#025 【簡単な英語】ネイティブが最初に覚える【英会話フレーズ】

Reunion Greeting Phrases

When you run into someone you haven't seen in a while, two phrases cover all the basics: **"Long time no see"** and **"Great to see you."** The episode drills each one four times in a row, building the kind of muscle memory that lets the words come out automatically in a real conversation.

Phrases for Complimenting or Checking Appearance

Three phrases are introduced together as a natural set. **"I hope you like it"** is what you say when handing someone a gift. **"How do I look?"** is the question you ask when you want to know whether an outfit suits you. **"You look great"** is the compliment you give in return. The episode notes that "You look great" is versatile: it fits a reunion where someone looks remarkably youthful, and it works just as well when someone is dressed up and looking their very best.

Time-Related Phrases and a Key Distinction

One of the episode's highlighted teaching points is a single-word difference that completely changes meaning. **"Do you have time?"** asks whether someone is free or available. Add one article and you get **"Do you have the time?"** — which asks what time it is right now. Because "the time" points to a specific, definite time, the meaning flips entirely, and the episode flags this as an important distinction to watch out for. When you want to tell someone how long you're available, you say something like **"I have 10 minutes."**

Also introduced in this section is **"How long?"** — used in the episode in the context of asking how long someone is staying in New York. Although *long* is an adjective meaning lengthy, in this phrase it functions as a question about duration or period of time.

Phrases for Queues and Lines

Two phrases handle the everyday situation of joining a queue. **"Are you in line?"** is what you ask the person in front of you to confirm they are already waiting. **"That's the end of the line"** is how you point someone toward the back of the queue. Both reflect situations that come up constantly in daily life.

Phrases for Giving Directions

This section walks through a full directions exchange, starting from a question about the subway. The episode notes that the word for subway varies by region: Americans say *subway*, the British say *tube* (or *underground*), and the French-derived *metro* is widely understood in many cities, Japan included.

For the directions themselves, the building blocks are straightforward. **"Go straight"** tells someone to continue down the road. **"Turn left at the first traffic light"** adds a landmark — and the episode notes that in English the signal is called a *light* or *traffic light*, and that the green light really does appear green, prompting the host to ask listeners what color they see it as.

For describing where a destination sits, the episode offers **"It's at the end of the street,"** **"Turn right — it's the second building,"** and **"5 minutes on foot,"** wrapping up with the observation that the destination isn't very far at all. A practical aside rounds out the section: if the English words won't come in time, pointing in the right direction is enough to get someone where they need to go.

Conversation Phrases for Talking with Tourists

The episode closes with a modeled exchange between a local and a foreign traveler. The full flow runs: **"May I ask you a question?"** → **"Where are you from?"** → **"From Australia."** → **"Do you like Japan?"** → **"Of course. Japanese people are very kind."** After the traveler thanks the local for directions, the exchange ends with **"Have a nice day"** — a phrase that also serves as the natural conclusion for the episode as a whole.