h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

For some years now I have been starting speaking courses(I teach English as a foreign language) by asking students to tell me three "interesting" things about themselves. I give my three examples : I can stand on one leg for a minute, I can cook pancakes on any sort of stove/fire and I can order a beer in ten languages. I was recently challenged on the last and (oh the shame of it) had to make some up. This was fairly safe as I've visited some little-known African villages, but I think I'd better make good the boast. So other than French,German, Amharic, Mandarin and English can you help please. Thanx and cheers.

Hi there,
It was very interesting for me to read your page.I am new one here but the thing is that i live in one of the countries that you've mentioned in the list of countries that you have visited. So here's a hint for you: give me a pint of beer is pronounced "Moze li edna bira" where i live....
Hope you can quess which language is this one...Cheers ...Mike

Jinkouyea (spelt totally wrongly)

Nope, that's not it, but anyway i'm not going to be smart anymore- the language which i wrote the beer phrase in was bulgarian...Bye

Very similar to Polish, though isn't it? Thanks for reminding me (something like "moze jedene piwo" or jedne biera" Cheers.

Slovenian : 'Prosim pivo'

I'm not sure of the spelling, but the first word (please) is pronounced something like 'prosheem'. As far as I remember, there are 2 main national breweries, Lasko and Union. Both are rather good.

En Espanol: Una cerveza, por favor.

The first word is key. In places in Mexico, they'll ask you 'dos cervezas?', and you'll think they mean one for you and one for your buddy. Then they'll come back with two beers for you, and two for your buddy, and try to charge you for all four.

In H2G2 works.

In Italian: Una Birra, per favore!
I knew it once in arabic as well, but since it is too dangerous to order something alcoholic in Saudi Arabia, I never really used it, and so I forgot it.
By the way, how is it in Mandarin?

Gay wo ee ping pijoo (this isn't a proper transliteration but it's the rough pronunciation for Give me a bottle of beer. Or you could say Wo yao (I would like, I want) I never learnt "please" So I used to smile a lot and say thankyou twice. Incidentally(1) the ping bit, meaning bottle, was in Deng Xiao Ping's name. Xiao could mean "small" So student demonstrations when I was in Shanghai often consisted of throwing little bottles out of the window. Incidentally(2) Duncan Jones once came with his brother and me on an 8 week journey round China and he will agree with me that not one of the thirty odd beers we quaffed was worth drinking (including the much-advertised Qingdao (although we drank that next to the brewery)

Thanks, I'll write it down, maybe one day I'll need it. But in those parts they rather drink Sake', isn't it? Anyway, the best beer (stout) in the world comes from Ireland, and it is easier to order...

The Japanese rather than Chinese drink Sake. An awful lot of Chinese don't drink because they can't - lack enzymes ? does that sound right? Mao Tai, the spirit they make, is equally as dfigusting as the beer. If you do go to China I recommend pretending to be tee-total or drinking imported only (there's an Irish pub in several major cities)

Guess this one!
Canja bat.

...but not easier to order in the Gaeltaght, is it?
(Challenge you to give the correct Irish? )

I studied in England for four years. In the beguinning I was confused by how you order a pint in England. I had to know what kind of beer I wanted, and it was not enough to just say: A pint, please, like we say in Norway. Well, we don´t say please, we just say: One pint. In Norwegian that is: En halvliter (We use the metric system, like the rest of Europe...). IF you would have to choose what kind of beer to drink, you would probably go for Ringnes, and say: En halvliter Ringnes. Beer is øl, by the way. Pronounsed oel. So you could also say "en øl". Easy.

Bidi Beer, min fadhlak. Middle East Arabic transliterated for " I would like a Beer. There r other versions
i.e Sittah Beer saddiqui, equivalent to - 6 Beers Mate

Isn't it "Bira" in arabic? I'm not so good at it, but as an "emir" I just have to know some. In Syria it would be something like Urid Bira, followed by "Ya Habbiby" (=Darling) if you have already drunk a bit...

I think I shall stick to your earlier advice. In the unlikely event of my being in an Arab country, I'll forgo the alcohol.

In Greek: 'Boro na eho mia bira, parakalo?' (Can I have a beer, please) or 'Mia bira, parakalo' (One beer, please).

I guess the second is easier, but the first is more polite.
The choise is yours! By the way, pronouncing 'eho' is probably the most difficult part.
The 'h' should be pronounced like the h in yahoo or preferably just a bit stonger.

Hope that helps,
Ariadni

Even though some alcohol (preferably under the form of red wine, but I think beer will do also) is good for health, under certain circumstances it is really better to avoid it (In muslim countries, in a car or during exams, for example).
Anyway, did you imagine that the price for a pint varies very much around Europe? Although there is now the Euro, nothing has changed. In Germany you get a can in the supermarket for about € 0,30, in Italy it's about € 0,35 and in Ireland you don't pay less than € 1 !