Episode 17 — Numbers in Daily Life
Beginner+ • 7:13 • 2026-02-25
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You're listening to Mr. English Podcast by Mr. English Podcast. Hey everyone, welcome back to the Mr. English Podcast. I'm John and I'm Jessica. Thanks for joining us again. Today's topic might sound simple, but it's actually everywhere in your daily life. Yeah, we're talking about numbers. Numbers are like the quiet heroes of communication. We use them all the time when we talk about time, money, age, phone numbers, or even our schedules. Exactly. You can't really live a day without using numbers somehow. True. Even if you don't notice it, you look at the clock, count your steps, check your phone battery, that's all numbers. And sometimes they decide our mood, too. Like when you see your phone battery at 5%. Oh yes, that's when panic mode starts. So, John, what's the first number you usually think about every morning? Hm. Probably the time. I check my phone and think, "Oh no, it's 7:45 already." Late again? Always. I'm terrible at mornings. For me, it's coffee measurements. I always count two spoons of coffee, one spoon of sugar. Very precise. You measure your coffee. That's next level discipline. I just guess that's why your coffee tastes different every day. Okay, but seriously, numbers are everywhere, especially at work. I check statistics, sales numbers, email counts. My whole morning is filled with digits. Yeah, numbers are a big part of communication at work. Even in my job, I deal with deadlines, time zones, and budgets. True. And I think understanding how to say numbers in English is important for anyone working internationally. Definitely. Like saying 15 and 50. They sound similar, but mean very different things. Oh, that's a classic mistake. I once told a client the project would take 50 days instead of 15 days. What did they say? They nearly fainted. I had to explain quickly. That's the power of numbers. One wrong word and everything changes. Exactly. And even in daily life, numbers are key. Like when you go shopping. Oh yes. I always compare prices like this one is $5 cheaper or when you split the bill at a restaurant. Suddenly everyone becomes a math expert. True. You had the salad. I had the pasta. Then someone says, "Let's just divide by four." And everyone agrees. I think people underestimate how often we use numbers just to stay organized, right? Think about phone numbers, birthdays, house numbers, bus numbers, even Wi-Fi passwords. All numbers. Yeah. And remembering them is a skill in itself. Tell me about it. I still can't remember my friend's new phone number. Me neither. I don't even know my mom's number anymore. It's all saved in my phone. So listeners, if you want to talk about numbers in English, the good news is you already do. Exactly. Numbers appear in your daily speech more than you think. But it helps to know some common ways to use them naturally. For example, time. I wake up at 6:30 or my meeting starts at 9:15. Money. This coffee costs $5 or the bill is 2250. Dates. My birthday is on May 15th. And don't forget phone numbers. You can say them one by one. My number is 093752. Nice. And at work, numbers often show results, like our sales increased by 10%. Or, we finished the project 2 days early. See how natural that sounds? You don't have to memorize rules. Just describe your real life. Exactly. And if you're not sure how to say big numbers, take your time. It's okay to say 1,250 slowly. The key is clarity, not speed. People will understand you better if you speak calmly. And practice helps. You can even say numbers out loud when you check the time or read prices. That's a great tip. Make numbers part of your daily English routine. Let's show some examples of how to ask questions with numbers. Sure, you can ask, "What time does the meeting start?" or, "How much does it cost?" "When is your birthday?" "What's your phone number?" "How old are you?" Careful with that one. Not everyone likes that question. True. Maybe skip it with adults. But see, numbers are part of everyday conversations, and the more you use them, the more natural you sound. So try using numbers in your next English conversation, even small ones. Exactly. One word, two words, or maybe a million. So numbers, they're not just for math class. Nope. They're part of communication, organization, and connection. Whether it's time, money, or birthdays, numbers help us make sense of life. And now, hopefully you'll notice them a little more when you speak English. Thanks for listening, everyone. Don't forget to follow and subscribe for the next episode. See you next time on the Mr. English podcast. Bye. Bye-bye.