“Is that widely used?”

An English-speaking colleague taught you a new phrase that you'd never heard before. You want to know if it's a common phrase for people to use. You ask:

Is that widely used?

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“Interesting. I've never encountered that phrase before.”

You're talking with an English-speaking colleague and she uses a phrase that you've never heard before. You ask her to explain what it means. After she explains it, you say:

Interesting. I've never encountered that phrase before.

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“But I still have trouble expressing myself.”

You're studying a 3rd language. Your friend asks how it's going, and you have just told her that you can understand what's going on around you. But you have trouble explaining your thoughts sometimes, so you say:

But I still have trouble expressing myself.

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“I'm at the point where I can understand most of what's going on around me.”

You're studying a 3rd language. You can usually understand what people are saying in that language. A friend asks you about your progress, and you say:

I'm at the point where I can understand most of what's going on around me.

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