939 - What’s Up With? - English Tips in a Minute | Happy English

Hey there! It’s Michael here - and welcome back to English Tips in a Minute from Happy English. I’m here every Saturday with a short, simple tip to help you speak English more naturally and confidently. And by the way, if you want to watch this lesson, just look for Happy English Podcast on YouTube.
Today, let’s look at a really useful conversational phrase - “What’s up with…?”

We use what’s up with…? to ask about something we don’t understand. It’s another way to say
“What’s the situation with…?”  And you can use it for people, for events, or even for weird situations.

• Like,  Maybe your coworker is acting strange. You can say:  “What’s up with John today?”
• Or if you’re confused about a rule at work, you might say:  “What’s up with casual Fridays? Can we wear jeans or not?”
• We also use it to talk about trends or new behaviors we don’t get.  Like:  “I don’t know what’s up with kids these days and that 6-7 thing.”

One thing to keep in mind is tone. With a neutral tone, it sounds curious.  With a strong tone, it can sound annoyed or frustrated:  “Oh man, what’s up with all this traffic today?”

What’s up with waiting? Go try this phrase in your next conversation! 

Lemme know in the comments how it goes, and remember to follow or subscribe so you don’t miss the next Happy English Podcast and next Saturday’s English Tips in a Minute. Hey, thanks for listening. And until next time, keep learning and keep it cool.

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