8 Essential English Phrases for Conversation - Improve Conversation Skills

八个基本的交谈用的英语短语 — 提升交谈技能

Hi I'm Martin.

嗨，我是Martin。

Welcome to Oxford Online English.

欢迎来到Oxford Online English。

In this lesson, you can learn some essential phrases to help you understand native speakers

在本节课里，您可以学到一些基本的 短语来帮助您理解母语人士，

and sound more natural when you speak English.

以及在您讲英语时听起来更自然。

When you’re talking to a native English speaker, do you sometimes find they use phrases

在您和一位母语人士交谈时， 有时您发现他们使用您

and questions which you haven’t heard before?

之前没听到过的短语和问题吗？

If you’ve learned English in classrooms, there are probably many simple but important

如果您没有在教室听过，有可能有 很多您不熟悉的简单

phrases that you aren’t familiar with.

但重要的短语。

We’ll show you a few of these useful phrases to help you understand and speak to native

我们会告诉您这些有用的短语里 的一些，来帮助您理解

English speakers.

母语人士并和他们交谈。

Let’s start with a question.

我们从一个问题开始。

What have you been up to?

What have you been up to?

Have you heard this question before?

您之前有听过这个问题吗？

What does it mean?

那意思是什么？

How would you answer it?

您会怎样回答那个？

I ask students this question all the time, and they never know what it means.

我整天都在问学生这个问题， 他们从不知道那是什么意思。

So how should you answer it?

那么，您应当怎么回答？

What have you been up to? is like asking What have you been doing recently?

“What have you been up to?” 像是在问您最近在做什么？

It’s a common question after you say hello to someone, especially if you haven’t seen

在您和某人说“hello”之后，那是一个 常见的问题，特别是如果

that person in some time.

您有一段时间没看到那个人了。

For example:

例如：

Hey!

Hey!

Hi, Martin!

Hi, Martin!

Long time no see.

Long time no see.

How’s life?

How’s life?

Good!

Good!

What about you, what have you been up to?

What about you, what have you been up to?

Oh, not much, just busy with work and the usual things.

Oh, not much, just busy with work and the usual things.

Here are some other answers you could give.

这里是您可以给出的一些其他的回答。

Someone asks you What have you been up to? and you could say:

某人问您“What have you been up to?”， 您可以说：

I’ve just got back from my holiday.

I’ve just got back from my holiday.

I’ve been pretty lazy recently, to be honest.

I’ve been pretty lazy recently, to be honest.

I’ve been working so hard I haven’t had much time for anything.

I’ve been working so hard I haven’t had much time for anything.

What about you; what have you been up to?

What about you; what have you been up to?

Hey Martin, what common phrases do your students need?

Hey Martin, what common phrases do your students need?

Actually, I dunno.

Actually, I dunno.

I’d have to think about it.

I’d have to think about it.

Have you heard or seen the word dunno before?

您之前有听到过或看到过 单词“dunno”吗？

It’s a short form of don’t know.

那是“don’t know”的短形式。

I dunno means I don’t know.

“I dunno”意思是我不知道。

But actually, English has lots of these, like gonna for going to, wanna for want to, and

但是，实际上，英语有大量这样的， 像是“gonna for going to”、

so on.

“wanna for want to”，以及诸如此类的。

However, words like gonna are generally used in a sentence.

然而，像“gonna”这样的单词一般 来说用在句子里。

That makes it easier to work out the meaning.

那样理解意思更容易。

Dunno can be used as a one-word answer.

“Dunno”可以被用来当做 一个单词的回答。

In my experience, this can be confusing for many non-native speakers!

在我的经验里，这能让很多 非母语人士搞混！

For example:

例如：

Is he coming to the wedding?

Is he coming to the wedding?

Dunno.

Dunno.

What time is it?

What time is it?

Dunno.

Dunno.

What does hold on mean?

What does hold on mean?

Dunno.

Dunno.

Really?

Really?

Okay, well Martin can’t help me.

Okay, well Martin can’t help me.

What about you?

What about you?

What does hold on mean?

“hold on”意思是什么？

Have you heard this before?

您之前有听到过这个吗？

Actually, I do know!

实际上，我知道！

Hold on means wait.

“Hold on”意思是等等。

You might hear it on the phone.

您也许在电话里听到它。

You call a company to ask a question, and you might hear:

您打给一家公司，问一个问题， 您也许听到：

Can you hold on for a moment, please?

Can you hold on for a moment, please?

This is like saying can you wait for a moment?

这像是说“can you wait for a moment?”

It’s also common during conversation.

那在交谈里也是常见的。

If the person you’re talking to says something you don’t understand, or that you don’t

如果正在与您交谈的人说某些您 不知道的或您不同意的

agree with, you can say hold on to show this.

事情，您可以说“hold on”来表明这个。

For example:

例如：

So, you start by multiplying the matrices together to get your vectors…

So, you start by multiplying the matrices together to get your vectors…

Hold on, what does any of that mean?

Hold on, what does any of that mean?

Anyway, I told them that we’d be there on Saturday morning…

Anyway, I told them that we’d be there on Saturday morning…

Hold on, I thought we said we were going on Sunday!

Hold on, I thought we said we were going on Sunday!

You can see that you can use hold on to interrupt someone else if they say something you don’t

如果其他人说某些您不理解或 您不同意的某些事情，。

understand, or that you don’t agree with.

您可以看到您能使用“hold on”来打断他们

It’s a very useful and common phrase!

那是很有用并常见的短语。

All this teaching’s making me thirsty.

All this teaching’s making me thirsty.

Want a cup of tea?

Want a cup of tea?

Yeah, might as well.

Yeah, might as well.

If you ask someone a question, and they answer might as well, what are they saying to you?

如果您问某人一个问题，他们回答 “might as well”，他们和您说什么？

Might as well means there’s no reason to say no.

“Might as well”意思是 没理由说不要。

So, it’s like saying yes, or why not?

所以，那像是说“yes”或“why not?”

It can also be used to say yes to something when you don’t feel enthusiastic.

当您不热衷时，那也能用 来说“yes”对某些事情。

For example, imagine you miss a train.

例如，想像您错过了一班列车。

You have to wait five hours for the next one.

您不得不等下一班列车五个小时。

Your friend asks if you want to go to the cinema.

您的朋友问您是否 想去电影院。

You don’t like the film which your friend suggested, and you don’t want to watch it.

您不喜欢您朋友建议看的电影， 您不想看它。

But, you have five hours until your train, and there’s nothing else to do, so you say,

但是，到下一班列车，您有五个小时，没有 其他事情能做的，所以您说

yeah, might as well.

yeah, might as well.

Might as well isn’t always negative like this, though.

不过，“Might as well”不是总是 像这个一样是否定的。

It can be used to say yes to something you actually want to do.

它能用来对某些您实际上 想做的事情说“yes”。

For example, imagine you’re waiting for a bus.

例如，想像您在等一辆公车。

Your friend says, Why don’t we walk?

您的朋友说为什么我们不步行呢？

You think about it.

您考虑它。

It’s not far.

那不远。

You don’t know when the bus will come, and it’s a beautiful, sunny day.

您不知道什么时候公车会来，那是 一个阳光明媚的日子。

So, why not?

所以，为什么不要呢？

You say, Yeah, might as well!

您说”Yeah, might as well!“

I’m getting kind of tired.

I’m getting kind of tired.

We should take a five-minute break.

We should take a five-minute break.

What do you reckon?

What do you reckon?

We’re only halfway!

We’re only halfway!

We can take a break later.

We can take a break later.

What do you reckon? can have more than one meaning.

“What do you reckon?”可以 有超过一种以上的意思。

Like all of these phrases, it’s very common in spoken English!

像所有这些短语那样， 那在英语口语里很常见！

First, it can mean do you agree?

首先，它可以意思是“do you agree?”

For example:

例如：

Our plane’s at six.

Our plane’s at six.

We need to be at the airport at 4.30, so we should leave here at two.

We need to be at the airport at 4.30, so we should leave here at two.

What do you reckon?

What do you reckon?

Here, I make a suggestion—we need to leave at two—and I’m asking you if you agree

Here, I make a suggestion—we need to leave at two—and I’m asking you if you agree

with my suggestion or not.

with my suggestion or not.

You can also use what do you reckon to ask what’s your opinion?

您也能使用“what do you reckon”来询问 “what’s your opinion?”

For example:

例如：

Maybe I should quit and look for a new job, but I’m not sure.

Maybe I should quit and look for a new job, but I’m not sure.

What do you reckon?

What do you reckon?

Here, I’m asking what you think: should I quit and look for a new job, or should I

Here, I’m asking what you think: should I quit and look for a new job, or should I

stay where I am?

stay where I am?

I want to know what you think.

I want to know what you think.

What do you reckon is almost always used as a fixed phrase.

“What do you reckon”几乎总是 作为一个固定短语使用。

Generally, you don’t add anything after it.

一般来说，在它之后， 您不添加任何东西。

Can we have that break now?

Can we have that break now?

In a bit!

In a bit!

You’re at work.

You’re at work.

You ask your colleague to send you something.

您请您的同事发送某些东西给您。

She says, Yeah, I’ll get it to you in a bit.

她说“Yeah, I’ll get it to you in a bit.”

What does she mean?

她是什么意思？

In a bit means a short time later.

“In a bit”意思是一小会儿之后。

In our example, your colleague is saying she’ll send you what you need a short time later.

在我们的例子里，您的同事说她会一小会儿 之后发送给您您要的东西。

So, she’s saying that she’ll do it, but not right now.

所以，她说她会做， 但是，不是现在。

You might also hear in a little bit.

您也许也听到过“in a little bit”。

Where else could you use this phrase?

您还能在其他哪里使用这个短语？

Let’s see some more examples:

我们再看一个例子：

When will my computer be fixed?

When will my computer be fixed?

We’re working on it now.

We’re working on it now.

It should be done in a bit.

It should be done in a bit.

Can you come back in half an hour?

Can you come back in half an hour?

Want to go for dinner?

Want to go for dinner?

I’m not hungry right now, but we can go in a bit.

I’m not hungry right now, but we can go in a bit.

So, that’s fixed, we’ll meet at six?

So, that’s fixed, we’ll meet at six?

Yup, see you in a bit!

Yup, see you in a bit!

You can also use the phrase see you in a bit to say goodbye to someone if you know you’re

您也能使用短语“see you in a bit” 来和某人说再见，如果

going to see them in the near future.

您知道您很快就会去看他们。

Bad news, Martin.

Bad news, Martin.

Oh, what’s that?

Oh, what’s that?

I don’t think we’ll have time for that break.

I don’t think we’ll have time for that break.

How come?

How come?

Martin just asked me a question.

Martin刚问我一个问题。

Do you remember what he said?

您记得他说什么了吗？

He asked how come?

他问“how come?”

What is this, and how can you answer it?

这是什么？我要怎样回答它？

Asking how come is like asking why?

问“how come”像是问“why?”

The meaning is the same.

意思是一样的。

However, you can’t use it in every situation.

然而，您不能在每一种情形都用它。

You can use how come to ask why if someone tells you something surprising, disappointing

如果某人告诉您某些吃惊的、令人 失望的或令人生气的事情

or annoying.

您能使用“how come”来问“why”

Did you hear?

Did you hear?

They cancelled the wedding.

They cancelled the wedding.

No way!

No way!

How come?

How come?

He didn’t get me anything for my birthday.

He didn’t get me anything for my birthday.

Really?

Really?

How come?

How come?

I have to leave three hours early today.

I have to leave three hours early today.

That’s not easy.

That’s not easy.

How come?

How come?

Well, we have one more useful phrase to look at.

好，我们再看看一个 有用的短语。

You’ve finished most of the lesson.

您完成了课程的大部分。

How did you find it?

How did you find it?

This is another very common question which is often misunderstood!

这是另一个很常见的常 被误解的问题！

How did you find it means what did you think?

“How did you find it”意思是“what did you think?”

It’s like asking did you like it?

那像是问“did you like it?”

You can use this question to ask about many different things.

您可以使用这个去问 很多不同的事情。

For example:

例如：

How did you find the film?

How did you find the film?

I heard you’ve started aikido lessons.

I heard you’ve started aikido lessons.

How are you finding it?

How are you finding it?

How have you found the course so far?

How have you found the course so far?

You can see that you can use this question in different times and verb tenses.

您可以看到您能用不同的动词时态 和型态来使用这个问题。

So, how can you answer?

那么，您可以怎样回答呢？

How did you find the film?

How did you find the film?

It was kind of boring, actually.

It was kind of boring, actually.

I heard you’ve started aikido lessons.

I heard you’ve started aikido lessons.

How are you finding it?

How are you finding it?

Really interesting!

Really interesting!

I was never interested in martial arts, but it’s actually very fun.

I was never interested in martial arts, but it’s actually very fun.

How have you found the course so far?

How have you found the course so far?

It’s challenging, but very useful.

It’s challenging, but very useful.

So, how did you find this lesson?

那么，您觉得本节课怎样？

If you want more practice with these phrases make sure you check out the full version of

如果您要做这些短语的更多练习， 确定您在我们的网站上

this lesson on our website: Oxford Online English.com.

查看本节课的完整版本： Oxford Online English.com.

You can find a quiz to help you practice these phrases as well as many other free English

和其他的免费英语课程一样， 您可以看到一个随堂测验来

lessons.

帮助您练习这些短语。

Thanks for watching!

感谢观看！

See you next time!

下次见！