Native English Expressions | Ep.35

Do you feel lost when listening to native speakers? It’s likely because textbook English isn’t enough. Welcome to Native Expressions Ep.35.

Real conversations are full of idioms, phrasal verbs, and cultural nuances. This series curates authentic expressions directly from podcasts and YouTube videos to help you sound more natural and confident.

Native Expressions Ep.35 | 1 – 10

beg

: plead. to ask for something in a very strong or desperate way.
She did not beg for the position but simply asked if there were any openings.

turn into

: become. to change and start being something or someone different.
They were afraid they might turn into people who only live to work.

pay one’s bills

: survive. to earn enough money to cover basic living costs like rent and food.
Many people spend all their time working just to pay their bills every month.

apparently

: seemingly. used to say that something seems to be true based on what you see or hear.
Apparently, the two friends felt stuck in their roles as simple servers.

be back together

: reunite. to start a romantic relationship again after a breakup.
After a sudden encounter, the woman’s friend guessed that the couple might be back together.

glazed

coated. covered with a thin, shiny layer of liquid or sauce.
She argued that the food was already glazed before the messy situation even started.

confidential

: private. kept secret and shared only with a few people.
The supervisor gave the team confidential details about the upcoming international deal.

streamline

: simplify. to make a system or process work better and faster.
The new program will streamline how the company handles its financial records.

distributor

: seller. a person or company that supplies goods to customers.
The company partnered with a local distributor to sell its software in a new region.

venture

: project. a new activity or business that might be risky.
Entering a new market is a risky venture that requires careful planning.

Native Expressions Ep.35 | 11 – 20

permanent

: lasting. intended to stay in a job or position for a long time.
The technical team is made up of five permanent employees and a few short-term workers.

subscription

: membership. an agreement to pay money regularly to use a service.
The company earns money by selling a yearly subscription for its cloud-based tools.

foregone

: lost. something that was given up or not collected.
The manager calculated the foregone revenue from giving away free services to new clients.

devaluation

: loss of value. when a currency becomes worth less compared to other money.
The sudden devaluation of the local currency made foreign products much more expensive.

rebound

: recover. to increase or improve again after a period of being low or bad.
Investors are waiting to see if the currency will rebound before they invest more money.

look over

: examine. to quickly check or read something to get a general idea.
She decided to look over the previous manager’s notes to understand why the business was struggling.

projected

: predicted. estimated or forecast for the future based on current information.
The team had a very high projected sales plan, but recent economic changes made it hard to achieve.

budget

: spending plan. an amount of money available to spend for a specific purpose.
To earn a bonus, the manager must ensure the team follows the strict expense budgets for the year.

reluctantly

: unwillingly. doing something even though you do not really want to do it.
The manager reluctantly agreed to the price cut because the local economy was failing.

incentive

: reward. something that encourages a person to act or work harder.
A large discount was offered as an incentive to help new customers decide to buy.

Native Expressions Ep.35 | 21 – 25

make up for

: compensate. to provide something good to balance a loss or a bad situation.
The firm hoped that selling a high volume of goods would make up for the lower profit per item.

drafted

: prepared. to write a first version of a plan, document, or budget.
The financial plan was drafted months ago when the local currency was much stronger.

utilize

: use. to use something in an effective or helpful way.
The manager suggested that the extra staff member should be utilized to help the sales team.

mystery

: secret. something that is difficult to understand or explain.
It was a mystery to the new supervisor why certain employees were being paid so much.

question

: doubt. to express doubt about whether something is correct or useful.
The new manager began to question the high costs of keeping certain office positions.