Saying “no” can be one of the hardest parts of speaking English—especially if you don’t want to sound rude. In this episode, I share natural, polite, and even playful ways to say *no* in different situations.

👉 Listen now: *Say It Like This – Ways to Politely Say No*

How do you usually say *no* in English?

The English Exchange

Ways To Say No

Il Natale è qui! Christmas is here!
Learn how Italians spent the most important holiday of the year in easy Italian by listening to 3 minutes Italian!

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3 minutes Italian

Il Natale

Как бы вы описали характер и поведение Ольги? 

Russfriend  (all about russia) 

А.П. Чехов  "Душечка" часть третья

One of the common goals for people in their 20s, 30s and 40s is to "get on the property ladder."

The idea is that when you buy your first home you're taking your first step on that ladder. In time, you may be able to climb higher by selling your property and buying a bigger or better one.

But taking that first step can be difficult — and scary. So what do you need to know before you go from renting or living with family to becoming a homeowner?

Writing for CNBC, real estate reporter Celia Fernandez shared a number of things she wished she'd done before buying her first home.

One thing she mentioned was making sure she had all the necessary paperwork in one place so she could easily show it to banks or lenders. This is good advice for anyone buying a property — you'll probably need to share things like your payslips, bank records and tax returns several times!

Fernandez also advises people to look for "free money." Your country or region may have grants or other programs to help home buyers. Look out for things like tax breaks for first-time home buyers, or grants for refurbishing older homes.

She also suggests asking for financial help from family members. "My biggest regret is not talking to our loved ones right at the beginning of our search," she said.

Of course, not everyone will have this option. But some parents may want to give money to their children during their lives rather than waiting to pass it on as an inheritance, for example.

Finally, Fernandez says it's important to take into account the costs of closing a sale. That might include taxes, legal fees, inspection fees or fees for a real estate agent — and don't forget that you may also have initial refurbishment costs.

You don't want an expensive surprise just as you get your first home!

Practice Listening, Reading & Comprehension

Tips for Preparing for Your First Property Purchase

Travelers often fly to New York or Paris just for the shopping experience, but according to a new report, it's Milan that should be called the capital of global shopping.

A real estate company has found that Via Monte Napoleone in Milan is the world's most expensive retail destination.

US firm Cushman & Wakefield ranked shopping areas based on the rent prices per square meter, and Milan has knocked New York's Fifth Avenue off the top of the list.

The average rent on the Milan street has risen to more than $20,800 per square meter compared with about $20,300 per square meter on an 11-block area of upper Fifth Avenue.

Via Monte Napoleone's small size — it's just 350 meters long — and walking distance to services and top cultural sites are among the street's key advantages, according to Guglielmo Miani, president of the Monte Napoleone District association.

"Not everything can fit, which is a benefit" since the limited space makes the street even more exclusive, said Miani.

The biggest brands on the street make more than $100 million in annual sales, Miani said, which goes a long way to paying the rent. Tiffany is preparing to open a store on Via Monte Napoleone, and luxury fashion store Fendi is expanding.

The Monte Napoleone District says 11 million people visited the area during the first 11 months of the year, but there's no way to say how many were big spenders and how many were just window shopping.

But according to shopping firm Global Blue, the average shopper on Via Monte Napoleone spent $2,600 per purchase between August and November — the highest average receipt in the world.

Officials from Fifth Avenue praised Milan for its efforts in making the street — and the city — a desirable place to shop.

But they added that the Italian city should enjoy its position at the top of the list while it can!

Milan Shopping Street Named World's Most Exclusive

¡Hola chicos! Aquí estoy para mis estudiantes de español. Les informo que este es un audio de baja calidad. No siempre podremos obtener audios de buena calidad durante pruebas, llamadas reales u otros contextos. Aunque las respuestas de la persona entrevistada son claras en un 95%, mis preguntas no lo son. Sin embargo, no se preocupen, las escribiré aquí para que puedan seguirlas junto con las respuestas. El acento de la persona entrevistada es de la costa de Colombia. Hagan su mejor esfuerzo para captar su acento y superar las adversidades de este audio. ¡Buena suerte!

Disclaimer: Autorización de Derechos de Autor: Al participar en esta entrevista, aceptas que use tu voz y contenido con fines educativos & personales. Renuncias a cualquier derecho de reclamar propiedad o recibir compensación. Any questions before we continue? [Respuesta: NO] ¡Gracias!

¿Te gusta viajar?

¿Qué significa viajar para ti?

¿Qué tipos diferentes de viajes existen?

¿Cuál es el mejor lugar al que has ido?

¿Te gustaría viajar durante varios años sin parar?

¿Cuáles son las cosas buenas y malas de viajar?

¿A dónde te gustaría viajar antes de morir?

¿Es mejor viajar o llegar?

Lin Yutang dijo: "Nadie se da cuenta de lo hermoso que es viajar hasta que llega a casa y descansa su cabeza en su vieja y familiar almohada." ¿Estás de acuerdo?

Elizabeth Drew dijo: "Con demasiada frecuencia, viajar, en lugar de ampliar la mente, simplemente alarga la conversación." ¿Qué significa esto? ¿Estás de acuerdo?

Talk Time with Jhon!

Reflexiones sobre Viajar

こんにちは、あかりです。今日(きょう)は、鳥(とり)のいる生活(せいかつ)について話(はな)します。

Usage of Slow Japanese:
STEP 1. Listen to the episode without seeing the scripts.
STEP 2. Go to mochifika.com/podcast/ and check "Key vocabularies of this episode", and listen again to the episode while seeing the list.
STEP 3. Check the whole script, it'll fill the gap in your understanding.

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Slow Japanese

Episode #52 - Life with birds

今日三個詞：捱世界、蛇王、心噏
大家最常用嘅係邊個？
歡迎留言話喔知你‘心噏’嘅經歷！
记得订阅💕