English phrases

(source: https://www.speaklanguages.com/english/phrases/)

Basic phrases The weather

General conversation Eating and drinking

Making friends At a pub, bar, or caf
Languages and communication
Family and relationships Around town
Interests
Arranging to meet Leisure and entertainment

Time expressions Health

Telling the time At the chemists
Dates
Using the telephone

Basic phrases

(source: https://www.speaklanguages.com/english/phrases/basic-phrases)

yes please
no thanks / thank you / thanks very much / thank
maybe / perhaps you very much

The following are some polite ways you can reply to someone who thanks you:
you're welcome don't mention it not at all

Getting someone's attention and apologising

excuse me (can be used to get someone's sorry (apologising)
attention, to get past someone, or to
apologise)

If someone apologises to you, you can reply using one of the following expressions:
no problem it's OK / that's OK don't worry about it

Making yourself understood

do you speak English? please, speak more slowly / please, write it
I don't speak English / I don't speak much down
English / I only speak very little English / I could you please repeat that?
speak a little English I understand / I don't understand

Other basic phrases

I know / I don't know excuse me, where's the toilet? / excuse me,
where's the Gents? / excuse me, where's the
Ladies?

More common expressions

(source: https://www.speaklanguages.com/english/phrases/more-common-expressions)

OK as soon as possible
of course / of course not that's enough
that's fine / that's right
sure / certainly it doesn't matter / it's not important / it's not
definitely / absolutely serious / it's not worth it

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I'm in a hurry / I've got to go / I'm going out sleep well / same to you! / you too

not bad / I like/I dont like him / her / it

Thanks and apologies

thanks for your help / hospitality / email I'm sorry / I'm really sorry
thanks for everything sorry I'm late / to keep you waiting / for the
delay
Exclamations
look! only joking! / just kidding! that's life!
great! bless you! (after a sneeze) damn it!
come on! that's funny!

Instructions
come in! take your time
please, sit down please, be quiet / shut up!
could I have your attention, please? stop it!
let's go! / hurry up! / get a move on! don't worry
calm down don't forget
hang on a second / hang on a minute / one help yourself / go ahead
moment, please / just a minute let me know!

If you would like to let someone pass through a door in front of you, it is polite to say: after you!

Words related to place

here everywhere somewhere
there nowhere

Common questions
where are you? what's going on? / what's happening? / what
what's this? / what's that? happened?
is anything wrong? / what's the matter? / is what?
everything OK? where?
have you got a minute? when?
have you got a pen I could borrow? who?
really? / are you sure? how?
why? / why not? how many? / how much?

Congratulations and commiserations

congratulations! / well done! what a pity! / what a shame!
good luck! / bad luck! happy birthday!
never mind! glad to hear it / sorry to hear that

Expressing needs and feelings

I'm tired / exhausted I'm looking forward to it
I'm hungry / thirsty I'm in a good mood / bad mood
I'm bored / worried I can't be bothered

More ways to greet or say goodbye to someone

welcome! / welcome to long time no see! see you tomorrow!
England all the best!

Asking and expressing opinions

what do you think? that's true / that's not true
I think that... / I hope that... / I'm afraid I think so / I don't think so
that... / In my opinion, ... I hope so / I hope not
you're right / you're wrong
I agree / I disagree / I don't agree

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I don't mind / it's up to you that's interesting / that's funny
that depends

General conversation

(source: https://www.speaklanguages.com/english/phrases/general-conversation)

Asking how someone is

how are you? I'm fine, thanks / I'm OK, thanks / not too bad,
(quite informal) how's it going? / how are you thanks / alright, thanks / not so well
doing? / how's life? / how are things? how about you? / and you? / and yourself?

Asking what someone is or has been doing

what are you up to? / what have you been up working a lot / studying a lot / I've been very
to? busy
same as usual / not much / not a lot
I've just come back from Portugal

Asking where someone is

where are you? in town / in the countryside
I'm at home / at work / at the shops / at on a train
Peter's

Asking about someone's plans

do you have any plans for the summer? what are you doing for Christmas?

Making friends

(source: https://www.speaklanguages.com/english/phrases/making-friends)

Introductions
what's your name? do you do?)
my name's Chris
I'm Sophie do you know each other? / how do you know
I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name each other?
we work together / we used to work together
this is Lucy / my wife / my husband / my we were at school together / we're at
boyfriend/ my girlfriend / my son / my university together / we went to university
daughter together
nice to meet you / pleased to meet you through friends
how do you do? (formal expression used when
meeting someone new; the correct reply is how

Where are you from?

where are you from?/ where do you come from? I live in London / France
I'm from England
what part of do you come from? I'm originally from Dublin, but now live in
Edinburgh / I was born in Australia, but grew up
where do you live? in England

Further conversation
what brings you to England? I came here to work / I came here to study / I
I'm on holiday / I'm on business / I live here / I wanted to live abroad
work here / I study here
how long have you lived here?
why did you come to the UK?

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I've only just arrived / a few months / about a do you like it here?
year / just over two years / three years yes, I love it! / I like it a lot / it's OK

how long are you planning to stay here? what do you like about it?
until August / a few months / another year / I like the food / weather / people
I'm not sure

Ages and birthdays

how old are you? example I'm forty-seven years old, although
I'm twenty-two / thirty-eight this is rarely used in spoken language.

Note that it's also correct to say the when's your birthday?
words years old after your age, for it's on the 16th of May / October 2

Living arrangements
who do you live with? / do you live with
anybody?
I live with my boyfriend / my girlfriend / my
partner / my husband / my wife / my parents /
a friend / friends / relatives
do you live on your own?
I live on my own / I share with one other
person / I share with two others

Asking for contact details

what's your phone number? / could I take your what's your address?
phone number?
are you on Facebook / Skype?
what's your email address? / could I take your what's your username?
email address?

Languages and communication

(source: https://www.speaklanguages.com/english/phrases/languages-and-communication)

what languages can you speak? sorry? / excuse me?

I speak French, Spanish, and a little Russian /
fluent German
I can get by in Italian / I'm learning Chinese called?
where did you learn your English?
at school / at university / I took a course/ I
taught myself
do you understand? / did you understand?
yes, I understood / sorry, I didn't understand
If you don't hear what someone has said, the
most polite way to reply is simply to say:
how do you say ... in English? / what's this
how do you spell that? / how do you pronounce
this word?
you speak very good English / your English is
very good
I'm a little out of practice / I'd like to practise
my Portuguese
let's speak in English

Family and relationships

(source: https://www.speaklanguages.com/english/phrases/family-and-relationships)

Brothers and sisters

do you have any brothers or sisters? no, I'm an only child
yes, I've got a brother / a sister / an elder
brother / a younger sister / two brothers / two
sisters / one brother and two sisters

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 Children and grandchildren
have you got any kids? / do you have any yes, I've got a boy and a girl / a young baby /
children? three kids / I don't have any children

do you have any grandchildren?

Parents and grandparents

where do your parents live? are your grandparents still alive? / where do
they live?
what do your parents do? / what does your
father do? / what does your mother do?

Relationships
do you have a boyfriend? / do you have a I'm Single / Engaged / Married / Divorced /
girlfriend? / are you seeing anyone? Separated / a widow / a widower
are you married? / are you single? I'm seeing someone

Pets
have you got any pets? I've got a dog and two cats / a Labrador

Asking names and ages

what's his name? he's called Tom how old is he? he's twelve
what's her name? she's called Mary how old is she? she's fifteen
what are their names? they're called Neil and how old are they? they're six and eight
Anna

Interests

(source: https://www.speaklanguages.com/english/phrases/interests)

Talking about things you like

what do you like doing in your spare time? I really like swimming / dancing

I like watching TV / listening to music / I love the theatre / the cinema / going out /
walking / jogging clubbing

I quite like cooking / playing chess / yoga I enjoy travelling

Talking about things you dislike

I don't like pubs / noisy bars/ nightclubs I hate shopping

I can't stand football

Other ways of discussing interests

I'm interested in photography / history / languages
I read a lot
have you read any good books lately? / have you seen any good films recently?

Sport
do you play any sports? which team do you support?
yes, I play football / tennis / golf / I'm a I support Manchester United / Chelsea
member of a gym I'm not interested in football
no, I'm not particularly sporty / I like watching
football

Music
do you play any instruments? I'm learning to play the violin
yes, I play the guitar
yes, I've played the piano for years
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I'm in a band / I sing in a choir Pop / Rock/ Dance/ classical / anything, really
/ lots of different stuff
what sort of music do you like? / what sort of
music do you listen to? have you got any favourite bands?

Arranging to meet

(source: https://www.speaklanguages.com/english/phrases/arranging-to-meet)

Inviting someone out

are you up to anything this evening /
tomorrow / at the weekend?
have you got any plans for this evening /
tomorrow / the weekend?
are you free this evening / tomorrow
afternoon / tomorrow evening?
what would you like to do? / do you want to go
somewhere? / do you fancy going out? / would
you like to join me for something to eat?
Sure / I'd love to / sounds good / that sounds
like fun
sorry, I can't make it / I'm afraid I already have
plans / I'm too tired/ I'm staying in tonight /
I've got too much work to do / I need to study /
I'm very busy at the moment

Arranging the time and place

what time shall we meet? I'll meet you there / see you there!
let's meet at eight o'clock / at half past ten
let me know if you can make it
where would you like to meet? I'll call you later
I'll see you in the pub / at the cinema
what's your address?

Meeting up
I'm running a little late / I'll be there in have you been here long? / have you been
minutes waiting long?

Telling the time

(source: https://www.speaklanguages.com/english/phrases/telling-the-time)

In English, the 12-hour clock is normally used for telling the time. The 24-hour clock is only used for
travel timetables.

Asking the time

what's the time? / what time is it? / could you do you happen to have the time? / do you know
tell me the time, please? what time it is?

Telling the time

it's exactly / about / almost / just gone one past four / twenty past five / twenty-five past
/ one o'clock six / half past seven

its quarter past two / five past three / ten its twenty-five to eight / quarter to nine / five
to ten / ten to eleven / twenty to twelve

It's also possible to state the time in English by saying the hour followed by the minutes, followed
by am or pm if necessary, eg:
11.45am / eleven forty-five am noon / midday
2.10pm / two ten pm midnight

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 Clocks
my watch is fast that clock's a little slow

Dates

(source: https://www.speaklanguages.com/english/phrases/dates)

Asking the date

what's the date today? / what's today's date?

Dates
The 15th of October / October 15 / Monday, 1 at the beginning of July / in mid-December / at
January / on 2 February the end of March / by the end of June

Years Centuries
In 1984 / 2000 / 2005 / 2018 the 20th / 21st century

The weather

(source: https://www.speaklanguages.com/english/phrases/the-weather)

Weather conditions
what's the weather like?
it's sunny / cloudy / windy / foggy / stormy
it's raining / hailing / snowing
what a nice day! / what a beautiful day!
it's not a very nice day
what a terrible day! / what miserable weather!
haven't had any rain for a fortnight
the weather's fine / the sun's shining / there's
not a cloud in the sky
the sky's overcast / it's clearing up / the sun's
come out

it's starting to rain / it's stopped raining there's a strong wind/ the wind's dropped
it's pouring with rain / it's raining cats and dogs
we had a lot of heavy rain this morning / we that sounds like thunder / that's lightning

Temperatures
what's the temperature? it's 22C / It's hot / cold / baking hot / freezing /
temperatures are in the mid-20s freezing cold / below freezing
what temperature do you think it is? probably
about 30C

The weather forecast

what's the forecast? expecting a thunderstorm / it's supposed to
it's forecast to rain / it's going to freeze tonight clear up later
/ it looks like it's going to rain / we're

At a pub, bar, or caf

(source: https://www.speaklanguages.com/english/phrases/at-a-pub-bar-or-cafe)

Note that at pubs in Britain, it's customary to order drinks and food at the bar, although some pubs
with restaurant areas may take your order at the table.

Ordering drinks

7
what would you like to drink? / what are you
having?/ what can I get you?
A beer / two beers, please
three shots of tequila, please
I'll have * , please
[* a pint (= a little over half a litre) of lager /
bitter (a type of traditional English beer)
a glass of white wine / red wine /
an orange juice / a coffee / a Coke / a Diet
Coke]
large or small? Small / large, please
would you like ice with that? No ice, please / A
little, please / Lots of ice, please
Ordering snacks and food
do you serve food? / do you have any snacks /
sandwiches?
what time does the kitchen close? / are you
still serving food? / is it table service or self-
service?
- what can I get you?
- a packet of crisps, please.
- what flavour would you like?
When placing your order at a caf which offers take-away food, you may be asked:
eat in, or take-away?
Bar games
does anyone fancy a game of Pool / Darts / Cards?
Internet access
do you have internet access / wireless internet here? whats the password for the internet?
The next day...
I feel fine
Smoking
do you smoke?
no, I don't smoke / I've given up
Around town
(source: https://www.speaklanguages.com/english/phrases/around-town)
Where can I get a taxi?
excuse me, where's * ? [* the tourist
information office / the bus station / the train
station / the police station / the harbour]
are you being served? I'm being served, thanks
who's next? I'll have the same, please / nothing
for me, thanks / I'll get these
which wine would you like? house wine is fine
which beer would you like, draught or bottled
beer?
keep the change!
cheers!
whose round is it? it's my round / it's your round
another beer / another two beers, please/
same again, please
are you still serving drinks? last orders!
- ready salted / cheese and onion / salt
and vinegar
- what sort of sandwiches do you have? /
do you have any hot food?
- today's specials are on the board
would you like anything to eat?
- could we see a menu, please?
I feel terrible / I've got a hangover / I'm never
going to drink again!
do you mind if I smoke? / would you like a
cigarette?
have you got a light?
Is there a ** near here? [**cashpoint or ATM /
bank / supermarket / hairdressers / chemists]
Do you know where there's an internet caf? /
the Italian embassy is?
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 Leisure and entertainment

(source: https://www.speaklanguages.com/english/phrases/leisure-and-entertainment)

where's the * ? [* cinema / theatre / art gallery shall we go *** ? [*** swimming / skating /
/ museum / concert hall / stadium] bowling]

do you want to go out tonight? shall we go for a walk / a bike ride?

let's go to the pub / the cinema / the theatre excuse me, could you take a photo for me / for
/ a concert / a nightclub us?

what's on, at the ** ? [** cinema / theatre]. Is I'd like to hire a bike / a canoe
there anything good on?
it's a beautiful view

Health

(source: https://www.speaklanguages.com/english/phrases/health)

Describing symptoms
what's the matter? I've got a pain in my * [* neck / feet / knees]
I'm not feeling well / I'm not feeling very well
I feel ill / I feel sick my back hurts
my ** are hurting [** feet / knees]
I've cut myself / I've got a headache / I've got a
splitting headache / I've got flu I'm not well / I'm going to be sick / I've been
sick

Other useful phrases

have you got any * ? [* Painkillers /
Paracetamol / Aspirin / Plasters]
how are you feeling? / are you feeling alright? /
are you feeling any better?
I hope you feel better soon / get well soon!
I think you should go and see a doctor
I need to see a doctor / do you know a good
doctor?
do you know where there's an all-night
chemists?

At the chemists

(source: https://www.speaklanguages.com/english/phrases/at-the-chemists)

I'd like some toothpaste / Paracetamol
I've got a prescription here, from the doctor
have you got anything for * ? [* cold sores / a
sore throat / a cough / travel sickness]
can you recommend anything for a cold?
you could try this cream; if it doesn't clear up
after a week, you should see your doctor
have you got anything to help me stop smoking?
have you tried nicotine patches?
can I buy this without a prescription?
it's only available on prescription

I'm suffering from ** [** fever / indigestion / does it have any side-effects?
diarrhoea] it can make you feel drowsy / you should avoid
alcohol
I've got a rash
I'd like to speak to the pharmacist, please

9
 Using the telephone

(source: https://www.speaklanguages.com/english/phrases/using-the-telephone)

Making and answering a call

hello!/ John speaking / it's Maria here
could I speak to Bill, please?
speaking! who's calling? / could I ask who's
calling?/ where are you calling from? / what
company are you calling from? how do you spell
that?
one moment, please / hold the line, please; I'll
put him on / I'll put her on
I'm sorry, he's / shes not in at the moment /
not available at the moment / on another call;
please call back later / would you like to leave
a message?
could you ask him to call me? / could you ask
her to call me?
can I take your number? / what's your number?
/ could I take your name and number, please?
I'll call back later / can I call you back?
thanks for calling

If you receive an unwanted phone call, you might find the following expressions useful: I'm sorry, I'm
not interested / sorry, I'm busy at the moment

Problems
the line's engaged sorry, you must have the wrong number
it's a bad line
I can't get through, at the moment can you hear me OK?
I can't hear you very well
I'm only getting an answering machine could you please repeat that?

I've been cut off

Directory enquiries
do you know the number for the National Could you tell me the dialing code for
Gallery? / could you tell me the number for Manchester?
the National Gallery?

Mobile phones
my battery's about to run out / I need to charge I can't get a signal / I've got a very weak signal
up my phone
I'll send you a text / I'll text you later
I'm about to run out of credit / sorry, I ran out could I borrow your phone, please?
of credit
I'd like a phonecard, please

Sample answerphone message

Thank you for calling.
There's no-one here to take your call, at the moment.
Please leave a message after the tone, and we'll get back to you as soon as possible.

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