While English may be one of the most commonly-spoken languages, it’s worth remembering that not everyone speaks English, so if you’re planning on traveling around the world for business or for pleasure, it’s a good idea to at least learn a few useful phrases in other languages. If you know more than one language, you’re a polyglot (PAH-lee-glaht); the word comes from the Greek roots poly- (“many”) and glossa (“tongues”). The nice thing about learning other languages is that you can often bring back words to use in your English conversations, as well. Here are some words you’ll encounter in other countries that are just as useful in English:

From France:

avant-garde (AH-vawnt-GARD) adjective
Originally a military term for “the advance guard” this word is commonly used these days to describe someone, particularly an inventor or artist, who is ahead of their time, innovative, and unlike others.

malaise (muh-LEZZ) noun
The word means “ill at ease” and is used to define a mental state of being uncomfortable.

prêt-à-porter (PRET-uh-POR-tay) adjective
This phrase translates as “ready to wear” and can be found in the fashion industry, referring to clothes that can be bought off the rack in stores (as opposed to being tailored and fit to an individual).

From Germany:

kitsch (KITCH) noun
This is a relatively new word that describes objects that are overly-gaudy, merely decorative, and otherwise useless.

Schadenfreude (SHAH-dehn-froy-duh) noun
Another word that entered the English language in the early part of the 20th century, this means “harm/joy” – that is, feeling happy at someone else’s troubles or misfortunes.

doppelgänger (DAH-pehl-gang-er) noun
Translated as “double-goer” this word is used to describe a stranger who looks eerily similar to someone you know; frequently it’s used for times when the person you know couldn’t possibly be right there.

From Italy:

diva (DEE-vah) noun
This Italian word for “goddess” is often used to describe opera singers or other female performers. In a more negative sense, it’s used to describe women (and sometimes men) who are very hard to please and who think they’re something really special.

sotto voce (soh-toh VOH-chay) adverb
The literal translation is “under voice” and means speaking quietly, in an undertone.

From Spain:

incommunicado (ihn-koh-myu-nih-CAH-doh) adjective
From the prefix in- (“not”) and the verb comunicar (“to communicate”), this word refers to someone who is prevented from reaching the outside world (or who chooses not to).