5 Things Native English Speakers NEVER Say (Say This Instead!)

Lesson summary

Start sounding like a native English speaker today. In this lesson you will learn 5 phrases that native speakers normally never use.

Video transcript

How do you call this in English?  No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. 

 

What’s up guys?  My name is Shane and today we are talking about 5 phrases that native speakers don’t use.  One of the best ways to learn English is to learn phrases that native speakers DO use. 

 

But if you’re learning phrases that native speakers don’t use, this will make your English sound a little bit funny.  But don’t worry because today we talk about 5 phrases native speakers don’t use and what to say instead.

 

Phrase #1

And the first phrase native speakers don’t use is: I am fine thank you and you? 

 

This is textbook English.  It’s correct. It’s grammatically correct. It makes sense, but when a native speaker hears this, it sounds a little bit funny, it sounds a little bit strange.

 

So if someone asks you, how are you, a very common response which native speakers use all the time is I’m good thanks, you?  I’m good thanks, you?  Now you try – I’m good thanks, you? 

 

This is a very common phrase and you can use it anywhere, anytime with anybody.  It can be used in a formal situation and in an informal situation.

 

So the next time someone asks you how are you, say I’m good thanks, you?  They will think you are a native speaker. 

 

Phrase #2

And the next phrase is a phrase that native speakers don’t use when talking to friends. 

 

It’s I would like to invite you to go to … this is grammatically correct. It makes sense but it’s very very very very very formal. It’s very rarely used in daily conversation. 

 

So if you want to invite your friends to do something, 2 very common ways to do that are: do you want to go to..? Or we should go to… 

 

So let’s pretend you want to invite your friends to the beach, you can say, do you want to go the beach or we should go the beach. 

 

And when native speakers say the first one, do you want to go the beach, really really really quickly, it sounds like this.  Do yuh wanna go to the beach?  Do yuh wanna go to the beach?  We don’t say want to.  we say wanna.  Now you try.  Do yuh wanna go to the beach? 

 

So the next time you want to invite your friend to do something, you can say do you wanna go to, or we should go to. 

 

Phrase #3

How do you call this in English?  No no no no. 

 

If you don’t know a word in English, the most common way to ask is: what do you call this in English. 

 

So let’s say you see this and you don’t know how to say it in English.  You can say what do you call this in English? 

 

And when a native speaker says this really quickly, it sounds like this: wodduyuh call this in English?  Wodduyuh. Wodduyuh call this in English?  We don’t say what do you.  We say wodduyuh.  Now you try: Wodduyuh call this in English? 

 

So the next time you don’t know how to say a word in English, you can say: Wodduyuh call this in English?  

 

Phrase #4

So how many years are you?  No, no, no, no, no. 

 

If you want to ask someone their age, the most common way is: how old are you? How old are you?  And when a native speaker says this really quickly, it sounds like this.  Howoldare you?  Howoldare you? The how and the old come to you.  It sounds like Howoldare you?  Now you try – Howoldare you? 

 

So the next time you want to ask someone’s age in English, you can say: Howoldare you? 

 

Phrase #5

Okay and that is the end of the video today, goodbye.  No I’m just kidding.  In English, we rarely use the word goodbye.  This is textbook English and it sounds very strange to a native speaker.

 

So what you can say instead, if you want to say bye to someone, you can say bye, bye bye or see you later.  Bye, bye bye, or see you later. 

 

And when we say see you later, really really quickly, it sounds like this.  Seeyuh layduh, Seeyuh layduh.  We don’t say see you, we say seeyuh,.  We don’t say later, we say layduh.  Seeyuh layduh.  Now you try – Seeyuh layduh. 

 

So the next time you want to say bye to your friends, you can try one of these three phrases. 

 

And that is it for today.  Thank you so much for watching.  Now you know 5 common phrases that native speakers don’t use and what you can say instead.  If you’re interested in learning about more phrases that native speakers use, check out this video right here. 

 

And if you haven’t subscribed to the channel, make sure you hit that subscribe button so you don’t miss any video that can help you understand English like a native speaker.  I post videos every week. If you liked the video, please hit like and please share this with your friends who are learning English. 

 

And for more English, follow my Instagram and my facebook and I will see you in the next video.  Seeyuh layduh.  What do you call this in English?  And … So the next time you don’t know how to say something …

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