Phrasebooks

Guidebook corrections:

Please note: The following corrections were submitted by readers and have not yet been confirmed by Rick. Check updates from Rick for the latest.

We needed some cough drops as my husband was recovering from a throat infection. The phrase for "cough drop" in the guide book, "sciroppo," in fact actually means "syrup" (it even sounds like it!). We tried again using the English "drops," and got a bottle of liquid "drops" that you put onto your tongue as needed, which actually worked quite well even though it wasn't what we were looking for. Later we found what we wanted under the name "pastilles", like in French. :)

April Graham in Keller, TX USA 03/24/2008

"Tylenol" is not available in France and is sometimes unknown. A comparable drug is "paracetamol".

Lori USA 06/25/2006

There is nothing like having your luggage go astray on your way to Italy on your honeymoon. When we went to try to buy a few essentials for my husband to get him through the trip, one of the things we wanted to get was a swimsuit. We must have gone to the only shop in Florence where the woman spoke no English. After speaking with her daughter, who sounded fluent in English, we got t-shirts. We tried the phrase book and found "costuma da bagno" (I assume that is costume of the bathroom). No luck. Finally, I patted my hips and then did the swimming motion, in response the shopkeeper said "pantalones di mare" (pants of the sea) and ran off and got us a bathing suit. WHO KNEW! This has made for a very entertaining story for us, but I thought I would pass it along.

CAO in Redwood Shores, CA USA 06/03/2006

Actually, I do have one nuance to add! I recently used the Italian phrasebook, and came across the phrase "va bene" for "it's good". I used this phrase when a waitress asked me how my coffee was. She kindly explained that 'va bene' was used for 'I am well', and that 'e buono' should be used for 'it's good'.

Stephanie Hood in Greenville, SC USA 04/17/2006

I remember my teacher asking "Comment vous appelez-vous?" in my classes because it is a more polite form than the less formal phrase "Comment t-appelles tu?" It's been a long time since those days. I hope someone can clarify which phrase is appropriate.

Sue in DB, CA USA 02/26/2006