Asking If A Visitor Needs To Go To The Toilet

There’s something that we all do, several times a day,

but

it still makes us uncomfortable

talking about it.

In a foreign language, it’s even more difficult, because

maybe you’re not sure if you’re using polite language.

and you don't want to be polgar

Imagine, a visitor has just arrived at your company after a long trip.

You say “Nice to meet you”,

did you have a good trip.

and then you want to ask if they need to,

ahem,

go to the toilet.

How can you do this delicately,

without creating an uncomfortable situation?

I’m Christina and you’re watching Speak Better, Feel Great TV.

The place to boost your English and boost your career.

In this video, you’re going to learn how to confidently manage

this sensitive,

yet essential situation.

Ya ready?

First of all,

in American English, we don’t really use the word “toilet”

to describe the room where you

…ahem….

We most often call it “the restroom”,

“the bathroom”,

“the facilities”,

“the ladies’ room”

or “the men’s room”.

The restroom,

the bathroom,

the facilities,

the ladies’ room, or the men’s room.

The word “toilet” is generally reserved for the

thing you sit on

in the restroom.

If you’re welcoming a visitor,

you can simply

point out

where the restrooms are located.

Here are 2 nice phrases:

Notice how we don’t say

First, it uses the word toilet.

Second,you’re directly asking if your visitor NEEDS to go there.

It’s a really intimate, personal question in fact!

Another little discreet technique?

Include the restroom when you’re telling your visitor where things are in your company.

You meet your visitor at reception.

You’re walking to your office.

And you give a mini guided visit:

“Over here it’s the marketing department,

the coffee machine is down there,

the restrooms are there, at the end of the corridor, and my office is just upstairs.”

At this point, your visitor, can take the opportunity to say

“Can I just

pop into the restroom real quick?”

or perhaps

“I’m just gonna run to the bathroom real quick.”

And yes,

even if there is no “bath” in your company’s “bathroom”,

we still call it “a bathroom”.

Remember, in American homes, the bath and the toilet are in the same room.

We’re certainly not going to call it the “toilet room”!

So,

it’s the “bathroom”.

Another technique?

Use a euphemism!

You know, an expression that means something that

everyone understands,

without literally saying what it is.

Instead of “Would you like to go to the toilet?”

you can use an euphemism like

“freshen up”

or “wash your hands”,

especially if your visitor has had a long trip.

And if YOU’RE the person visiting a company,

your host forgets to use any of these techniques

and you drank too much water before your visit,

you can simply ask:

or

It’s perfectly ok.

After all, we all have to go to the restroom

at some point !