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Hi everyone! Thank you for tuning in to Time for English.

For the past few weeks, the biggest news hitting the headlines in Japan, and around the globe, is a novel coronavirus.

Now, let's look at the word "virus". I know what it means, how it's used and pronounced. But I'm not sure if I can explain what a virus exactly is. So, I looked it up in a dictionary.

Macmillan says a virus is: a simple living thing that is smaller than bacteria and that can enter your body and make you sick. If your body can protect itself against a particular virus, then you are immune to it. A vaccine is a medicine that makes you immune to a particular virus.

Actually, there are some other words you may want to learn in this definition, including "immune" and "vaccine". I'm going to talk about these words on our website. So, if you're interested, please come visit us on Thursday.

In the meantime, eat well, sleep well and stay well. See you next time.

Hi everyone! Thank you for tuning in to Time for English.

Today, I'm going to talk about the word "worth".

Worth is an adjective used for saying that there is a good enough reason for doing something, because it's important, useful, or enjoyable.

The word "worth" is typically followed by the "-ing" form of a verb.

For example, I recommend a book or a movie, because the book is worth reading, or, the movie is worth seeing. Someone suggested an idea, and you think the idea is worth considering. Your father offered you advice, and you think his advice is worth taking. And if you're in New York, the Guggenheim is definitely worth visiting.

Now, the word "worth" is also followed by nouns. So next week, I'll give you some more examples, but this time with nouns.

In the meantime, would you like to practice together? Please repeat after me:

The book is worth reading.

Hi everyone! Thank you for tuning in to Time for English.

I'm going to talk about the word "stuck" today.

When you're stuck, you're unable to move from where you are. When something gets stuck, you can't move it from where it is.

For example, it seems we don't have a lot of snow this winter, but when it does snow a lot, cars get stuck on roads. When that happens, the drivers and passengers get stuck in their vehicles. Or, travelers get stuck at the airport. Some commuters get stuck in trains, others at work.

Just to be sure, when you say you're stuck, the implication is that you are somewhere you don't want to be. Stuck in traffic, stuck in an elevator, stuck in a useless meeting. Normally, you don't get stuck in a wonderful place.

Now, would you like to practice together? Please repeat after me:

I'm sorry I'm late. I was stuck in traffic.

Hi everyone! Thank you for tuning in to Time for English.

Last week, I quoted some lines from the movie Frozen, including "You mean to tell me you got engaged to someone you just met that day?” which is said by Kristoff.

This phrase "you mean to tell me” is typically followed by a that-clause and is used to express disbelief, doubt, shock, disappointment, and oftentimes, disapproval.

For example, when I say to you, "You mean to tell me you didn't know that?”, I'm doubtful. I suspect you did know that.

When you say, "You mean to tell me you haven't done it yet?”, it can be an accusation. You think it should have been done by now.

I wish I could use this phrase with my clients some time. You mean to tell me I have only 3 days to finish this?

Now, would you like to practice together? Please repeat after me:

You mean to tell me you didn't know that?

Hi everyone! Thank you for tuning in to Time for English.

I'm going to continue to give you a phrase from the movie Frozen, this week and next week. It's really a good movie for English learners of all levels, with a lot of hands-on examples of how simple words and phrases in English are used in everyday conversations.

For example, let's look at the dialogue between Anna and Kristoff in one scene. Kristoff says, "Hang on (which means a wait a minute), do you mean to tell me you got engaged to someone you just met that day?” Actually, that's not what Anna wants to talk about. She wants to talk about her sister, Elsa. So, she says to Kristoff, "Pay attention!”

When you want someone to listen to you carefully, stop being distracted and get focused, you can use this phrase "Pay attention!”

Now, would you like to practice together? Please repeat after me:

Pay attention!

Hi everyone! Thank you for tuning in to Time for English.

Around this time of the year, everyone talks about how quickly time passes, referring to the idiom "time flies”. I couldn't agree more. I feel like as if I skipped a couple of months.

Time is interesting. It's elastic. For example, time flies when you're having fun. Time flies when you're struggling with deadlines. Time goes slow when you're on a treadmill, and it stops when you're struck at work on a Friday night.

And now, as I'm getting older, it feels like time's going faster and faster!

Anyhow. This will be the last update of 2019. And Kaori and I would like to thank you for staying with us and supporting us throughout the year. It's truly encouraging when you visit our website or like us on Facebook. Thank you so much. We wish you a happy, healthy, brand new year!

Hi everyone! Thank you for tuning in to Time for English.

Again, let me give you yet another phrase from the movie Frozen.

When Princess Anna tells Kristoff that she is marrying a man she just met, Kristoff says, in shock, “What if you hate the way he eats?”

So, this time, we are going to focus on “what if”. “What if” is used to ask about something that could happen in the future. And according to the Cambridge dictionary, especially something bad. For example, what if the train is late? It means, what will happen, what are we going to do if the train is late? What if you don’t pass the exam? It means, what are you going to do if you fail the exam?

And note that “what if” is normally followed by a sentence containing a subject and a verb. What if it rains?

Now, would you like to practice together? Please repeat after me:

What if it rains?

Hi everyone! Thank you for tuning in to Time for English.

Today, I'm going to give you another phrase from the movie Frozen.

Princess Anna gets engaged to someone she just met. Kristoff asks loads of questions about him, one of which is about food. What is his favorite food?

This is a good question to learn. What is your favorite food? To answer the questions, you can say, for example, my favorite food is sushi. I like Mexican. I love spicy food.

You can use this question in different things by replacing the word "food” by other words.

For example, what is your favorite film? What is your favorite sport? What are some of your favorite songs? If you ask about a person, then say, who is your favorite author? Who is your favorite baseball player?

Now, would you like to practice together? Please repeat after me:

What is your favorite food?

Hi everyone! Thank you for tuning in to Time for English.

Let me give you another phrase from the movie Frozen.

Kristoff is shocked when he finds out that Anna has gotten engaged to someone she just met. He asks a lot of questions about that guy; his name, favorite food, even foot size. And Anna says, "Foot size doesn't matter.”

Let's focus on the word "matter”, which is a verb in this case.

If something matters, it's important. If something matters to you, it's important for you. So, foot size doesn't matter means foot size is not important.

Let's say you are five minutes late. It doesn't sound very important. Maybe not. But in some cases, five minutes do matter. You could miss your flight. You could miss your job opportunity. Then it does matter, doesn't it?

Now, would you like to practice together? Please repeat after me:

It doesn't matter.

Hi everyone! Thank you for tuning in to Time for English.

The story of Elsa and Anna is being continued in Frozen II. It just opened last week, and is now playing in theaters across the country.

Today, and in the next couple of weeks, I want to go back to Frozen I, and review some words and phrases we learned from the first episode.

If you remember, Anna's sister, Elsa, wears the gloves all the time and Anna says, "Maybe she has a thing about dirt”.

When you have a thing about someone or something, you like them very much or dislike them very much, but often can't explain why.

For example, John has a thing about Mary. He thinks he's in love with her. Now, Mary has a thing about flying. It really scares her. In other words, she hates it when she has to travel by air.

Now, would you like to practice together? Please repeat after me:

I have a thing about flying.