Name: Fluency Practice with a Native Speaker in LA - Expressions You Should Know
Uploaded: 2025-06-16T00:53:52.000Z
Duration: 16 min 54 s
Description: Thousands of YouTube videos with English-Chinese subtitles! Now you can learn to understand native speakers, expand your vocabulary, and improve your pronunciation...

Gerund

Let's improve your English fluency by learning directly from a native speaker in Los Angeles.

Future simple

You will listen to my conversation with a native speaker that I recently met.

Past simple

She used some common expressions, words, idioms, and slang that you need to know.

I will teach you the expressions that she was using, and then I will give you other sample sentences so that you can truly master these expressions.

What is the difference between a native speaker of English and a non-native speaker of English?

The native speaker uses expressions, whereas the non-native speaker often uses the literal words.

For example, a non-native speaker might say, This is absolutely the best hamburger I've ever eaten.

But a native speaker might say, This is the best hamburger I've ever had, hands down.

They would use the expression, hands down.

Or a non-native speaker might say, He knows how to do a lot of different things.

But a native speaker might say, He's a jack of all trades.

That's a very common expression, a jack of all trades.

In this video, you will learn these expressions plus many more.

We will listen to my conversation with Brandon.

We met while waiting in line for over one hour at a market called Trader Joe's.

Because we wanted to get these exclusive collector's items bags that were available for sale for only just a few hours.

These Trader Joe's tote bags have become very popular, and I found out that my friends who live in Paris really wanted to have these bags.

I couldn't believe that these bags were also popular in France.

And the store Trader Joe's doesn't even exist in France.

So I decided to wait in this long line so I could buy these bags and send them to my friends in Paris.

I also met people from Japan and from Taiwan who told me that these bags are popular in their country too.

And this is where I met Brandon, who was standing in line directly behind me.

And I decided to film part of our conversation to help you learn the words and expressions that we were using.

I found out that Brandon is a trained chef.

She studied at the school called Cordon Bleu, so we talked a lot about food.

Let's listen to the first part of my conversation with Brandon.

I asked her to describe what she likes to do on Sundays in Los Angeles, and she recommended some places to go and things to do if you visit Los Angeles.

Let's listen to the first part and how she answers my question, and then I will come back and I will teach you some expressions that she was using.

I am sixth generation from California, from Los Angeles actually.

If someone wants to visit Los Angeles, which other places do you recommend they go to?

I'm going to take them to In-N-Out, obviously.

Everyone always wants to debate the cheeseburger, but I think In-N-Out hands down has the best cheeseburger almost in the world taste-wise.

I like Five Guys, but it's kind of overplayed in its ways.

I've had my own cooking show, so I'm kind of a jade of all trades, I like to call myself.

I say that I like to make the food that makes your heart dance and your taste buds sing.

For people who want to visit L.A., tell them the places that a local enjoys going to.

What do you recommend doing on a typical Sunday, for example?

If I had to give you my version of a perfect L.A.

Sunday, I would say obviously sleeping in a little late, and then probably grabbing a matcha latte from Alfred Coffee, a vanilla matcha, absolutely fantastic, iced is the way to go, hot, if it's really cold outside, we'll forgive you, and then I would say getting a breakfast sandwich from the Yeasty Boyz truck, absolutely fire.

Then I would follow that up with going to the farmer's market that's right outside, so start off with matcha, then get your bagel, then hit the farmer's market, pick up some fresh flowers, get your produce for the week stored, take that stuff, drop it off at home.

Then I would probably pack a picnic, head to the beach, lay out all day, maybe pop a little bottle of Prosecco, and out watch the sunset, and then follow that up with a cheeseburger.

I know I said earlier that I love In-N-Out, but my second favorite burger is from Father's Office, and for a highlight of a Sunday, a fancy cheeseburger might be the way to go, so I would end it with that burger, and then chilling at home, perfect Sunday.

Let's look at the expression born and raised.

Born and raised, I am sixth generation from California.

We use this expression to say that someone was born in that place, and they grew up there, emphasizing a strong connection to that location.

She was born and raised in Texas, and she knows all the best barbecue places.

Which place has the best hamburgers in Los Angeles?

According to Brandon, it's In-N-Out hands down.

But I think In-N-Out hands down has the best cheeseburger almost in the world taste wise.

She said, I think In-N-Out hands down, and hands down means no doubt, absolutely.

We use it to emphasize that something is definitely the best.

For example, we can say, this pizza place is hands down the best in town.

She is hands down the fastest runner in our group.

That movie was hands down my favorite this year.

Let's listen to how some other people used it.

I got to say, hands down, it is the best online business school for modern entrepreneurs.

But hands down, the best experience of my life.

Hands down, the coolest thing I have ever done.

Number three is hands down my favorite tip for you.

She said, I think In-N-Out hands down has the best cheeseburger almost in the world taste wise.

When we add wise to a noun, it means in terms of, or regarding.

For example, we can say taste wise, or price wise, or weather wise.

We can say, price wise, this restaurant is acceptable.

Weather wise, today is perfect for a picnic.

Or weather wise, Los Angeles is a great city.

Maybe it's not great in other ways, but weather wise, it's fantastic.

Quality wise, these shoes are better than the cheap ones.

Let's listen to the way Brandon used it beats.

She said, it beats all the expensive ones.

To beat is to be better than something else.

This cheap coffee beats the expensive brand.

Your homemade cake beats everything from the store.