879 - Sunday Speak - Polite Ways to Say No In English

Hey there! It’s Michael here — and welcome back to another Happy English Sunday Speak. Every Sunday, I’ll be here with a quick one-point tip to help you speak English more naturally. Now, sometimes in English we need to say “no,” but just saying no can sound too direct or even a little rude. So let’s look at some casual, yet polite, natural ways to say no.

If someone invites you to do something and you don’t want to, you can say:

• “I’ll pass.” Like, Want to come out for karaoke tonight? → Thanks, I’ll pass.
• “Not really my thing.” Like, do you want to go bouldering? → Nah, That’s not really my thing.
• And one that I like to use all the time is “It’s not my cup of tea.” Like, Everyone’s watching that new horror movie, but scary films are not my cup of tea.

So, I’ll pass,  It’s not really my thing, and It’s not my cult of tea. When you need to refuse or decline something, these all sound softer, more polite, and very natural. So how about you? What’s something that’s Not your cup of tea? Leave a comment below

Join my Podcast Learner's Study Group here: https://www.myhappyenglish.com/plsg
Visit my website for over 3,000 free English lessons: https://www.myhappyenglish.com/
My AI English Tutor is HERE

The Happy English Podcast
Helping people speak English better since 2014
Over 1,000 episodes • 8 million downloads

📘 Build your vocabulary with my free Vocabulary Workshop
https://learn.myhappyenglish.com/vocabulary-workshop-signup

🎥 Watch video versions of the Happy English Podcast on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/@HappyEnglishNY/podcasts

🌐 Learn more about my English lessons and courses
https://www.myhappyenglish.com