Bengali (or Bengali) is spoken in Bangladesh and India; this term comes from Ben-gol / Ben-goli which means Bengali people. It can be difficult to learn a new language, especially when learning another alphabet. However, commonly used phrases are always a great place to start. Whether you need to travel to Bangladesh and speak Bengali or you just want to learn it for fun, with a little practice you will be able to learn some useful phrases.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Start Speaking the Language
Step 1. Make a list of the most common words or phrases you intend to become familiar with
If you want to master, commonly used phrases are of great use and an excellent way to start. Start by looking at some more common Bengali words and their pronunciation.
Step 2. Learn the greetings, pleasantries and numbers
These phrases are needed just to be polite, while numbers are important so you don't have to use your fingers to talk about prices.
- Hello: Salaam (for Muslims only) or "NawMoShkar" (for Hindus only)
- Goodbye: "aabar dekha hobe" (form of farewell: as in Italian, it means "We will meet again")
- Please: "doya kore" or "onugroho"
- Thanks: "dhon-no-baad"
- Yes: "jee" (in Bangladesh); "hañ" (everywhere)
- No: naa
- 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10: "ek, dui, teen, chaar, pañch, choy, saat, aat, noy, dos"
Step 3. Learn the words related to food
Food is one of man's basic needs, so chances are you will be forced to talk about this topic sooner or later. While it's pretty simple, make sure you know the right words for what you're going to ask.
- Food: "khaabaar"
- Water: "paani" (in Bangladesh) or "jol" (in India)
- Eating: খাও "khao" (informal) "khaan" (formal)
- Tasty: "moja" (in Bangladesh) or "Shu-shadu" (in India)
- Good: "bhaalo"
Step 4. Learn the basic questions
If you want to be able to ask questions related to, for example, the use of the bathroom or how someone is doing, you can learn the most basic words that will allow you this type of interaction.
- Where ?: "kothay?"
- What ?: "ki?"
- How should I do: "ki bhabey korbo", "ami ki bhabhey korbo"
- I have to go to the bathroom: "Ami Toilet and Jabo"
- What are you doing?: "Tumi ki korcho?", "Tui ki korchis", "apni ki korchen"
- Where are you going ?: "Apne kun jagay jajchen?"
- I don't know: "Ami jani na"
- Did you know ?: "Apne ki janen?"
- How are you ?: "kemon acho" "kemon achis" (informal) "kemon achen" (formal)
Step 5. Learn to talk about yourself and others
- Me: "aami"
- Tu: "tumi" (informal) "aapni" (formal) "tui" তুই "(informal, generally used when friends chat to each other)
- He / she: "shey / o"
- Come / Come: "esho, ay" (informal) "aashun" (formal)
- Don't go / Don't go: "tumi jeo naa", "tui jabi na" (informal) "aapni jaben naa" (formal)
- Who: "ke?"
- Nice: "Shundor"
- I love you: "Ami Tomake Bhalobashi"
- Girl: "Meye"
- Boy: "Chele"
Step 6. Follow the correct syllabic scan
Remember when your teachers used to tell you to spell every letter or syllable as a child? Well, with Bengali it is even more important. Since the alphabet is syllabic, it is a little easier to spell the whole word.
Step 7. Don't be afraid to seek help
If you can't figure out how to pronounce a word or if it sounds wrong, search the internet for the correct one. You will find various videos that can help you check how you post sounds.
Step 8. Go ahead
Any language is difficult to learn, but a great way to start understanding it is to start with commonly used phrases. This will help you move more confidently if you are traveling in an area where Bengali is spoken. Start with the basics.
Part 2 of 3: Learning the Basics of the Bengali Language
Step 1. Learn the alphabet
The Bengali alphabet is syllabic and all consonants have a vowel with two different pronunciations. It is important to learn them if you want to recognize them and accurately articulate commonly used words. Learn to write the alphabet as you learn the phoneme of each letter. This way you will be able to recognize the letters much easier. Try learning the alphabet the same way you learned the English alphabet as a kid. Extract each letter and its pronunciation as you write. You will have to learn them all by heart.
Step 2. Learn basic pronunciation
Study how each letter is pronounced, not just how it works. Unlike Italian, many letters produce more sounds. Try to familiarize yourself with these phonemes. For example, review the alphabet and practice matching the pronunciation of two letters into words that are not too long. In this way you will have an idea of how to combine the letters and you will also be able to understand and reproduce sounds different from those of the Italian language. For example, the sound of T is soft, similar to that of the T in Spanish.
Step 3. Start learning the basics of Bengali grammar
You don't have to become an expert, but just recognize the differences with Italian. By coming to understand how language is structured, you will better understand what you are actually saying. Once you understand this, you will be able to use the most common words in the right context. The structure of the Bengali sentence is composed of subject-object-verb as opposed to the syntactic order subject-verb-object of Italian. This language also uses postpositions instead of prepositions. As in English, there is no grammatical gender, but verbs indicate the person, the time and the state.
Step 4. Read something
Find a book written in Bengali and start leafing through its pages. It is not necessary to understand the story or even the words, but just try to recognize the letters and extrapolate the commonly used words you know. This exercise will help you become familiar with the most used words. If you can, get a children's book about numbers and food. You will certainly need to familiarize yourself with these words if you are planning to travel.
Part 3 of 3: Practice the Bengali language
Step 1. Practice on your own
Write down the words and say them aloud. If you need more help, try purchasing a workbook or find electronic sheets on the Internet. On the web you have the opportunity to take advantage of many videos that offer the correct pronunciation of words. Try to reproduce the sounds as you listen to them, articulating them without errors. If no one can understand what you are saying, there is no point in knowing the meaning of the words.
Step 2. Practice with a Bengali over the Internet
If you don't have any Bengali friends to talk to, you can always find one online! Enter "Talking to a Bengali" in the search engine (maybe even in English) and you will find a lot of sites that will allow you to talk to someone on the Internet. Even if you only know how to exchange a few small pleasantries, it's still a good start.
Step 3. Watch some movies
Find a film entirely in Bengali. Even if you don't understand the story, this exercise will help you get a better idea of the rhythm of the language and the pronunciation of words. You will be surprised how useful it is.
Advice
- Do you know Bengali / English ?: "Apni ki Bangla / Ingreji janen?"
- It is always helpful to have a Bengali friend. If you have one, try sharing your sentences with him.
- To avoid offending, always use the courtesy form when talking to someone older than you or you don't know, or when meeting someone for the first time. If you have any doubts, the best rule is to use the courtesy form.
