This is an All Ears English podcast episode 1866.
We shall see how to express that the future is unknown in English.
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No one knows what the future holds.
So when someone asks you about something in the future, how can you express in English that you don't know exactly what will happen?
Find out in today's episode.
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Hey there, Michelle.
How are you feeling today?
I'm good.
I'm good.
How are you?
Awesome.
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What should they do?
All right.
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Good stuff.
Okay, Michelle.
So I think we're getting into a very common expression that I've heard, that I hear a lot from my native speaking friends.
What about you?
Yes, I hear it a lot.
I have actually Dan's family.
They all say this expression a lot.
And then recently I heard it on TV and I was like, you know what?
It's time.
It's time that we discuss it.
It's time.
Sometimes it's almost like we need to implement a new rule.
If you hear something more than three times in a week, we have to do an episode on it.
Guys, the material from today, from everything on this show, is directly from our conversations in our world.
So this is not from a textbook, right?
This is not from a classroom.
This is real English.
Good stuff.
So Dan's family says this a lot.
Does your family say this a lot?
No.
It's funny.
Like, it's funny how families kind of adapt.
Yeah.
You know we should.
We should both like think about things that our family says a lot and then like share that.
Oh, that would be so fun.
What a good episode idea.
I love it.
I'll have to think about it before we do that one.
Yeah, we definitely have to like.
That would take like.
Oh, that would be like a two or three week assignment to like observe, like when your conversations, for sure.
But this is one that I always notice with this family, and the expression is we shall see.
With that intonation too,
It cannot just be Oh, we shall see.
It's we shall see.
Right.
That's so funny.
That's so funny.
Are our dance family members funny?
Because I know Dan's kind of a funny guy.
He's kind of a jokester.
Are his family members the same way?
Or are they more serious?
No, they're the same way.
It's a very joking.
It's a very funny, humorous family.
Funny humor style, very sarcastic, likes to yeah, especially my sister-in-law, my father-in-law, you know.
So they definitely, they're fun.
They're fun to be around.
Always a laugh.
Oh, that's so great.
I love that.
I love being around people that laugh all the time.
That is the best.
It's fantastic.
All right.
So this is something that funny people say, but not just funny people, right?
This is common for a lot of different personality types, this expression.
Yeah.
Yeah, absolutely.
This doesn't have to be only about this.
Like this is not necessarily said in a funny, only for funny things.
Right.
But do you so you said you hear other people say this a lot?
Oh, yeah, I heard I hear this a lot.
You know, we shall see.
You know, so what does it really mean?
Michelle, let's just explain to our listeners what it means first.
Yeah, well, it basically, it means let's see what's going to happen.
Like, oh, in the future, we'll know.
And I feel like there's like I feel like we just talked about this recently in another episode something with other expressions, like almost doubting that something will happen um, i can't remember what it was, but like um.
Either either it could be genuine like oh, we shall see what happens right, or it could be like oh, i think this is gonna happen.
Oh, me too.
All right well, we shall see.
So, like you, or you do think it's going to happen, or you don't think, you're just not sure.
Right.
Is that what you mean?
Well, I think it could be used for either.
Like.
I think it could be used more genuinely like oh, like we're you know we're speculating like oh, what's going to happen on that show?
Or what's going to happen with?
Like yeah, maybe like somebody in our family got a new job and we're not sure if they're going to take it.
Oh, we shall see.
Or I think there could be some like tinge of like, oh, we know.
Yeah.
So it gives you kind of a sense of mystery a little bit.
Right.
Maybe like impending.
We're not sure.
There's a sense of mystery, something on the other side.
Right.
True.
Absolutely.
Absolutely.
So let's do some examples with this.
So here we go.
I think she's going to be late again.
Well, she's been really working on her punctuality.
We shall see.
Right.
So here I'm kind of testing, you know, I am assuming kind of the negative side.
Right.
Right.
And then you're saying, oh, but there's a possibility, you know, let's let's hope let's be positive.
And then I'm like challenging that.
Right.
Right.
Instead of saying like, oh, I don't think so.
You're just saying we shall see.
But really what you're saying is I don't think there's going to be an improvement.
Right.
So this is the more negative side of this expression.
It's expressing mystery and doubt.
Mystery and a sense of doubt.
Right.
Exactly.
Exactly.
Exactly.
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Or here's another one.
This one is a little bit, this one is more genuine.
Okay.
So like there could be a discount on that chair this weekend.
We shall see.
Right.
So yeah, I'm hoping it's more positive.
For sure.
For sure.
We actually don't know.
Like, let's hope, you know, kind of that.
Yeah, exactly.
We're going to go to the warehouse store and hope for it, right?
Right.
The next one, Michelle, here's another one.
We've got lots of examples for you guys today.
I think we'll have flying cars in our lifetime.
Really?
Oh, yeah.
Definitely.
No question.
We shall see.
So that's kind of more the unknown adventure and the future imagining things.
Right.
Right.
So I don't know.
Lindsay, do you think there's going to be flying cars?
We shall see.
Yeah.
In our lifetime.
So, I mean, I'm going to be around another 40 years, probably something like that.
45, maybe.
I don't think so.
You don't think so?
I don't really think so, no.
I think self-driving cars, probably yes.
But flying cars, I mean, there'd have to be, like, things take time to implement a system, right?
Governments to implement, like, how could you even do that so quickly?
Maybe.
I don't know, Michelle.
I hope so.
I know you want that.
Yes, that's true.
Well, my dream is to be like the Jetsons.
Oh, yeah, that's true.
More so than the flying is just like the no having to park.
Like, you know, that the cars will fold up into little suitcases.
I think that would solve just so many problems.
So smart.
Someday we'll get there.
I'm not sure if we'll see it.
We'll see.
That I don't think so.
But...
Yeah.
So, okay.
So, I mean, what else can you say?
So you're not going to go around all the time going, we shall see, we shall see.
I mean, unless you're in dance family.
Right.
Unless you're in dance family and you're a comedian.
Yeah.
I do think there is something about this phrase, we shall see, that's a little dramatic.
Yes.
Right.
So if you want to be a little more like subdued.
OK, that's a good word for today, Michelle.
Subdued.
Yeah.
Just say some other things like, for example, let's see.
Let's see.
Right.
Let's see.
Right.
Let's see.
That's just a little more neutral.
So I think that the whole thing with we shall see is that you're using the shall, which is, like known normally for like being formal.
You know more formal.
You don't say shall all the time.
So I think that's what kind of makes it kind of this elevated like –
Interesting expression.
So taking that away and saying something like, let's see, that's a little different.
Or we'll see.
And we're going to look at that in a minute.
Yeah, 100%, Michelle, that's a good point.
So let's give an example with let's see here.
All right.
I think inflation will continue to be a problem in the next few years.
I hope you're wrong, but let's see.
All right.
Let's see.
Okay.
Very common.
Very approachable phrase.
Very casual.
I like it.
I like it.
Simple.
Right, right, right.
And then, like you said, you could also say, we'll see.
Or if you want to extend it, you could say... I mean, you could also add this to the other one.
You could say...
We'll see what happens.
Or you could say, let's see what happens.
Yeah, this phrase, we'll see, makes me think, it's so funny what you remember.
I said this in the last episode.
It's funny, the little chunks of life that you remember when you're older.
But I remember one of my friend's parents.
She would always, when we were young young, we're probably like 10 or 8 or something we'd ask her for permissions permission, and she'd always say we'll see, we'll see, we'll see.
There was never a yes or no.
It used to drive me nuts, so when will we see?
Oh my gosh yeah wait, how old were you did?
I think Maybe like eight or seven.
I don't know.
I just remember her mom would say it all the time and it would drive me crazy.
I wanted to know.
Yeah, I think that's like a like a parent thing, you know, you know, just like delaying things, like oh maybe, you know, like saying maybe, or like soon or, like I always say to my son, like later.
Yeah.
Yeah, or maybe you hope the kid will forget.
Yeah, that's what it is.
Or maybe you want to check with your spouse or something, or you just don't want to make the decision right away.
You don't want to lock into something, because then you promise a kid something and I'm sure they can go crazy if you don't follow through.
Right.
Right.
Right.
So that's funny.
So and then the last one is we'll know soon enough.
Mm hmm.
Well, no.
So now this one provides a sense of a little drama, a little like like we don't have as much control over the thing.
Right.
Do you know what I mean?
Like getting a test result back or knowing if a snowstorm is going to stop a trip or something.
That kind of thing.
Right, right, right.
Exactly.
Yeah.
Or an election, a presidential election.
Right.
Yes, that's true.
That's true.
So, all right, here we go.
So I really think everything will be okay.
Yeah, but we have a lot of work to do.
I know, but we will do it.
All right.
Well, we'll know soon enough.
So it really is a sense of yeah, we've tried something, but then something is out of our control a little bit.
Yeah, right, right, right.
Like, we don't know what the boss will think or what the to the grade will be or what it is.
So it's a these expressions are all kind of about that, like, letting go of the control.
Like you don't.
Yeah.
And kind of like acknowledging that you don't have control over the future and you just kind of have to sit back and wait.
Well, isn't that the truth, Michelle?
We just don't.
I think we start to learn that as we get a little bit older.
We start to accept that, sort of.
When we're kids, we're so antsy.
We want to know what's going to happen next.
Can we do this?
Can we do that?
But then as we get a little older, we settle into life a bit more, right?
And then we want you guys to have the expressions to express this, to be able to say this and connect with anyone in your life.
So we want you to go ahead and try to use these phrases.
They are so natural.
Absolutely.
Okay.
Well, Lindsay, I think that's a good takeaway for today.
Guys, these are good expressions commenting on the future, letting go of a little bit of that control.
So yeah, let us know how it goes using these and try them out.
All right.
And guys, don't forget to hit follow on the podcast.
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All right.
Absolutely.
I love it.
All right.
Well, this was fun, Lindsay, and I'll talk to you soon.
Talk to you soon.
Bye, Michelle.
Bye.
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