Happy English Podcast

Now, when you want to ask why in English, sure, you can just say “why.” But in everyday conversation, native speakers often use a more casual phrase: “How come?” “How come” means the same as “why,” but it sounds softer, friendlier, and very conversational. And, it’s easy to use. You can use it by itself!  Like, your friend says, “I’m skipping lunch today.” You can ask, “How come?” Or your coworker says, “I can’t make it to the meeting.” You can ask, “Oh really? How come?”You can also put how come in front of any sentence to make a casual question. Like, if your friend never comes to the karaoke party, you can ask, How come you don’t like karaoke? Or if a coworker comes to the office late, you can ask, How come you came late this morning. How come. It’s short, casual, and super natural. So next time, instead of just “why,” try saying “How come?”Join my Podcast Learner's Study Group here: https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/plsgVisit my website for over 3,000 free English lessons: https://www.myhappyenglish.com/My

We often use a negative question like “Isn’t this…?” or “Aren’t you…?” in conversation. Technically, these are not questions for asking something. They are a casual and friendly way to confirm something or make a suggestion.For example, if you and your friend are at the peir on a sunny day, you might say:   “Isn’t this a perfect day for fishing?”  You’re not really asking for information — you’re confirming what you already think. OR "Aren't these donuts delicious!”Or if you’re making a suggestion, you can use the same pattern. Like:  “It’s almost 5pm. Isn’t it better to take the subway?”  Here, you’re giving your suggestion in the form of a question. Here’s another one. “The exam is a week away. Shouldn’t you start studying?”So remember, negative questions like “Isn’t it…?” and “Aren’t you…?” are great for confirming ideas or suggesting something in a very natural, conversational way. “Isn’t that interesting!” So, aren’t you gonna try to use this kind of English in your conversations?Join my Podcast Learner'

Today’s phrasal verb is slack off.  When you slack off, it means you become lazy about your work, your studies, or your responsibilities. You don’t try as hard as you should.Like, my friend Eddie started going to the gym in in July, but by the middle of this month, he really started to slack off. And in the office, Jenny was slacking off all week, so now she has to stay late to finish her project.  And me? Honestly speaking, I’ve been slacking off on studying Japanese reading and writing. But now that I have Sayaka-sensei’s new book, Japanese Kanji from scratch, I’m a lot more motivated. By the way, notice the pronunciation: slack off…slack-koff (2x). We connect the K at the end of slack with off: slack-koff.So how about you? Do you ever slack off — maybe at work, school, or even with your hobbies? Leave a comment below, and remember to follow or subscribe so you don’t miss the next Happy English Podcast and next week’s Friday Phrasal Verb. Thanks for listening — and until next time, keep learning and keep it

Hey, let me ask you a question - You’ve studied English grammar, haven’t you?  And you’ve probably heard tag questions or negative questions before, right? Well, isn’t this going to be an interesting lesson for you!It's a nice day, isn't it? That's a Tag Question, and today, I’ll show you how these work - and how you can use them to sound more like a native speaker. Join my Podcast Learner's Study Group here: https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/plsgVisit my website for over 3,000 free English lessons: https://www.myhappyenglish.com/My AI English Tutor is HERE 

Unless you have something else to do right now, You should listen to this whole podcast episode. And as long as you’re listening, why not take notes...In case you want to use the phrases from this lesson in your daily English. These three little phrases - unless, as long as, and in case - all help us talk about situations that might happen. But they each have a different nuance, and getting them right can make your English sound much more natural. Let's dive in!Join my Podcast Learner's Study Group here: https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/plsgVisit my website for over 3,000 free English lessons: https://www.myhappyenglish.com/My AI English Tutor is HERE 

You know what? I’ve got a question for you. Or… should I say, I have a question for you? Hmm. Which one sounds better? Or… are they both OK?  For many English learners, “have got” can be a little confusing. I mean, we’ve got “I have a dog,” and “I’ve got a dog”… and both are correct? What’s going on here? Well today, we’re going to break it all down — grammar, style, and real-world usage — so you’ll know exactly how and when to use “have” and “have got.” Join my Podcast Learner's Study Group here: https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/plsgVisit my website for over 3,000 free English lessons: https://www.myhappyenglish.com/My AI English Tutor is HERE 

Hey there! It’s Michael here — and welcome back to another Happy English Sunday Speak. Every Sunday, I’ll be here with a quick one-point tip to help you speak English more naturally.One thing you need to know how to do in English is to communicate that you understood what someone said. Like if someone gives you directions on the street. You could say, Oh ok, I understand. And sure, that’s correct English — but it can sound a little formal or stiff in everyday conversation. In everyday, English conversation, we use the compact form of I understand, gotcha. Gotcha is the short and quick version of “I got what you said.” “I gah-twa-cha-said” “gotcha!Like, your friend says, “Let’s meet at 7 instead of 6.” You can just reply, “Gotcha.”Or your coworker says, “Don’t forget to send that email before lunch.” You can answer, “Gotcha.”Or if someone gives you directions — “Turn left at the bank and then right at the station.” — you can simply say, “turn left, and then right. Gotcha.”It’s short, it’s casual, and it sounds

Hey there! It’s Michael here — and welcome back to another Happy English Saturday Short, your quick tip for speaking English better. Today, let’s look at a commonly used conversational phrase is “by the way.”We use by the way when we want to add something to the conversation, kind of like when we need to change the topic, or bringing up an extra point. It’s casual, friendly, and super common in everyday English.Like of you’re at a party, catching up with a friend. You can say something like, “It’s great seeing you tonight. Oh, and by the way, how’s your brother doing?” OR if you’re talking to a coworker about something and you want to bring up another point. The conversation can go like this. “Yea, I finally finished that coding project this morning. Oh, by the way, did you get a chance to check your email?”Using by the way is like saying, “Oh, there’s one more thing…” but in a natural, conversational way.Oh, and by the way? What do you think of these Saturday short podcasts? Leave a comment belowJoin my Podc

Hey there! It’s Michael here — and welcome back to another Happy English, Friday Phrasal Verb. Every Friday, I’ll be here with a quick, one-point English lesson to help you learn one new phrasal verb and sound more natural when you speak.Last week we looked at toy with, which means to consider something not so seriously. Today’s phrasal verb is the opposite of that:  mull over. When you mull something over, it means you think about it carefully before making a decision. You’re not rushing. You’re taking your time to consider the options. Like, my buddy David got a job offer in another city. He said he needs to mull it over before he gives them his  answer. Last week, Emily was thinking about buying a new car, but she told me she wanted to mull it over for a few days first.  And me? I’ve been mulling over the idea of starting a new project for my students — but I want to be sure it’s the right time. By the way, notice the pronunciation: mull over...muh-lover. We link the L at the end of mull with over: muh-lov

Fall is right around the corner. Soon there will be a nip in the air as you look at the harvest moon, while sipping your pumpkin spice latte. When the season changes, so does the way we talk. So today, before Indian Summer comes, let’s dive into some seasonal vocabulary and phrases that’ll help you talk about fall just like a native speaker.Join my Podcast Learner's Study Group here: https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/plsgVisit my website for over 3,000 free English lessons: https://www.myhappyenglish.com/My AI English Tutor is englishpodcast, learnenglish, englishconversation, englishvocab, englishidioms, eslpodcast, speakenglish, englishteacher, ingilizce, ingilizcekonuş, ingilizcedersleri, английский, английскийязык, изучитьанглийский, englishlistening, englishgrammar, canadianenglish, americanenglish, adultlearners, languagelearning

Let me say right now, this ain’t gonna be your average English lesson. And even considering that I’ve been teaching English for over 30 years, I ain’t got no problem sharing this information with you. What I’m trying to say is, would you mind if I break some grammar rules today?In this lesson, I want to show you how native speakers break grammar rules — and why that’s actually a part of sounding more natural when you speak.Join my Podcast Learner's Study Group here: https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/plsgVisit my website for over 3,000 free English lessons: https://www.myhappyenglish.com/My AI English Tutor is HERE: 

I came up with this podcast yesterday. I even wrote some of it in the car. And even though I touched on this topic in a podcast like 10 years ago, this lesson is ever better. Have you ever heard someone say something like, “It’s even colder today than yesterday,” or “He even brought his cat to the party,” and thought… what’s going on with that little word even? It’s just four letters, but even does a lot of work in English. Native speakers use it all the time — in comparisons, for contrast, for emphasis — and in a few fixed phrases, too. So today, let’s break it down.Join my Podcast Learner's Study Group here: https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/plsgVisit my website for over 3,000 free English lessons: https://www.myhappyenglish.com/My AI English Tutor is HERE

Hey there! It’s Michael here — and welcome back to another Happy English Sunday Speak. Every Sunday, I’ll be here with a quick one-point tip to help you speak English more naturally. Now, sometimes in English we need to say “no,” but just saying no can sound too direct or even a little rude. So let’s look at some casual, yet polite, natural ways to say no.If someone invites you to do something and you don’t want to, you can say:“I’ll pass.” Like, Want to come out for karaoke tonight? → Thanks, I’ll pass.“Not really my thing.” Like, do you want to go bouldering? → Nah, That’s not really my thing.And one that I like to use all the time is “It’s not my cup of tea.” Like, Everyone’s watching that new horror movie, but scary films are not my cup of tea.So, I’ll pass,  It’s not really my thing, and It’s not my cult of tea. When you need to refuse or decline something, these all sound softer, more polite, and very natural. So how about you? What’s something that’s Not your cup of tea? Leave a comment belowJoin my Po

Hey there! It’s Michael here — and welcome back to another Happy English Saturday Short, your quick tip for speaking English better. Today’s point is one that even native speakers sometimes get mixed up:

Hey there! It’s Michael here — and welcome to the very first Happy English, Friday Phrasal Verb.Starting today, I’ll be here every Friday with a quick, one-point English lesson to help you learn one new phrasal verb and sound more natural when you speak. Today’s phrasal verb is toy with. When you toy with something, it means you’re considering it, but not very seriously. It’s like you’re playing with the idea — maybe yes, maybe no, but you’re not 100% committed. And we usually use the phrase “Toy with the idea of” followed by a gerund. Like, my friend Alex has been toying with the idea of moving to Chicago, but he hasn’t started packing boxes yet.And last week, Jessica said she was toying with the idea of starting her own bakery, but right now it’s just an idea.And me? I’ve been toying with the idea of getting a new guitar, although I should probably sell one of the old ones first.So how about you? Are you toying with any ideas these days? Leave a comment below, at myhappyenglishy.com, or come tell me on Inst

I saw one of my old students the other day. I was like, how’s it going, and he goes, I finally found a new job. And I go, that’s awesome. And he was like, I finally got a job using English. And I was like, that’s really fabulous!Have you ever gotten stuck trying to figure out when to use say and when to use tell? These words seem really similar, but they’re used in different ways. So today, let’s break it down, nice and easy, with some everyday examples. And then, I’m gonna show you two other, more natural ways to talk about what someone said, that are not found in most textbooks.Join my Podcast Learner's Study Group here: https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/plsgVisit my website for over 3,000 free English lessons: https://www.myhappyenglish.com/My AI English Tutor is HERE: 

Hey! I see you’re right on time for this lesson. Take your time, get comfortable. I’m not gonna kill too much time here because as you know, time flies!So today, I’m going to cover six of the most common time expressions: kill time, run out of time, take your time, right on time, about time, and time flies. Then, I’ll also tell you about some proverbs with “time” and the funny little paradox that goes along with them. You’re gonna want to listen all the way through to learn about that.Join my Podcast Learner's Study Group here: https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/plsgVisit my website for over 3,000 free English lessons: https://www.myhappyenglish.com/My AI English Tutor is HERE

Would you mind checking out this English lesson? Maybe you could try using some of the phrase here in your conversations this week? Do you think you could even tell a friend about this podcast? That would be great!In everyday conversation, we often like to soften our requests — we make them indirect. It feels more polite, more friendly, and honestly, it just sounds more natural.So today, I want to show you some of these indirect phrases that we use all the time. Join my Podcast Learner's Study Group here: https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/plsgVisit my website for over 3,000 free English lessons: https://www.myhappyenglish.com/My AI English Tutor is HERE

Hey there! It’s Michael here — and welcome to the very first Happy English Sunday Speak.Starting today, every Sunday I’ll be here with one quick phrase to make your English sound more natural. Today’s phrase is “You bet!”  “You bet” is a super casual, American-English phrase. You can use it in a few different ways:

Hey there, it’s Michael here from the Happy English Podcast — and welcome to another Saturday Short, your quick tip for speaking English naturally. Did you know that when you are interested in doing something you can say “I’m down for that.” And — you can also invite someone to do something with a slightly different phrase “Are you up for that?” Listen to this podcast to learn more!Join my Podcast Learner's Study Group here: https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/plsgVisit my website for over 3,000 free English lessons: https://www.myhappyenglish.com/My AI English Tutor is here.