A, B, C D, E, F G, H, I J, K, L, MN, O, P, Q, R S, T, U, V W, X, Y, Z
Conversational phrases beginning with A, B, C, here:
a bit much INFORMAL
You can say this if you think something's not fair or not reasonable.
a bit of a INFORMAL
You can add this to a description to make what you say sound more informal or colloquial.
about time (1) INFORMAL
You can say this if something's happened later, or taken longer, than it should have.
about time (2) INFORMAL
You can say this if you think it's time to do something.
after you FORMAL
A polite thing to say when you're letting somebody do something before you do, such as walk through a door or take salad from a bowl.
all in good time
You can say this if someone wants to do something before the normal or proper time.
all right (1)
You can say this instead of "yes" if you're accepting a suggestion or granting permission.
all right (2)
You can say this to make sure you've been understood, or to let someone know you've understood them.
all right (3)
You can say this if you're trying to comfort someone.
all right (4)
You can say this to get everyone's attention.
all right by me
You can say this if you agree with a suggestion or a request, but you know that others might not agree.
all the best
You can say this to wish someone good luck when you're saying good-bye.
all well and good
You can say this about something that's good, but not exactly what's need or not all that's needed.
allow me FORMAL
This is a polite thing to say when you're offering to help someone.
any luck? INFORMAL
You can ask this if you want to know if someone's been able to do or find something.
as a matter of fact
You can say this when you're adding information, or when you're correcting wrong information.
as far as I can tell
You can say this when telling someone what you think or believe is true, based on what you've deduced so far.
as far as I know
You can say this when telling someone what you know so far, when there could be other facts you don't know.
as far as I'm concerned
You can say this when giving your personal opinion or views about something.
as it happens
You can say this if something's true by chance, esp. if it's surprising.
as it is
You can say this instead of "already" when describing the way things are.
at it INFORMAL
You can say someone's "at it" if they're doing something you don't approve of, esp. if they often do it.
at least | at any rate (1)
You can say this when clarifying or changing what you've just said.
at least | at any rate (2)
You can use this when mentioning something positive in a generally negative situation or context.
at the end of the day British and Australian English INFORMAL
You can say this when stating the most important fact, or the most fundamental truth, of a situation.
at the same time
You can use this to introduce another fact or view that should be considered alongside those already mentioned.
back in the day | back in the old days
You can say this if you're talking about a time long ago, or a time much earlier in your life.
bad luck
You can say this to show you're sorry or sympathetic if something bad happens to someone.
bad luck! INFORMAL
You can say this if you have no sympathy for someone, esp. if they've caused their own problem.
be (only too) pleased to | be happy to FORMAL
You can say this if someone asks you to do something, and you're willing or happy to do it.
be my guest FORMAL
You can say this instead of "yes" if someone asks you for permission to do something.
be right with you | be right there INFORMAL
You can use this to tell someone you'll be with them very soon.
be seeing you INFORMAL
You can use this to say goodbye to someone if you're not sure when you'll be seeing them again.
be sure to
You can say this when you're reminding someone to do something.
be that as it may FORMAL
You can say this if what someone has just told you doesn't change your opinion or your plans.
beats me INFORMAL
You can say this if you don't know or understand something.
been had INFORMAL
to have been cheated, conned or overcharged
been there, done that INFORMAL
You can say this if you've done something before and you're not interested in doing it again.
believe (you) me
You can use this to emphasize the truth or importance of what you're saying.
believe it or not
You can say this when sharing some unexpected news or surprising information.
better late than never
You can say this when you're glad something's happened, but you wish it'd happened sooner.
better luck next time
You can say this to give encouragement or support to someone who's just failed to achieve something.
between you and me British and Australian English
You can say this to someone when you're about to tell them a secret.
big deal! INFORMAL
You can say this to show that you think something isn't important or impressive.
bless you
You can say this to someone after they've sneezed.
by all means FORMAL
You can say this to politely give someone permission to do something.
by any chance FORMAL
You can add this to a "yes/no" question to make it sound more polite, esp. when asking if somebody has something, likes something, knows something or someone, etc.
by the way
You can say this if you want to mention, or ask about, an unrelated topic, or if you want to change the topic.
can I help you? FORMAL
If you work in a shop or a business, you can say this to a customer if you think they might need your help.
can't be bothered British and Australian English INFORMAL
You can say this if you don't want to do something because you're feeling tired or lazy.
can't wait | can hardly wait
You can say this if you're looking forward to something very much.
chances are
You can use this instead of "probably" when saying what's likely to happen.
check this out | check it out INFORMAL
You can say this if you're showing something to someone.
come again? INFORMAL
You can say this if you don't understand a word or phrase that someone's used.
come off it! INFORMAL
You can say this if you strongly disagree with someone, or strongly object to what they're doing.
come on
You can say this if you're comforting someone who's sad or afraid.
come on! (1)
You can use this to tell someone to hurry up.
come on! (2)
You can say this to get someone to put more effort into something, or to start doing something that requires effort.
come to think of it
You can say this if you're suddenly reminded of something.
correct me if I'm wrong
You can say this if there's a small chance you could be wrong, or if you're politely correcting someone.
could always
You can say this when making a suggestion or giving advice.
could do with INFORMAL
You can use this when saying what you, or someone else, needs.
could have easily
You can use this when saying that something was very possible, but it didn't happen.
could have sworn
You can say this when you're very sure about something, esp. when it seems you could be wrong.
couldn't help it
You can use this to say you, or someone else, can't be blamed for something going wrong.
cross my heart (and hope to die) INFORMAL
You can use this to emphasize that you'll do what you promise to do, or that you're telling the truth.
cut it out! | cut that out! INFORMAL
You can use this to tell someone to stop doing something that's annoying or upsetting you.
A, B, C D, E, F G, H, I J, K, L, MN, O, P, Q, R S, T, U, V W, X, Y, Z
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