I once had the pleasure of spending several hours looking after four little ones all under age four when I spoke about ten words of their language. These weren’t calm, well-behaved children, either; they set their toys on fire (which was not my fault, but that’s another story).

I also worked briefly in an international kindergarten where there were a couple of kiddos with whom I was the only one who could communicate, and even then only just. So, I have an idea of the essential verbiage one needs and thought I’d pass some along.

It’s Really not That Bad

Fortunately, smiling, nodding, and making silly noises goes a long way with the two-and-under crowd. Any older than that and they can usually figure out that you don’t know how to talk right and will try to teach you as they would a younger sibling

Looking after little kids whose language you don’t speak—depending on the kids’ personalities (pyromaniacal or not)—can range from delightfully interesting to tear-your-hear-out stressful. In the phrase list below, I’m erring on the boisterous kid side, because that’s when you’re most likely to need to communicate clearly.

Do This, Stop That!

One big tip: learn the imperative. In English, the imperative is, conveniently enough, the same as the infinitive. It’s the verb form in statements like, “Wait!” and “Don’t touch that!” Make sure you learn the right form of “you” for talking with children (usually the “informal you” if the language has one) and the plural “you” (for multiple kidlets).

These phrases will get you through brief, emergency babysitting stints. This list might sound like all I do is bark orders at kids, but it’s really just the absolute essentials you need to keep the little ones safe until their rightful caretaker gets back. And, of course, you can soften them a lot with a gentle tone of voice.

Keep in mind, though, that these phrases are in addition to your very basic phrases like “My name is…” and “Where’s the…?”

So without further ado, the childcare phrase/babysitting vocabulary list you didn’t know you were waiting for…

• Go!
• Come here!
• Sit down!
• Wait!
• Look! (Essential for getting a kid’s attention away from where it shouldn’t be.)
• Look out! (Might want to add, “There’s a car coming.”)
• Be careful!
• Don’t touch that!
• That’s dangerous.
• That’s dirty.
• Put that down!
• Bring that here!
• Give that to me/her/him! (Helps in breaking up sibling battles.)
• Play nice!
• No hitting!
• Why are you crying? (Answer is generally, “I want my mommy/daddy,” “That kid hit/pushed me.” or “That kid took/broke my toy.” Less often it’s, “I can’t find my….”)
• Are you hurt?
• Mommy/daddy will be back soon.

The local equivalent of “hush” or “shh” and “It’s okay.” to quiet a crying kiddo are also useful. Whew! Tired yet?

Related posts:

1. Foreign Language Vocabulary Learning: Which Words to Learn First
2. Foreign Language Vocabulary Learning: A More Efficient Way to Use Vocabulary Lists
3. How to Learn Foreign Language Vocabulary When You Have No Time to Study