Spanish for Gringos
A daily Spanish course for English speakers headed to Latin America — travel phrases, pronunciation, and cultural notes, one lesson at a time.
https://morningupdate.org/spanish-for-gringos/feed.xmlEpisodes
Spanish For Gringos Lesson 3 Numbers 120 2026 10 04
Lesson 3: Numbers 1–20 uno (1), dos (2), tres (3), cuatro (4), cinco (5): u always long oo (dohs), c-before-e is s sound (SEEN-koh) seis (6), siete (7), ocho (8), nueve (9), diez (10): z is s sound (dee-EHS), ocho is OH-choh once (11), doce (12), trece (13), catorce (14), quince (15): unique teen words; o always round oh (DOH-say); once is OHN-say, not English once dieciséis (16), diecisiete (17), dieciocho (18), diecinueve (19), veinte (20): pattern diez+number glued; v sounds like soft b (BAYN-tay, not WAYN-tay) Demo dialogue: taco stand in Mexico City — ordering cuatro tacos and dos aguas f
Spanish For Gringos Lesson 2 Courtesy Essentials 2026 10 03
Lesson 2: Courtesy essentials por favor (please) — por fah-VOR gracias (thank you) — GRAH-syahs de nada (you're welcome) — deh NAH-dah perdón (sorry/excuse me, informal) — pair-DOHN disculpe (excuse me, formal/polite) — dees-KOOL-peh con permiso (excuse me, coming through) — kohn pair-MEE-soh Demo dialogue: ordering coffee at a beach café in Costa Rica Cultural note: greet before asking; formality with strangers and elders Recap drill: por favor, gracias, disculpe
Spanish For Gringos Lesson 1 Greetings Introductions 2026 10 03
Lesson 1: Greetings & introductions hola (hello), buenos días/tardes/noches (good morning/afternoon/evening) me llamo… (my name is…), ¿cómo estás? (how are you?), mucho gusto (nice to meet you), adiós Pronunciation tips: open vowels, plural greetings (buenos días) Demo dialogue: hostel introduction in Mexico City Cultural note: cheek-kiss greeting in Latin America Recap drill: hola, buenos días, mucho gusto
French for Gringos
A daily French course for English speakers headed to France and Québec — travel phrases, pronunciation, and cultural notes, one lesson at a time.
https://morningupdate.org/french-for-gringos/feed.xmlEpisodes
French For Gringos Lesson 3 Numbers 120 2026 10 04
Lesson 3: Numbers 1–20 1–5: un uh(n), deux duh (silent x), trois trwah, quatre kah-truh, cinq sah(n)k (nasal + k) 6–10: six sees, sept seht, huit weet (w sound), neuf nuhf, dix dees (z sound) 11–15: onze oh(n)z (nasal), douze dooz, treize trehz, quatorze kah-tohrz, quinze kah(n)z (nasal) 16–20: seize sehz, dix-sept dee-seht, dix-huit dee-zeweet (liaison: z flows in), dix-neuf dee-znuhf, vingt vah(n) (nasal, silent t) Pronunciation tips: nasal vowels marked (n), silent final letters, liaison explained Demo dialogue: buying three croissants for nine euros at a Provence market Cultural note: phon
French For Gringos Lesson 2 Courtesy Essentials 2026 10 04
Lesson 2: Courtesy essentials s'il vous plaît (please): seel voo pleh; say after every request merci (thank you): mehr-see; not like English mercy; soft throat r de rien (you're welcome): duh ree-ah(n); literally "of nothing"; nasal ending pardon (sorry/pardon): pahr-doh(n); bump-into or didn't-hear situations excusez-moi (excuse me): ehk-skew-zay mwah; getting past someone, flagging a waiter à vos souhaits (bless you): ah voh sweh; for sneezes, works in France and Québec Demo dialogue: ordering a croissant at a Lyon bakery Cultural note: service compris — tip already included; merci with eye
French For Gringos Lesson 1 Greetings Introductions 2026 10 04
Lesson 1: Greetings & Introductions bonjour (hello/good day): boh(n)-zhoor; nasal vowel tip, soft j like measure bonsoir (good evening): boh(n)-swahr; use after ~6pm; soft final r salut (hi, casual): sah-loo; silent t; silent final letters rule je m'appelle (my name is): zhuh mah-pell; soft zh like garage comment ça va (how are you?): koh-mah(n) sah vah; answer ça va enchanté (nice to meet you): ah(n)-shah(n)-tay; two nasals; written form differs by gender, sounds same au revoir (goodbye): oh ruh-vwahr; swallowed re Demo dialogue: arriving at a Paris café, introducing names Cultural note: bonj
German for Gringos
A daily German course for English speakers headed to Germany, Austria, and Switzerland — travel phrases, pronunciation, and cultural notes, one lesson at a time.
https://morningupdate.org/german-for-gringos/feed.xmlEpisodes
German For Gringos Lesson 3 Numbers 120 2026 10 04
Lesson 3: Numbers 1–20 eins to zehn (ines, tsvy, dry, feer, foonf, zeks, ZEE-ben, ahkt, noyn, tsayn) The zwei/drei trap — use "TSVO" for two on the phone elf, zwölf (tsvurlf), teens as number + TSAYN, zwanzig (TSVAHN-tsik) Cash culture: exact change wins; Germans count one starting on the thumb
German For Gringos Lesson 2 Courtesy Essentials 2026 10 04
Lesson 2: Courtesy essentials bitte (BIT-tuh) — please / you're welcome / here you go danke (DAHN-kuh) — thank you danke schön (DAHN-kuh shurn) — thank you very much gern geschehen (gairn guh-SHAY-en) — you're welcome entschuldigung (ent-SHOOL-dee-goong) — excuse me / I'm sorry kein Problem (kine pro-BLAYM) — no problem Say bitte/danke every transaction; eye contact makes entschuldigung real
German For Gringos Lesson 1 Greetings Introductions 2026 10 04
Lesson 1: Greetings & Introductions hallo (HAH-lo) — hello guten Morgen (GOO-ten MOR-gen) — good morning guten Tag (GOO-ten TAHK) — good afternoon / good day guten Abend (GOO-ten AH-bent) — good evening ich heiße (ish HIGH-suh) — my name is wie geht's (vee GATES) — how's it going freut mich (FROYT mih) — nice to meet you tschüss (CHOOss) — goodbye W always sounds like V; greet people entering shops and elevators; Bavaria/Austria say "Grüß Gott"
Italian for Gringos
A daily Italian course for English speakers headed to Italy — travel phrases, pronunciation, and cultural notes, one lesson at a time.
https://morningupdate.org/italian-for-gringos/feed.xmlEpisodes
Italian For Gringos Lesson 3 Numbers 120 2026 10 04
Lesson 3: Numbers 1–20 uno (OO-noh, 1), due (DOO-eh, 2), tre (treh, 3), quattro (KWAHT-troh, 4 — hold the double t), cinque (CHEEN-kweh, 5 — c-before-e is ch) sei (seh-ee, 6), sette (SEHT-teh, 7 — double t, else it means thirst), otto (OHT-toh, 8 — double t), nove (NOH-veh, 9), dieci (dyeh-CHEE, 10 — c-before-i is ch) undici (oon-DEE-chee, 11), dodici (DOH-dee-chee, 12), tredici (TREH-dee-chee, 13), quattordici (kwaht-TOR-dee-chee, 14), quindici (KWEEN-dee-chee, 15): pattern small number + dieci sedici (SEH-dee-chee, 16), diciassette (dee-chahs-SEHT-teh, 17 — hold double s and double t), dicio
Italian For Gringos Lesson 2 Courtesy Essentials 2026 10 04
Lesson 2: Courtesy essentials per favore ("pehr fah-VOH-reh") — please; use it for every request grazie ("GRAHT-see-eh") — thank you; z has a little ts buzz, not "grassy"; say with smile and eye contact prego ("PREH-goh") — you're welcome; also used by shopkeepers to invite you in scusi ("SKOO-zee") / mi scusi ("mee SKOO-zee") — excuse me; formal version for strangers and older folks permesso ("pehr-MEHS-soh") — excuse me, let me through; the crowded-bus word Demo dialogue: trattoria in Rome — buonasera, per favore un caffè, prego, grazie, scusi/mi scusi after knocking over a glass Cultural no
Italian For Gringos Lesson 1 Greetings Introductions 2026 10 04
Lesson 1: Greetings & Introductions buongiorno ("bwon-JOR-no") — good morning/good day, used until ~5 PM; greet shopkeepers first, always buonasera ("bwo-NAH-SEH-rah") — good evening; every vowel gets its moment ciao ("chow") — informal hello/goodbye, for friends not the hotel manager arrivederci ("ah-ree-veh-DEHR-chee") — goodbye, stress on DEHR mi chiamo ("mee kee-AH-moh") — my name is; mi chiamo Devon piacere ("pyah-CHEH-reh") — pleased to meet you come stai ("KOH-meh STY") — how are you; bene ("BEH-neh") — good/well Demo dialogue: hotel reception in Florence — buonasera, mi chiamo, piacere
Japanese for Gringos
A daily Japanese course for English speakers headed to Japan — travel phrases, pronunciation, and cultural notes, one lesson at a time.
https://morningupdate.org/japanese-for-gringos/feed.xmlEpisodes
Japanese For Gringos Lesson 3 Numbers 120 2026 10 04
Lesson 3: Numbers 1–20 ichi, ni, san, yon, go (1-5): ee-chee, nee, sahn, yohn, goh; four is YON not shi (shi means death) roku, nana, hachi, kyuu, juu (6-10): roh koo; nana like the start of banana; hachi = hah like laughter, then chee; kyuu/juu = hold the oo (kyoo, joo); seven is NANA not shichi; double-o long vowels held twice as long juu-ichi through juu-kyuu (11-19): taught via phonetics — joo ee chee, joo nee, joo sahn, joo yohn, joo goh, joo roh koo, joo nah nah, joo hah chee, joo kyoo; pattern = juu + number ni-juu (20): nee-joo; its own word, breaks the pattern (always hyphenated in sc
Japanese For Gringos Lesson 2 Courtesy Essentials 2026 10 04
Lesson 2: Courtesy essentials arigatou gozaimasu (thank you very much): ah-ree-gah-toh goh-zah-ee-mahss; long TOH; always use full form as traveler dou itashimashite (you're welcome): doh ee-tah-shee-mahsh-teh; rarely needed, a nod works sumimasen (excuse me/sorry/thank you): soo-mee-mah-sehn; sehn rhymes with ten; the Swiss army knife onegaishimasu (please, for requests): oh-neh-gah-ee-shee-mahss; attach to requests, e.g. kore onegaishimasu daijoubu (it's fine / I'm okay): dah-ee-joh-boo; joh rhymes with go; flat and even Demo dialogue: ramen shop in Tokyo — sumimasen to get attention, orderi
Japanese For Gringos Lesson 1 Greetings Introductions 2026 10 04
Lesson 1: Greetings & Introductions ohayou gozaimasu (good morning): oh-HAH-yoh goh-zah-ee-mahss; long vowel, hold the HAH konnichiwa (good afternoon/hello): kohn-nee-chee-wah; flat even syllables, drumbeat rule konbanwa (good evening): kohn-bahn-wah; swap middle syllable from konnichiwa hajimemashite (nice to meet you, first time): hah-jee-meh-mahsh-teh; fast, flat, one breath watashi wa ___ desu (my name is ___): wah-TAH-shee wah ___ dehss; name goes in the middle yoroshiku onegaishimasu (please be kind to me): yoh-roh-shkoo oh-neh-gah-ee-shee-mahss; quick swallowed shkoo sayonara (goodbye f