How did I learn this stuff? I didn't take any courses or get any tutoring. I didn't really read through my sister's Deutsch Aktuell. Here's how: eavesdropping.

With a lot of help from the Deutsch Aktuell work book and an English-Deutsch dictionary, I'll be posting some useful tourist-ey (or not) phrases here. 

And for all you hard-core fans, I may even include some of my notes and observations here as well.
 

Hello, I'm a Helpless Tourist.

The very very embarrassing basics. 

"Sprechen Sie Englisch?" = uh, do you speak English? 

"Ich spreche kein Deutsch" = I don't speak German (sigh)

"Bitte sprechen Sie langsam" = Please speak slowly.

"Können Sie mir helfen, bitte?" = Can you help me, please?

"Ich komme aus Kanada" = I am from Canada
 

Be Polite

The basics everybody should know.

"Guten Tag" = Good day

"Guten Morgen" = Good morning

"Guten Abend" = Good evening

"Gute Nacht" = Good night

"Wie geht es Ihnen?" = How are you?

"Danke, gut" = Good thanks.

"Bitte." = Please

"Danke schön" = Thank you very much

"Bitte?" / "Wie bitte?" = Pardon?

"Nein, danke." = No thanks.

"Viel spaß!" = Have fun!

"Bis später!" = See you later!

"Gute Reise!" = Have a good trip! [I got this from hanging out in too many train stations]
 

You're So Beautiful, It Hurts to Look at You

Pick up lines for the guy or girl of your dreams. 

"Du bist wunderschön" = You are breathtaking 

"Du hast schönen Augen" = You have beautiful eyes 

"Haben Sie eine Freund/Freundin?" = Do you have a boyfriend/girlfriend?

"Mein Schatz" = my darling

"Ich liebe Dich" = I love you

"Liebchen" = sweetheart, lover
 

The Many Many Ways of Saying "Yes"

Just because I'm way too nice to say no. 

"Ja" = yes 

"Genau!" = Exactly! 

"Jawohl!" = Yes! or Yes sir! 

"Das stimmt" = That's right 

"Alles klar" = Everything's clear (I totally understand) or Everything's okay 

"Ja ja richtig!" = yeah right

"Kein problem." = No problem
 

Food Glorious Food

Hungry, and you don't know what's on the menu?  I know exactly how you feel.

"Zwei große bier, bitte" = two large beers, please

"Zwei kügeln, bitte.  Ein, schokolade, und ein, haselnüß" = two scoops of gelato, please.  One chocolate scoop and one hazelnut [trust me, this is a winner every time]

Rindfleisch = beef [something I avoided for four months, because I'm paranoid]

Schweinfleisch = pork

Hühn, Hähnchen, Püten = chicken

Truthähn = turkey

Gemüse = mixed vegetables

Rahmspinat = chopped-up, creamy spinach

Erbsen und  möhren = peas and carrots

Apfel, zitronen, orangen und trauben = apples, lemons, oranges and grapes

Pommes = potatoes

Zweibel, knoblauch = onion and garlic

Frühstück, mittagessen und abendessen = breakfast, lunch and dinner

"Prost!" = Cheers!

"Rechnung, bitte" = Check please
 

Clueless.

Phrases you can get by on.

"Ich weiß nicht" = I don't know.

"Keine ahnung" = No idea.

"Ich verstehen nicht" = I don't understand
 

The Call of Nature

Insert toilet joke here.

"Wo sind die Toilette/WC?" = Where is the toilet/WC?

Krap-und-See = the style of toilet bowls only seen in Germany, where there's a "shelf" occupying half of the bowl.  [WARNING:  gross link]
 

European Culture

Stau = traffic jam

S-Bahn = short for straßenbahn; this is the equivalent of a tram or streetcar

U-Bahn = this is the equivalent of a subway or metro.

"Geben Sie mir ein Nutellabrötchen, bitte" = Give me a Nutella sandwich, please [got that one from Let's Go Germany]

"Ich habe Kartoffelsalat in meine Lederhosen" = I have potato salad in my pants [got that one from Let's Go Germany]
 

How Cool Is That??

Express your appreciation profoundly.

Prima! = first-class, first-rate, swell

Super! (pronounced "zoo-pah!") = super (duh)

Toll! = mad, crazy, wild, fantastic, terrific

Klasse! = marvellous, terrific, cool

Ausgezeichnet! = excellent

Geil! = cool [be careful when you use this, since it also means horny]

Wunderbar! = wonderful

Phantastisch! = fantastic

Schön! = great

Fürchterlich!  Furchtbar! = terrific

Ehrfurchtgebietend = awe-inspiring