Hello. Whether for business or travel, you may find yourself in a situation where you have to interact with an American.
Having a conversation with an American can be confusing or even a little scary. But with this helpful guide, you can learn to translate American speech in real time.
When an American says: "How are you?"
They mean: "I've already said hello but this is just an extension of that greeting."
Acceptable responses to this question include: "Great! And you?" or "I'm good! How are you?" and literally nothing else. Do not under any circumstances tell people how you are actually feeling.
When an American says: "I'm doing great!"
They mean: "I'm doing fine."
When an American says: "I'm doing fine."
They mean: "I'm not fine."
When an American says: "I'm doing OK."
They mean: "I am not well and actually might be dying, please alert the proper emergency services."
When an American says: "Yeah no."
They mean: "No."
When an American says: "No yeah."
They mean: "Yes."
When an American says: "It's amazing!"
They mean: "It's pretty good."
You may also use this translation for the following: awesome, fabulous, incredible, spectacular.
When an American says: "It was hilarious."
They mean: "It was mildly amusing."
When an American says: "It was literally insane."
They mean: "It was slightly surprising."
Please note that in almost all cases, "literally" can be translated as "figuratively."
When Americans say: "Oh, Karen? I love her!"
They mean: "Oh, Karen? I tolerate her!"
When Americans say: "Oh, Bill? He's great."
They mean: "I do not care for Bill."
When Americans say: "That's interesting."
They mean: "I don't like it and I'm about to pitch another option to you."
When Americans say: "My friend."
They mean: "A person I know."
When Americans say: "My best friend."
They mean: "A person I know whom I actually enjoy spending time with."
When Americans say: "Definitely!"
They mean: "Probably!"
When Americans say: "Let's hang out sometime."
They mean: "Goodbye, I'll likely never see you again."
When Americans say: "Let's get coffee sometime."
They mean: "Goodbye, I might actually want to see you again."
When Americans say: "Let's get dinner sometime."
They mean: "You are one of my dearest friends and I will actually see you again."
When Americans say: "A second."
They mean: "Roughly 5–10 minutes."
When Americans say: "A minute."
They mean: "Roughly 30 minutes to an hour."
When Americans say: "It took forever."
They mean: "It took more than an hour."
When Americans say: "Later."
They mean: "Likely never."
When Americans say: "A short drive."
They mean: "Anywhere from a 30-minute drive to a four-hour drive."
When Americans say: "A long drive."
They mean: "Roughly the distance from Delaware to San Diego."
When Americans say: "It's hot out."
They mean: "It's about 85°F, or 29°C." (Northerners); or "It's about 115°F, or 46°C." (Southerners)
When Americans say: "A billion."
They mean: "A somewhat large number, maybe about a hundred."
So, there you have it. Now you can have a conversation with an American and know exactly what they mean!
