This is an All Ears English podcast, episode 2107.
Check out these English phrasal verbs.
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Aubrey Carter, the IELTS whiz, and Lindsay McMahon, the English adventurer.
Coming to you from Arizona and Colorado, USA.
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Have you heard native speakers use the phrasal verb check out?
Today we answer a listener question by showing you the five meanings of this phrasal verb.
Plus get top tips on how to prioritize which meanings to use first.
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Hello, Lindsay.
How are you?
Hello, Aubrey.
I'm doing very well today.
Today.
We're recording on a Friday, so I'm about ready for the weekend.
Yes, Fridays are the best.
Yes, the whole weekend in front of you.
Are you going to go to any fun restaurants this weekend?
Any restaurants in Denver you've been wanting to check out?
Yeah, I mean, there's a few good restaurants in Denver, but Denver's not a big food city, I have to be honest.
So not really.
I'm going to the movies tonight.
I'm excited gotcha, we are.
There's um, some family friends.
We have a soccer game tonight and they're the other girls on my daughter's soccer team.
We're like let's all go out after the game.
And they recommended this taco place kind of close to where the game is.
So we've never been.
I'm excited to check it out.
Yeah.
Do you have good Mexican food in Arizona?
Yes, but there's almost too many choices, right?
There's so many.
I don't know if I could ever go to all of them.
Yeah, for sure.
I've noticed that Mexican food, and tacos particularly, are so much better on the west side of the country than the east side.
It's true. bad.
Yes.
When I lived in New York, I had a really difficult time finding good Mexican food, good tacos, and they're like three on every corner here.
Oh my gosh.
It's so good.
Yes.
It's so much better for sure.
But other kinds of food are better on the East Coast, I guess.
Yes, that's true.
Right.
They have their fancier restaurants over there.
Well, I'm excited for this, Lindsay.
We had a great question about phrasal verbs.
One of them we used a couple times in this opening.
I asked what you want to check out, And so let's read this question and let you know what we're getting into.
And this came from YouTube, by the way.
I mean you can catch, hopefully soon, these particular, actually All Ears English yes, All Ears English episodes are on YouTube.
And we're hoping soon that Business English will also be over there.
So find us on YouTube.
Here's the question.
Grammar episodes are really my favorite.
Always exciting to listen to these great episodes and learn something new from you guys.
So thank you.
That was amazing, Aubrey.
How does that make you feel?
I know.
I'm glad because the grammar episodes are a lot of work.
So I'm glad to hear that you guys appreciate them.
I love it.
Yeah, I love it.
I also have a grammar question.
Okay.
I was wondering if you can break down the usage of the phrasal verbs check out, check in and check on.
They all sound very similar to me, but I've noticed native speakers use them in different ways.
So thanks again.
And this is from Ludi on YouTube.
Yes, you guys can leave questions like this in comments on our YouTube videos.
That's an awesome place for you to leave a question.
And all three of these phrasal verbs are used extremely often and are all great for connection in English.
Right, Lindsay?
Yeah, these are connection verbs for sure, just because they're used so much and we're making recommendations here.
We are telling people to what to pay attention to.
Right?
Exactly.
That fun conversation we had at the beginning where I'm asking you are there any restaurants you want to check out?
And I'm telling you about one.
Like, what a fun conversation.
It's fun, right?
Or if I'm visiting a city, what should I check out in terms of food?
Love that.
Yes, exactly.
But the tricky thing is these each have multiple meanings.
Oh, yeah.
So we're going to need to do an episode for each.
So guys, hit follow for the next installments of this three-part series, because each of these phrasal verbs is going to be its own episode.
Oh, I'm excited for that.
That's going to be coming out in the probably in the next month or so, Aubrey, right?
More or less.
Yeah, I love it.
I love it.
All right, hit follow guys.
So today, which one are we focusing in on?
Just zooming in on?
Checkout.
Checkout, which has five different meanings, guys.
Oh my gosh, Aubrey, are you serious?
Imagine trying to do all three of these phrasal verbs in one episode, when just check out has five meanings.
Never, never.
There's so much out there to teach you guys.
We're going to take it bit by bit and make sure we focus on connection, not perfection.
That's the key.
Absolutely.
Right.
So you guys, when you hear these, you'll understand them and you can use them to connect in English.
That is the goal.
Yes.
Okay.
Then where do we start?
What is the first meaning?
Yeah, the first one is the one I used when I asked if you have any restaurants you want to check out.
It means to find out information, or to like make sure everything is correct or satisfactory about something.
So, from the opening, check out a restaurant.
Right really means you're gonna find out information about that restaurant or make sure that you would like it.
Yeah, there's a lot.
There's a lot here.
There are a lot of ways that we would use it for this particular meaning.
For example, I need my mechanic to check out this car before I decide whether to buy it.
Weren't we talking about lemons in an episode a few weeks ago?
This is right.
This is just wise life advice.
Have a mechanic check out a used car before you purchase it.
Don't buy a lemon.
And we said in that episode, guys, a lemon is a used car that is just, it doesn't work.
It doesn't run well.
But you bought it.
Yes.
All right.
What would be another example?
So you could say, wherever we go, my dog always runs around to check the place out.
Oh, that's so cute.
Yeah, that's what we do.
They say that if you take your dog somewhere like an Airbnb or a hotel room or a home, you should let them kind of walk around on the leash and sniff it all out so they get comfortable to check it out.
Yeah, absolutely.
It makes sense, right?
So yeah, you can see already we're talking about checking out restaurants, having a mechanic check out the car, the dog's checking out the place.
It's all just a meaning of like finding out information about a place or making sure that everything is on the up and up.
Everything is correct and satisfactory.
And I don't think we can overemphasize how common this phrasal verb is in this usage, isn't it?
It's probably at least once per conversation, if not like once per sentence in every conversation, like all the time.
Okay.
Quite a lot.
Quite a lot then in other words.
All right.
Fair enough.
What about another meaning, another usage?
Yes.
The other way we use check out is it means look at or notice something.
So for example, oh, you should check out that video on YouTube.
So it means like, just go watch it.
Go look at it.
Something we think you should notice.
Yes.
Or that guy is totally checking you out.
So you might hear teenagers saying this, right?
Exactly.
Right.
If someone is noticing someone else, we use this phrasal verb, check out.
They're checking them out.
Yeah.
In the dating world, that kind of thing.
Super common in that way too.
Yeah.
Okay.
Third way, Opry.
What is it?
Yeah.
So this means to prove something true or correct.
So for example, her claim didn't check out once we looked into it.
So it means you have proven something false if it doesn't check out.
Yes.
Or we'll see if that checks out.
This one's a little more rare, but I actually like it.
I do too.
It's an interesting way.
Because if you're going to say to someone like, don't know, I'll see if what you're telling me is true, that can almost seem kind of offensive that you're making this assumption that it might not be.
This is a little less maybe blunt and potentially offensive.
Just be like okay, we'll see if that checks out right right, right.
And it makes me think of a bonus for today, which is add up right, don't add up the numbers, don't add up.
It doesn't make any sense.
Exact same meaning, right to say something checks out or something adds up.
That's interesting.
That could be another episode where we take that off on that tangent around not trusting what someone has said.
Your gut is telling you something's wrong.
That could be a great.
Putting two and two together is another idiom.
Yeah, stay tuned for an upcoming episode.
There's a lot of interesting phrases for that.
All right, good stuff.
So next one Okay.
So this is settling someone's hotel bill.
We say check out, like we need to check out before four.
This is a little bit more of a specific meaning.
We always say check out for this action.
Yep.
Also, but very different, right?
Very different from the other ones.
And then I'll go check us out and I'll meet you at the car.
Yeah.
And it has a specific meaning of settling your bill at a hotel.
Yeah.
But yeah, it's so bizarre how checkout can mean all of these different things.
And of course, the opposite of checkout to a hotel is check in, right?
Early check in, that kind of thing.
So just as we're learning checkout, let's just learn check in as well.
Nice.
Yeah, smart.
We just recently got an early check-in when we went to Rocky Point because we left really early and we got there at like 11.
And normal check-in was four.
But we emailed the owner because it was like Airbnb.
We were so happy to be able to like unload all of our stuff and go and have a beach day.
Yeah, we asked for that a lot actually.
It was probably kind of annoying, but sometimes we'll get in early and we just ask for an early check-in.
Usually with Airbnb, they can make it happen.
Yeah, if they can just send the cleaning crew early, it's such a bonus.
Or if the place has already been cleaned honestly and it's just for whatever reason, it's an arbitrary 3 pm check-in time.
Sometimes you can ask for an early check-in.
Yeah.
Yeah.
And just be like, here's the code.
Go on in.
It's amazing.
Love it.
All right.
This is our last meaning.
And it means to pay or borrow.
So for example, I need to check out some books at the library.
And here, check out means to borrow these items.
Aubrey, do you still check out books from the library?
Do you go to the library sometimes and get books?
All the time.
All the time.
I think this is partially a mom thing because my kids... fly through books, right?
They read like a book a day, especially if it's like those graphic novels that you can read really fast.
So they'll go and get a stack of books.
I think our library lets you check out like 35 books at a time.
And we get close to that sometimes because they each get a stack of books.
I can picture you with a whole pile.
And the next week, they're ready for a new stack of books.
That is impressive.
Whoa, I have to catch up to that level of reading.
Very impressive.
In fact, it's really smart.
Our library tallies for you how much you've saved by going to the library.
Every time you check out, it's like you have saved 30000 by checking books out at the library instead of buying them new.
I'm like, I love that.
It makes sense.
Because what do you do?
You donate, use books.
It just makes total sense to go to the library to find your books.
100%.
Well Aubrey, before we get any deeper into the episode, I want to make sure we say thank you to our reviewers.
Why do we love reviews?
I mean...
It warms our hearts, right?
I know it really does.
I love reading them.
I loved this comment letting us know you love the grammar episodes.
I love reviews when you share specifically what you are enjoying, share questions.
This feedback is so helpful for us, but it also really helps our show be found by other listeners as well.
So share the love, right?
Leave us a review, rate the show.
We love to read them.
Yeah, guys, we always we read them.
We send them to the team.
We pay attention to your reviews.
So let us know what you think about the show.
Ask your question.
Thank you to Michelle Toon from China.
Thank you to Yasin Amini from Iran.
Mohamed Reza Sharifi from the US and Saeed Jami from Iran.
Thank you, guys.
We so appreciate you.
If you want to get your name announced on the show, a good way to do that is to leave a review.
Yes.
I love getting those emails from you.
Lindsay, when you'll like, copy a review or two and send it to everybody.
That just makes my day.
It's so nice.
I know.
I know.
I love it too.
It's so good.
All right.
Do we have a role play?
Yes.
So I'm going to share about a book, actually.
I'll start us out here.
Ready?
Yes.
Hey, check out this book I found at the library.
Looks interesting.
Yes.
I checked it out yesterday and I'm almost finished.
Nice.
I actually left a library book in my hotel last weekend.
Oh, no.
Yeah, I went to check out and left it in the lobby.
Can they send it to you?
Yeah, they're mailing it.
I had checked out reviews before our trip and saw good feedback about their customer service.
And now I know it totally checks out.
Ooh, creative use of that.
Checks out.
Right?
I must have been able to really figure out how to get that in there.
I know because we do use that one a little less, right?
It's a little less common to say something checks out, meaning it's true.
You've proven it true, right?
I was able to squeeze all five of these phrasal verbs into this little role play.
And it didn't even feel like it felt like we would use all of these.
We just use this word so often.
Yeah, we do.
And so the first one, the most common way, right?
Hey, check out this book.
I found it at the library. right?
Yeah.
It means like, look at it.
Look at this book I found.
Check out this book.
I actually would say this, check out way more often than I would say, look at this.
That almost feels weird.
Look at this book.
Yeah.
Check out.
Yeah.
Look at this book.
Check out feels so much more casual, more natural, more native for our listeners.
Totally.
Yes.
And then I said, I checked it out yesterday, meaning borrow from the library.
Okay.
Yeah.
And you could also actually be saying, I looked at it yesterday too.
That's true.
Right.
If somebody else had it and I checked it out, or maybe I see it at the library like I checked it out at the library and then I checked it out at the library.
Exactly.
That's why this is everywhere.
It's everywhere.
That's why I'm so happy we're showing this to our listeners today.
Then I said, yeah, I want to check out.
I'm sorry.
I went to check out and I left it in the lobby.
Now this is the hotel, right?
Yeah.
So you went to settle your hotel bill and you had your book with you and you probably like set it on the counter.
This is totally something I would do or my sunglasses or my wallet.
Just leave it there when I check out of the hotel.
I'm really terrible about that.
Ah, interesting.
Okay.
And then you really snuck in that checked out.
How did we do that?
Yeah.
So first you said I had checked out reviews for this hotel before our trip, meaning I wanted to find out information, right?
I checked out the reviews.
And then the very last one, what did you say?
I know.
I said, I looked at the feedback and their customer service.
And now I know that that feedback totally checks out.
So I know it's true.
I know that.
Exactly.
Right.
So you had read these great reviews.
And then when they said, absolutely, we can mail you this book back.
No problem.
You're like, okay, that feedback checks out.
It's been proven true to me.
Yeah.
I think we'll come back to that whole topic of maybe on business English, maybe on all English.
We don't know.
But the idea of does something check out?
Does it add up?
Can we trust our gut here?
Is our gut telling us something different?
Right?
Really interesting.
Absolutely.
Yeah.
Make sure to follow both shows because that happens a lot.
We'll have an idea like this, and then you never know if I decide it's better on business English or all English.
So you have to follow both shows, guys.
And might as well be on IELTS Energy too while you're at it if you're taking the IELTS exam, right?
Good point.
All right, Aubrey, what's our takeaway?
What do we need to know?
As a final thought, for checkout, you guys know phrasal verbs can be tricky.
There's five meanings, just for checkout, right?
They each have very different meanings.
This breakdown of checkout will definitely help you understand how to use it and understand when you hear it, and you should be using phrasal verbs, right.
It's a much more native, natural way to communicate rather than often, the much more formal verbs that would replace these phrasal verbs.
Yes, phrasal verbs are the way to connection, so don't ignore them.
Phase them into your english and If you need to take away one use of this phrasal verb today, take the first one to find out information.
Wouldn't you agree?
Yeah, that's such a great way to connect, to ask people about something they want to check out, or tell them something you've checked out right.
TV, movies, books, restaurants.
It's just such a great way to spark a conversation.
I might actually edit that and just say take the first slash second one, because they are similar, right.
The first one is having your mechanic check out your car, examine.
And number two is look at that.
I would actually take the second one.
Look, hey, check out my new book.
Check out what's on TV tonight.
Check out this new restaurant.
I think that one is the more common.
Do you think so?
Yeah, that's true.
We use them both a lot.
So I would say both.
Pull both of those.
We can't choose just one, right?
We use these both all the time.
And yeah, so the first two.
Prioritize the first two.
Prioritize the first two and always, well, above all, prioritize connection.
Right, Aubrey?
Yes, absolutely.
All right.
Good stuff.
I'll talk to you soon.
Have a good day.
Awesome.
Thanks, Lindsay.
Bye.
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