If you have ever asked for directions in English and ended up walking far longer than expected, you are not alone. Somewhere along the way, a friendly stranger probably smiled and said, “Oh, it’s just around the corner,” or “It’s not far at all.” And yet, ten minutes later, you were still walking, wondering whether you had misunderstood something, or whether English directions are simply unreliable.
The truth is, phrases like “just around the corner” are not meant to be precise. They are emotional rather than factual. When native speakers use them, they are often trying to be encouraging, helpful, or polite rather than accurate. Saying “It’s quite a long walk” feels discouraging, so people soften the reality without even realising they are doing it.
Another common phrase is “five minutes away.” In theory, this should be clear. In practice, it rarely is. Five minutes can mean five minutes of driving, five minutes of fast walking, or five minutes if you already know where you are going. It can also mean, “I have done this route
many times, so it feels quick to me.” What feels short to one person can feel really long to someone unfamiliar with the area.
Then there is the “You can’t miss it.” This phrase is particularly dangerous. When someone says this, they usually mean that the place is obvious to them. They may be picturing a large building, a familiar sign, or a street they walk down every day. For a visitor or language learner, however, this confidence can be misleading. If you can miss it, and many people do, you probably will.
What makes these phrases tricky is that they are not wrong in the traditional sense. They are socially correct. Native speakers are often more concerned with sounding friendly and reassuring than with giving exact instructions. Directions, in real life, are a small act of kindness, not a technical task. People want to help, and optimism is part of that help.
This also comes down to a cultural habit that most people do not even notice. In many English speaking countries, admitting uncertainty feels uncomfortable. Instead of saying “I’m not completely sure,” people carry on speaking while thinking. This is how directions turn into sentences like, “Go straight, then take a left, well, maybe it’s a right,but you’ll see a café, and it’s sort of near there.” To a learner, this can feel confusing or even stressful. To a native speaker, it feels perfectly normal.
Understanding this changes how you listen. Rather than focusing on exact distances or time estimates, it helps to listen for landmarks and repeated ideas. If someone mentions the same café or street twice, that detail probably matters. If they pause or correct themselves, it often means they are visualising the route rather than recalling it clearly.
So the next time someone tells you something is “just around the corner,” don’t assume you have misunderstood English. You have understood it perfectly, you have simply come across
one of its most optimistic expressions. In English, directions are less about accuracy and more about human connection. And sometimes, getting a little lost is simply part of the conversation.
