Speaker 1: Has this ever happened to you? Someone invites you to
do something, maybe go out for dinner or join a party,
but you can't go. Maybe you're too busy, maybe you
don't want to go, but you feel a little nervous
about saying no. Yeah, totally understandable. Saying no in English
isn't always easy, so today let's learn how to do it.
Speaker 2: Welcome to another Happy English podcast, coming to you from
New York City, and here's your English teacher, Michael.
Speaker 1: Alright, thank you John, and thanks everyone. It's Michael here
from Happy English and I help people speak English better.
And this is Happy English Podcast, Episode nine thirty two.
How to Politely refuse an invitation in English. Hey, thanks
for joining me today. Before we get going, I wanted
to let you know that you can find the Happy
English Podcast on my YouTube channel. Just head over to
YouTube and search for Happy English. Michael. Okay. In this lesson,
we're going to look at how we invite people in English,
and more importantly, how to politely say no when you
can't accept that invitation. This is super helpful for conversations
at work, school, or even with friends. So let's get
started with invitations. You probably already know the basic patterns
like are you free on Saturday night? Or let's try
that new restaurant, or would you like to go for coffee?
Remember that the phrase would you like to is an
indirect way to invite someone, and this kind of indirect
language you using wood is commonly used in everyday English conversation.
There's a difference in the nuance and politeness level between
do you want to have dinner on Friday? And would
you like to have dinner on Friday? Do you want
to is very direct, whereas would you like to has
a more polite feel to it. Of course, it depends
on the context, and Native speakers use all kinds of
different tones when inviting people. Some are soft like would
you be interested in? Others are more direct like let's
go or come join us? And I think for most
of you listening here today, saying yes to the invitation
is easy, like you can use phrases like of course, thanks,
or that sounds great, thanks, or sure I would love
to go. Yeah. We even use wood in the reply
like would you like to go for lunch tomorrow? Yeah?
I would love to. That same indirect language is used
when we accept an invitation. Now The tricky part comes
when we need to say no. In English, especially in
American English, we usually follow a kind of three step
pattern when we politely say no. First you say thanks,
then you politely say no, and third you explain why yeah.
Rejections generally need those three steps, so let's look at
each one. The first thing we do when we refuse
an invitation is to thank the person for inviting us.
We almost always start with thanks, like thanks for asking,
or thanks for inviting me, or oh, thanks for the offer.
This shows that you appreciate the invitation. The second step
is to politely say no. Here, we don't just say no. Instead,
we offer something softer like oh I wish I could,
or oh I'm afraid I can't, or something like I
would love to, but I have to pass. See this
word would pops up a lot in these situations, doesn't it.
So start with thanks and then politely say no, like
thanks for asking, I would love to go. And then
comes the most important and often forgotten part of the refusal,
the When turning down an invitation, the thank you and
the polite no are not enough in American culture, so
we usually give one short reason, nothing too detailed, like
I have to work that day, or I already have plans,
or any other reason you have to decline the invite.
The reason is necessary. Here are a few examples in context.
Would you like to go for dinner tomorrow? Thanks for asking.
Speaker 2: Oh I wish I could, but I already have plans
for tomorrow.
Speaker 1: Here's another one. Hey, we're having a barbecue on Sunday.
Want to join us? Oh?
Speaker 2: Thanks for the invitation. I'm afraid I can't. You see,
I'm going to visit my parents for the weekend.
Speaker 1: Here's one more example. Let's get coffee after class?
Speaker 2: Thanks for asking. Sorry, I would love to, but i'm
a lie under the weather today.
Speaker 1: See how polite and natural that sounds. Saying no with
these three parts is friendly and it's clear, and it's
something Native speakers do all the time, even with close friends.
And here's a tip. You don't need a long explanation why.
Just one short reason is totally fine. Even something simple
like I have a class that night or I'm busy
with my family is enough. And your tone matters. A
friendly voice, a small smile if you're in person, that
goes a long way in showing your being polite. Again,
when you need to decline an invitation, you say thanks,
say no politely, and then give a brief reason why
doing so will make your English sound more friendly and
more natural. And hey, if you want to practice this
kind of English with me, Yeah, me and a group
of other awesome English learners, come check out my podcast
Learners study group. We meet every week and practice the
language from these podcasts lessons together. It's a great way
to improve your speaking and build confidence and have a
lot of laughs along the way. Just check the link
where you are listening to this podcast right now, or
visit Myhappy English dot com and choose podcast episode nine
thirty two for more info and thanks for listening. Remember,
learning another language is not easy, but it's not impossible,
and I'm here to help you on your journey.
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Happy English.