Survival Phrases
The exact phrases you need for real life abroad — with practice dialogues and audio, for every level.
Practice pronunciationGreetings & Socializing
Meeting people, small talk, and everyday politeness.
Making Small Talk
Use these phrases to smoothly navigate casual conversations at work or with acquaintances, from breaking the ice to politely excusing yourself.
Invitations & Making Plans
These phrases are used to naturally invite someone out, coordinate the details, and finalize your plans.
Making Friends
Use these phrases when you are getting to know someone better and want to transition from small talk to building a real friendship.
Giving Opinions & Disagreeing
Use these phrases in professional discussions to clearly state your viewpoint, challenge ideas constructively, and navigate disagreements without causing offense.
Saying No Politely
Use these phrases to politely decline invitations, offers, or requests without offending the other person or sounding overly blunt.
Eating & Drinking Out
Restaurants, cafés, bars, and ordering food.
Making a Restaurant Reservation
Use these phrases to secure a table, negotiate the time, and communicate any special requests when calling a restaurant.
Ordering at a Restaurant
These essential phrases will help you navigate a restaurant visit naturally, from asking for more time with the menu to handling incorrect orders and paying the check.
Allergies & Dietary Needs
Use these phrases to clearly communicate food allergies, intolerances, and dietary preferences to restaurant staff, ensuring you can eat safely.
Sending Food Back & Complaints
Use these phrases to firmly but politely address mistakes with your food or order while dining out.
Travel & Transport
Airports, trains, taxis, and getting around.
Checking in at the Airport
These phrases will help you navigate the check-in process, drop off your luggage, and confirm your boarding details at the airport.
Customs & Immigration
Use these phrases to speak confidently and respectfully when answering questions at border control or customs.
Reporting Lost Luggage
Use these upper-intermediate phrases at the airport baggage service desk to formally report missing luggage, describe your items clearly, and arrange for delivery.
Renting a Car
These phrases will help you navigate the process of checking out, inspecting, and returning a rental vehicle clearly and professionally.
Hotels & Accommodation
Checking in, problems, and amenities.
Shopping & Money
Stores, markets, prices, and paying.
Health & Pharmacy
Doctors, pharmacies, and describing symptoms.
Banking & Daily Admin
Banks, post office, phone, and internet.
Opening a Bank Account
Use these phrases when visiting a bank branch to open a new checking or savings account.
Residency & ID Registration
Use these phrases when submitting documents and navigating the administrative process for residency and ID registration.
Filing a Complaint
Use these phrases when you need to contact your bank or a service provider to report a billing issue, demand a refund, and escalate the problem if necessary.
Renting & Housing
Finding a place, utilities, and repairs.
Viewing an Apartment
Use these phrases when viewing an apartment to ask the landlord or agent essential questions about the property, costs, and terms.
Renting & the Lease
Use these phrases to negotiate rental terms, understand your legal responsibilities, and successfully sign a new lease.
Setting Up Utilities
These phrases will help you successfully navigate phone conversations to activate, transfer, or manage your home utility services.
Emergencies & Safety
Getting help fast when something goes wrong.
A Medical Emergency
Use these phrases to quickly and clearly communicate critical information during a sudden medical emergency or when speaking with emergency services.
Lost or Stolen Items
Use these phrases when you need to urgently report a lost or stolen item, contact local authorities, or manage the immediate aftermath of a theft.
Car Accident or Breakdown
These phrases will help you communicate clearly and safely if you are ever involved in a vehicle collision or breakdown.
Reporting a Crime
Use these phrases when speaking to the police or emergency dispatchers to report a crime, describe what happened, and follow up.
Work & Study
Interviews, the workplace, and enrolling in courses.
A Job Interview
Use these phrases to confidently highlight your experience and navigate the different stages of a job interview.
In Meetings
These phrases are essential for smoothly navigating professional meetings, from asking for updates to respectfully disagreeing with colleagues.
Work Email & Phone Calls
These phrases will help you sound professional, clear, and natural when communicating in workplace emails and phone calls.
At a Networking Event
Use these phrases to confidently introduce yourself, discuss your work, and build professional connections at networking events or conferences.