Should You Stop Saying "Very" in English? No. Here's Why.

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1. 0:01It's overused. It sounds basic. Say hilarious, not very funny.
2. 0:07Use stronger vocabulary. Stop saying very.
3. 0:11You've probably heard advice like this before, and maybe you've even saved one of those long lists of words to use instead of very. The reason behind these statements is, of course,
4. 0:23to highlight other vocabulary that you can use, often more advanced level vocabulary. However, after hearing that message again and again,
5. 0:34it's easy to start thinking that very is beginner English.
6. 0:38And if you wanna sound more fluent or more advanced, you should stop using it.
7. 0:44And yes, very is one of the first words that many English learners learn and begin to use. In the Cambridge Dictionary,
8. 0:53phrases such as very tired and very important are marked as A1, the beginner level.
9. 1:01But A1 tells you when learners usually begin to use a word.
10. 1:07It doesn't mean that that word is only for beginners.
11. 1:12Native speakers use very, really, so and super regularly in everyday conversation.
12. 1:22Of course, you should keep growing your English vocabulary. In fact, expanding vocabulary month after month is a core focus of one of my
13. 1:32programs. And learning words such as hilarious, exhausted, and furious, which are highlighted as better alternatives to very funny, very tired, and very angry.
14. 1:45These give you more ways to express yourself. That is true.
15. 1:50But learning those words does not mean you should stop saying very funny, really tired, or so angry.
16. 1:59You need both in your English conversations.
17. 2:03Sometimes exhausted or furious is exactly what you mean.
18. 2:08It's what you want to say, but very, really, so and super are useful too. So in this lesson, we're going to look at why these words are so useful,
19. 2:20how they're different from words such as exhausted and furious, and why they may be the clearest, most natural,
20. 2:29and most expressive choice in your English conversations.
21. 2:33So let's start by taking a very quick look at what the words very, really, so, and super allow you to do.
22. 2:42You already use these words regularly to make your ideas stronger.
23. 2:46For example, the class was helpful, can be strengthened by saying the class was very helpful or really helpful, so helpful, super helpful.
24. 2:56These words that we're using are called intensifiers.
25. 3:00That simply means that they add strength or emphasis to another word or the idea of the sentence. And in each sentence I shared,
26. 3:10helpful still describes the class. The basic meaning hasn't changed.
27. 3:16But the intensifier tells us that the class helped you to a greater degree. These words have a useful purpose.
28. 3:26They aren't empty words, and using them doesn't mean your vocabulary is weak or basic or only suitable for beginners. Again, native speakers use them all the time.
29. 3:38I use them all the time. These words give us a clear, natural way to make an idea stronger, and that matters because when someone tells you to replace one of
30. 3:50these words or phrases with a different adjective, the new sentence may not always mean the same thing.
31. 3:58So let's explore that a little further.
32. 4:00I've seen many videos that say don't use very tired, say exhausted.
33. 4:06And sure, exhausted is a wonderful synonym of tired, but that doesn't mean that they have the exact same meaning or that exhausted is
34. 4:15simply a stronger version and somehow better. For example, let's imagine I've had a long day. I'm tired,
35. 4:24but I can still cook dinner, answer a few emails and talk to my family.
36. 4:28And then when it's time, I'll be happy to go to bed early and get a good night of sleep. In that case, I can say, "I'm really tired." But if I say,
37. 4:39"I'm exhausted," I'm telling you something more specific and different.
38. 4:44It means I've used up all of my energy.
39. 4:47The Miriam-Webster dictionary provides this definition for exhausted, to be completely or almost completely depleted of
40. 4:57resources, depleted of energy.
41. 5:00That definition suggests that one night of sleep is not enough to help me recover. There's a much deeper level of tiredness.
42. 5:10The truth is, you can be really tired and in need of one good night of sleep without being exhausted, without being depleted of energy.
43. 5:21So what's important to think about here is that yes, exhausted is a synonym, but it is not equal to the words very tired.
44. 5:29And understanding those nuanced differences is important.
45. 5:34And now let's take a look at another pair that I often see.
46. 5:37I've heard don't use very busy, use hectic, but these aren't equals.
47. 5:44I might have a very busy week with meetings, appointments, and deadlines, but everything could still be organized and under control.
48. 5:54A hectic week usually includes.
49. 5:57More than a full schedule.
50. 5:59I'm rushing and dealing with sudden changes and trying to manage several deadlines that happen all at the same time.
51. 6:08So hectic doesn't simply mean very busy.
52. 6:11It gives your listener a different picture.
53. 6:14And then we have the words so angry or very angry and furious. This comparison works a little differently.
54. 6:23Furious describes anger as intense or forceful, but in a real conversation, I'm so angry may sound just as intense as
55. 6:35I'm furious. The difference here is how you communicate that intensity.
56. 6:41With furious, the strong meaning is in the word itself.
57. 6:45And with so angry, the word so and the way you use your voice show how strongly you feel. So again, the point isn't that one choice,
58. 6:57one word is better than the other.
59. 7:00The point is that the word on the vocabulary list that you're learning may not say exactly what you want to say. Again, it's not always equal.
60. 7:10So before you replace a phrase that you use often like very tired or very fun with another phrase, you need to understand what those words really communicate.
61. 7:22And in a real conversation, your words are not the only thing that a listener hears.
62. 7:29Your voice also shows how you feel.
63. 7:33And this is the part I'm really excited to talk about.
64. 7:36Let's look at how exactly you can use your voice to show how you feel.
65. 7:42Take a moment to listen to these examples. I'm tired.
66. 7:46I'm so tired. I'm so tired.
67. 7:50I'm so tired. I'm so, so tired.
68. 7:55Take a moment to listen again. I'm tired. I'm so tired.
69. 8:00I'm so tired. I'm so tired.
70. 8:05I'm so, so tired. In every sentence, I'm telling you, I'm tired. But the way I say so changes what you hear.
71. 8:16Depending on my voice and the situation, I might sound frustrated, completely worn out, dramatic, or even playful.
72. 8:25That's one reason words like so really and very are so useful.
73. 8:32They give you a word that you can stress or lengthen the vowel sounds or repeat. And here are a few more examples.
74. 8:40I might compliment someone by saying, "That was really, really good." Or, "I'm super grateful.
75. 8:48I'm very excited." Now, in a few of these examples, I've taken the intensifier and I've made it longer by lengthening the vowel
76. 8:57sound. And the truth is we can do that with other words as well. For example, I could say, "I'm tired," or, "I'm furious." And in each case, again,
77. 9:07I'm slightly lengthening the vowel sound to add emphasis.
78. 9:12So with that in mind, let's compare two examples.
79. 9:15I'm so angry. I'm furious.
80. 9:21Both of these can sound extremely strong with I'm so angry, the word so and the way I say it show you exactly how strong that
81. 9:33anger feels. And with I'm furious, the word furious already describes that intense anger and my voice is adding even more emphasis.
82. 9:44And I share this with you because I want you to know that you don't have to choose between these more advanced level words or words that are more familiar, words like very, really, and so.
83. 9:57These words give you more ways to use your voice to show exactly how you feel. Now, all of these words can help you make an idea stronger,
84. 10:07but we don't always use them in the same situations.
85. 10:11So now let's take a look at the differences between very, really, so and super.
86. 10:18The meaning of these words often overlaps, and as a result, in many sentences, there's more than one choice possible.
87. 10:27For example, I could say that was very helpful, really helpful, that was so, so helpful, that was super helpful.
88. 10:36And all four sentences are absolutely natural in conversation, but they don't always fit the same situations. For example,
89. 10:46very works in a broad range of English, from everyday conversation to more formal situations. For example, that information was very helpful.
90. 10:58This is a very important decision.
91. 11:02And then the word really is also common, especially in conversation. For example, that was really helpful. I'm really tired.
92. 11:13And then the word so is especially useful when you're reacting to something or expressing a strong feeling.
93. 11:22I'm so relieved that it's over. That was so kind of you.
94. 11:28It's so frustrating when the train is late.
95. 11:32And now of all of these words, the word super is the most informal, the most casual. So in a conversation with a friend, I might say,
96. 11:41"That was super helpful," or, "I'm super excited." As you can see, my sentences here are almost all the same.
97. 11:47I'm just changing which intensifier I'm using. And by doing so, if I.
98. 11:53Use super, I'm indicating that I'm in some kind of casual conversation.
99. 11:58And if I'm in a more formal or professional situation, I'll simply change it to very. Now, these aren't strict rules.
100. 12:06The truth is the situation, the people you're talking with and your voice all matter, and at every step, you have a choice.
101. 12:16You don't have to use very every time, and you don't need to avoid it either.
102. 12:22You can choose the word that fits what you want to say in the moment and how you want to sound.
103. 12:28And that word very has one more super useful job that those stop saying very lists rarely mention.
104. 12:37I want you to compare these two sentences.
105. 12:42The presentation was confusing.
106. 12:45The presentation wasn't very clear.
107. 12:49Both of those sentences communicate a problem, but the second one sounds less direct. Here's another example.
108. 12:58The hotel was disappointing.
109. 13:01The hotel wasn't very comfortable. Again, the second sentence allows you to express a negative opinion without
110. 13:10sounding quite as strong or blunt. In these examples, the complete phrase of not very clear and not very comfortable
111. 13:20softens the negative comment.
112. 13:23And we use this often when we want to be honest, but we don't want our words to sound unnecessarily harsh.
113. 13:31Let me give you a few more examples.
114. 13:34I wasn't very happy about the decision.
115. 13:38That explanation wasn't very convincing.
116. 13:42The service wasn't very good.
117. 13:44The reason I'm sharing this part with you is I want you to know that removing very from your vocabulary wouldn't remove a word
118. 13:54that is overused or sounds basic, which again, I disagree with, but you'd also lose a super useful way to make
119. 14:03disagreements or disappointment or criticism less direct.
120. 14:08Now that we've looked at what these words allow you to do, the question is, how do you decide which word or which phrase you want to say?
121. 14:18When you know that there is more than one way to express an idea, I want you to consider which one says what you mean right now.
122. 14:28For example, maybe your week was full, but everything went according to plan, you felt organized even though you were busy. In that moment, you can simply say,
123. 14:39"I had a really busy week," and it may be exactly right for that moment.
124. 14:46But if you were rushing and plans kept changing and several things needed your attention all at the same time, then you could say, "It was hectic," and it gives a clearer picture of your week.
125. 14:57The same is true with really tired and exhausted.
126. 15:02If you're tired, you still have some energy, and really tired may fit for the sentence.
127. 15:09If you feel as though all your energy is gone, exhausted may be a better fit.
128. 15:15And sometimes the difference is just how do you want to express that feeling?
129. 15:20You might want to say, "I'm furious," or, "I'm so, so angry." I have to admit, there's something satisfying about that strength of the word so and
130. 15:31repeating it before the word angry.
131. 15:34Both of those can help us give the full force or the full meaning of what we're feeling in that moment.
132. 15:41What I want you to remember most is that you do not need to search for the most advanced or perfect word every time you speak.
133. 15:50You just need the word that fits what you mean and use it.
134. 15:54And if you're struggling to find some other word that you've used, use your voice to give power to the words very, really, so and super.
135. 16:04Knowing more vocabulary absolutely gives you more choices, but it doesn't make the familiar choice.
136. 16:12It doesn't make using words like very or really wrong.
137. 16:17So now that you've seen what these words actually do, let's return to the question we started with.
138. 16:24Should you stop saying very? No.
139. 16:28The next time you see a list called stop saying very, don't treat it like a rule.
140. 16:35Treat it as a list of additional words you can learn, keep growing your vocabulary, definitely learn the stronger,
141. 16:43more specific words and understand what they mean and keep using very, really, so and super.
142. 16:53They're useful, natural parts of English, and they give you more ways to show strength, emotion, and emphasis when you speak.
143. 17:02The goal is not to replace every familiar word you know, it's to have enough choices so you can say what you mean clearly
144. 17:12and say it in a way that sounds like you. Now, as always, if you found this lesson helpful, don't forget to subscribe or follow wherever you're watching or listening from
145. 17:23today. Thanks so much for joining me and I look forward to next time.