Learning English words is important, and so is learning English phrases as entire sentences. Think about all the regular phrases you use in your daily life when you greet friends, order food at a restaurant, or ask for directions. You probably don’t think much about the individual words! Add these English phrases to your vocabulary to sound more fluent and communicate with confidence.
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The most useful phrases in English
A big part of learning how to speak English is memorizing common phrases. If you talk in English with anyone, these are the most useful phrases to know.
| English | Pronunciation |
| My name is… | mahy neym iz… |
| I’m from… | AHY-EM fruhm |
| Thank you. | thangk yoo |
| No, thank you. | noh thangk yoo |
| Please. | pleez |
| Yes, please. | yes pleez |
| You’re welcome. | yoor WEL-kuhm |
| I’m sorry. | AHY-EM SOR-ee |
| Excuse me. | ik-SKYOOZ mee |
| Can you help me? | kan yoo help mee |
| I don’t know. | ahy dohnt noh |
| I don’t understand. | ahy dohnt uhn-der-STAND |
| I speak a little English. | ahy speek uh LIT-l ING-glish |
| Do you speak [language]? | doo yoo speek… |
| No, but I speak [language]. | noh buht ahy speek… |
It’s OK to ask if someone speaks your native language if you need help communicating something. Even if they don’t speak it, they might know a similar language with similar vocabulary.
Greetings in English
Using a polite greeting is a great way to start a conversation! Greetings like hello and goodbye are some of the first English words you’ll learn, but it’s also useful to know words for different times of day.
- Good morning: used between when you wake up in the morning and noon (12:00 p.m.)
- Good afternoon: used between noon (12:00 p.m.) and about 6:00 p.m.
- Good evening: used between about 6:00 p.m. and midnight (12:00 a.m.)
- Good night: used to say goodbye before going to sleep or late at night
| English | Pronunciation |
| Hello. | he-LOH |
| Hi. | hahy |
| It’s good to see you. | its good too see yoo |
| How are you? | hou ahr yoo |
| What’s up? | wuhts uhp |
| Goodbye. | good-BAHY |
| Good morning. | good MAWR-ning |
| Good afternoon. | good af-ter-NOON |
| Good evening. | good EEV-ning |
| Good night. | good nahyt |
The phrase What’s up? is an example of American slang, so you should only use it in casual conversations. If you’re in a formal or work conversation, use How are you? instead.
Phrases for travel in English-speaking countries
If you travel to any English-speaking countries, you should know these phrases to enjoy your trip once you arrive.
| English | Pronunciation |
| Where is…? | hwair iz…? |
| Where is the currency exchange? | hwair iz thuh KUR-uhn-see iks-CHEYNJ |
| Where is the baggage claim? | hwair iz thuh BAG-ij kleym |
| My flight leaves at [time]. | mahy flahyt leevs at… |
| My flight number is… | mahy flahyt NUHM-ber is… |
| My flight is delayed. | mahy flahyt iz dih-LEYD |
| Does this train go to [location]? | dohz this treyn goh too…? |
| Is there a map nearby? | iz thair uh map NEER-BAHY |
Phrases to know when staying at a hotel
If you’re staying at a hotel on your trip, these phrases will also be useful. You can ask if the hotel has a translator or if they speak your native language, but this is a great place to practice your English.
| English | Pronunciation |
| I have a reservation for [name]. | ahy hav uh rez-er-VEY-shuhn fawr… |
| What time is check-in? | wuht tahym iz CHEK-in |
| What time is check-out? | wuht tahym iz CHEK-out |
| What’s the Wi-Fi password? | wuhts thuh WAHY-fahy PAS-wurd |
| What’s my room number? | wuhts mahy room NUHM-ber |
| What time is breakfast? | wuht tahym iz BREK-fuhst |
| I’d like to order room service. | ahyd lahyk too AWR-der room SUR-vis |
Phrases to ask for directions in English
Asking for directions (or giving directions) requires several phrases to get to the correct location. Try using these when you travel to an English-speaking country or if someone asks you for directions in English.
| English | Pronunciation |
| Excuse me, where is…? | ik-SKYOOZ mee hwair iz…? |
| How do I get to…? | hou doo ahy get to…? |
| Turn left on… | turn left on… |
| Turn right… | turn rahyt on… |
| Take a left. | teyk uh left |
| Take a right. | teyk uh rahyt |
| Go straight. | goh streyt |
| Cross the street. | kraws thuh street |
| I’m lost. | AHY-EM lawst |
| I’m on my way. | AHY-EM on mahy wey |
| I’m running late. | AHY-EM RUHN-ing leyt |
| I’ll be there in [number] minutes. | ahyl bee thair in…MIN-its |
| Where is the restroom? | hwair iz thuh REST-room |
| Where is the bus stop? | hwair iz thuh buhs stop |
| Where is the train station? | hwair iz thuh treyn STEY-shuhn |
When asking for directions, people will usually give you several directions at once. You can ask Would you repeat that? if you didn’t hear everything the first time.
- Excuse me, how do I get to Grand Central Station?
- Go straight down this road, take a right, and turn left on Park Avenue.
- Would you repeat that slowly, please?
Phrases to order food in English
Mmm, it’s time to eat! If you go to a restaurant, you’ll need these phrases to order your meal.
| English | Pronunciation |
| I’d like to make a reservation. | ahyd lahyk too meyk uh rez-er-VEY-shuhn |
| Do you have…? | doo yoo hav |
| What do you recommend? | wuht doo yoo rek-uh-MEND |
| What’s the soup of the day? | wuhts thuh soop uhv thuh dey |
| We need another minute. | wee need uh-NUHTH-er MIN-it |
| I’ll have [food]. | ahyl hav… |
| Can I substitute [food] for [food]? | kan ahy SUHB-sti-toot…fawr…? |
| Can I get this without [food]? | kan ahy get this with-OUT…? |
| Does this have [food] in it? | dohz this hav…in it? |
| I can’t eat [food]. | ahy kant eet… |
| I have a [food] allergy. | ahy hav uh…AL-er-jee |
| I’m a vegetarian. | AHY-EM uh vej-i-TAIR-ee-uhn |
| I’m a pescatarian. | AHY-EM uh pes-kuh-TAIR-ee-uhn |
| I’m a vegan. | AHY-EM uh vee-guhn |
| I keep kosher. | ahy keep KOH-sher |
| I keep halal. | ahy keep huh-LAHL |
| May I have the check, please? | mey ahy hav thuh chek pleez |
| We’re ready for the check. | weer RED-ee fawr thuh chek |
| Can I pay with cash? | kan ahy pey with kash |
| Can I pay with card? | kan ahy pey with kahrd |
If you can’t eat certain foods, it’s important to know how to ask if a meal has that food in it. Expand your knowledge of English nouns to be more specific about food.
- I keep halal. Does this dessert have gelatin in it?
- I have a gluten allergy. I can’t eat bread.
- I’m a vegetarian. Can I get mashed potatoes without bacon?
You should also understand phrases that cashiers, waiters, and waitresses will use (even if you don’t use them yourself).
| English | Pronunciation |
| Welcome! | WEL-kuhm |
| Do you have a reservation? | doo yoo hav uh rez-er-VEY-shuhn |
| The wait is about [number] minutes. | thuh weyt iz uh-BOUT…MIN-its |
| How many are in your party? | hou MEN-ee ahr in yoor PAHR-tee |
| Do you need a kids’ menu? | doo yoo need uh kidz MEN-yoo |
| What would you like to drink? | wuht wood yoo lahyk too dringk |
| Are you ready to order? | ahr yoo RED-ee too AWR-der |
| What sides would you like? | wuht sahyds wood yoo lahyk |
| How is everything? | hou iz EV-ree-thing |
| Can I get you anything else? | kan ahy get yoo EN-ee-thing els |
| Are you ready for the check? | ahr yoo RED-ee fawr thuh chek |
| Thanks for coming! | thangks fawr KUHM-ing |
Phrases to use in emergencies in English
Sometimes, bad things happen and you need help. Look up the emergency contact number to call the police, ambulance, or fire department for the country you’re in and ask for help. You might also use these phrases to ask for help from someone nearby.
| English | Pronunciation |
| Please help me. | pleez help mee |
| Call an ambulance. | kawl uhn AM-byuh-luhns |
| Call the police. | kawl thuh puh-LEES |
| Where is the hospital? | hwair iz thuh HOS-pi-tl |
| Where is the police station? | hwair iz thuh puh-LEES STEY-shuhn |
| Where is the [country] embassy? | hwair iz thuh…EM-buh-see |
| I need a doctor. | ahy need uh DOK-ter |
| I’m hurt. | AHY-EM hurt |
| I’m allergic to… | AHY-EM uh-LUR-jik too… |
| I have lost my… | ahy hav lawst mahy… |
You might need more than one of these phrases in an emergency. Make sure you’re prepared!
- Please help me! I’m allergic to bee stings. I need a doctor.
- I have lost my passport. Where is the Italian Embassy?
Common English phrases that are idioms
An idiom is a phrase where the meaning isn’t clear from the words in the phrase. For example, the idiom It’s raining cats and dogs doesn’t mean pets are falling out of the sky. It means it’s raining very hard. There are many English idioms and phrases that appear confusing, but here are ten of the most common and what they mean.
| English | Pronunciation | Meaning |
| Break a leg. | breyk uh leg | Good luck. |
| Hang in there. | hang in thair | Don’t give up. |
| It’s not rocket science. | its not ROK-it SAHY-uhns | It’s not difficult. |
| Time flies when you’re having fun. | tahym flahyz wen yoor having fuhn | When you’re enjoying yourself, you don’t notice the time passing. |
| You can say that again. | yoo can sey that uh-GEN | I agree with you. |
| Ignorance is bliss. | IG-ner-uhns iz blis | You might be happier if you don’t know. |
| It’s a piece of cake. | its uh pees uhv keyk | It’s easy. |
| The early bird gets the worm. | thuh UR-lee burd gets thuh wurm | Doing something early means you get better stuff. |
| We see eye to eye. | wee see ahy too ahy | We agree. |
| Speak of the devil. | speek uhv thuh DEV-uhl | The person you were just talking about is now here. |
Practice English phrases with Rosetta Stone
You might not use these English phrases every day, but many of them will be useful as you learn and practice English. Try using them at home: Say hello to family, ask for directions from the bedroom to the kitchen, or tell your friend to hang in there on a rough day.
The best way to learn English phrases is to practice using them! By using Rosetta Stone, you can strengthen your conversation skills with expert English language instruction. You’ll get feedback on your pronunciation, make connections with your Rosetta Stone core lessons, and feel more confident.
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