Can you say please in Faroese?
With fewer than 80,000 people speaking Faroese worldwide, and a growing tourism market, folks from the Faroe Islands realise that not having their language included on Google Translate can be frustrating for visitors keen to learn a few phrases before their trip. So following on from last year’s Google Sheep View success, Faroe Islanders have launched their own version of the online translation tool.
With the help of friendly locals to translate live by video, Faroe Islands Translate is a free online translation service for anyone around the world curious to learn a little Faroese. You can try it for yourself at faroeislandstranslate.com.
It’s been a few years now but one of the most memorable destinations I’ve ever visited was indeed the Faroes. The people were friendly and welcoming, the culture distinct and unique, and the landscape absolutely breathtaking. Obviously the vast majority of Islanders I encountered spoke impeccable English but still – as with anywhere – it’s good to speak at least a bit of the local lingo when you go. I wish I could have accessed the handy Faroe Islands Translate site when I went. And I hope it’ll still be going strong (if Google Translate hasn’t finally added Faroese) next time I visit.
Oh and if you’re wondering how to say please in the Faroes, it’s gerið so væl (pronounced jer-ih soh vyel).
Learn more about the Faroe Islands at visitfaroeislands.com/en. For info about flights to the Faroe Islands go to atlantic.fo.
About Faroe Islands Translate
By visiting faroeislandstranslate.com, anyone can write a word or phrase that they would like to be translated from their language into Faroese. The text is immediately forwarded to Faroese volunteers who will open the video camera function on their mobile phone and record a video of the translation. This is then uploaded to the site to be viewed by the person who requested it. Each video is also preserved in a database so that, if the same word or phrase is requested again, the stored translation will automatically be shown. The Faroese volunteer who translates is picked at random. Everyone who speaks Faroese can help translate and local people have been encouraged to get involved in the campaign. All translations are reviewed to make sure that they are appropriate.
