I have to say — (sentence)

Use this phrase to introduce an opinion you just formed, which surprised you a little:

I have to say — I think you might be an even better cook than Mom.

I have to say — she's not looking so good these days. I hope she's OK.

kind of (adjective)

"Kind of" means "a little" or "somewhat". It's often used in spoken English:

I'm kind of shy when it comes to the opposite sex.

It kind of took me by surprise.

The pronunciation of "kind of" sounds like "kinda".

Another phrase with a similar meaning is "somewhat", but "somewhat" is more formal. Use "kind of" for most situations and "somewhat" when discussing academic topics or in writing.

I was disappointed

Remember that you use "___ed" to talk about how you feel:

I was kind of disappointed.

And you use "___ing" to give your opinion about something:

It (the movie) was kind of disappointing.

Other words that work in this way are:

• I was intimidated / It was intimidating
• I was surprised / It was surprising