funny language mistakes can be excellent learning opportunities, but when your bladder is full, youre not really in the mood for laughing about your foibles just yet.You never know when youll need to know the right phrase. When youre traveling abroad, youll obviously need to know some of the local language to meet your bathroom needs, and you can prepare ahead of time for that. However, doing a little extra homework on bathroom-related words and phrases may help you out even in an unexpected situation at home. In the U.S., for example, not everyone youll meet speaks English, and you may need the help of someone who doesntâ€"but, chances are, theyll speak at least one of the languages below. Being generally prepared for this scenario has some distinct advantages.Know Before Y ou Go! Bathroom Vocab in 9 Different LanguagesHerein lie key words and phrases to help you navigate the challenging world of bathroom-based inquiries across languages.Between languages, there are some distinct commonalities that you might want to note. This will make learning key phrases in multiple languages easier.One common theme you might notice is that in some languages, its more common to ask where the toilet is than where the bathroom is. To native English speakers, this might seem a little direct and even uncouth, but its common in many parts of the world. This is in part because in some locations, the toilet is in a separate room from the bathroom, so its sometimes important to make the distinction to clarify what exactly you want to use. Plus, when you think about it, do you really want strangers thinking youre asking to use their bathtub? Thats probably even more awkward than just asking to use the toilet.Its also important to note that in most languages, there are severa l ways to get across the main idea of Where is the bathroom? and May I use the bathroom? In many languages, there are even several words for bathroom and toilet. Weve focused on some of the most common words and phrases. However, if variety is the spice of life for you when it comes to your bathroom vocabulary, dont hesitate to research additional ways to say these pressing phrases in your target language.As with any subject, it also helps to get additional insight from the videos on FluentU, which can connect you with real-life scenarios for just about any topic you need. This might seem like a weird suggestion for something as common and potentially embarrassing as bathroom needs, but after checking out Toilet Song in Korean or Samsam and the Bed-Wetters in French, you might be having so much fun that you forget to be nervous about asking where the bathroom is on your upcoming trip.FluentU makes it possible to learn languages from music videos, commercials, news, inspiring talks a nd more.With FluentU, you hear languages in real-world contextsâ€"the way that native speakers actually use them. Just a quick look will give you an idea of the variety of FluentU videos on offer:FluentU really takes the grunt work out of learning languages, leaving you with nothing but engaging, effective and efficient learning. It’s already hand-picked the best videos for you and organized them by level and topic. All you have to do is choose any video that strikes your fancy to get started!Each word in the interactive captions comes with a definition, audio, image, example sentences and more.Access a complete interactive transcript of every video under the Dialogue tab, and easily review words and phrases from the video under Vocab.You can use FluentU’s unique adaptive quizzes to learn the vocabulary and phrases from the video through fun questions and exercises. Just swipe left or right to see more examples of the word youre studying.The program even keeps track of what youâ €™re learning and tells you exactly when it’s time for review, giving you a 100% personalized experience.Start using FluentU on the website with your computer or tablet or, better yet, download the FluentU app from the iTunes store or Google Play store.We realize that the list below may not cover all the languages you need, but it will give you vocabulary for a good chunk of common languages, and also a starter template for doing your own bathroom research in whatever other languages you anticipate using.Chinese??  (yù shì) â€" bathroom??  (cè suo) â€" toiletThe above term can also be used to mean WC or lavatory.???????  (wèi sheng jian zài na li ?) â€" Where is the restroom?The above phrase translates more literally to Where is the hygiene room??????????  (wo ke yi yòng xi shou jian má ?) â€" May I use the toilet?FrenchSalle de bains  â€" bathroomToilettes  â€" toiletToilettes is actually plural, but is frequently used to refer to the porcelain throne. Toilette  (singular) is often used to refer to washing, dressing, cleaning, etc.Excusez-moi, où se trouvent les toilettes ?  â€" Where is the bathroom?More literally, Excuse me, where are the toilets?Puis-je utiliser les toilettes ?  â€" May I use the bathroom?Literally, Can I use the toilets?GermanBadezimmer â€" bathroomToilette â€" toiletWo ist die Toilette?  â€" Where is the bathroom?  More literally, Where is the toilet?Könnte ich das Badezimmer benutzen?  â€" May I use the bathroom?ItalianBagno  â€" bathroomBagno  can also refer to a bath or a toilet.Gabinetto  â€" toilet  Gabinetto  can also mean bathroom or cabinet.Dovè il bagno?  â€" Where is the bathroom?Posso usare il bagno?  â€" May I use the bathroom?Japanese?????  â€" bathroom???  â€" toilet??? can also be used to mean bathroom.?????????? â€" Where is the bathroom??????????????? â€" May I use the bathroom? (Pronounced Toire o karite mo idesu ka?)Korean??  ??? â€" bathroom???  â€" toilet???  can also be used to mean restroom.??? ?? ????  â€" Where is the bathroom????? ???? ???? â€" May I use the bathroom? (Pronounced Hwajangsil-eul sayonghaedo doelkkayo?)PortugueseBanheiro  â€" bathroomBanheiro can also be used to mean toilet.Toalete â€" toiletOnde fica o banheiro? â€"  Where is the bathroom?Posso usar o banheiro? â€" May I use the bathroom?Russian??????  â€" bathroom?????? usually means bathroom but can also mean toilet in a private home.??????  â€" toilet?????? can also mean restroom.??? ??????? â€" Where is the bathroom?More literally, Where is the toilet?????? ? ????? ? ??????? â€" May I use the bathroom?More literally, Can drop by the toilet?SpanishBaño  â€" bathroomBaño  can actually refer to bathroom, bath, bathtub or toilet.Inodoro  â€" toiletIn Spanish, you more often hear  baño, but if you ever want to discuss the fixture itself, you can use inodoro. Inodoro  can also technically be used to refer to a bathroom, though its not particularly common. Curiously enough, when used as an adjective, it can also mean odorless. Ironic. ¿Dónde está el baño?  â€" Where is the bathroom? ¿Puedo usar el baño? â€" May I use the bathroom?Be prepared. Know before you go.Dont let a trip to the bathroom ruin your day or stall your language confidence.With these helpful phrases, youll be ready whenever and wherever you need to go.