Just the Key Ingredients

On a recent trip to Japan, I explored a completely unfamiliar culture with no knowledge of Japanese. I wanted to be respectful to the locals, so I found myself repeatedly searching for translations like please and thank you.

This problem isn't limited to my Japanese adventure—it happens anytime I travel somewhere new.

I've tried a few great services like Duolingo, Babbel, and Rosetta Stone, but their goals are the same: to develop language proficiency.

What if you just need to prep for a quick vacation? Or a work trip? In these cases, your time is limited and you only need to grasp the essentials.

Language Guide is my attempt to curate the most basic, universal list of words and phrases for navigating a new locale.

Try using it on your next trip to make your experience more meaningful!

A Team Effort

Context is a critical piece of communication and there are many cultural factors that influence the correct phrase at the right time.

If you see your native language with an innacurate translation or if you would like to suggest an alternative, please let me know by making an edit here.

This site becomes much more useful when the community corrects the course.

You can also reach me on Twitter @mkdarshay