Hello and welcome back to my Slow English podcast. [music] I am visiting China right now. And if you didn't know, I have been learning Chinese for about 3 years now.
But honestly, nothing prepared me for the Chinese that I would actually need in China. The real life Chinese. The words that help you sound natural, blend in, and even get those little compliments from locals.
There's something really special about being in a country. and actually connecting with people in their own language. It feels so good to see someone be genuinely surprised or impressed when you can speak to them, even just a little.
And it's such a nice feeling when you can finally understand the little phrases and just the way people here really speak. All those tiny things help you sound more polite, natural, respectful, and confident. My sister Brianna is going to help me walk through each scenario.
Now, if you're ever lost and you need to ask for directions, you can say, "Excuse me, I am lost. Do you know where this is? " Whatever you need to find.
Excuse me. Do you know where the ATM is? Yes, there's one two blocks down on this road.
Great. Thanks a lot. That's a better way of asking for directions.
Most native English speakers would ask this way. They wouldn't say, "Where is the ATM? " They would say, "Do you know where the ATM is?
" A little longer, but a lot more natural. Sorry. Do you know where the closest Walmart is from here?
The nearest Walmart is on Fifth Avenue between Brick and Maine. Oh, I see. Is it this way or that way?
This way. Thanks a lot. I really appreciate it.
Hi. Sorry. Do you know where the crispy cream is?
Yes. Try the second floor to your right. Keep going until you see the food court.
The crispy cream is there. [laughter] [gasps] I love it. Oh, okay.
Okay. Thanks a lot. Is it up the escalator or down the escalator?
We're on the fifth floor, so you need to go down the escalator until you're on floor two. Oh, okay. Okay, that's super helpful.
Thanks a lot. No worries. What's the first thing you do when you land in a new country?
You probably go straight to the bathroom. Right. [snorts] At least that's what I do right away.
Asking for the bathroom. Excuse me. Where is the bathroom?
It's up the stairs to the left. Oh, okay. Okay.
Thank you. No problem. Something you will definitely end up doing is going to eat at a restaurant.
Going to a restaurant. Good morning, good afternoon, or good evening, depending on what time it is. Good morning.
Can I have a table for two, please? Yes. Write this way, please.
And maybe if it looks [snorts] full, there's no room. You can ask, "Is there a table for two? " Let me check.
Unfortunately, we don't have a table available. The wait time would be about 50 minutes. Should I put you down on the list?
Yes, please put me down. Perfect. I've added your name.
We'll call you now. When you are ready to order, you could say, "Excuse me. " "Hi, are you ready to order?
" "Yes. " "Can I have a number nine without salad? " "Sure thing.
Would you like to add anything to drink? " "Yes. " "Can I have a water, please?
" "Of course. " "Would you like ice? " "Yes, just a little bit, please.
" Sure thing. Anything else I can get you? Not at the moment.
Thanks. This sounds very natural. This is what you'll hear from a waitress or waiter taking your order.
In English, we use please and thank you a lot. I think a little more than other countries do. Right now, let's say you're ordering fast food.
That's a little bit different, right? You don't get served by someone. You have to go to the counter and order yourself.
Ordering fast food. Good afternoon. May I take your order?
Good afternoon. Can I get the double cheeseburger without pickles, please? You got it.
Would that be in a combo? Yes, please. All right.
Small, medium, or large? Large, please. And what drink would you like?
We're out of Coke. Do you have Fanta? Yep, we do.
I'll have a Fanta, please. Okay. To confirm your order, you want a number 12 without pickles, large fries, and a small Fanta.
That's right. Your order will be ready soon. Please wait on the side.
Thank you. Now, you'll eventually need to go to the store. And I don't know about you guys, but I feel like stores are where people make the most conversation with me.
It might go something like this. Hello. Good morning.
How are you? Hey, I'm great. How are you?
Not too bad. How can I help you today? I'm looking for the sunscreen section and also the chapstick.
That would be in aisle 9 next to the makeup. Great. Thanks.
Okay. If you need anything else, I'll be right here. Thanks a lot.
What phrase did you learn today? What English phrases would you like to learn? >> How would they know what English phrases they want to learn?
>> What are some other situations that you find yourself in where you could use some more English phrases? What do you think the most difficult situation to be in is? The other day when we were out and about, we wanted to buy fresh produce at a local market.
So, the woman was very busy. She did not have a lot of time to listen to us and be patient with us. She was very, very busy.
It was difficult because we didn't speak the language. So, it takes longer to get the food we want, the amount that we want, and to ask questions about the produce. So, I'd say that was the most difficult situation since she did not speak any English.
It was a very local business, and she was very busy. I think when you're asking for directions, it's the hardest situation to be in because you're lost, you're frustrated, and you just want to arrive where you need to arrive. We got lost on our first day in Shanghai.
We were asking everyone, but nobody spoke English and nobody knew what hotel we were talking about. So, it was super frustrating to have all of our luggage with us and not know where we were going. I think speaking English when going to the US is a big help.
I think many people in the USA don't encounter a lot of people that don't speak English. So, they're very bad at communicating when somebody doesn't know their language. This can make it very difficult when you're traveling if you don't know the correct words.
So they are bad at listening and they are also bad at speaking sometimes because they're very used to speaking to people who know their language. So they will still speak to you in the same way that they would speak with a local. They speak very fast.
They don't speak slow. So it's good to know what they might say and how to interpret it. So, it's good to know the different phrases they might use, not just the basic ones.
The basic ones are good to know, but almost nobody actually uses those. Tell us about a strange or not so common habit that people who speak your language have. Maybe they say please too much or [snorts] thank you a lot.
Maybe they never say thank you. Tell me in the comments below. Thank you for joining us.
I'll see you next time. Bye bye. Don't forget to like and subscribe.
Bye. And if learning through videos isn't really your thing, then you can always check out my podcast on Spotify, Apple Music, and all streaming platforms where you can just listen. It's perfect for when you're on the go, in an airplane, maybe on the road, and you feel like practicing your English.
Check it out. The link is in the description.
