Getting around
Tube
Mind the gap.
Mind the gap.
You hear this when the doors close or the next stop is called. It is written down too, so a missed word does not end the ride.
London
United Kingdom
London spreads along the Thames, from the old City and Westminster out through a ring of boroughs.
How the language is used
English is the everyday language in shops, schools, and on the Tube, while many other languages belong to neighbourhood life.
In this city
- Language
- English
- Also heard
- Bengali, Urdu, Polish and Turkish
- A local word
- Oyster — The transit card.
- Writing
- the Latin alphabet
What people say
Ordinary lines from this city: the ride, the counter, the food, and the greeting.
The counter
Café
A cup of tea, please.
A cup of tea, please.
This line is a whole order. You do not need a longer sentence.
Food
Pub
A pint of lager, please.
A pint of lager, please.
The order is built in short pieces like this one.
The street
Shop
Contactless?
Paying by card?
People keep this line short. It is enough for the moment.
The language through the day
English is the language of the ride, the shop, and the street.
In South Bank, Brixton, Hackney, you also hear Bengali, Urdu, Polish and Turkish.
A first day in London can run on four lines: “Mind the gap.”, “A cup of tea, please.”, “A pint of lager, please.”, and “Contactless?”. Each one is already a complete moment.
If you are new here
- Stops, prices, and shop signs are written in the Latin alphabet.
- One everyday you-form covers most shops. Please and thanks do the polite work.
- If a spoken line goes past you, read the screen or the board. In London, the stop and the price are written down.
One local word: Oyster. It means The transit card..
Places you can see
- Tower of London — A riverside fortress that later held the Crown Jewels and served as a prison.
- British Museum — A vast museum of objects from many cultures, a short walk north of Covent Garden.
- Borough Market — A food market on the south bank, beside London Bridge.
Food
Pie shops, fish and chips, and curry houses stand next to markets where people eat standing up.
Getting around
The Underground, red buses, and the Overground link the boroughs, and boats run on the Thames.
Daily life
You hear several accents on one bus between boroughs, and the pubs fill after work.
A few everyday phrases
English
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Hello | Hello |
| Thank you | Thank you |
| Good morning | Good morning |
| My name is… | My name is… |
