There are certain words and phrases that English speakers use over and over. Ones we say on a daily basis. So let’s talk about these key phrases.

We’re going to pay close attention to how these words are pronounced, and when they come up during conversations. Don’t be afraid to pause this video and repeat after me as we’re breaking down how to say each word.

The first few phrases help you to be polite and friendly. “Please” may be one of the most important English words. Notice how the “s” is pronounced as a “z’”. Please. Please. The word "please" is used to ask for something in a polite and kind way. When you say "please," it shows that you're being considerate and respectful.  It’s used when you’re asking for something. For example, “can you hand me my phone please?” “Please let me know if you need any help.” If you’re unsure of when to add the word please to your sentences, it’s safe to add it to the end. “Can you give me a call please?” “Can I get a large coffee please?”

When you get something after asking, a common reply to show you’re grateful is “thank you.” Thank you is a polite and courteous way of showing your gratitude. You can use “thank you,” or word “thanks,” on their own or with other words. “Thank you.” “Thank you for letting me know.” “Thanks for your help.” “Thanks” and “thank you” are most often used at the beginning of a sentence.

If someone asks you if you want something, or if they offer you something you don’t want, a polite way to decline and let someone know you’re not interested to say is “no thank you,” or “no thanks.” “Would you like a donut?” “No thanks.” No thank you. No Thanks.

When someone says “thank you” or “thanks,” a polite thing to say back is “you’re welcome.” You’re welcome.

Another common polite phrase is “excuse me.” If you’re trying to get through a crowd of people you can say “excuse me.” To get someone’s attention you can use is as well. “Excuse me, what time is it?” You can also ask someone to repeat what they’ve said if you don’t understand with “excuse me?” You’ll often hear it pronounced as “excuse me.” “Excuse me, I can’t get through.” “Excuse me” is a common phrase to use when starting a conversation with a stranger in public. “Excuse me, you dropped this." “Excuse me, do you know where I can find the stairs?”

“I’m sorry” is another polite phrase you need to know. You would say “I’m sorry” if you regret something, or if you’ve made a mistake. People also say “sorry about that,” or just “sorry.” I’m sorry. Sorry about that. Sorry.

If someone say’s they’re “sorry” to you, and you want to let them know you’re alright, or to make them feel better about what happened, you can say  “It’s not a big deal,” “don’t worry about it,” “no problem,” or “It’s okay”. It’s not a big deal. Don’t worry about it. No problem. It’s okay.

“It’s okay” is a very common English phrase that you can also use when describing something that you’re not very impressed with. “It’s okay” means that something is good, but it could be better. “How’s the tea?” “It’s okay.” 

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There are a few common casual phrases when you see a friend or a colleague. You’ll often hear “how’s it going?” “How are you doing?” Or “How are you?” How’s it going? How are you doing? How are you? When someone asks you these questions they’re checking to see how you’re doing or how you’re feeling. “How’s it going?”  Notice how I’m saying the word going. Fluent speakers often say “goin’,” not “going.” How’s it going? How are you doing? How are ya?

Now, what do you say when someone asks you ”how’s it going?” Or “how are you?” Some very common responses if you are doing well are “Can’t complain.” Or, “doing well thanks.” If you’re not doing very well a common phrase is “I could be better.” Can’t complain. Doing well thanks. I could be better.

Another common casual question is “What’s going on?” What’s going on. Notice again how the word “going” is pronounced here. Going. Going. “What’s going on” is used in two cases. The first is a question someone may ask when first joining a group. It’s a way of showing concern or of asking about how events have happened. “I heard there was an accident, what’s going on?” Another way of posing this question is “what’s happening?” What’s happening?  The second case you’ll hear someone say “what’s going on?” Is as a casual way saying hello. A casual way of greeting someone. “Hey, what’s going on?” Another version of this is “what’s up?” They’re asking you what you’re doing.

So what you say if someone asks you “what’s going on?” Fluent English speakers will often reply “not much.” This is a standard answer. “Not much” is often followed by the word “just” along with a short statement about what you are doing at the moment. “What’s going on?” “Not much, just heading to work.” “What’s going on?” “Not much, just out shopping.”

There are a few rather common phrases if you have something interesting to say, like for example an interesting story. “You’re not going to believe this.” “Get a load of this.”  “Check this out.” You want to hear something funny? You’re not going to believe this. You want to hear something funny? Get a load of this. You want to hear something funny? Check this out.

If someone is talking to you about something they find interesting and you want to show that you’re listening, you can say a few things that will tell them you’re that you’re engaged, like “you’ve got to be kidding!” “Get out of here.” “Unbelievable.” “Really?” “Are you serious?” You’ve got to be kidding me. Get out of here. Unbelievable. Really? Are you serious?

There are a few more important English phrases that people use all the time when they don’t have an answer to a question. The first is very simple, “I don’t know.” You can also say “I’m not sure” or “I don’t understand.” I don’t know. I’m not sure. I don’t understand. “I don’t understand” is more commonly used if you don’t understand the words used in the question. If you’re not able to understand what the person is saying, you could say “I’m sorry, English is not my first language. I don’t understand what you’re saying.” I’m sorry, English is not my first language. I don’t understand what you’re saying.

If you’ve found this video helpful please hit the thumbs up, and subscribe to see our future English lessons. Let us know in the comments which common phrase you’re going to use next.  Until next time keep learning and we’ll talk soon.