[wonderplugin_audio id=”31″]
Welcome to our Daily English Listening Practice with this week’s series:
Dating Vocabulary
Time to settle down! Part 4 in our Dating Vocabulary series will include some new and interesting phrases for getting engaged and getting married.
Please listen to the audio files for explanations.
Transcripts unavailable.
Notes from the Audio Files
Settle Down
- USA: ‘seddle’ down
- UK: settle down
- A mortgage: monthly payments on a house with the aim to eventually own the property
- Drastic: a big or surprising change
- Roped someone in: caught a man **informal
How to use it:
“We both moved out to the suburbs, bought a house and started to settle down.”
“I’m surprised he finally settled down and got married, he couldn’t keep a girlfriend more than a few weeks in college.”
Put a Ring on It
- Partner: another word for boyfriend or girlfriend
- Significant other: long term partner
- Step up: do the right thing
How to use it:
“He cooks, he cleans, he’s great with kids. You better put a ring on it before I do!”
“Guess what ladies? He put a ring on it! We’re getting married!”
Engagement
- The moment you get engaged is when s/he proposes
- The time period that you’re engaged is called ‘the engagement’
- During your engagement, you’re planning your wedding or the day you get married.
- Long engagement, short engagement
- To propose, the proposal: to ask someone to marry you, asking someone to marry you
- The day they proposed: you got engaged
- Fiance: future husband or wife
How to use it:
“We got engaged in Spain, it was so romantic. And when we got back my best friends threw a surprise engagement party for me as well!”
“Well we got engaged in August, but we wanted a long engagement so the wedding isn’t until late next year.”
Get Married
How to use it:
“I can’t believe we got married 10 years ago, I don’t know where the time has gone.”
“I’m so excited you’re getting married! Have you set a date yet?”
Become (a) Part of the Family
- Married in(to): You’ve married someone and have become part of their family
- Side note: My in-laws are only the parents of your spouse
- My in-laws are visiting this weekend = My partner’s parents are visiting this weekend
How to use it:
“I’ve always gotten along well with my wife’s parents, but now we’re married I really feel like a part of the family.”
“I don’t know, my in-laws are so distant which is so strange, because my wife has become such a big part of the family on my side.”
Congrats, now you can ask and answer questions about married couples – and couples-to-be! If you’re still unsure about any of the phrases above, leave a comment below, and we’ll put down our second-helping of wedding cake and help you.
Thanks,
Kat and Mark
