Do you know how to respond when someone shares their experiences with you?
The way you respond or react to a story a person shares with you matters.
The vocabulary you use will be different depending if you have experienced the same thing or not.
In today’s episode, Lindsay and Aubrey share with you English phrases that show empathy and will build the strongest connections.
Coffee or Tea?
Aubrey asks Lindsay if she prefers coffee or tea.
Lindsay loves coffee.
She says it is the best drink for her.
There is nothing better than smelling fresh coffee in the morning.
Aubrey is team coffee as well. In the evening, she would drink chamomile tea but in the morning she definitely needs coffee.
Lindsay also drinks tea, but she is absolutely a coffee person.
Lindsay continues to share that when she was in Taos, New Mexico, they went to a coffee shop and ordered dark roast coffee.
Then the person at the bar said that they try not to brew dark roast coffee and offered either a medium to light roast coffee instead.
Aubrey found it amusing that it seemed like the person taking her order was judging her preference for coffee.
Lindsay laughed and agreed because she is aware that in the hip coffee world standards, dark roast is considered burnt coffee beans.
Today’s episode was inspired by a previous episode done by Lindsay and Aubrey.
It was episode AEE 1793: Wikipedia English and Why You Shouldn’t Trust The Dictionary.
In that episode, they mentioned the expression “there’s nothing worse than…” and promised they’ll do an episode on how to use it.
This is such a great native phrase to use to exaggerate and here they are fulfilling that promise.
Nothing Better Than English Expressions
Lindsay and Aubrey point out that native English speakers often are dramatic when sharing stories.
The phrase “there’s nothing worse than…” is often used with an intonation that is exaggerated as well.
Adding this to your vocabulary will definitely make you sound more native and natural.
There are a number of ways you can use this phrase and Aubrey and Lindsay share with you some of them along with variations of the expression.
- As mentioned it is used as an exaggeration of a feeling or happening. You can say this to describe your disappointment when something you really like is no longer available or has closed down.
Example:
There’s nothing worse than finding out your favorite restaurant closed!
There’s nothing worse than having to work on a Friday night!
- You can use the phrase “nothing worse…” when someone tells you something bad or shares bad news with you. Often it is also an exaggeration but is a good way to show you emphathize with the unpleasant experience being shared with you.
Example:
I can think of nothing worse!
That’s the worst!
- Another phrase that is opposite of the phrase above is, “nothing better.” This can be used to magnify how much you like something.
Example:
There’s nothing better than chocolate-covered strawberries!
There’s nothing better than a hot bath.
- Lastly, you can use the expression “that’s the best…” to react to someone that has told you good news. This is good to emphasize shared experience. It can help you well with creating that connection and discussing something positive to continue talking about.
Example:
That’s the best!
Roleplay
Now that Lindsay and Aubrey have shared with you phrases that you can use to show empathy when someone is sharing their experiences, here is a quick roleplay for you to better understand how to use them properly.
In this scenario, Lindsay and Aubrey are planning the menu for a party.
Aubrey: Let’s do a Thai theme. I make a mean peanut sauce for a Thai salad.
Lindsay: Oooh there is nothing better than peanut sauce!
Aubrey: I figured you’d like it since you love peanut butter!
Lindsay: We could make spring rolls for the entree.
Aubrey: Yum! That’s a lot of work though. There’s nothing worse than being stuck in the kitchen when you want to be chatting with everyone at the party.
Lindsay: Very true, but we could prep a lot of that in advance.
Aubrey: That’s the best to have it all ready ahead of time. Good idea!
Lindsay: Ok let’s do it. And then mango sticky rice for dessert!
Aubrey: That stuff is the best! Oh no I just cut my thumb!
Lindsay: Ugh that’s the worst!
Takeaway
Based on today’s episode you can conclude that native English speakers love to exaggerate.
These phrases shared by Lindsay and Aubrey are some of the most common expressions used to show how much you like or dislike something.
These are good alternatives to share your preferences.
Instead of saying “I like that…” or “I don’t like that…” all the time, you can use one of the phrases shared today the next time you talk to someone in English.
It will make you sound more native and natural.
It is also important to use the right phrase to show empathy when someone is sharing an experience with you.
It will be very awkward if you use the wrong expression and hinder you from building that connection.
What expression do you think you will use first?
We’d love to hear how you’ll use these phrases in the comments down below.