40 More English Phrases for Daily Conversation (Part 2)

Welcome back — and well done for getting here. If Part 1 gave you the greetings, the small talk, and the phrases for meetings and meals out, this page picks up where that one stopped: at home, on the phone, and in all the little moments in between.

English phrases for daily conversation don’t have to come from a textbook. Most of them are things people say while the kettle boils or while a plan for Saturday slowly takes shape. Below you’ll find 40 more of them, in five fresh groups, each with a plain-English meaning and an example you can copy word for word.

If you missed the first set, start with Part 1 of our English phrases for daily conversation and come back here once those feel easy. Already know them? Good — your English is about to sound more like real life.

English Phrases for Daily Conversation: How Part 2 Works

The groups follow your day rather than a grammar book. Home first, then errands, phone calls, plans with friends, and finally the awkward moments — the small apologies and courtesies that keep life running smoothly.

Read one group, say the phrases out loud, then steal one of them for real life the same day. That’s the whole method. It worked for Part 1, and it works here too.

At Home

Home is where English gets relaxed. Nobody speaks in full, careful sentences to their own family — they call out from the kitchen, ask for the salt, argue gently about the TV. These eight phrases are the sound of ordinary home life.

1. “Make yourself at home.” — What you say to a guest so they stop hovering by the door and relax. Cambridge Dictionary explains it as telling a visitor to feel relaxed and do what they would at home. “Come in, come in — make yourself at home. Tea?”

2. “Help yourself.” — Take what you want; you don’t need to ask me first. It’s usually about food and drink. “The biscuits are on the table — help yourself.”

3. “Dinner’s ready!” — The call that brings everyone to the table. “Dinner’s ready! Wash your hands and come down.”

4. “I’ll do the washing-up.” — Offering to wash the dishes after a meal, so the cook doesn’t have to. “You cooked tonight, so I’ll do the washing-up.”

5. “Can you turn it down a bit?” — The polite way to ask for less volume — the TV, music, a loud video on someone’s phone. “Can you turn it down a bit? The baby’s asleep.”

6. “I’m just popping out.” — Leaving the house for a short while; you’ll be back soon. “Popping out” is one of those everyday phrasal verbs you’ll hear constantly. “I’m just popping out to the corner shop — back in ten minutes.”

7. “What’s on TV tonight?” — Asking what’s worth watching this evening, usually from the sofa. “What’s on TV tonight? Anything good?”

8. “Pass the salt, please.” — The classic table request; swap in any item you can’t reach. “Pass the salt, please — it’s just by your elbow.”

Shopping and Errands

Part 1 covered menus, prices, and paying by card. This group is the rest of the high street: the sale rail, the returns desk, the small shop where you need one tiny thing.

1. “Is this on sale?” — Asking whether the price of something has been reduced. “Excuse me, is this on sale, or is that the full price?”

2. “I’ll take it.” — You’ve decided, and you’re buying it. Short, clear, done. “It fits perfectly — I’ll take it.”

3. “Where’s the checkout?” — Asking where to pay, usually in a bigger shop where it isn’t obvious. “Sorry, where’s the checkout in this store?”

4. “Can I get a refund?” — Asking for your money back on something faulty, broken, or simply wrong. “The zip is broken — can I get a refund?”

5. “Do you sell batteries?” — The classic errand question; swap in stamps, envelopes, or any other small thing. “Hi, do you sell batteries for this remote?”

6. “I’m looking for a gift for my dad.” — Tells the shop assistant exactly what you need, so they can actually help. “I’m looking for a gift for my dad — something for the garden, maybe.”

7. “Could I have a bag, please?” — For the moment at the till when your arms are already full. “Could I have a bag, please? I forgot mine today.”

8. “Do you deliver?” — Asking whether a shop will bring a purchase to your home. “It’s quite a big sofa — do you deliver?”

On the Phone

Phone English is a skill. There are no faces to read and no gestures to copy — just voices, pauses, and the occasional terrible signal. Part 1 covered work calls; these eight are the everyday ones.

1. “Can you hear me okay?” — Checking the other person can hear you before you say anything important. “I’m outside and it’s windy — can you hear me okay?”

2. “Hold on a second.” — Asking someone to wait a moment while you find something or think. “Hold on a second — let me grab a pen.”

3. “I think we got cut off.” — Explaining why you’re calling back after the line suddenly died. “Hi, it’s me again — I think we got cut off.”

4. “Who’s calling, please?” — The polite way to ask an unknown caller for their name. “Sorry, who’s calling, please?”

5. “He’s not in at the moment.” — Saying the person they’ve asked for isn’t home, or isn’t at their desk. “He’s not in at the moment — he should be back by six.”

6. “Can I take a message?” — Offering to pass a message on to someone who can’t come to the phone. “She’s in a meeting — can I take a message?”

7. “Let me put you on speaker.” — Switching to speakerphone, so your hands are free or other people can join in. “Let me put you on speaker so Mum can hear too.”

8. “My battery’s about to die.” — Warning the other person that your phone may switch off in the middle of the call. “Quick — my battery’s about to die. I’ll ring you from home.”

Making Plans with Friends

Half of friendship is logistics: who’s free, where you’re meeting, and what happens when it all changes. These phrases make the arranging easy — and make changing plans kindly instead of awkwardly.

1. “Are you free on Saturday?” — The opener for almost every plan. “Are you free on Saturday? A few of us are driving to the lake.”

2. “Count me in.” — A happy, quick yes to a plan you like the sound of. “Football on Sunday morning? Count me in.”

3. “I’m up for it.” — Saying you’re willing and keen, even if the idea sounds a little mad. “A walk up the hill in this weather? Fine — I’m up for it.”

4. “Let’s play it by ear.” — Deciding what to do later, depending on how things go, instead of planning every detail now. Cambridge Dictionary describes it as deciding how to deal with a situation as it develops. “No fixed plan for tonight — let’s play it by ear.”

5. “Something’s come up.” — The gentle start to cancelling; something urgent has happened and you can’t make it. “I’m so sorry — something’s come up at work, and I can’t make tonight.”

6. “Where shall we meet?” — Asking for the meeting place once the plan itself is agreed. “Where shall we meet — outside the station?”

7. “I’ll let you know.” — Promising an answer later, once you’ve checked and you’re sure. “I’ll look at my calendar tonight and let you know.”

8. “See you there!” — The cheerful closing line once a plan is finally fixed. “Seven o’clock at Rosa’s, then — see you there!”

Being Polite in Tricky Moments

Everyone bumps into a stranger, talks over someone, or has to say no to a friend. In English, these small awkward moments run on set phrases — learn them, and you’ll never freeze at exactly the wrong second.

1. “Sorry to bother you.” — The soft opener before asking a stranger, or a busy person, for a little of their time. “Sorry to bother you — is this seat free?”

2. “Would you mind if I opened the window?” — Asking permission very politely, on buses, in trains, and in shared rooms. “It’s warm in here — would you mind if I opened the window?”

3. “After you.” — Letting someone go first through a door, into a lift, or up to a counter. “After you,” he said, holding the door open.

4. “That was my fault.” — Owning a mistake plainly, without excuses or blame. “That was my fault — I wrote down the wrong date.”

5. “I didn’t mean to interrupt.” — The quick repair line for when you accidentally talk over somebody. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt — go on.”

6. “Take your time.” — Telling someone there is no hurry at all, and meaning it. “Take your time — our train isn’t for another twenty minutes.”

7. “I’m afraid I can’t.” — A gentle refusal. Here “I’m afraid” doesn’t mean fear — it just softens the no. “I’d love to help on Saturday, but I’m afraid I can’t.”

8. “I completely understand.” — Shows you accept someone’s reason or decision without any hard feelings. “You need the weekend to rest — I completely understand.”

How to Practise These Phrases

Don’t learn these the way you crammed for school exams. Learn them the way you actually live your week, one situation at a time.

Pick a single group and hunt for chances to use it. Phone week is the easiest win, because every call becomes practice. Shadowing works too: play a short scene from a series, pause after each line, and copy it out loud with the same rhythm. Two lines a day really is enough.

Reading helps the phrases settle, as well. Our English conversation practice dialogues let you read both sides of everyday chats, and the second set of conversation dialogues covers fresh situations. Prefer full sentences over short phrases? The daily use English sentences collection has a hundred of them, ready to borrow.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to learn Part 1 before this list?

No — each group here stands on its own, so start with whichever matches your life. That said, Part 1’s greetings and small talk are the phrases you’ll probably use most, so it’s worth a visit when you have a spare ten minutes.

Which phrases from this list are the most useful?

If you only take ten, take the phone and plans ones: “Hold on a second,” “I’ll let you know,” “Are you free on Saturday?” and “Take your time” will come up most weeks of your life. The polite ones earn their place a little less often, but exactly when you need them most.

Are these phrases British or American?

Nearly all of them work happily in both. A couple lean British: Americans usually say “do the dishes” instead of “do the washing-up,” and “popping out” is heard more in London than in Los Angeles. Nobody will misunderstand you either way.

How can I remember phrases without a teacher?

Use one the same day you learn it — a phrase you’ve said out loud to a real person sticks in a way a read one never does. Sticky notes help too: put the home phrases on the fridge and the phone phrases by your desk.

Can I use these phrases at work?

Many of them, yes. The whole phone group, “I’ll let you know,” “Take your time,” and “I completely understand” are all perfectly professional. Save “Count me in” and “I’m up for it” for friendly offices and colleagues you know well.

What if people speak too fast for me?

Slow the moment down. A smile and “Hold on a second” buys you thinking time, and asking someone to repeat themselves is something native speakers do to each other all day. Speed feels frightening at first, then one day it just sounds normal.