language learning gets discussed like there are only 2 possible outcomes: fluency, or knowing how to ask where the toilet is. there is substantial amount of useful territory between these things.
the expectation of fluency makes it easy to postpone using what you already know. there's always another thing to learn before you're supposedly ready. meanwhile, there are plenty of things you can do with the words your incomplete collection of words.
the next question is usually "how much do you know?" which is difficult to measure. it depends on what happens next.
you can prepare a question, check the pronunciation, and delivery it with enough confidence that the other person reasonably assumes you will understand their answer. this is an extremely effective way to discover the limits of your preparation. you intentionally communicate one thing and accidentally communicate a second thing about your abilities.
chinese is an excellent example of a language that terrifies from pronunciation. change one tone on 我想问你i want to ask you and you arrive at 我想吻你i want to kiss you. these are both grammatically valid, which is part of the problem. i was hoping to obtain some information before making this personal.
if your conversation buddy is still willing to participate after that, then you've successfully utilized your language. conversation can survive surprising amounts of repair.