Here are some helpful (and likeable!) phrases that we found in Germany!
Lighton’s vassa (Tap water. The waiter will look at you weird because you didn’t ask for beer, but say it again and you’ll get your water.)
Sprecken see English? (Do you speak English?)
Isch Sprecken Kein Deustch. (I do not speak any German ~> very helpful when people start talking to you in German and you have no idea what they’re saying)
Entrue-D-gong (Excuse me, both to get people’s attention and to say sorry, pardon me, etc)
Bitte (We think this may mean several things: You’re welcome, please, go ahead, pardon me, and sorry? (ie, when you can’t understand what the person said and are asking them to repeat.) )

Below are some words we’ve added to our vocabulary:
“That’s Genius!” – Amy overheard two small girls talking while playing go. One said “now I move here and I capture your stone.” The other girl exclaimed, “That’s genius!” They sounded so intelligent that we decided to copy them.

“clever” – The driver/tour guide of our Stonehenge purple bus was talking about some engineer who designed a fancy bridge at the age of 21. He called him “quite clever” So apparently use genius when someone is clever and use clever when they are a genius.

“cheers” – a British version of thanks. Amy and I struggled to force ourselves to say break away from our American ways. I murmered it once at a news stand, but then I worked up the courage to say it at a food cart while paying. Though I was so nervous that I made the ‘e’ sound too long. Amy and I practiced later and decided it’s said somewhat like pez but with a ch sound at the beginning.