Learn the English words we use for money in North America
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| INTRODUCTION |
| Ryan: Hey, everybody! It’s Ryan. |
| Chihiro: Hey, everyone! I’m Chihiro. Just Tell Him in English that You Want the Usual. |
| Ryan: In this lesson, you'll will learn how to order coffee. |
| Chihiro: This conversation takes place at a coffee shop. |
| Ryan: This conversation is between Drew and Teddy. |
| Chihiro: The speakers are friends, so they'll be speaking casually. |
| Ryan: Let’s hear the dialogue. |
Lesson conversation |
|---|
| Teddy: So how does it feel to be back? |
| Drew: I see some changes here and there, but overall it's the same. Feels like I'm in college again every time I come back. I bet the coffee tastes the same too. They knew me here; all I had to say was "the usual." |
| Sales Rep: What can I get you? |
| Teddy: I'll have a triple venti decaf nonfat latte with a shot of sugar-free vanilla and just a tiny bit of whipped cream in my cup… Drew, this one's on me. |
| Drew: …uhh… |
| Teddy: Drew? Don't tell me you've forgotten how to order coffee! |
| Drew: Don't be ridiculous…I…I'll have what he's having, thanks. |
| Sales Rep: Okay, your total is $9.35. |
| Teddy: Here's a ten. |
| Sales Rep: Okay, $0.65 is your change. Sir, your drinks will be ready over there. |
| Teddy: You've forgotten, haven't you? |
| Drew: No, your usual just happened to be my usual. |
| English Host: Let’s hear the conversation one time slowly. |
| Teddy: So how does it feel to be back? |
| Drew: I see some changes here and there, but overall it's the same. Feels like I'm in college again every time I come back. I bet the coffee tastes the same too. They knew me here; all I had to say was "the usual." |
| Sales Rep: What can I get you? |
| Teddy: I'll have a triple venti decaf nonfat latte with a shot of sugar-free vanilla and just a tiny bit of whipped cream in my cup… Drew, this one's on me. |
| Drew: …uhh… |
| Teddy: Drew? Don't tell me you've forgotten how to order coffee! |
| Drew: Don't be ridiculous…I…I'll have what he's having, thanks. |
| Sales Rep: Okay, your total is $9.35. |
| Teddy: Here's a ten. |
| Sales Rep: Okay, $0.65 is your change. Sir, your drinks will be ready over there. |
| Teddy: You've forgotten, haven't you? |
| Drew: No, your usual just happened to be my usual. |
| POST CONVERSATION BANTER |
| Chihiro: Okay, if you don't know already, Americans love coffee. Although statistics show that Europeans have a higher coffee consumption than Americans, still, a large coffee culture exists and coffee shops are on every corner of a busy city. |
| Ryan: Accompanying the popularity come different types of coffee. Ranging from the type of milk to the amount of espresso, to the size. Coffee shops are very creative in an attempt to personalize and cater to everyone's taste. |
| Chihiro: If you don't know the varieties so well, you might feel a little overwhelmed when you go to a coffee shop. |
| Ryan: Yeah, here's a starting tip. A single means a single shot of espresso, and a double means two of those. So a triple, like the two guys ordered in the dialogue, means three of those. |
| Chihiro: That’s enough caffeine to keep you awake. A latte is the shot or shots mixed with milk, and a cappuccino is similar to a latte, but it has more froth. |
| Ryan: Okay, that should be enough for the starters. Of course if you don't know, the cafe people will explain it to you, just ask them. |
| VOCAB LIST |
| Chihiro: Let's take a look at the vocabulary for this lesson. |
| : The first word we shall see is: |
| Ryan: overall [natural native speed] |
| Chihiro: in general, as a whole |
| Ryan: overall [slowly - broken down by syllable] |
| Ryan: overall [natural native speed] |
| : Next: |
| Ryan: college [natural native speed] |
| Chihiro: school after high school where a higher degree can be obtained |
| Ryan: college [slowly - broken down by syllable] |
| Ryan: college [natural native speed] |
| : Next: |
| Ryan: to taste [natural native speed] |
| Chihiro: to be able to sense flavor with the tongue |
| Ryan: to taste [slowly - broken down by syllable] |
| Ryan: to taste [natural native speed] |
| : Next: |
| Ryan: triple [natural native speed] |
| Chihiro: three times more, three parts or things |
| Ryan: triple [slowly - broken down by syllable] |
| Ryan: triple [natural native speed] |
| : Next: |
| Ryan: nonfat [natural native speed] |
| Chihiro: without fat |
| Ryan: nonfat [slowly - broken down by syllable] |
| Ryan: nonfat [natural native speed] |
| : Next: |
| Ryan: shot [natural native speed] |
| Chihiro: small amount of drink that is usually strong |
| Ryan: shot [slowly - broken down by syllable] |
| Ryan: shot [natural native speed] |
| : Next: |
| Ryan: decaf [natural native speed] |
| Chihiro: coffee without caffeine |
| Ryan: decaf [slowly - broken down by syllable] |
| Ryan: decaf [natural native speed] |
| : Next: |
| Ryan: tiny [natural native speed] |
| Chihiro: very small |
| Ryan: tiny [slowly - broken down by syllable] |
| Ryan: tiny [natural native speed] |
| : Next: |
| Ryan: change [natural native speed] |
| Chihiro: money returned when a payment exceeds the amount due |
| Ryan: change [slowly - broken down by syllable] |
| Ryan: change [natural native speed] |
| KEY VOCABULARY AND PHRASES |
| Chihiro: Let's have a closer look at the usuage for some of the words and phrases from this lesson. |
| Ryan: The first word/phrase we’ll look at is.... |
| Chihiro: Let’s take a look at some of the phrases from this lesson. When you are a regular customer at a restaurant or cafe and you always order the same thing, sooner or later the workers will remember who you are. Once they do, instead of repeating the same order all the time, you can use the phrase, |
| Ryan: "the usual" |
| Chihiro: meaning that you're ordering the same thing as usual. |
| Ryan: Right, there are frequent customers who order the same thing, just because it's easy and they know what they're getting... and well, of course, they like it. The next phrase is, |
| Chihiro: "here's a ten" |
| Ryan: Which is said by Teddy, meaning "here's a ten dollar bill." Calling a bill in a short form by its monetary value is a common thing to do, and you'll hear this from time to time with people when handling cash. Remember, don't drop the determiner which is "a" as in "a ten" when using this phrase, because it refers to "the bill." |
| Chihiro: And we have one more for you today. If somebody says, |
| Ryan: "this one's on me," |
| Chihiro: the person is saying that he or she will pay. You can use this phrase when you offer to pay for a friend's meal or drink, just as Teddy does in the dialogue. |
| Ryan: Right, so next time somebody says that to you, you know that they're going to pay for it. |
| Chihiro: You can accept the offer politely, and maybe even reply "the next one's on me" meaning you'll pay next time. |
Lesson focus |
| Ryan: The focus of this lesson is units of money. |
| Chihiro: The units of money that are used in the United States are dollars and cents. One hundred cents is equal to a dollar. The coffee came to a total of nine dollars and thirty-five cents. |
| Ryan: Cents come in coin form, and each value also has another name. Like a one cent coin is called a penny, five cents is called a nickel, ten cents is a dime, and twenty-five cents is a quarter. The penny is the only bronze colored coin, and the other three are silver. They're all different sizes though, the dime being the smallest and the quarter being the largest. |
| Chihiro: If you ever do live in the States, you might want to save your quarters, they come in handy for things like laundromats and vending machines. |
| Ryan: Yes, that's true. Spend your other coins first! |
| Chihiro: What other coins are there Ryan? |
| Ryan: A fifty-cent coin and a one-dollar coin do exist and you can use them, but you'll see the coins Chihiro mentioned earlier more frequently than these. However, in Canada, the Canadian dollar coin is common as well; they call it a "loonie." |
| Chihiro: Banknotes come in dollars and the common ones are one dollar, five dollars, ten dollars, twenty dollars, fifty dollars, and one hundred dollars. |
| Ryan: Other bills do exist; but, they're either not as popular or the larger values have become outdated due to electronic transactions. |
| Chihiro: When saying prices, it's common to not say dollar and cent. In other words, we can say 9 dollars 35 cents as "nine thirty-five." |
| Ryan: It's a shortcut. Also, a common word that replaces the word dollar is "buck." This is slang but we often use it when we are with familiar company. |
| Chihiro: Be aware that if you do use a bill that is more than twenty dollars, in some cases the store person might check the bill to determine whether it's real. This could be standard procedure, so don't think they're accusing you of having your own money making machine at home. |
| Ryan: That's a good point, I've seen some people look very uncomfortable when they check the bill. |
| Chihiro: In the states, all the bills are one color, a greenish color. So if you're not used to bills being all the same color, get ready to be surprised! |
| Ryan: Some people complain that they can't tell the difference between the bills in an instant glance because of this. |
| Chihiro: So if you're planning on visiting the States, get ready for some squinting for that number in the corner! |
Outro |
| Well that just about does it for today. Okay, we’ll see you all soon. |
| Ryan: Bye for now! |
Comments
HideIt's completely okay to feel tired sometimes, Ian! 😊
Remember, taking breaks is just as important as practicing. Make sure to rest up and come back to the lesson when you feel refreshed and ready to learn. Keep up the great work!
Thank you!
Team EnglishClass101.com
Dear Manabu,
You're very welcome! 😊 It’s true that grasping the "natural" nuance takes time, but don’t worry—you’re already on the right track. Here are a few tips to help you:
Listen to Native Speakers: Pay attention to how people speak in TV shows, movies, or podcasts. This will give you a feel for what "natural" sounds like.
Mimic Phrases: Practice using sentences or expressions you hear in context. Repetition will make them feel more natural to you.
Ask for Feedback: Don’t hesitate to share sentences with teachers or native speakers and ask, “Does this sound natural?”
Read Aloud: Reading English texts out loud helps you get comfortable with how sentences flow naturally.
Keep practicing—you’re making great progress! Let me know anytime you have questions or want feedback.
Best regards,
Team EnglishClass101.com
I'm too tired to practice this lesson.
Dear Éva
Thank you for your message and for your answer.
I got your explanation.
But it seems to take a long time for me to find out the natural nuance.
Sincerely.
Hello Manabu,
Thank you for your message and your eagerness to learn more about the English language. I'm more than happy to help! ❤️
The term "natural" in this context refers to how a native English speaker would naturally express a certain idea or sentence. It's not just about grammar, but also about common usage, idioms, and cultural context.
Now, regarding your question about "though," "although," "however," and "even though," these words are all used to introduce a contrast or contradiction, but they are used in slightly different ways:
1. "Although" and "even though" are interchangeable and can be used at the beginning or in the middle of a sentence. For example, "Although it was raining, we decided to go out."
2. "Though" can be used at the end of a sentence to add a contrasting comment or afterthought. For example, "It was raining. We decided to go out, though."
3. "However" is used to introduce a statement that contrasts with a previous statement. It is typically used at the beginning of a sentence and followed by a comma. For example, "It was raining. However, we decided to go out."
I hope this helps clarify these differences for you. Keep up the good work and don't hesitate to ask if you have more questions! 😄👍
Thank you!
Éva
Team EnglishClass101.com
Dear Éva,
Thank you for your message and for your corrections.
Regarding your third correction, I've been often said by my teacher as well, 'This is more natural'.
Because I'm not a native English speaker, I don't understand the nuance of 'natural' well.
Could you give me some of tips about it?
Though, although, however and even though,which you told in previous message are translated to Japanese as a same meaning.
I wonder how different they are respectively.
Sincerely.
Hello Manabu,
Thank you for your message and your kind words. It's always a pleasure to assist you with your English language learning journey. 👍👍👍
To answer your question, the phrase "This one's on me" is a casual way of saying "I will pay for this." In a formal setting, one might say, "I will take care of the bill" or "Allow me to pay for this."
Now, let's look at a few corrections for your message:
1. Your first sentence should be "Thank you for always answering." This is because "answer" is a verb and needs to be in its -ing form after "always."
2. In your second sentence, it would be more natural to say, "I'm not yet familiar with casual forms." This is because "form" in this context is countable, so we need to use "forms" instead of "form."
3. In your third sentence, it would be better to say, "Even though Teddy says 'This one's on me' in the dialogue, I don't understand why this means that Teddy is paying for Drew." This is because "though" is a conjunction and it's more natural to start the sentence with "Even though" in this context.
I hope this helps! Please feel free to reach out if you have any more questions.
Thank you!
Éva
Team EnglishClass101.com
Thank you for your always answer.
I'm not yet familiar with a casual form.
Though Teddy says 'This one's on me' in the dialog, I don't understand why this means that Teddy pays for Drew.
What is its expression in formal?
Regards.
Hello Abdoulaye,
Thank you for your question! 😄😎
The word "do" in this context is used for emphasis. When Chihiro says "If you ever 'do' live in the States," she is emphasizing the possibility of you living in the States. It's a way to stress the action verb that follows. This is quite common in spoken English, particularly when the speaker wants to make the situation sound more hypothetical or uncertain.
I hope this helps! Please feel free to ask if you have any more questions.
Thank you!
Éva
Team EnglishClass101.com
In the focus of this lesson Chihiro says: If you ever "do' live in the States, you might want to save your quarters, they come in handy for things like laundromats and vending machines. Can you please explain to me more this word" do"? Thank you for your help.
Hello Marcel,
Thanks for taking the time to post and share. 👍
We wish you all the success in your studies and thank you again for your comment.
Regards,
Éva
Team EnglishClass101.com
Hi,
I think I will want to taste coffee like the one Teddy ordered. In Spain, I'm not sure that I receive such a coffee but I'll order it.
When you come back to a familiar place you expected to be the same things that you already know. You feel good when the workers from cafes or restaurants remember you when you order the usual.
Regards,
Hello Mina,
We are constantly updating the lessons on our site so please stay tuned! 👍
Yes, both of those have similar meanings. You can distinguish between the two by use of the words "already" and "yet."
The word "already" is an adverb meaning "before now" or "by now." The word "yet" is an adverb meaning "up until the present time."
I hope this is helpful to you. 😄👍
Sincerely,
Éva
Team EnglishClass101.com
Hello.
Does "If you don't know already," in the sentence "Cultural Insights"
have the same meaning as "If you don't know yet" ?
If they have the same meaning, how do you distinguish between the two sentence?
Thanks.
Hello Hiroshi and Sina,
Thanks for getting in touch. 👍
@Hiroshi - Yes, you can say "the usual" in any shop you buy the same thing regularly. For example, you might get the same sandwich everyday.
@Sina - Yes, "a grand" is slang for '$1000.'
Enjoy your studies!
Sincerely,
Éva
Team EnglishClass101.com
Hello
Can we use "the usual" in other kind of shop? Or is it only coffee shop?
Best regards.
Hi
sorry I ask again
is grand that equal 1000$ a slang?
thank you so much.
Hello sina,
You are very very welcome. 😇 Also, thanks for the hearts.❤️️❤️️❤️️
Feel free to contact us if you have any questions.
We wish you good luck with your language studies.
Kind regards,
Levente
Team EnglishClass101.com
Hi
is grand that equal 1000$ a slang?
thank you so much❤️️❤️️❤️️
Hi there Az Ho,
Thanks for your post and the positive feedback!
We have so many lessons and a lot of support for you here during your studies and are constantly updating the lessons on our site so please stay tuned! 👍
Feel free to ask us any questions that come up.
Sincerely,
Éva
Team EnglishClass101.com