52 Most Important Sentences of Survival English
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A friend in Ireland asked for some help. Her daughter's class has some new students who are refugees from Ukraine, so she wants to make them flashcards to help them learn English. I thought this would be a great activity for my classes. Many of my students are second language learners, so they are experts. My freshman English classes tapped into this expertise and learned about Maslow's hierarchy of needs so we could identify the sentences these students would need to learn first. It was also a good practice for my students in what makes a complete sentence. We also tried to come up with sentences that would provide the refugee students with a variety of vocabulary so they could form their own phrases as they learn to mix and match. The exercise even gave us a chance to have a discussion about phrases that will be different in Ireland than in the United States. Bathroom? Restroom? Loo? WC? And certainly not, "I like your pants." I thought it would be cool if my friend got 52 because then she could put them on playing cards along with their translations, and that way the new students would have something they could play games with while they practice. I'm hesitant to trust Google Translate (it's better, but still far from perfect), so if you write in Ukrainian or know someone who does, please let us all know how these would be translated. Thanks!
May I please use the bathroom?
How do you say _____?
What is this called?
I don't understand.
Excuse me.
I need help.
May I go get a drink of water?
I'm thirsty.
When is lunchtime?
I'm hungry.
May I have some of that?
May I have a snack?
Yes.
No.
Please.
Thank you.
I like that.
I do not like that.
I'm hot.
I'm cold.
I need a jacket.
I'm tired.
Goodnight.
Hello.
Good morning.
Goodbye.
What is your name?
My name is ________.
I like your ______.
It's nice to meet you.
I'm from Ukraine.
She is a girl.
He is a boy.
I have one mother.
I have two sisters.
I have three brothers.
I have a cat.
I have a dog.
How much does this cost?
I need space.
I feel happy.
I feel sad.
I feel scared.
I feel lonely.
I want to go home.
I miss my family.
I love you.
I like you.
Where is the ______?
Can you show me the way to the______?
Can I play, too?
I cannot do that.
I got a translation into Ukrainian! Thanks to Sveltana Thomas, and thanks to Molly K. Martin for sending it to me!
1. Можу я піти до туалету? Мені потрібно вийти.
2. Як сказати____?
3. Як це називається?
4. Я не розумію.
5. Вибачте.
6. Мені потрібна допомога.
7. Чи можу я піти попити води?
8. Я хочу пити.
9. Коли буде обід?
10. Я голодний/голодна. — it depends upon whether it’s a boy or a girl answering.
11. Чи можу я взяти це?
12. Чи можу я перекусити?
13. Так.
14. Ні.
15. Будь ласка.
16. Дякую.
17. Мені це довподоби.
18. Мені це не подобається.
19. Мені жарко.
20. Мені холодно.
21. Мені потрібна куртка.
22. Я втомился/втомилася. — it depends upon whether it’s a boy or a girl answering.
23. На добраніч.
24. Привіт.
25. Доброго ранку.
26. До побачення.
27. Як тебе звати? Як твоє ім’я ?
28. Мене звати____.
29. Мені подобається твій/твоя.
30. Приємно познайомитися з тобою.
31. Я з України. Please don’t use “The Ukraine”, only use the correct way “Ukraine”. Like I’m from Ukraine (“The Ukraine” is how russians say it. Also after 24 Feb Ukrainians do not capitalize russia, etc.)
32. Вона дівчинка.
33. Він хлопчик.
34. У мене є тільки мама.
35. В мене є дві сестри.
36. У мене є три брати.
37. В мене є котик.
38. В мене є собака.
39. Скільки це коштує?
40. Мені потрібен простір.
41. Я відчуваю себе щасливим/щасливою. Я щасливий/щаслива.
42. Мені сумно.
43. Я відчуваю страх. Мені страшно.
44. Мені самотно.
45. Я хочу додому.
46. Я сумую за своєю родиною.
47. Я тебе кохаю.
48. Ти мені подобаєшся.
49. Де є _?
50. Як пройти до __?
51. Чи можу я теж грати?
52. Я не можу це зробити.