Early dating
Notice the difference between ask someone out, go out with someone, date someone, and see someone.
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English Expressions for Love and Relationships
Learn natural English for dating, engagement, good relationships, relationship problems, and break-ups.
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Listen with a purpose
Notice the useful language in “English Expressions for Love and Relationships”.
Commitment and partnership
Listen for get engaged, be engaged, propose, give each other space, and make time for each other.
Repair and endings
Pay attention to take things for granted, let things fester, break up, and move on.
Cultural note
The context makes the phrase land.
British and American English use slightly different phrases for asking someone on a date, but the relationship meaning is usually clear from context. Direct language works best when it is matched with care and respect.
Try it
Practice the situation.
Describe a relationship stage using one dating expression, one commitment expression, and one phrase for handling a problem. Say your response aloud before checking the examples below.
“They started going out last year, got engaged in June, and are trying not to let small problems fester.”
Expression cards · 18 from the transcript
These cards were extracted from the transcript and grouped by the kind of language learners can practice.
Showing 18 of 18 cards.
go out with someone
Date someone or see them regularly in an early relationship.
Example sentence
“Aren’t you going out with that charity worker?”
ask someone out
Invite someone to go on a date with you.
Example sentence
“Why don’t you just ask her out yourself?”
go on a date
Spend time with someone romantically to get to know them.
Example sentence
“In American English, you say ask someone on a date.”
be together
Be in an established romantic relationship.
Example sentence
“How long have you and your boyfriend been together?”
see someone
Have a romantic relationship with someone, often in the early stages.
Example sentence
“Are you seeing anyone at the moment?”
get engaged
Take the action of agreeing to get married.
Example sentence
“They got engaged in June.”
be engaged
Be in the state of having agreed to get married.
Example sentence
“They’ve been engaged for two years now.”
pop the question
Ask someone to marry you in a conversational way.
Example sentence
“He popped the question while they were on holiday.”
engagement ring
A ring given to mark an agreement to marry.
Example sentence
“The full term is engagement ring.”
a good couple
Two people who have a strong, positive relationship.
Example sentence
“You two seem like a really good couple.”
give each other some space
Allow partners to have independence and time apart.
Example sentence
“Knowing when to give each other some space.”
make time for each other
Intentionally reserve time for a partner.
Example sentence
“You need to make time for each other, too.”
take things for granted
Stop appreciating someone or something because it feels permanent.
Example sentence
“You can’t take things for granted.”
let things fester
Allow an unresolved problem to grow over time.
Example sentence
“If you’re unhappy about something, deal with it quickly. Don’t let things fester.”
break up
End a romantic relationship.
Example sentence
“They were together for about four years, but then they broke up.”
move on
Continue with life after a relationship ends.
Example sentence
“The relationship is over, so it’s time to move on.”
a clean break
An ending that creates clear distance from a relationship.
Example sentence
“Sometimes people need a clean break after a difficult relationship.”
work things out
Solve a relationship problem together.
Example sentence
“They’re having problems, but maybe they’ll work things out.”
Check your understanding
What does “go out with someone” communicate?
RTB commentary
This lesson moves from early dating to long-term relationships and break-ups. Listen for the difference between describing a relationship, naming a state, and describing an action such as asking someone out or getting engaged.