A phrasebook on your phone has a problem: the text is phone-sized, your pronunciation is guesswork, and the waiter is already waiting. Waiz 1.2 rebuilt trip phrases around that moment. Here is how they work, with an Italian example from a Florence trip.
Six phrases for ordering food
If you learn nothing else, learn the restaurant loop: getting a table, asking what is good, saying what you cannot eat, and paying. Here it is in Italian, Spanish and French.
- A table for two, please.
- itUn tavolo per due, per favore.
- esUna mesa para dos, por favor.
- frUne table pour deux, s'il vous plaît.
- What do you recommend?
- itCosa mi consiglia?
- es¿Qué me recomienda?
- frQu'est-ce que vous me conseillez ?
- I'm vegetarian.
- itSono vegetariano / vegetariana.
- esSoy vegetariano / vegetariana.
- frJe suis végétarien / végétarienne.
- Does this have nuts in it?
- itCi sono noci o frutta secca?
- es¿Lleva frutos secos?
- frEst-ce qu'il y a des fruits à coque ?
- The bill, please.
- itIl conto, per favore.
- esLa cuenta, por favor.
- frL'addition, s'il vous plaît.
- Can I pay by card?
- itPosso pagare con la carta?
- es¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta?
- frJe peux payer par carte ?
A few things that are easy to miss:
- In Italy, Spain and France the bill usually does not come until you ask for it. Lingering is normal, not slow service.
- Italian bills often carry a coperto, a small cover charge per person. It is not a tip.
- For an allergy, show the words rather than say them. A misheard word at a busy counter is the one mistake you do not want.
A kit for the trip you planned
Open your trip's insights and the phrases section has 16 to 20 entries for the destination's language, grouped by situation:
- Greetings, basics and politeness, single words included
- Dining
- Getting around
- Shopping and money
- Lodging
- Emergencies and health
The kit follows the trip. A dietary restriction in your preferences, children in the group or a rental car each add the phrases you will need for them.
Tap to show it
Tap any phrase and it fills the screen in large type at full brightness, with the pronunciation and meaning underneath. It is meant to be turned around and shown. Swipe to move through the other phrases of the same situation, and turn the phone sideways for an even larger line. The screen stays on until you close it.
Tap the speaker to hear it
The speaker button reads the phrase in a natural voice for that language. Hold it for a slower take you can repeat after. It plays even when your iPhone is on silent. If you are offline, Waiz falls back to the best voice installed on your iPhone.
Bookmark the phrases you keep using. They collect in your Saved tab, voice included.
Several countries in one trip
On a trip through more than one destination, switch city at the top of the insights screen to get that place's phrases. Lisbon and Seville in one week means two kits, one per language. More on routes like that in planning a multi-city trip.
Trip insights and phrases are part of Waiz Pro, which starts with a free trial.
