SBS Learn English yuav pab kom kom muaj peev xwm hais tau, tham tau, totaub thiab sib cuag tau nrog lwm tus neeg ntawm teb chaws Australia - txheeb tau txhua toom sob kawm ntawm no. Thiab txheeb tau tej sob kawm no ntawm SBS Learn English Hmong.
Cov kev xyaum tham kiag lus Askiv nrov nrov yuav pab kom koj muaj peev xwm hais tau lus Askiv npliag thiab yuav pab kom koj nco tau cov lo lus tshiab tau yooj yim zog.
Toom soab kawm no haum rau cov neeg kawm ntawv Askiv tshaj lij theem nrab. Tom qab koj mloog tag lawm, ho sim teb tej lus nug hauv qab no ua ib co kev tshau txuj seb koj nkag siab zoo npaum li cas.
Learning notes
Tej sob lus sib txawv uas koj muaj peev xwm siv coj los piav txog ib qho chaw (Different phrases you can use to describe a space):
- My room has heaps of storage. (Kuv chav muaj chaw khaws khoom ntau heev).
- I love how the kitchen opens straight into the lounge. (Kuv nyiam lub chaw ua noj qhib ncaj qha mus rau lub chaw zaum tham pem).
- The layout’s spot on – it doesn’t feel cramped at all. (Tus yam ntxwv tsev tab tom haum - thiab zoo li tsis nqaim tsis ti hlo li).
- The floor plan really works. (Lub plag tsev siv tau zoo heev).
- The place has good bones. (Lub tsev no zoo li ua tau ruaj).
- It’s definitely got character. (Lub tsev no ua tau tus yam ntxwv tsev zoo).
- It’s a bit of a fixer-upper. (Lub tsev no zoo li kho me ntsis qhov ub qhov no rau).
- The bathroom’s been recently done. (Nyuam qhuav ua lub chaw da dej tsis ntev no).
- The bedrooms are a decent size. (Cov chav pw kuj loj txaus raws li qhov tsim nyog lawm thiab).
Colloquial expressions (Cov sob lus muaj ntau lo lus sib txuam txhais tau ib lub ntsib lus):
When you tell someone, ‘Make yourself at home,’ you’re inviting them to feel relaxed and comfortable, just like they would in their own place.
(Thaum koj qhia ib tug twg tias 'Make yourself at home,' ces yog yus hais rau tus neeg yus caw tuaj rau yus lub tsev tias kom xam tias yus lub tsev tam li yog lawv lub tsev xwb tsis txhob xav dab tsi ntau).
When a room ‘opens straight into’ another room, it means there’s an open connection—you can walk from one room to the other without going through a hallway or doorway.
(Thaum ua ib chav twg 'opens straight into' rau lwm chav ces txhais tias chav ntawd txuas ncaj qha qhib lub rau lwm chav — uas yus muaj peev xwm taug kev ntawm chav ntawd mus rau lwm chav yam tsis muaj qhov rooj kem, los yog tsis muaj ib txoj kev loj).
If you say that the floor plan of your home works, you’re saying the layout of your home makes sense and feels right for you.
(Yog koj hais tias 'the floor plan of your home works,' ces yog koj hais tias tsim tau tus yam ntxwv ntawm koj lub tsev raws li qhov haum raws li koj nyiam).
To check something out is an informal way of saying to examine or look at something closely.
(To 'check something out' ces yog hais lus paj paws tias txheeb los yog saib ib yam dab tsi kom ntxaws seb zoo li cas).
Spot on is an informal way of saying that something is really perfect.
('Spot on' ces yog ib lo lus paj paws hais tias ib yam dab tsi ua tau zoo heev).
If your house has good bones, it means that the structure—the walls, floors, and roof—are strong and solid, even if the house needs some repairs.
(Yog koj lub tsev muaj 'house has good bones' ces yog lub khauj khaum tsev — tsis hais tej phab ntsa, tej plag tsev, thiab tej ruv tsev ua tau ruaj thiab khov, txawm tias yuav tau kho lub tsev ntawd qee yam me ntsis).
When we say a place has character, it means that it’s interesting, a bit unique, or has something special about it.
(Thaum koj hais tias 'a place has character,' ces txhais tias ua rau yus xav paub txog lub tsev ntawd, uas tau zoo raws ib tug yam ntxwv twg uas txawv lwm lub, los yog muaj ib yam dab tsi zoo txog lub tsev ntawd).
Vocabulary (Cov lo lus):
Heaps of storage means a lot of space, like cupboards, shelves, or closets to store things.
('Heaps of storage' txhais tias dav heev/muaj chaw seem ntau heev, li muaj tej txhee rau khoom, tej tub rau khoom los yog tej tub rau khaub ncaws khaws tej khoom cia).
The word room (without ‘a’ or ‘the’ ) means space, usually the space to do something, like store things or move in.
(Lo lus 'room' (uas yog tias tsis muaj tus article 'a' los yog 'the') nrog txhais tias yog qhov chaw, uas yog ib qho chaw ua dab tsi, li khaws khoom los yog qhov chaw yus mus nyob).
Ample means large or a lot of something, and usually implies that that something is large enough. It's often used to describe space or time, or quantity.
('Ample' txhas tias loj los yog muaj ntau yam, thiab ib txwm tham txog tias yam khoom ntawd loj txaus. Thiab ib txwm siv lo lus no piav txog ib qho chaw, lub sij hawm los sis yog muaj ntau npaum li cas).
Layout means the way things are arranged. It is often used to talk about a space in a room, document or page.
('Layout' txhais tias seb teeb thiab kem lub tsev ntawd zoo li cas. Uas yeej ib txwm siv lo lus no tham txog ib qho chaw ntawm ib chav twg, los yog piav txog ib co ntaub ntawv twg los yog ib nplooj ntawv twg).
A floor plan is the way the rooms are arranged in a house.
('A floor plan' ces yog seb lub plag tsev ntawd muaj cov chav raug faib li cas ntawm ib lub tsev twg).
To fix something up means to repair it.
(Lo lus 'to fix something up' txhais tias kho ib yam dab tsi).
A fixer-upper is a house that needs repairs, and often renovations.
('A fixer-upper' ces yog lo lus qhia tias yuav tau kho ntau yam ntawm ib lub tsev twg tshiab los yog kho dua lub tsev ntawd tshiab kom zoo nkauj tshaj qub tuaj ntxiv).
Learning focus:
Claire and Allen use some different ways of saying how much they like something:
- Allan:
Finally – a …. (finally….! Shows that you have wanted. Something for a long time)
I’ve been dreaming of.. (if you have been dreaming of something then you really like it)
The floor plan really works (if something works, then you like it) - Claire:
I love how it ….. (I love + how it + verb)
The layout’s spot on (spot on = exactly right)
Transcript (Tej lus theej tawm los ntawm cov sob lus sib tham):
(Note: This is not a word-for-word transcript)
SBS acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country and their connections and continuous care for the skies, lands, and waterways throughout Australia.
It’s early morning. The kettle’s just boiled, the house is quiet, and for me, this is the perfect time to learn something new.
Hi, I’m Kate, and you’re listening to the SBS Learn English podcast—where we help you develop your informal spoken English so that you can feel more confident and sound more natural.
Whatever you’re doing, whether you’re out and about or still in your pyjamas, grab your tea, coffee — or whatever keeps you going — and make yourself at home so that you can listen comfortably.
When you tell someone to make themselves at home, you’re inviting them to feel relaxed and comfortable, just like they would if they were in their own home. We often say this to be polite to someone who comes to our home.
And speaking of home — today we’re going to learn some useful everyday phrases you can use when talking about yours.
I chose this topic because Allan has just moved into a new place—a house he bought after months of looking. There are still a few boxes on the floor, but the kettle’s unpacked, and that’s what counts.
His friend Claire has come over to check it out. To check something out is an informal way of saying to examine or look at something closely. She’s excited to finally see what Allan’s been talking about all these months. As they walk into the kitchen, the conversation begins…
Allan
Finally – a kitchen with heaps of storage! I’ve been dreaming of this.
Claire
Yeah, and I love how it opens straight into the lounge. The layout’s spot on – it doesn’t feel cramped at all.
Allan
Exactly. The floor plan really works. The place has good bones.
Claire
It’s definitely got character.
Allan
Yeah, it’s a bit of a fixer-upper, but the bathroom’s been done recently and the bedrooms are a decent size.
As always, Allan and Claire used some fantastic everyday phrases. Let’s take a closer look at a few of the words they used—these are the kinds of expressions you can use yourself when talking about your home.
Allan first said,
Finally – a kitchen with heaps of storage! I’ve been dreaming of this.
I also love a kitchen that has heaps of storage, that means that has a lot of space to store things, like cupboards, shelves, or closets. In other words, if a place has heaps of storage, it means there’s plenty of room for you to put things. By the way, the word ‘room’ here doesn’t mean ‘room’ like bedroom or bathroom, it is another word for space.
But let’s say you're in your office and you want to sound a bit more formal, in that case you could use the word ‘ample’, as in, ‘There’s ample storage for all our files’.
‘Ample’ here means enough or more than enough of something. It's usually used to describe space, time, or quantity.
Claire then said,
I love how it opens straight into the lounge. The layout’s spot on – it doesn’t feel cramped at all.
Claire first said that she loves how the kitchen opens straight into the lounge. When a room ‘opens straight into’ another room, it means there’s an open connection—you can walk from one room to the other without going through a hallway or doorway.
Claire also said,
The layout’s spot on – it doesn’t feel cramped at all.
So, what does layout mean?
Well, layout is a word we can use to talk about how things are arranged or set out. You can use it when you’re talking about a space—like a room, a house, or even a page or a website.
Let’s start with homes.
When you say “the layout of the house”, you’re talking about how the rooms are arranged in the house.
For example, my flat has an open-plan layout—so the kitchen, dining and lounge are all in the same space. I love that—it feels nice and open.
Now, we also use layout when we talk about documents.
The other day I found an old presentation I made, and honestly, the layout was terrible. There was way too much on the page, and I didn’t know where to look first. So I’d say: “I didn’t like the layout at all.”
And of course, layout is a word we use when talking about websites or apps too.
Like, “Do you think the layout of our website is easy to use?” or “I like the new layout—it’s clean and simple.”
So, in short, layout just means the way something is organised or arranged.
But spot on – what have spots got to do with it? If something is spot on it is exactly right. So Claire really loved the layout.
Claire also said that Allan’s new home doesn’t feel cramped at all. If a place feels cramped it feels small and crowded –as though there’s not enough space. You might feel like there’s no room to move around.
What’s your place like? Do you think it feels cramped? Or does it have a good layout?
Allan then said,
The floor plan really works.
The floor plan really works. If you say that the floor plan of your home works, you’re saying the layout of your home makes sense and feels right for you. A floor plan is the way the rooms are arranged in a house. It’s similar to layout.
Allan also said,
And we’re only getting started! Allan is saying - even though they’ve been working together for two years, that’s just the start so there will be many more years of working together in the future. Isn’t that nice?!
He then said:
The place has good bones.
When we say a place has character, we mean it’s interesting, a bit unique, or has something special about it. It might be an old fireplace, high ceilings, the way the light comes in, or even some kind of different layout that makes it different from a brand-new house.
It may not be perfect—but it has something that makes it really special!
So, when Claire says, ‘It’s definitely got character’, she means the house feels interesting, and full of charm.
It’s definitely got character.
It sure is, Claire!
A milestone is an important and memorable moment or event in the development of something.
Twenty-five years together - that’s a big milestone worthy of a big celebration! Hmm. I wonder if they will invite me?
Allan replied,
Yeah, it’s a bit of a fixer-upper, but the bathroom’s been done recently, and the bedrooms are a decent size.
Allan’s home is a fixer-upper, which means it needs a lot of work. Allan will have to repair or renovate certain parts of the house. But luckily for him, the bathroom has been done recently, which means that it’s already been renovated or updated, so he doesn’t need to do any work on that part of the house.
The house also has decent-sized bedrooms. We say a space is a decent size when it’s not too small or too big – it’s just the right amount of space to be comfortable. For example, a decent-sized bedroom would have enough room for a bed, a wardrobe, and maybe a desk or some shelves, without feeling cramped.
So, even though Allan’s house needs work, it’s got some good thing about it, like the bathroom and the size of the bedrooms.
I guess we can often imagine something we’d like to change about where we live. How about your home? How many rooms are there? Does it have character?
Sit back, listen again and see how many useful phrases you might be able to use when describing your home.
A big thank you to our guest Wolfgang Mueller Paul Nicholson and Lily O'Sullivan voiced the characters of Allan and Claire, and Professor Lynda Yates was our educational consultant.
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