Do they speak English?
Do they speak English there?
English gets you a long way, further every year. In Amsterdam or Copenhagen you'll struggle to find someone who can't help you. In rural China or Brazil you may struggle to find someone who can. Most places sit in between: fine in hotels and restaurants, harder at a bus station or pharmacy.
Search any country to see how much English to expect, or read on for how to get by when you can't rely on it.
The three levels
Our English filter sorts each country by how easily an English speaker gets by.
English is the everyday language, so you'll have no trouble at all.
Most people in tourism, and plenty of others, speak good English. You'll rarely get stuck.
Hotels, restaurants and sights manage in English. Away from them, a few phrases or a translation app help a lot.
Not much English, even in some hotels. Download an offline translation app and learn the basics.
English around the world
- English is official
Ireland, Malta, the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, most of the Caribbean and much of East and southern Africa. India and the Philippines use it widely too.
- Everyone seems to speak it
The Netherlands, Scandinavia, Germany and Austria rank top for English as a second language, thanks to subtitled TV and early teaching.
Read the guide → - Tourist English
Southern Europe, Türkiye, Thailand and Japan. Fine in hotels, restaurants and sights. Away from them, a few words and an app help.
- Bring a translation app
China, much of Latin America, Russia, Central Asia and French-speaking Africa. Learn the basics and download offline language packs.
Read the guide →
Getting by without English
- 1Download an offline translator
Google Translate and others let you download languages, so they work without signal.
- 2Use camera translation
Point your phone at a menu, sign or ticket machine to see it in English.
- 3Learn five words
Hello, please, thank you, sorry and 'do you speak English?' go a very long way.
- 4Save addresses in the local script
Show taxi drivers the hotel address written in the local language.
- 5Ask younger people
Under-35s are far more likely to speak English almost everywhere.
Language guides by destination
Popular places with tips on getting by, plus the local phrases worth learning before you go.
Some of the best second-language English in the world. Menus and signs are often in English too.
Read the guide →Fine in Paris and tourist areas, patchier in the countryside. Always open with 'bonjour'.
Read the guide →Resorts run in English. Inland and in older generations, a little Spanish helps a lot.
Read the guide →Easy in Rome, Florence, Venice and the lakes. A few Italian words help in the south.
Read the guide →Signs and transport are in English. Spoken English is limited, so a translation app helps.
Read the guide →Limited, even in big cities. Set up translation and payment apps before you land.
Read the guide →Common in Bangkok and the islands. Away from the tourist trail, a few Thai words help.
Read the guide →English is growing in tourist areas, but French is still the second language.
Read the guide →Cancún runs on English. Elsewhere, Spanish basics make a big difference.
Read the guide →Before you go
- Search your destination above to see how much English to expect.
- Download offline maps and a translation language pack.
- Learn hello, please and thank you. People really notice.
- Screenshot your hotel address and booking in the local language.
- Check if your phone plan includes data abroad, so translation apps work.