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Janus Words-One Word, Two Opposite Meanings

2023-01-31T15:51:22+01:00

There are all sorts of grammar, idioms, and phrasal verbs to learn that are specific to English. This week we'll be focusing on a particularly (especially) interesting point in English called "Janus words," or words that are their own opposite. Janus words are named for Janus, the Roman two-faced god (January is also named for Janus), but are also known as contronyms, antagonyms, or auto-antonyms. Unfortunately there is no trick to help learn these Janus words, so you'll just have to learn them by heart (memorize) or figure them out in context. Here are some Janus words with both meanings and [...]

Janus Words-One Word, Two Opposite Meanings2023-01-31T15:51:22+01:00

10 Words That Don’t Mean What You Think They Mean

2023-01-31T15:50:12+01:00

Believe it or not, even native speakers make mistakes when it comes to English, like with these commonly mispronounced words, for example. We're only human, after all! There are some common words in English that are used improperly or are words that don't mean what you think they mean. Here are some of the best examples (and pronunciations!) of words that don't mean what we think they mean: Decimate What people think it means: to completely destroy something What it actually means: to reduce something by a tenth If you look at the word decimate, you can see deci, or [...]

10 Words That Don’t Mean What You Think They Mean2023-01-31T15:50:12+01:00

Make, Accept and Reject Offers in English

2023-01-31T15:45:36+01:00

Did you get the perfect job offer? Or do you not feel like going out with your friends tonight? Would you like to make plans for the weekend? We accept and reject offers all the time in day-to-day life, so it's important to know how to do it properly. This week we're looking at how to accept and reject offers so that you can say in English exactly what you mean, and be confident that you will be understood. Making Offers Are you trying to make plans with someone or want to help them in some way? Then you're looking [...]

Make, Accept and Reject Offers in English2023-01-31T15:45:36+01:00

5 Untranslatable German Words

2023-02-28T17:47:27+01:00

German is known for being a language with extremely long, but descriptive, words (Donau-Dampfschifffahrtsgesellschaftskapitän, anyone?). It’s true they may be hard to learn, but once you understand how all the words were combined (put together) to form one concept, it makes you wonder what the English word is. In some cases, there is no English version of these untranslatable German words. One of my favorite aspects (parts) of any language are the bits that are difficult, or impossible, to translate. I believe that these words are what truly give a language their flavor (color, character) and make them unique (special, [...]

5 Untranslatable German Words2023-02-28T17:47:27+01:00

Give Directions in English – Easy English Blog

2023-01-31T15:16:26+01:00

Are you in a new city and a little lost (don’t know where you are)? Why not use English to get around (move in the city, find your way)? You can ask or give directions in English! English can be very useful in a foreign (new, unfamiliar) city. If you don't speak the local language, use English. It is the lingua franca, after all. Chances are high (you have a good possibility/chance) you can find someone who speaks English to help you. Here are some of the best ways to ask for or give directions in English. How do you [...]

Give Directions in English – Easy English Blog2023-01-31T15:16:26+01:00

Making an Appointment in English

2023-01-31T15:13:50+01:00

Making an appointment in English can feel stressful if you’re not a native speaker, especially over the phone, or if you aren’t used to the lingo (jargon, slang, vocabulary) people use. Confirming an appointment can also be tricky if you aren’t familiar with the common phrases people say. We’ve tried to brainstorm as many phrases as humanly possible (as many as a person can do!), and asked all our appointment-making friends what they say to bring you a pretty good list of possibilities. This week we’ll explain some handy phrases to use when making an appointment in English besides the tried and true (traditional), “Do you have any [...]

Making an Appointment in English2023-01-31T15:13:50+01:00

Degrees of Politeness in English

2023-01-29T19:10:41+01:00

One of the first things children are taught is how to be polite. It's a very important thing to know, especially the different degrees of politeness! In fact, when I was younger, I went to what is called a "cotillion school," which is essentially a Southern school for manners and etiquette. There I learned how to sit properly (correctly) at the dinner table, which fork to start with when eating, how to introduce people to each other to invite (promote, encourage, help start) conversation, and how to dance the waltz. Though often associated with attending fancy dinners, Cotillion classes taught [...]

Degrees of Politeness in English2023-01-29T19:10:41+01:00

Hard and Soft C and G Sound in English

2023-01-29T18:58:02+01:00

The hard and soft C and G sound in English can be tricky for non-native speakers, since they both have two types of pronunciations, and both come from the same position in the mouth. Languages like German, for example, where there is only a hard G sound, can mean making the soft sound particularly difficult. For example, I know my friend Tilghman has had his name pronounced like "Tilkman" by many German speakers because of the G in the middle. If you have difficulty pronouncing these two sounds, or even just figuring out when the sound should be hard or [...]

Hard and Soft C and G Sound in English2023-01-29T18:58:02+01:00

Hotel English Phrases-Easy English

2023-01-29T18:56:50+01:00

When travelling for business or vacation, you will probably be staying at a hotel, an Air BnB accommodation, or a cozy (comfortable) hostel. No matter where you are staying, you will need to have some hotel English phrases on hand (quickly to use) so that you can communicate with the desk staff. We’ve collected some great phrases for you to use during your next stay! I would like to check in/check out. (ˈaɪ wəd ˈlaɪk ˈtuː ˈtʃɛk ˈɪn / ˈtʃɛk ˈaʊt.) When you arrive at a hotel, after you’ve greeted (said hello to) the desk staff, you will want to [...]

Hotel English Phrases-Easy English2023-01-29T18:56:50+01:00

Speak Now or Forever Hold Your Peace

2023-01-29T18:49:56+01:00

David Rakoff describes how to give a wedding toast to a couple you wish had never met in the first place. Listen to David reading his poem "Speak Now or Forever Hold Your Peace" on the This American Life podcast. Speak Now or Forever Hold Your Peace By David Rakoff Nathan at one of the outlying tables, his feet tangled up in the disc jockey's cables, surveyed the room as unseen as a ghost, while he mulled over what he might say for his toast. That the couple had asked him for this benediction seemed at odds with them parking [...]

Speak Now or Forever Hold Your Peace2023-01-29T18:49:56+01:00

Foreign Loanwords-German, French, Latin, Yiddish, Spanish, & Scandinavian

2023-01-29T18:36:03+01:00

What exactly is a loanword? We've written a lot about foreign loanwords, but do you know what they really are? As always, Bespeaking is here to break it down for you! Read on to find out exactly what foreign loanwords in English are, and how you can use them in your everyday life. What is a loanword? According to the Cambridge Dictionary, a loanword is "a word taken from one language and used in another." This word is not translated, and so takes on a very similar meaning to its meaning in the original language. For example, some loanwords in [...]

Foreign Loanwords-German, French, Latin, Yiddish, Spanish, & Scandinavian2023-01-29T18:36:03+01:00

English Oxymorons: 5 Common Contradictions

2023-01-29T18:33:28+01:00

What do the phrases "legal murder," "jumbo shrimp," and "same difference" have in common? They're all examples of the rhetorical device known oxymorons, and we are going to explain five of the most common English oxymorons. An oxymoron is made up of two or more words that either are, or seem to be, opposite from one another. The word oxymoron is, itself, an oxymoron, as well! It comes from the Greek word oxy, which means sharp, and the word moron, which means dull. So if you hear the term oxymoron, we're not insulting you! We might just be talking about [...]

English Oxymorons: 5 Common Contradictions2023-01-29T18:33:28+01:00
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