Dating & Relationships In English: Real-Life Speaking | English Learning Situations

Hey everyone and welcome back to English Unleashed. I'm Tom. And I'm Sarah. Whether this is your first time listening or you've been with us for a while, welcome. You've picked a great episode because today we're diving into something we all have in common. Relationships. Exactly. Relationships are part of everyday life. Whether it's your best friend, your partner, someone you just met, or even someone you don't get along with. Today's vocabulary will help you talk about all of it in natural, real English. We're going to look at all kinds of relationships, not just romantic ones. We'll cover friendships, dating, family, even how to describe falling out or making up after a fight. And here's how the episode works. First, we'll listen to a short conversation between two friends, Lily and Ben. It's casual, real-life English, just like the way people actually speak. Then, we'll go over all the new phrases and expressions they use, one by one. We'll explain them clearly, give you examples, and even share some personal stories to help make them easy to remember. So, grab your coffee or tea, get comfortable, and get ready to boost your English with some fun and useful vocabulary. Let's jump into the conversation and see what's going on in Lily and Ben's world of relationships. Hey, you're not going to believe what happened at the party last weekend. Oh, this sounds interesting already. What happened? I got together with Leo. Wait, Leo? That Leo? I thought he was still seeing that Spanish girl. Yeah, they'd been seeing each other for like, uh, four months. Um, but he said they fell out recently. Um, apparently, they were arguing all the time. He told me things weren't working and now they're done. Well, that was fast. So, are you and Leo, like, uh, official now? Are you dating? Not exactly. Uh, we're still getting to know each other. You could say we're talking. Uh, you know, texting, uh, going for coffee. It's not serious yet. Um, but I like him. That's for sure. Well, just take your time. You know, he was having an affair with his boss last year. Um, that kind of stuff doesn't just disappear. Yeah, I know. I heard the gossip too. Uh, but people make mistakes. I'm trying to keep an open mind. So far, we get on really well. Um, way better than I did with Jordan. Oh, please. You and Jordan never saw eye to eye. I remember that time you fought about what kind of pizza to order. Fall drama. Yeah, I know. We fell out constantly. With Leo, it just feels easier, more natural. He actually listens, and honestly, I hate it when people just look down on someone for their past. It's unfair. Totally agree. People can change, especially when they meet someone who helps them grow. Um, speaking of that, uh, how's your sister? Uh, we're okay. We argued again last week, but I'm trying to make it up to her. I think, uh, we'll be fine. We've been friends again after Rouse before. You're a good sister. And hey, uh, what about Benji? Uh, you and he is still hanging out? Oh yeah, he's great. Um, we get on well with each other. Well, um, he's not my best friend, but, uh, he's a good friend. You know, um, the kind of friend who checks in and actually listens. Um, not like a casual acquaintance. I really feel I can trust them. Yeah, I get that. I feel the same about my mate, Ray. Um, we've only known each other for a year, but I really look up to him. He's smart, calm, and always has good advice. That's so nice. It's great to have people like that in your life. It really is. Uh, relationships, of all kinds, are just so important. They change everything. Okay, that was a pretty packed conversation between Lily and Ben, wasn't it? Yeah, it felt very real. Uh, so many expressions about relationships, uh, dating, friends, and even family drama. All right, let's start with the phrase that kicked off Lily's whole story. Now, this is such a useful expression in everyday English. Um, when you say that two people got together, you mean they started a romantic relationship. Um, it actually begins casually. Like, uh, maybe they were just talking, texting, um, going for coffee, and then, uh, over time, they officially became a couple. Exactly. And, uh, what I love about this phrase is how natural and soft it sounds. Um, it's not too formal. Like, they began a relationship. Uh, it's simple and friendly. Uh, you'll hear this all the time in conversations, especially when people are giving updates about, uh, friends or co-workers. Yeah, like, did you hear? Emma and Josh finally got together. Or, my parents got together in college. They were both in the same drama club. That's such a classic one. I remember when my cousin and her now husband first got together. Uh, they had been just friends for years. Honestly, we all thought it would never happen. And then one weekend, uh, they went on a hiking trip, uh, with some mutual friends, and something just changed. Uh, they came back holding hands, and we were like, wait, what? Uh, when did this happen? And she just smiled and said, well, I guess we got together. That's such a nice story. And I've heard people say it in so many situations. Uh, sometimes it's casual. Like, uh, they got together after meeting at a party. Other times, uh, it's a big moment. They got together after years of being best friends. And you can also use it in the past when you're talking about how a couple started. Like, um, do you know how they met? Yeah, they got together during study abroad program in Spain. And of course, you'll often hear it with some excitement or surprise. Uh, especially if the relationship is unexpected. Like, wait, uh, Lucy and Ryan got together? Yeah. Uh, that's one of my favorite types of conversations. Gossip with a smile. Uh, but just to be clear, get together doesn't always mean something serious right away. It just means they've moved past friendship. Uh, they're a couple now, uh, even if it's still new. All right. Next up is another phrase we heard in Lily and Ben's conversation. They've been seeing each other. Um, this is one of those really common phrases people use when they're talking about dating, but not in a very serious way yet. Right. Uh, if you say two people are seeing each other, uh, it usually means they're dating. Uh, they've gone out a few times, maybe had dinner, maybe talk a lot. Uh, but you're not officially a couple yet. There is no boyfriend or girlfriend label, at least not yet. Exactly. It's like the getting to know you stage. Uh, it's more than just friends, but maybe not love. Not yet. You might hear someone say, I'm seeing someone at the moment, which means, yeah, I'm dating. Uh, but it's not official. I remember a friend of mine saying that a few years ago we were at lunch and someone asked him, so are you still single? And he smiled and said, well, I'm seeing someone. And that was it. No names, no details. It's kind of a nice, low pressure way to describe a new relationship. Yeah. It lets you keep things a little private too. You don't have to explain everything and you can use it in different forms too. Uh, like they've been seeing each other for a few months now, or are you seeing anyone these days? Or I heard Sam and Julia started seeing each other after that concert. It's also useful if you're not quite sure how serious things are. Like maybe the couple isn't even sure yet. Uh, seeing each other, uh, covers the space between just friends and fully in a relationship. I once saw someone, uh, for a few weeks. We had some great dates, got along really well, but in the end it didn't go anywhere. I remember saying to my friend at the time, uh, we're just seeing each other, nothing serious. And everyone understood what that meant. Totally. So just remember, if someone says, I'm seeing someone, uh, they're dating, but they're probably keeping it relaxed. Um, it's a very natural phrase and people use it all the time. All right. Now let's move into a slightly trickier area of relationships. Not everything is fun and romantic. Sometimes people argue and that brings us to the next phrase, to fall out with someone. Yeah. If you fall out with someone, it means you have an argument or disagreement and, uh, the relationship gets damaged. You might stop talking for a while. You might feel distant or cold toward that person. And it's important to know a falling out doesn't always mean the friendship is over forever. Um, but it does mean something serious happened and it usually takes time to fix. So for example, I fell out with my brother after he said something really hurtful or they used to be best friends, but they fell out a few years ago. I had a falling out with a close friend once. Actually, uh, it was about money. We planned a trip and she canceled at the last minute, but still expected me to pay for part of it. Uh, we both got upset and we fell out. We didn't talk for months. That's so relatable. I fell out with one of my best mates in university. Uh, we were working on a group project together and he just, uh, you know, disappeared. Didn't show up for meetings. Um, didn't respond to messages. I ended up doing all the work. I was so frustrated. Uh, I told him exactly how I felt and boom, we fell out. We didn't speak for almost a year. Sometimes a falling out, uh, can be over something small, um, like a misunderstanding, but the emotions get big and no one knows how to say sorry. Right. And other times, uh, it's something bigger like betrayal, broken trust, or just years of small problems that add up. The good news is people often make it up later, but we will talk about that phrase in just a bit. So we just talked about falling out with someone. Uh, but now let's look at what comes next because luckily relationships don't have to stay broken. Uh, sometimes people fix things, uh, talk it through and reconnect. That's where today's next phrase comes in. Uh, make it up to someone. Yeah. If you make it up to someone, it means you try to repair the relationship after something went wrong. You're saying, I know I hurt you. I know I made a mistake and I want to fix it. I want to do something to make it better. So for example, I forgot her birthday, so I brought flowers to make it up to her. Or they argued, but he took her out to dinner to make it up. It's not always about big romantic gestures either. Um, it can be small but thoughtful things. I once missed a friend's important dance show. Uh, totally forgot. Uh, she was really upset. So the next day I went to her house with a coffee and her favorite chocolate. And I said, I'm so sorry. Let me make it up to you. And honestly, she forgave me right away. That's a good one. I remember once being short-tempered with my sister during a stressful week. Uh, I wasn't awful, but I was snappy and rude. Later, I sent her a text saying, I know I wasn't very nice yesterday. I'm sorry. Let me make it up to you. Coffee's on me this weekend. And she laughed and said, deal. And that's the power of this phrase. Uh, it shows you recognized a mistake and more importantly, you're taking action to fix it. It's not just sorry. It's sorry. And let me do something kind for you. Right. You can use it with close friends, uh, family, or even at work. Okay. Now let's talk about friendships because, uh, not all friends are the same, right? Uh, you've got that one person who knows your whole life story and then people you just say hi to when you see them around. In English, we've got really natural ways to talk about all these levels. And in a dialogue, we heard Ben say that Benji isn't his best friend, but he's a good friend and definitely more than a casual acquaintance. That gives us a perfect example of how to describe different kinds of social connections. Let's start with the closest one, your best friend. This is usually the one person you trust the most, um, talk to all the time and go to when something big happens. For example, we've been best friends since primary school, or my best friend knows everything about me. I still remember my best friend from high school. Uh, her name was, uh, Jen. Uh, we had this tradition of calling each other at midnight on our birthdays every single year. Even now, if I need advice or just want to laugh, she's still the first person I call. That's so sweet. My best friend from university lives in Canada now, but, uh, we steal video chat every month. It doesn't matter how far you are. When someone's your best friend, that bond stays strong. Now, a good friend is someone you're close to and really enjoy spending time with, but maybe you're not quite as close as you are with your best friend. You might not talk, uh, every day, but when you do meet, it feels easy and warm. For example, we're not best friends, but he's a good friend of mine. I've got a few good friends from my local gym. Uh, we don't hang out on weekends, but, uh, we always have a good chat after class. Uh, we've even gone for coffee a few times. I trust them, but I wouldn't share my deepest secrets just yet. Exactly. You can have lots of good friends, um, people who make life better, even if you're not super close. And then, uh, there is the third kind, a casual acquaintance. This is someone, you know, maybe from class, uh, work or your neighborhood, but you don't really hang out or share personal things. For example, you could say, he's just a casual acquaintance. We say hi, but that's all. I used to see the same guy every morning on the train. We would smile, uh, sometimes say good morning, but that was it. We never actually talked. That's a classic example of a casual acquaintance. Same here. Um, I've got a few casual acquaintances at work. Uh, people I not to in the hallway, uh, maybe make small talk in the lift, but we've never met outside the office. All right. Now let's talk about how we see other people and how we talk about it in English, because sometimes we meet someone and admire them, right? We think they're strong, kind, smart, and we want to be a little more like them. That's exactly where our next phrase comes in, to look up to someone. If you look up to someone, it means you respect or admire them. You think they're a good person, maybe even a role model. For example, I really look up to my older sister. She always gives great advice or he looks up to his coach like a father. I really looked up to my uncle growing up. Um, he was kind, funny, and always helped people. He worked as a firefighter, actually. I used to sit and listen to his stories for hours. Even now, I think about how calm he stayed under pressure. He taught me a lot without ever trying to teach me. Uh, that's looking up to someone. That's such a great example, Tom. Um, I look up to one of my former teachers. Uh, she believed in me when I didn't believe in myself. I was terrible at math and she said, Sarah, it's okay to be slow. Just don't stop. I never forgot that. And, uh, now I use her words And remember, you can look up to anyone, a friend, a sibling, a colleague. Um, it's about respect, uh, not power. You admire who they are. Let's take a look at the opposite, to look down on someone. This is when someone acts like they are better than others. It's not nice. It usually means they judge someone unfairly, maybe because of their job, money, education, or background. For example, she looks down on people who don't have a degree. Or, I don't like how he looks down on waiters. It's so rude. Um, it's a really negative attitude. I remember once I was at a dinner party and someone found out I used to work part-time in a supermarket. Um, just a simple student job. And they said, oh, uh, that must have been hard. You poor thing. And I thought, whoa, uh, that's someone looking down on me. And it felt awful. I have had that too. A colleague once made fun of someone else for not wearing expensive clothes. That's looking down on someone for no reason. And it says more about them than it does about the person they're judging. So, if you want to describe someone, uh, who's kind and respectful, say, he never looks down on anyone. He treats everyone the same. Okay. And that's a wrap for today's episode. Uh, we've talked about so many real and useful phrases from getting together and seeing someone to falling out, making it up, and even how to describe best friends and casual acquaintances. We'll be back soon with more everyday English you can really use. Thanks for listening and see you next time on English Unleashed.