Lesson 121--Where's the washroom? (part three)

 

In my rush to get you all the useful vocabulary, I forgot to give you some example of questions you could ask when looking for the washroom.  Here are some examples.  These are not all of them, of course, but they should provide you with enough variation to get through your day.  They are roughly in order of most polite to less polite, though none of these sentences would be considered rude.

Examples (I have used washroom, but you could use most of the words from the polite section of  lesson 119)

Could you tell me where the washroom is?

Could you point me to/towards the washroom?

I'm wondering where the washroom is?

Do you have any idea where the washroom is?

I'm trying to find the washroom.....

I'm looking for the washroom....

Where would the washroom be?

I can't seem to find the washroom.

Where's the washroom?

Washroom? (Having a slightly stunned face will improve this question)

Lesson 120--Where's the washroom? (part two)

 

As I explained before, in my experience westerners try to be more indirect or polite when referring to body functions.  Saying "I have to pee." is not something I would recommend.  Here are some useful expressions, though there are a lot more.  Also, the people you hang around with might use more direct phrases, so all I can say is that these are more polite, but you might hear even more polite ones, and you certainly will hear less polite ones.

 

Things both men and women might say

I need to visit the men's room/little boy's room/restroom.

I need to visit the ladies room/little girls room/restroom.

Things women might say

I have to powder my nose.

I have to touch up my makeup.

Things men might say

I have to see a man about a horse

(I heard this on a sitcom, so I don't know if this was more for a joke, or if people really say this.  I have only used it to be ironic.)

 

Things my students have told me that they say (translated from their language)

I have to send a fax.

Invitation to my readers

The last one is creative.  I invite all of my students to translate and post (you can post anonymously) expressions from their countries here.