Question to people who live or are from outside of USA.

[Aardvark]

Seeing as most foreigners speak English anyway, I usually just save myself the grief and greet in English. After all, we didn't bring industry to the masses and beat the Jerries twice just so we could master everybody else's langauge.

 

[Toner]

Probably one of the best yet inescapaby ironic phrases to learn in a different language would be "I'm sorry, I do not know much (Insert language here)" in their language.

It tell them that you can't really do much else in their language, and also it'll be reasonably polite as it shows that you've at least tried to speak some of their language.

Besides, learning+speaking another language can be a good blast, especially if its with someone you know well trying to teach you.

Sometimes random-country-language chatting works really well too. I was in The Netherlands, hardly able to speak Dutch, yet ended up having a conversation with someone else...in French. Odd, but it worked reasonably well enough.

 

[Cousin_IT]

If you want to introduce urself in another language, id recommend you can also say you cant speak x as well incase they start speaking to you in their language :-D

 

[CIA]

Most Europeans love it. (Read MOST) In other words don't try it in Paris.

 

[pffh]

Well it can really be a doubled-edged sword but as long as people aren't complete jerks it is generally accepted as good manners. But we here in Iceland are very defensive of our language so you would be brutally corrected on every minor mistake if you tried to greet one of us (disclaimer: Not every Icelandic person is like this but many are and the preservation and correctness of our language has been part of our culture for a long time).

Not to take this off topic, but why is that? I know a lot of people here in Denmark that feel Danish is somehow threatened by emigrants and other foreigners using our language. I really don't get that. A language needs to evolve or it dies and becomes sterile. Most people have no idea how little of any language is original. Half of English (hyperbole alert) is Latin and half of Latin is Greek and so on.

Well to be honest it comes from the time when we were fighting you danish for our independence and from the fact that it has remained virtually unchanged for over a millenia so we kinda want to keep it that way.

 

[insanelich]

Finnish here. (From Tampere area.)

Tacky. Really, really tacky.

You'd have to try to be really creative to make a worse first impression. Barely missing someone with a thrown boot would probably get a far more positive interaction than butchering Finnish when greeting a Finn.

So unless your Finnish is *perfect*, pronunciation and all, don't even try. And if you speak perfect Finnish, you probably have the basics about proper communication down.

Reason why I specified Tampere (out of Tampere, Helsinki, Turku and Oulu): People from the other major cities (and their surroundings) might feel differently.

Second edit: And just remembered. For the sake of everything that is good, holy or mildly acceptable, DON'T use Swedish (the second language) to greet anyone from Finland. Admittedly, some might like it, but there will be vastly more people who want to make you pay for the insult.

 

[Avatar Roku]

I've been to France, and an instance of this pops out in my head. A friend of mine went to a guy selling ice cream and asked in butchered french for a cone. The guy then said, in more than passable english, "You tried to speak french to me, so I'll try to speak english to you." This was just the most blatant example; people were like this all over France. Spain too. Other countries, I don't know.

 

[PsyberGoth]

with other languages i can't really say, but dont try and day g'day to an aussie. im sorry but i've never heard an american get it right

And most of us don't even say that anymore.
And nor do we say "put another shrimp on the barbie". we call them prawns.
Stupid paul hogan

 

[Fightgarr]

I am a Canadian, and I demand that you greet me with Canadian English.

 

[kapzer]

Just be natural. We can mostly understand what you're saying. A hell of a lot of people speak English these days, and in countries that don't already speak English as one of their main languages, they are used to American English. Just be yourself.

 

[Esdras]

I lived in montreal for a few monthes before heading home back to my native province, from what I've experienced people appreciate the effort of trying to speak their language.

 

[Jaythulhu]

Good bloody luck sayin' "G'day". Haven't met a yank yet who can get it right without a lot of coaching

 

[Joos]

I think it is respectful and polite to try to learn something about the culture and language of people you are visiting or interact with. In my experience, people smile and think better of you for it.

 

[Radelaide]

with other languages i can't really say, but dont try and day g'day to an aussie. im sorry but i've never heard an american get it right

It makes us want to hurt you. Seriously.

If you're speaking to someone from another country who's native language you know (not a mere attempt to grasp), then why not greet them in their tongue? I'd be flattered if someone from another country could say "G'day" without saying "Guh-dee".

*sigh*

 

[Dr Spaceman]

It just comes down to being respectful. I went to France, didn't speak a lick of French, but I was respectful and the French were cool with me. In fact, I now get a bit confused at the whole "the French are rude" stereotype because I really didn't see it at all. In two separate visits, nonetheless.

 

[teh_gunslinger]

Well it can really be a doubled-edged sword but as long as people aren't complete jerks it is generally accepted as good manners. But we here in Iceland are very defensive of our language so you would be brutally corrected on every minor mistake if you tried to greet one of us (disclaimer: Not every Icelandic person is like this but many are and the preservation and correctness of our language has been part of our culture for a long time).

Not to take this off topic, but why is that? I know a lot of people here in Denmark that feel Danish is somehow threatened by emigrants and other foreigners using our language. I really don't get that. A language needs to evolve or it dies and becomes sterile. Most people have no idea how little of any language is original. Half of English (hyperbole alert) is Latin and half of Latin is Greek and so on.

Well to be honest it comes from the time when we were fighting you danish for our independence and from the fact that it has remained virtually unchanged for over a millenia so we kinda want to keep it that way.

Ahh, never thought about the whole independence thing? You actually fought us? (And now I feel I haven't paid enough attention as a history student.)
Also, reading my post again I think I might have come across as a bit offensive. That wasn't my intention. I was just curious. Didn't think about what circumstances applied to Iceland.
I can understand, to some extent at least the thing about keeping the language "intact", but I'm still a bit surprised that some people would take it like that. But that's probably just me.

 

[pffh]

Well it can really be a doubled-edged sword but as long as people aren't complete jerks it is generally accepted as good manners. But we here in Iceland are very defensive of our language so you would be brutally corrected on every minor mistake if you tried to greet one of us (disclaimer: Not every Icelandic person is like this but many are and the preservation and correctness of our language has been part of our culture for a long time).

Not to take this off topic, but why is that? I know a lot of people here in Denmark that feel Danish is somehow threatened by emigrants and other foreigners using our language. I really don't get that. A language needs to evolve or it dies and becomes sterile. Most people have no idea how little of any language is original. Half of English (hyperbole alert) is Latin and half of Latin is Greek and so on.

Well to be honest it comes from the time when we were fighting you danish for our independence and from the fact that it has remained virtually unchanged for over a millenia so we kinda want to keep it that way.

Ahh, never thought about the whole independence thing? You actually fought us? (And now I feel I haven't paid enough attention as a history student.)
Also, reading my post again I think I might have come across as a bit offensive. That wasn't my intention. I was just curious. Didn't think about what circumstances applied to Iceland.
I can understand, to some extent at least the thing about keeping the language "intact", but I'm still a bit surprised that some people would take it like that. But that's probably just me.

Well we didn't fight you so per se during the struggle for independence even if you refused to honour a deal that we made with the king of Norway long before you even inherited us, you bastards ;þ (but there were some that wanted to especially when you were busy fighting to keep Schleswig-Holstein).
But in the centuries before that we often slaughtered the whole bunch of you that dared to stay here (even though you ruled over us) and even killed a bunch of elite german mercenaries you sent.

 

[teh_gunslinger]

(pruned the quote tree a bit)

Well we didn't fight you so per se during the struggle for independence even if you refused to honour a deal that we made with the king of Norway long before you even inherited us, you bastards ;þ (but there were some that wanted to especially when you were busy fighting to keep Schleswig-Holstein).
But in the centuries before that we often slaughtered the whole bunch of you that dared to stay here (even though you ruled over us) and even killed a bunch of elite german mercenaries you sent.

Well, we were some bastards indeed. No argument from me on that. And a far as I see it everybody should be free and not be ruled by some other idiots. So good for you on your freedom. Seriously. And we still have some issues with Greenland and the Faroes. Colonialism blows.
I actually party a lot with some people from Iceland at uni. They are real nice people, even if they are a bit worried at the moment about their money. You guys took a hit there.

But enough thread derailing from me I think.