Hey everyone, summer vacation has started so I am not sure how often I will be posting on this blog so here is a small lesson.
to dip
This is a verb that means to go down briefly. It can be used in many ways:
When he slow-danced with me, he dipped me & we kissed. It was romantic!
I dipped my toes into the pool to check the water's temperature.
Don't dip your chips into the dip twice! No double-dipping!
You can see in the last example that dip can also be a noun. The first meaning is a kind of sauce that you dip your chips or vegetables in to give it some extra flavor.
The second meaning is a short swim. This is a word we often use during the summer. So if someone asks you:
Wanna go for a dip?
They mean:
Do you want to go for a quick swim?
Have a great summer vacation!
Phil
Friday, August 16, 2013
Friday, August 9, 2013
Let's grab a bite!
Way back in 2010 I did a two part series on the word bite. During this summer vacation you can revisit that lesson here.
The most useful expression is:
to grab a bite
Bite means ひとくちin Japanese. Kids often say:
Wow, that looks good! Gimme a bite!
which in Japanese would be:
ううわー美味しそう！一口ちょうだい！
When someone uses grab a bite they are talking about having a quick light meal.
Wanna grab a bite together sometime?
This is a casual invitation to a date.
I'm hungry, let's grab a bite somewhere.
This means let's take a break and eat something.
Another interesting use of bite is an idiom you can use when you are full.
Man, I'm stuffed. I couldn't eat another bite.
or
I'm so full if I eat another bite I'll explode!
Have a nice weekend,
Phil
The most useful expression is:
to grab a bite
Bite means ひとくちin Japanese. Kids often say:
Wow, that looks good! Gimme a bite!
which in Japanese would be:
ううわー美味しそう！一口ちょうだい！
When someone uses grab a bite they are talking about having a quick light meal.
Wanna grab a bite together sometime?
This is a casual invitation to a date.
I'm hungry, let's grab a bite somewhere.
This means let's take a break and eat something.
Another interesting use of bite is an idiom you can use when you are full.
Man, I'm stuffed. I couldn't eat another bite.
or
I'm so full if I eat another bite I'll explode!
Have a nice weekend,
Phil
Sunday, August 4, 2013
What's he like?
Today I'm gonna look at three very similar questions that non-native English speakers can easily mix up.
What's he like?
This is asking about PERSONALITY. Let's look at some correct responses:
He's dependable (頼りに出来る). <----> He's undependable.
He's really funny & outgoing.
He's pragmatic (practical).
He is a bit scatterbrained (in Japanese おっちょこちょい).
What does he like?
This is asking about his PREFERENCES. It is often used by shop staff when someone is gift shopping.
He likes golf.
He loves playing tennis.
He enjoys reading.
He's always gardening.
What does he look like?
This is asking about his APPEARANCE.
He's tall and good looking.
He's short & stocky.
He has blue eyes and short blond hair.
He has dark brown hair & a small nose.
He's average height & wears glasses.
Notice that we use is + adjectives and has + nouns or noun phrases.
Have a great week!
Phil
What's he like?
This is asking about PERSONALITY. Let's look at some correct responses:
He's dependable (頼りに出来る). <----> He's undependable.
He's really funny & outgoing.
He's pragmatic (practical).
He is a bit scatterbrained (in Japanese おっちょこちょい).
What does he like?
This is asking about his PREFERENCES. It is often used by shop staff when someone is gift shopping.
He likes golf.
He loves playing tennis.
He enjoys reading.
He's always gardening.
What does he look like?
This is asking about his APPEARANCE.
He's tall and good looking.
He's short & stocky.
He has blue eyes and short blond hair.
He has dark brown hair & a small nose.
He's average height & wears glasses.
Notice that we use is + adjectives and has + nouns or noun phrases.
Have a great week!
Phil
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