Part 1: Social & Casual Planning
In these examples, the speaker is checking in or making plans.
-
1. “How was your weekend?” → “It was chill, yours?”
-
Context: Used on Monday mornings. “Chill” means relaxed or low-key.
-
Pro Tip: Native speakers almost always end with “Yours?” to keep the conversation moving.
-
-
2. “You down for pizza?” → “Always! Let’s do it.”
-
Context: “Are you down?” means “Are you interested?” or “Do you want to join?”
-
-
6. “What’s the move tonight?” → “Thinking about a movie.”
-
Context: “What’s the move?” is modern slang for “What is the plan?” or “What are we doing?”
-
-
10. “Where should we meet?” → “Let’s meet at the spot.”
-
Context: “The spot” refers to a place you and your friend visit often (like a specific cafe or park) without needing to name it.
-
Part 2: Navigating Delays & Logistics
These are essential for daily life, commuting, and coordination.
-
3. “What’s the hold up?” → “Just stuck in traffic.”
-
Context: A “hold up” is a delay. You can use this when a line is moving slowly or someone is late.
-
-
15. “What’s the ETA?” → “About 10 minutes.”
-
Context: ETA stands for Estimated Time of Arrival. It is very common in texting and professional settings.
-
-
16. “You need a lift?” → “No, I’ll just Uber.”
-
Context: “A lift” is a ride in someone’s car. Note that “Uber” has become a verb in English (e.g., “I’m Ubering there”).
-
Part 3: Idioms & Slang (The “Natural” Factor)
This is where the image covers “informal” English that you won’t always find in textbooks.
-
13. “Are you for real?” → “No cap, I’m serious.”
-
Context: “No cap” is Gen-Z slang meaning “I am not lying” or “Truthfully.”
-
-
17. “How do you like it?” → “It’s fire!”
-
Context: “Fire” is used to describe something excellent, especially food, music, or clothes.
-
-
18. “Can you keep a secret?” → “My lips are sealed.”
-
Context: An idiom meaning “I promise I will not tell anyone.”
-
-
8. “How’s the new job?” → “So far, so good.”
-
Context: A standard phrase used to say that everything has been satisfactory up until this moment.
-
Part 4: Functional Communication
These phrases help you navigate physical spaces and services.
| Question | Meaning/Usage |
| “You ready to order?” | Used by servers in restaurants. |
| “Can I get a refill?” | Asking for more of a drink (common in the US where coffee/soda refills are often free). |
| “Where’s the restroom?” | The polite way to ask for the toilet in a public place. |
| “Is it raining out?” | “Out” is short for “outside.” |
| “Can you hear me now?” | Standard phrase for checking a phone signal or a Zoom connection. |
Part 5: Opinions & Agreements
How to ask for and give thoughts on a situation.
-
11. “What’s your take on this?” → “Honestly, I love it.”
-
Context: “Your take” means “your opinion.” It’s a great phrase for meetings or discussing a movie.
-
-
7. “Is it a deal?” → “You got it!”
-
Context: “You got it” is a versatile phrase that means “I agree” or “I will do that for you immediately.”
-
-
19. “What are the odds?” → “Pretty low, honestly.”
-
Context: Asking about the probability of something happening.
-
-
22. “Can you do me a favor?” → “Depends, what is it?”
-
Context: This is a realistic, cautious response. It shows the speaker isn’t committing until they know the task!
-
Practice Exercise
To make this lesson stick, try to rewrite three of these using different synonyms. For example:
-
Change: “You down for pizza?”
-
To: “Are you in the mood for pizza?”