Difference between revisions of "Ladino phrasebook"

Revision as of 07:31, 18 February 2009

Ladino (Djudezmo or Judeo-Espanyol) is a Jewish language spoken by the Sephardic Jews.

It is also spoken by the minor Jewish communities in Turkey, Israel, Netherland, Greece and the United States. For the most of its speakers, today, Ladino is the second language.

A Western Romance language, Ladino is closely related to and mutually intelligible with the Spanish. However, there are many loan words from Hebrew, Portuguese, Arabic and Turkish.

Pronunciation Guide

Ladino spelling ,as Spanish does, has the pleasant characteristic of being very phonetic, with only a few clearly-defined exceptions. This means that if you know how to pronounce the letters of a word, it's relatively easy to sound out the word itself.

Vowels

a 

like 'a' in "father".

e 

like 'e' in "met", although often taught as 'a' in "spain".

i 

like 'ee' in "see".

o 

like 'o' in "score", especially when stressed.

u 

like 'oo' in "hoop".

y 

like 'ee' in "see". Very rarely used at the middle or ending of words.

Consonants

b 

like 'b' in "bed"

c 

follows the same pronunciation pattern as in English. In most cases it is pronounced like 'k' in "kid": calle, doctor. When followed by 'e' or 'i', it is like 's' in "supper" (Latin America) or 'th' in "thin" (Spain): cine.

ch 

like 'ch' in "touch": muncho

d 

like 'd' in "dog"

dj

like 'j' in John. Djudezmo

f 

like 'f' in "fine": faro

g 

like 'g' in "good": ganyar

h 

like 'h' in "hit": haham

j 

like 'j' in the French name Jean

k 

like 'k' in "kid": kilo

l 

like 'l' in "love": lápiz

m 

like 'm' in "mother": mano

n 

like 'n' in "nice": noche, ancla

p 

like 'p' in "pig": Pesah

r 

is pronunced as 'r' in Turkish, most often rolled very lightly

s 

like 'ss' in "hiss": sopa

sh

like 'sh' in "shining": yanashear

t 

like 't' in "top": Tora

v 

like 'v' in "valad" (but no aspiration).

y 

like 'y' in "yes": yuvyar.

z 

like 'z' in "zoo"

Accents and stress

Phrase list

Basics

Hello/Hi 

Shalom (Shah-lom)

Have a good day 

Buen dya (keh PAH-seh un BWEHN DEE-ah)

How are you? (informal)

Ke haber? (KEH HA-bear)

How are you? (formal)

Komo esta? (KOH-mo ehss-TAH?)

Fine, thank you

Muy bien, grasyas. (MOOEY BYEHN, GRAH-syahss)

What is your name? (informal)

Komo te yamas? (KOH-moh TEH YAH-mahss?)

What is your name? (formal)

Komo se yama? (KOH-moh SEH YAH-mah)

Who are you? (informal)

Ken eres? (KEN EH-rehss?)

My name is ______

Me yamo ______ (MEH YAH-moh _____ )

I am ______

Yo soy ______ (YO SOY ______)

Nice to meet you

Enkantado/a (ehn-kahn-TAH-doh/ehn-kahn-TAH-dah)

It's a pleasure to meet you

Muncho plezir. (MOO-choh pleh-zeer)

Please

Por favor (POHR fah-vOHR)

Thank you

Grasyas (GRAH-syahss)

You're welcome

De nada (DEH NAH-dhah)

Yes

Sí (SEE)

No

No (NOH)

Excuse me! (begging pardon)

Pardon! (pahr-DOHN)

I'm sorry

Lo siento (LOH SYEHN-toh)

Goodbye

Adio (ah-DYOH)

I can't speak Ladino(well)

No avlo (byen) ladino. (NOH Av-loh (BYEHN) la-dee-noh)

Do you speak English? (informal)

Avlas inglez? (AH-vlahss een-GLEHZ?)

Do you speak English? (formal)

Avlates inglez? (AH-blah-tes oos-TEHD een-GLEHZ?)

Is there someone here who speaks English? 

Ay alguno ke avla inglez? (I AHL-goo-noh KEH AH-Vlah een-GLEHZ?)

Help!

Ayuda! (ah-YOO-dah!)

Good morning

Buenos dyas (BWEH-nohss DEE-ahss)

Good afternoon / Good evening

Buenas tardes (BWEH-nahss TAR-dehss)

Good evening / Good night

Buenas noches (BWEH-nahss NOH-chehss)

I don't understand

No entiendo (NOH ehn-TYEHN-doh)

Where is the toilet?

Ande esta el banyo? (AHN-deh ehss-TAH EHL BAH-nyoh?)

Problems

Leave me alone. 

Deshame en paz. (DEH-shah-meh ehn PAHS)

Don't touch me! 

No me tokes! (noh meh TOH-kehs!)

Police! 

Polis! (poh-lees!)