Real English doesn’t move one word at a time — it flows in ready-made chunks that native speakers grab without thinking. This collection of around 1,200 phrases and expressions covers the everyday combos you’ll hear in casual chats, work emails, and weekend plans. No dusty textbook lists, just the real stuff that helps you sound more natural from day one.
Each entry in the interactive table gives you a clear meaning, a realistic example sentence, and easy-to-read US IPA so you can nail the pronunciation. There’s a play button right next to every phrase — tap it to hear the audio, because your ears need training too. When you’re ready to study offline, a free PDF download button sits below the table.
Words are handy, but phrases are what you actually say out loud. Our free chunk‑based English lessons help you speak in whole expressions — start with Lesson 1 — First Greetings and see how quickly conversations click.
- English Vocabulary hub
- Learn English guide
- Most Common Phrasal Verbs
- Cambridge Dictionary — phrasal verbs & phrases
English Phrases Quiz
Think you’ve already got a handle on common phrases? Try the quick quiz below to see how many you really know.
Common English Phrases and Expressions
| Phrase | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| What's your email address? | Asking for someone's email contact. | What's your email address so I can send you the file? |
| What's your favorite food? | Asking someone to name the food they like most. | What's your favorite food? I love pizza. |
| What's your favorite movie? | Which movie do you like the most? | What's your favorite movie? Mine is The Godfather. |
| what's your hobby? | Asking about free-time activities. | What's your hobby? I love painting. |
| What's your last name? | What is your family name? | What's your last name? It's Johnson. |
| What's your name? | What are you called? | What's your name? My name is Sarah. |
| What's your religion? | Asking about someone's religious belief. | What's your religion? I'm curious about your background. |
| what’s going on | What is happening? | What's going on here? It's so loud. |
| what’s new | What is new in your life? | Hey, what's new with you? |
| what’s next | What will happen after this? | We finished the first task. What's next? |
| what’s up | Informal greeting meaning 'how are you?' | Hey, what's up? |
| whatever works | Any method is fine as long as it succeeds. | You can study at night or morning, whatever works. |
| When are they coming? | Asking about the time or date of someone's arrival. | When are they coming? I need to prepare the room. |
| When are you coming back? | Asking about the return time or date. | When are you coming back? I miss you already. |
| When are you going to pick up your friend? | Asking the time or date of picking up a friend. | When are you going to pick up your friend from the airport? |
| When are you leaving? | Asking about the departure time or date. | When are you leaving? I want to say goodbye. |
| When are you moving? | Asking about the moving date to a new place. | When are you moving? I can help you pack. |
| When did this happen? | Asking about the time an event occurred. | When did this happen? I didn't hear about it. |
| When did you arrive in [place]? | Use this pattern to ask about arrival time to a place. | When did you arrive in New York? |
| When do we arrive? | Asking for the arrival time. | When do we arrive? I'm getting tired. |
| When do we leave? | Asking for the departure time. | When do we leave? I need to pack my bags. |
| When does he arrive? | Asking about someone's arrival time. | When does he arrive? I need to pick him up. |
| When does it arrive? | Asking about the arrival time of something. | When does it arrive? I'm tracking the package. |
| When does the bank open? | Asking for the opening time of a bank. | When does the bank open? I need to deposit a check. |
| When does the bus leave? | Asking for the departure time of a bus. | When does the bus leave? I don't want to miss it. |
