phrase book

American  

noun

1. a small book containing everyday phrases and sentences and their equivalents in a foreign language, written especially for travelers.

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phrase book British  

noun

1. a book containing frequently used expressions and their equivalents in a foreign language, esp for the use of tourists

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Etymology

Origin of phrase book

First recorded in 1585–95

Example Sentences

Like Mustafa tells Mary after he chides her Arabic phrase book, “If it’s important for you, necessary, then the words get power. And like magic, you learn it.”

From Salon • Jun. 9, 2025

It’s a multilingual phrase book with terms that will help you communicate your dietary restrictions to 96 percent of the world’s population.

From Washington Post • Feb. 19, 2020

And my phrase book in his back pocket.

From The Guardian • Sep. 17, 2018

“I would have done it much differently,” the President said, sounding like a tourist who has given his phrase book a passing glance, but no more.

From The New Yorker • Jul. 14, 2018

He’d begun to teach himself French from a small, plum-colored phrase book.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides