15 English words and phrases that will make you mistaken for a native speaker

1. Firstly, secondly, thirdly …

Firstly Secondly Thirdly…

Sounds pretty formal to the English ear (the more spoken version is the usual first, second, third), but it will show that you know English well. But in the first, in the second, and so on, you cannot speak.

Firstly, I prefer airplane because it's fast. Secondly, they give you meals, and thirdly, I like a view from the window.

I prefer airplanes because, firstly, it is fast, secondly, because they feed there, and thirdly, I like looking out the window.

2. Very good

Wonderful

Just as in Russian speech, in English this phrase can have a completely opposite meaning to the literal one.

- I left your glasses at home. - I forgot your glasses at home.

- Very good. - Wonderful.

3. Get out

"Come on!", "Come on!", "Come on!"

In addition to direct meaning, it can express surprise or disbelief.

- I'm going to get married. - I am getting married.

- Get out! - You go!

4. Never ever

Never never

Serves to reinforce the meaning of the word "never".

I will never ever do it again.

I will never, never do that again.

5. It's not rocket science

"This is not higher mathematics", "this is not Newton's binomial"

If a person finds something incredibly difficult, and you disagree with him, then in English you can say (literally) that this is "not rocket science."

Managing people is hard but it's not rocket science.

Managing people is not easy, but it is not advanced mathematics.

6. Ain't no

The colloquial version of am / is / are not or have / has not. Used by young people and ordinary people, educated native speakers can winced. But they will.

I ain't got no cigarettes.

I have no cigarettes.

7. Going nuts (be nuts)

"Lost my mind", "the roof went off"

A colloquial expression that has nothing to do with nuts.

Tornado is about to come, everyone's going nuts.

A tornado is coming soon, and everyone is crazy.

John is nuts.

John's roof went off.

8. Let’s just say

"Let's just say …", "if in a nutshell, then …"

An expression is used when you do not want to explain something in detail.

Let’s just say I’m not a big fan of Elvis.

Let's just say I'm not a huge Elvis fan.

9. Let’s sleep on it

Let's postpone until the morning

Sometimes it takes time to make a decision. As the saying goes, the morning of the evening is wiser, that's why in the English-speaking world they say so - “you need to sleep”.

I can't make a decision right now, let me sleep on it.

I cannot make a decision right now, I need to think until tomorrow.

10. Not really

Not really

It is strange that such a common phrase is not taught in school.

- Are you ready to go? - Are you ready to go?

- Not really. - Not really.

11. Help yourself

"Help yourself", "use"

In addition to its direct meaning, it is often used as an offer or permission to act independently.

- May I use your phone? - Can I use your phone?

- Help yourself! - Use it!

12. Indeed

"Indeed", "not the right word", "undoubtedly"

This word serves to reinforce what is said or express agreement.

- He sounds reasonable. - He says reasonable things.

- He is indeed. - Not that word.

13. May I be excused?

May go out?

The crown jewel of this list is the million dollar phrase. Ask ten English teachers how to say "May I go out?" And at least nine will say something like "May I get out?", "May I go out?" Tested on colleagues.

The girl raised her hand and said, “Mrs Jones, may I be excused?”

The girl raised her hand and said, "Mrs. Jones, can I go out?"

14. I'm done

I'm done, I'm tired

The phrase is used very often in oral speech.

I'm done washing dishes, let’s go.

I finished washing the dishes, let's go.

15. So are you / so am I; me neither

"And you / me too"; "me neither"

If you want to say “me too”, “you too”, and do it very “in English”, and not me too, then just take the word so, then the auxiliary verb and the subject. If you want to agree with the negation, use neither instead of so. Yes, when negating in the first person ("I am not either"), you can use the phrase me neither, and regardless of the tense of the verb. Attention: if the interlocutor does not have very good English, he, most likely, will not understand you. In this case, a simple too will help (this is quite in English and no frills).

- I wanna go home. - I want to go home.

- So do I. - And me.

- Your girlfriend doesn’t like her new roommate. - Your girlfriend doesn't like her new neighbor.

- Me neither. - Like me.

Congratulations, now you will definitely be noticed in the crowd of compatriots who speak Ranglish. But of course, if you don't have a base, then these chips will sound strange.

This is just a small list and does not claim to be complete. On the contrary, it can and should be expanded, so I recommend making your own personal list of “very English” expressions.

What tricks do you know? Write in the comments.